Health Information Clerk II - Certificate of Achievement

This certificate program prepares students for technical positions in health information departments. Employment opportunities include working in a hybrid and electronic environment, analyzing health records for deficiencies according to established standards, maintaining and using a variety of indices and storage retrieval systems, managing the usage and release of health information, collecting and abstracting health data for statistical purposes, scanning of documents and performing quality audits on all documents, assignment of codes according to specific classification systems, and use of official coding guidelines for reimbursement, billing and reporting purposes.

The Health Information Clerk II Certificate of achievement, like the Clerk I,  is an adjunct certificate to the Health Information Technology Program.  Students completing the Health Information Certificate or the AS in Health Information degree earn the Clerk II Certificate of Achievement as an additional certificate. Courses required for the Clerk I are built upon with additional, more complex material for the Clerk II.

This certificate can also be earned by students who wish to complete only the Clerk II Certificate of Achievement Certificate. This certificate is the second in a progression of competencies.The required courses for this certificate build upon those completed for Clerk I, and can be further built upon to earn additional certificates. The Clerk II certificate prepares the student for more advanced jobs that did the Clerk I. High-demand jobs in the Bay Area include a variety of administrative and revenue positions in physicians’ offices, clinics and outpatient facilities.

This Certificate provides additional skills in advanced Medical Terminology, Disease Process,the EHR, and a number of other competencies in high-demand in the outpatient arena.

In the period analyzed (Spring 2016 - Fall 2018), a total of 27 Clerk II Certificates of Achievement were awarded. Including Summer semesters, this averages to about 3 certificates per semester.This completion number is higher than the prior reporting period and is expected to continue to increase. The variation in totals per semester is due to students in part-time status or completing coursework out of sequence.

 

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Organize, analyze, compile, and abstract data from a paper based or electronic medical record.
• Apply the knowledge and technical skills necessary for Health Information Management (HIM) entry-level employment as a health information professional in various health care settings.
• Perform computer applications necessary for HIM entry-level employment as a health information professional in various health care settings.
• Exhibit the behavioral, interpersonal, ethical and professional skills necessary for HIM employment as a health information professional in various health care settings.

The minimum time for completion of this certificate is 2 semesters. Completion time will vary based on student preparation and number of classes completed per semester.

 In line with the institutional Learning Objectives (ILO), this program reflects the following:

ILO Critical Thinking and Information Competency 1b: Locate, evaluate, and use information appropriately

ILO Personal and Career Development 4c: Use technology in pursuit of intellectual growth and/or career development

ILO Personal and Career Development 4c: Use technology in pursuit of intellectual growth and/or career development

ILO Communication 2a: Communicate effectively

ILO Cultural, Social, and Environmental Awareness 3c: Collaborate effectively in diverse social and cultural settings

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
BIO 106 or BIO 108 and BIO 111 or BIO 112	Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology or General Human Anatomy and Human Physiology or Introduction to Human Physiology	4/4/5/4	S1
HCT 61	Introduction to Health Care	3	S1
HIT 50A	Medical Terminology I	3	S1
HCT 67	Computer Applications in the Health Record	2	S1
ENGL 86 or ESL 188	College Reading and Writing or ESL Introduction to College Reading and Writing	6/6	S1
HIT 50B	Medical Terminology II	2	S2
HIT 63	Health Information Systems	3	S2
HIT 65	Organization of Health Data	2	S2
HIT 72	Legal Aspects of HIM	3	S2
HIT 73A	ICD-10-CM Coding	2	S2
HIT 77A	Professional Practice Experience	5	S2

The program is a two-semester certificate but it is possible for students to complete it in one semester.Bio 106 is often taken during the summer prior to entering the program. For many students who have been out of school for an extended period of time, this is an option more likely to produce successful outcomes.

Communication skills in the health care field are important measures of employment success as well as certificate completion. Students who have passed the ENG required courses but do not demonstrate mastery of written and oral communication skills benefit from, HCT 61, taken in Semester 1, where the I-BEST program is used. In this class, which is over 50% students who have identified themselves as ESL,the students are provided a variety of teaching techniques designed to support teamwork, spoken and written English and presentation skills.

Students who were exposed to I=BEST techniques, demonstrated significantly higher written and spoken English skills in subsequent classes.

Health information technology programs that prepare a student for long-term professions and successful attempts of the RHIT exam, must graduate from a CAHIIM-accredited program. Employers value the RHIT certification as well as the certificates of achievements. The Clerk I Certificate is the beginning achievement in this pathway for students seeking a high-level profession. In California, there are presently eight AS degree credentialed programs. Four programs have campus-based options. Only one is located in Northern California. Adult learners benefit from having options for Face-to-face, hybrid and distance classes. The City College HIT program provides a flexible program that offers hybrid courses which is often more supportive of reentering adult learners and fulfills a need in this area for an accredited program.. There are plans to develop a modified on line coding certificate in the future. At this time, the face-to-face programs are the only option available to students in the Northern California area. City College of San Francisco fulfills a dynamic need in the Northern California area.

Because this is not a new program, no other program directors were contacted. As part of the California Health Information Association (CHIA) Academic Committee, all California program directors regularly meet for support and collaboration. The CCSF HIT Program Director plays an active role on this committee. Other Northern California programs are: Consumnes River College – online Fresno City College - online Health care professions are the fastest growing occupations. There are multiple opportunities at a variety of levels needing quality students.