Health Information Management

Summary

The Bachelor of Science degree in Health Information Management program provides accessible, high-quality industry-approved instruction designed to prepare students to work at a management level in a variety of healthcare settings including acute and subacute hospitals, outpatient clinics, government health agencies, and electronic health records industry vendors.

The Health Information Management program is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management (CAHIIM). Graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification exam.

Learning Outcome(s): Students who complete the Health Information Management Program will be able to:

1. Apply the laws of patient record confidentiality, privacy and compliance.
2. Use and design data, databases and healthcare systems.
3. Demonstrate and apply knowledge of the principles of personnel management.
4. Develop a financial plan for a health information department.
5. Demonstrate mastery of the principles of health information management.
6. Analyze healthcare data, assimilate data and information.

Accreditation

The Health Information Management program accreditor of San Diego Mesa College is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The College’s accreditation for the Baccalaureate degree in Health Information Management has been reaffirmed through 2028. All inquiries about the program’s accreditation status should be directed by mail to CAHIIM, 200 East Randolph Street, Suite 5100, Chicago, IL, 60601; by phone at (312) 235-3255; or by email at info@cahiim.org.

Directed Clinical Practice (DCP) Requirement

Most allied health students are required to successfully complete DCP, clinically-based courses held in health care facilities. These facilities may require background checks, including fingerprinting and drug screening, as a condition of placement at the clinic. Refusal to submit to a background check, or failure to meet clearance criteria established by the health care facility, may prevent placement in DCP courses and thus, it may not be possible to successfully complete the program. Health care facilities also require adherence to strict standards of conduct. Facilities may refuse educational access to any person who does not adhere to the facility's standards of safety, health and ethical behavior. This may be cause for removal from the program.

Admission Criteria

Eligibility for enrollment is determined by a special admission procedure. Interested persons should review program information on the website.

A grade of "C" or better must be maintained in all courses to continue in this restricted program. Course repetition in this program is not permitted unless student is granted readmission. The Allied Health Department Policies and Procedures govern this program.

Students must complete HEIT 214 and 215 within five years in order to receive the Health Information Technology Associate of Science degree.

Program Prerequisites

Lower Division Courses Required for the Major

Students who have earned an Associate Degree in Health Information Technology from an institution which is regionally accredited and accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management (CAHIIM) will have satisfied the lower division major courses required for the Health Information Management Baccalaureate Degree.

Lower Division General Education

Completion of one of the approved lower-division general education patterns listed in the Academic Requirements–Baccalaureate Degree section of this catalog

Upper Division Program Prerequisite

In order to be admitted to the Health Information Management (HIMS) program at the upper division level, applicants must successfully complete the Health Information Technology (HEIT) lower division courses required for the major each with a grade of "C" or better.

Credit for Prior Learning

Credit for prior learning or experience working in the health information field may be accepted upon approval of the program director.

The Baccalaureate Degree

The Bachelor of Science (BS) degree is intended for students interested in a high-level career in technical education.

Minimum 120 Units Required

The following is required for all California community college BS degrees:

• A combination of lower division and upper division coursework totaling a minimum of 120 semester units applicable to a baccalaureate degree.
• Completion of a minimum of 36 semester units of general education that includes lower division general education and upper division general education as outlined below.
• A minimum of 40 semester units of upper-division courses, including a minimum of nine semester units of upper-division general education.

Note: Unit requirements vary by program. See the specific program requirements section of the catalog for details on unit distribution and major requirements.

Grade Point Average (GPA) and Minimum Grade Requirements

• All courses designated as upper division major requirements must be completed with a grade of "C" or better. A 'P" (pass) grade meets this requirement.
• Completion of the requirement for the baccalaureate degree with a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in the degree-applicable courses.

Minimum Units in Residence

• Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 12 degree applicable semester units in residence within the San Diego Community College District.
• The 12-unit in residence requirement is effective regardless of catalog year.
• Courses completed via credit for prior learning, including credit by exam, do not qualify for the 12-unit in residence requirement.

General Education

Lower Division General Education

Select one of the following lower division general education options:

• SDCCD General Education and/or District Requirements plus six additional units selected from general education Area 1B-Area 6 (1 unit lab excluded). See District Requirements and General Education Requirements (Option 1 or Option 4) of this catalog.
• California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC). See General Education Requirements in the Transfer Guide of this catalog (Option 6).
• General Education Completion through an Earned Baccalaureate Degree
  • Students who submit an official transcript showing they have earned a baccalaureate degree from an institutionally accredited institution will have satisfied the SDCCD lower division general education and district requirements upon evaluation of their transcript. (Option 5)
  • Students seeking the Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) or Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T) degree must complete the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) general education pattern.

Courses may fulfill multiple academic requirements, such as general education, major, and additional graduation requirements. However, one course may not be counted in more than one general education area, even if the course is approved in multiple general education areas.

Upper Division General Education

Students must successfully complete a minimum of nine semester units or 13.5 quarter units of upper division general education coursework. Upper division general education courses are integrated into each baccalaureate degree program. Courses must come from at least two disciplines outside the major field of study and at least one of these courses must emphasize written communication, oral communication, or computation skills.

Specific course requirements are detailed within each bachelor's degree program requirements.

Credit for Prior Learning

Students may receive credit for knowledge and skills acquired through the district’s procedures for awarding credit for prior learning.

Limitation on Enrollment

Enrollment in upper division courses is restricted to students admitted to a baccalaureate degree program at a California community college.

Requirements