Health Information Management

There are only three baccalaureate degree programs in Health Information Management in the state of California. One is offered at Loma Linda University, a private for-profit organization that charges approximately$60,000 for this degree, leaving a potential student with only an expensive and private university option. San Diego Mesa College and Shasta College were community colleges that were approved to offer the baccalaureate degree program.  East Los Angeles College is ready to offer the same education in an accredited program, in an affordable and accessible manner.  The benefit to the state is an expanded workforce, and to the employer a trained professional who can keep their offices and hospitals in compliance with new standards.

Offering this program at the community colleges within Los Angeles County will offer both access and affordability.  In many career technical fields, the Associate Degree was the entry point to employment in the profession.  However, with changes in technology and legislation this is no longer the case in many fields, particularly in healthcare.  The baccalaureate degree in many fields is becoming the entry point to employment. This change in industry standards represents an opportunity for community colleges to offer the appropriate education and training for workforce development by offering baccalaureate degrees in high-demand occupations not offered at four-year institutions.  We cannot just ignore these changes, but rather need to position our colleges to be the solution to this workforce development need. 

Offering this program at the community colleges will offer both access and affordability. Employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow 23 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations. As the large baby-boom population ages and people remain active later in life, the healthcare industry will see an increase in the demand for medical services.

Catalog Description

ELAC Health Information Management (HIM) program will blend the sciences of medicine and information technology and focuses on applied healthcare statistics, information resources, legislative rules, and quality assurance to ensure that the most up-to-date information is available to make informed decisions. Health Information professionals are key advocates for protecting the privacy and confidentiality of patient information and serve as the critical link between clinicians, patients, policymakers, and others by managing healthcare information in accordance with administrative, legal and ethical requirements. Health Information professionals are experts in the field of electronic health records, patient information, quality assessment, reimbursement, health planning, and applied research.

Program Requirements

Students will be required to complete 44 units within the health information management (HIM) curriculum with a grade of ‘C’ or higher.  In addition to the required courses for the major, students pursuing this track must complete the following requirements in order to complete the bachelor's degree program:

·       CSU or IGETC General Education  Pattern

·        Transfer level Math Course

·        Transfer level English Composition Course

In order to proceed into the baccalaureate program, students must complete the Health Information Technology Associate Degree Program from an accredited CAHIIM program.

Fall Semester (2023)

HTHTEK 300 - Foundations in Health Information Management (4 units)

HTHTEK 305 -Ethics in Healthcare Administration (3 units)

HTHTEK 310 - Healthcare Informatics (4 units)

ENGLISH 400 - Advanced Professional Writing (3 units)                

 

Spring Semester (2024)

HTHTEK 315 - Healthcare Analytics (4 units)

HTHTEK 320 - Topics in Legal and Compliance for Healthcare Professionals (4 units)

HTHTEK 325 –Principles of Finance for Health Information Management (3 units)

PSYCH 400 -Industrial-Organizational Psychology (3 units)

 

Fall Semester (2024)

HTHTEK 400 –Revenue Cycle Management (3 units)

HTHTEK 405 – Human Resources Management in Healthcare (4 units)

HTHTEK 410 – Project Management in Healthcare (3 units)

CIS 400 – Database Management and Design for Healthcare Professionals (4 units)

Spring Semester (2025)

HTHTEK 415 –Leadership and Strategic Management for Healthcare Professionals (4 units)

HTHTEK 420 –Healthcare Information Systems Analysis and Design (4 units)

HTHTEK 425 –Applied Research Project in Health Management (3 units)

HTHTEK 430 –Advanced Directed Clinical Placement (4 units)

Prerequisite skills

In order to proceed into the baccalaureate program, students must complete the Health Information Technology Associate Degree Program and be accepted.

 

Enrollment Limitations

Admission into the Health Information Management program will be pending until each prerequisite is completed. When taking prerequisite courses at another institution, please verify with Counseling Department and the HIM Program Director before enrollment, that they transfer to East Los Angeles College

Applicants must meet the following requirements to be considered for admission:

1.     Minimum cumulative G.P.A. of 2.5

2.     Minimum 3.0 G.P.A. in Health Information Technology courses

The program will accept 35 students per each Cohort.  The plan is to accept a maximum of 35 students every Fall semester.

All CSU/IGETC courses must be completed prior to the Fall acceptance into the HIM program.

 

Student Learning Outcomes

The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) has identified 26 Student Learning Outcomes that must be access every semester the courses are offered.

I.1. Compare diverse stakeholder perspectives through the delivery of health care services.

I.2. Analyze strategies for the management of information.

I.3. Evaluate polices and strategies to achieve data integrity.

I.4. Recommend compliance of health record content across the health system.

I.5 Utilize classification systems, clinical vocabularies, and nomenclatures.

I.6. Evaluate data dictionaries & data sets for compliance with government standards.

