This course builds the foundation for understanding the legal and ethical aspects of health information management, including the structure of the American legal system and the principles of health law. Students will gain a thorough understanding of the role that medical record information has in legal proceedings, healthcare legislation and regulations. Topics include legal terminology, HIPAA privacy and security of health information, patient rights, and the role of HIM professionals in risk management and compliance programs. Some of the course exercises and activities include HIPAA compliance, healthcare data breaches, medical record completion and the release and tracking of health information. Students must complete this course with a grade of "C" or higher.
This course is an introduction to the collection, statistical computation, compilation and presentation of internal and external healthcare data in the following four categories: administrative, public health and financial, including value-based purchasing. In addition, the course will include basic research terminology and methodologies. Some of the course exercises include: fundamental Excel computations and data display techniques, analysis of public health data, and working with large data sets. Students must complete this course with a grade of "C" or higher.
This course examines the complex financial systems within today's healthcare environment, providing an understanding of the healthcare reimbursement methodologies used to facilitate provider reimbursement. Students will learn about applicable state and federal regulations related to HIPAA-mandated electronic claims transactions and CMS-1450 (commonly referred to as the UB-04) claims processing. Other topics such as payer requirements and voluntary insurance will be examined. An introduction to regulatory compliance, revenue cycle and charge description master (CDM) maintenance will be provided. This course will help prepare the student to pursue a multifunctional career path in areas dealing with health information management and patient financial services in physician offices and/or acute care facilities. Students must complete this course with a grade of "C" or higher.
Part one of this course covers advanced medical coding for inpatient using the ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS code sets. Students will learn the key attributes of ICD-10-PCS, including organization, structure, conventions and tables. This course will allow the student to continue improving their quality and accuracy in code selection based on the official guidelines for coding and reporting, along with other official coding references. In the second half of this course, the student will engage in an in-depth study of the revenue cycle process. The student will explore each component of the revenue cycle process: payer reimbursement, patient access, documentation and charge capture, records completion and coding, and lastly, claims management. This in-depth study will prepare the student to participate in revenue cycle management activities within a healthcare organization. Throughout the entire course, the student will engage in hands-on learning using computer-assisted coding (CAC) software, encoders and groupers. Students must complete this course with a grade of "C" or higher.
This course develops an understanding of the quality management initiatives in healthcare, including utilization review, case management and risk management. The study of quality management in healthcare will be based upon the roles and influences of accrediting bodies, regulatory agencies, legislation, society and payers. An introduction is also provided in quality tools, data collection methods, as well as interpreting and reporting data. Students must complete this course with a grade of "C" or higher.
This course is an introduction to the management of health information operations. Subjects of focus will be principles of human resources, diversity, planning and budgeting, orientation and training of personnel, and organizing work processes, including evaluating and improving work performance. Students must complete this course with a grade of "C" or higher.
In this course topics of current interest are presented in group instruction.
The Practicum I will enable the student to gain hands-on practice with actual patient medical records for ICD-10-CM, CPT and HCPCS coding. Students will attend a professional meeting related to HIM/HIT to begin forming professional relationships. Students will practice the basic employability skills of resume writing and job interviewing to be prepared to make the transition from school to career. Students must complete this course with a grade of "C" or higher.
This is a capstone course for the Health Information Management A.S. program where students will complete a 40-hour supervised, professional practice experience in a Health Information Management (HIM)-related department of a hospital and/or alternative healthcare setting. The student will observe and participate in daily functions within a healthcare organization that will reinforce learned content through direct application. At the end of the experience, the student will be able to identify and evaluate various HIM functions and processes within said healthcare institution. In addition, students will prepare for the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) exam, culminating with sitting for the exam as part of their final course grade. Enrollment in this course is by department consent only. Students must meet all general education requirements for the degree prior to being eligible to enroll in this course. Students must complete this course with a grade of "C" or higher.
