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HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (0370)
Health Sciences Department
RECOMMENDED COURSES FOR CAREER
ASSOCIATE OF SCIENCE DEGREE PROGRAM
The online associate degree program in Health Information Technology at Darton State College is
designed to prepare the student for entry-level employment as a health information technician who
performs tasks related to the use, analysis, presentation, abstracting, coding, storage and the retrieval
of health care data in manual or electronic form.
The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and
Information Management Education.
Graduates are eligible to apply for the national examination given by the American Health
Information Management Association. Upon successful completion of the examination, the health
information technician is awarded the professional credential of a Registered Health Information
Technician (RHIT) by the American Health Information Management Association.
This program begins once a year in the fall semester. Applications are accepted January 1 to
June 1 for consideration.
Admission Requirements:
For full consideration for admission to the Health Information Technology program, the student
must:
1.
Be admitted to Darton State College.
2.
Complete all required Learning Support courses.
3.
Complete all pre-requisite courses with a “C” or better. Pre-requisite courses include
BIOL 2111K and BIOL 2112K (within the last five years) and ENGL 1101.
4.
Have a minimum GPA of 2.5.
5.
Complete and submit an application for admission to the program to the Program
Director by June 1.
Additional Requirements:
1.
Students with 2 unsuccessful attempts in program course are ineligible for program re-
admission. Withdrawing from an HITE course is considered an unsuccessful attempt. A
course grade of “D” or “F” is considered an unsuccessful attempt.
2.
High speed internet connection is highly recommended for optimal use of AHIMA’s
Virtual Lab applications.
3.
Professional liability insurance is required. The cost of this insurance is approximately
$17.50 per year and is included in the fees.
4.
Because of the nature of the profession, the student is required to sign and abide by a
statement that the student will honor the confidential nature of health/medical records
(HIPPA). A charge of breach of confidentiality will be treated according to the
procedures outlined in the Student Handbook, "Code of Conduct.”
5.
Student membership in the American Health Information Management Association is
recommended. The cost of student membership is $45 per year.
6.
A student may be denied permission to continue in the program if, in the opinion of the
faculty, the Dean of Health Sciences, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the
student does not demonstrate the necessary qualifications for a health information
technician.
7.
To satisfactorily complete the curriculum and to develop the skills required of an entry
level health information technician, the student must demonstrate:
a.
Visual Acuity (with or without corrective lenses): to read paper, microfilm,
and electronic documents.