Health Information Management

Review the degree requirements on TCC's College Catalog

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Back to top

Accreditation Status

The Health Information Management accreditor of Tacoma Community College is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management (CAHIIM).

The College’s accreditation for the Baccalaureate degree in Health Information Management has been reaffirmed through 2027.

All inquiries about the program’s accreditation status should be directed by mail to:

CAHIIM 
200 East Randolph Street, Suite 5100 
Chicago, IL, 60601 
Phone  312.235.3255 
Email info@cahiim.org

Graduates are eligible to sit for the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) national accreditation examination. 

Certification Information

In accordance with U.S. Department of Education Regulation 34 CFR 668.43 (a) (5) (v), educational institutions must provide information related to whether their programs will fulfill educational requirements for specific professional licensure or certification and to inform prospective students whether their degree upon graduation will qualify them to work in the state where they are located.  Graduates of the HIM program are eligible to sit for the RHIA exam, which is valid in every state.

Back to top

It’s important to be aware of how much college costs so you can plan your finances. All online students qualify for WA state resident tuition rates with a waiver, no matter where in the United States they live.

Students are encouraged to review the official Tuition Rates and fees set by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. Every college also charges campus-based fees, like technology fees or lab fees.

Notes about tuition:

• Tuition rates subject to change by the Washington State Legislature.
• Tuition and fees are due at the time of registration and payment must be completed within 2 business days of registration. Continuing students and new students who register early may defer fee payment until the published deferment date (see calendar).
• Some courses have additional fees assessed.
• Washington Online (WAOL) students are assessed an additional fee of $8.00 per credit. This fee is non-refundable once the course begins.
• U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have not yet established Washington residency may now attend TCC at a reduced rate. This optional waiver has been approved by the TCC Board of Trustees, but may not be available at all state colleges. A student who plans to transfer to a college that does not participate in this waiver is advised to establish Washington residency before transfer. Residency information is available at the Admissions Counter.

Check out the Types of Aid available for you at TCC. BAS students qualify for all aid types.

Back to top

Tacoma Community College strives to provide the best environment for our students to succeed.

Graduation Rate within 150% of Published Time:
Academic Year	Completion Rate
2021 - 2021	100%
2020 - 2021	100%

Student Satisfaction Rate:
Academic Year	Satisfaction Rate
2021 - 2022	100%
2020 - 2021	100%

Employment Rate: (within 9 months)
Academic Year	Employment Rate
2021 - 2022	100%
2020 - 2021	100%

Graduate School Entry:
Academic Year	Percent Students Entering Graduate School
2021 - 2022	58%
2020 - 2021	21%

Back to top

Progam Learning Outcome

Upon successful completion of the Health Information Management Bachelor of Applied Science program, students will be able to:

1. Evaluate and manage strategies, policies, and procedures surrounding health record content, data management & integrity, information governance, and clinical classification systems. (*CC 1)
2. Recommend systems to ensure the protection of health information, including privacy and security strategies, retention standards, and regulatory compliance. (*CC 2)
3. Analyze and Interpret data and implement technology used in informatics, to include analytics, health care statistics, research methodologies, database management, and health information exchange. (*CC 3)
4. Manage the revenue life cycle through reimbursement processes that ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, coding guidelines and payment systems. (*CC 4)
5. Interpret policies and procedures for compliance with local, state and federal laws to include HIPAA, accreditation, licensing and certification, fraud surveillance, quality improvement and risk management. (*CC 5)
6. Evaluate and integrate culturally responsive and diverse practices, policies and procedures that support successful leadership in the areas of change management, work design, process improvement, human resource management, training and development, strategic and organizational management, financial management, project management, vendor/contract management, and enterprise information management. (*CC 6)

Degree Learning Outcomes

All Program Level Outcomes also align with TCC’s Degree Learning Outcomes. TCC has six measurable outcomes that all degree recipients are expected to meet.

• Core of Knowledge (COK): Demonstrate a basic knowledge of each of the distribution areas (Written Communication, Humanities, Quantitative Skills, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences), or, as applicable, specific professional/technical content, and program-level content and apply this knowledge to academic endeavors.
• Communication (COM): Listen, speak, read, and write effectively and use nonverbal and technological means to make connections between self and others.
• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving (CRT): Compare, analyze, and evaluate information and ideas to solve problems.
• Information & Information Technology (IIT): Locate, evaluate, retrieve, and ethically use relevant and current information of appropriate authority for academic or, as applicable, specific professional/technical applications.
• Intercultural Collaboration & Diversity (ICD): Demonstrate successful application of an interdependent, diverse, and multicultural worldview through collaborative engagement.
• Responsibility & Ethics (RES): Demonstrate an understanding of what constitutes responsible and ethical behavior toward individuals, the community, and the environment.