II.1. Recommend privacy strategies for health information.

II.2. Recommend security strategies for health information.

II.3. Analyze compliance requirements throughout the health information life cycle.

III.1. Examine health informatics concepts for the management of health information.

III.2. Analyze technologies for health information management.

III.3. Interpret statistics for health services.

III.4. Examine health care findings with data visualizations.

III.5. Compare research methodologies pertaining to health care.

III.6. Manage data within a database management system.

III.7. Identify standards for exchange of health information.

IV.1. Evaluate assignment of diagnostic and procedural codes and groupings in accordance with official guidelines.

IV.2. Mange components of the revenue cycle.

IV.3. Evaluate compliance with regulatory requirements and reimbursement methodologies.

V.1. Comply with legal processes impacting health information.

V.2. Evaluate compliance to external forces.

V.3. Analyze components of risk management as related to a health organization.

V.4. Analyze the impact of policy on health.

VI.1. Facilitate fundamental leadership skills.

VI.2. Assess the impact of organizational change.

VI.3. Analyze human resource strategies for organizational best practices.

VI.4. Leverage data-driven performance improvement techniques for decision-making.

VI.5. Verify financial management processes.

VI.6. Examine behaviors that embrace cultural diversity.

VI.7. Assess ethical standards of practice.

VI.8. Facilitate consumer engagement activities.

VI.9. Facilitate training needs for a healthcare organization.

VI.10. Compare project management methodologies to meet intended outcomes.

 Information Relevant to Program Goal

The goal of the HIM program is to prepare the graduates of the program to write the national accreditation examination of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), and upon passing the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) exam. This will occur once the program has been accredited by CAHIIM. 

In 2019, the HIM curriculum was classified as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) positions. Here are a few occupations an individual would be eligible to apply for after earning their RHIA credential:

Clinical Research Coordinator; Clinical Data Specialist;Clinical Systems Analyst; Clinical Data Developer- 11-9121.01

Clinical Data Manager; Health Data Analyst, 15-2051.02

Health Informatics Specialist- 15-1211.01

Health Information Management Director- 11-9111.000

Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars (Medical Records Director- 29-9021.00 

The Health Information Management baccalaureate program is designed to be cohort-based.  All students will move through the program in a structured manner, including both upper division general education and degree program requirements.  The program will be configured to be completed in two years (Fall, Spring, Fall, and Spring). Students in the associate degree program will have the opportunity to apply to the baccalaureate program in their last semester.  The first cohort will be admitted Fall 2023, with an anticipated graduation date of Spring 2025 (2-yearupper division cohort).  Following is the projected enrollment for the baccalaureate degree program for the next five years.

Fall 2023 - First cohort of 35 students admitted.

Fall 2024 - Second cohort of 35 students admitted. 

Fall 2025 - Third cohort of 35 students admitted

Fall 2026 - Fourth cohort of 35 students admitted

Fall 2027 - Fifth cohort of 35 students admitted

 Total Enrollment:  175

Anticipated Graduates: 140 (based upon an attrition rate of 20%)

Program Goals:

1. The program demonstrates entry level competencies for the health information management students.

2. The program will graduate 80% of the students within that cohort every two years. 

Students will be required to complete 44 units within the health information management (HIM) curriculum with a grade of ‘C’ or higher.  In addition to the required courses for the major, students pursuing this track must complete the following requirements in order to complete the bachelor's degree program:

·       CSU or IGETC General Education Pattern

·        Transfer level Math Course

·        Transfer level English Composition Course

In order to proceed into the baccalaureate program, students must complete the Health Information Technology Associate Degree Program.

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
HTHTEK 300	Foundations in Health Information Management	4	Y1
HTHTEK 305	Ethics in Healthcare Administration	3	Y1
HTHTEK 310	Healthcare Informatics	4	Y1
ENGLISH 400	Advanced Professional Writing	3	Y1
HTHTEK 315	Healthcare Analytics	4	Y1
HTHTEK 320	Topics in Legal and Compliance for Healthcare Professionals	4	Y1
HTHTEK 325	Principles of Finance for Health Information Management	3	Y1
PSYCH 400	Industrial-Organizational Psychology	3	Y1
HTHTEK 400	Revenue Cycle Management	3	Y2
HTHTEK 405	Human Resources Management	4	Y2
HTHTEK 410	Project Management in Healthcare	3	Y2
CIS 400	Database Management and Design for Healthcare Professionals	4	Y2
HTHTEK 415	Leadership and Strategic Management for Healthcare Professionals	4	Y2
HTHTEK 420	Healthcare Information Systems Analysis and Design	4	Y2
HTHTEK 425	Applied Research Project in Health Management	3	Y2
HTHTEK 430	Advanced Directed Clinical Placement	4	Y2

Allied Health Department / Health Information Technology

None.

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