Back to top

Please note that your schedule will depend on your educational background and how many general education courses you need to be complete. 

Prior to Starting Cohort Classes

Course Number	Course Name	Credits
HIM 290	Introduction to Medical Coding	5
HIM 295	Computer Concepts for HIM	2
HIM 299	Independent Study in HIM	2 to 6
General Elective/Distribution	College level course 100+ OR Distribution course	5

Year One

Course Number	Course Name	Credits
Year One FALL QTR (15 credits)
HIM 301	Fundamentals in Health Information	5
ENGL 301	Written Communication in the Workforce	5
HIM 315	Health Law	3
LS 301	Research Skills for Healthcare	2
Year One WINTER QTR (13 credits)
PHIL 320	Ethical Decision Making	5
HIM 320	Information Protection	3
HIM 325	Health Data Structure & Quality	5
Year One SPRING QTR (15 credits)
PSYC 301	Fundamentals of Research for Healthcare	5
HIM 330	Classifications & Coding	5
HIM 335	Organizational Management in Healthcare	5

 Year Two

Course Number	Course Name	Credits
Year Two FALL QTR (15 credits)
HIM 415	Foundations of Data, Data Analytics and Data Visualization	5
HIM 425	Information Governance	5
HIM 435	Revenue Cycle Management	5
Year Two WINTER QTR (15 credits)
HIM 445	Applied Data, Data Analytics and Data Visualization	5
HIM 465	Health Compliance	5
General Elective/Distribution	College level course 100+ OR Distribution course	5
Year Two SPRING QTR (15 credits)
HIM 475	Leadership in Healthcare	5
HIM 485	Capstone/Internship	5
General Elective/Distribution	College level course 100+ OR Distribution course	5

Curriculum Time Limits

While we do realize it may be necessary for some students to attend school at a part-time rate, it is vital that students complete all HIM courses within five years to ensure that the curriculum they complete is as up-to-date as possible. A student may petition their HIM faculty advisor for a waiver of this requirement.

Back to top

What does a Health Information Management Professional Do?

Health information (HI) professionals are highly trained in the latest information management technology applications. They understand the workflow process in healthcare provider organizations, from large hospital systems to private physician practices, and are vital to the daily operations management of health information and electronic health records (EHRs). They ensure a patient’s health information is complete, accurate, and protected.

HI professionals have an extraordinary impact. They are the link between clinicians, administrators, technology designers, operations, and information technology professionals.

These professionals affect the quality of patient information and patient care at every touch point in the healthcare delivery cycle. HI professionals work on the classification of diseases and treatments to ensure they are standardized for clinical, financial, and legal uses in healthcare. HI professionals care for patients by caring for their medical data and are responsible for the quality, integrity, security, and protection of patients’ health information.  (AHIMA, 2020)

Common Career Fields

The following average salaries were reported in a 2019 AHIMA survey.  These are national averages and may not be reflective of your specific region.

Revenue Cycle Management/Coding and Billing  $66,370

• Revenue Cycle Manager or Director
• Revenue Cycle Auditor
• Coding Professional

Operations/Administration $81,950

• Director or Manager of Health Information Management
• Project Manager
• Release of Information
• Quality Improvement Management

Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) $84,300

• Clinical Documentation Manager or Specialist
• Director of CDI
• Clinical Data Coordinator

Compliance/Risk Management $89,230

• Quality Improvement Analyst
• Compliance Auditor
• Privacy Officer
• Information Security Management
• Director of Risk Management

Informatics/Data Analytics $83,490

• Clinical Informatics Coordinator
• Data Integrity Analyst
• Director of Clinical Informatics
• Research and Development Scientist

Explore Health Information Careers on our Career Explorer

Back to top

There are several Master’s degree-level paths that graduates of the HIM BAS program have upon completion.

WGU offers Master’s degrees in multiple fields. They accept all Washington BAS degree graduates via a statewide transfer (articulation) agreement.

WGU MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (PDF)

Pacific Lutheran University has a transfer agreement for all TCC BAS degrees to be accepted into all their Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Finance, Master of Science in Marketing Analytics degrees offered through their School of Business.

TCC TO PLU

University of Washington-Tacoma’s Milgard School of Business (MSB) program accepts all TCC’s applied bachelor’s degrees into their Master of Science in Business Analytics.

UW TACOMA MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

In addition to the official transfer partnerships listed above, we have had HIM BAS graduates go on to other institutions - here are a few examples:

• Seattle University
  - School of Law
  - Legal Studies in Compliance & Risk

• College of St. Scholastics
  - Health Informatics

• West Coast University
  - Master of Public Health

• Walden University
  - Social Worker in Healthcare

 

Back to top