Associate in Applied Science Degree

Through a mixture of general education, professional course work, and clinical experience at local health care facilities, students gain the knowledge and skills required to collect, analyze, and utilize information essential to the healthcare industry.

Graduates should be able to:

• Perform the functions of entry-level health information technicians
• Comply with regulatory, accrediting and professional practice standards for health records and health information systems
• Assign valid diagnostic and procedure codes and accurately abstract health care data for statistical and reimbursement purposes.
• Apply ethical principles and legal practice standards.
• Communicate effectively with consumers, providers, employees, and other healthcare professionals from diverse backgrounds.

Program Admission Requirements

1. Meet Passaic County Community College's admission criteria.
2. College-level placement in English, Reading, and Mathematics. (For students who are out of high school for more than 5 years, successful completion of SC 004 or equivalent is highly recommended.)
3. Achieve a "C" or higher in the following courses:
   
   • BS 103 Anatomy and Physiology I
   • EN 101 English Composition I
   • HIT 101 Health Care Organization
4. Achieve a minimum GPA of 2.5
5. Submit recommendation form from a person outside the immediate family.

Curriculum Requirements

1. Minimum grade of "C" is required for CIS 101 and all HIT and Science courses.
2. Prior to participation in Professional Practice courses, the following are required:
3. Health form completed by a physician
   
   • Criminal background check
   • Signed Privacy/Confidentiality statement
   • Other documentation, as may be required by the placement site
4. Additional requirements - Refer to HIT Program Handbook

Distance Learning

This degree may be completed through online and classroom courses. All HIT courses and most general education courses are offered online. Students may also earn an AAS in Health Information Technology by combining online courses from PCCC and equivalent general education courses transferred from a local college.

Advanced Standing

Students providing documentation of a current CCS or CCS-P coding credential from AHIMA may be awarded up to 13 credits towards the AAS degree in Health Information Technology.

Curriculum

The following curriculum is effective for students meeting Program Admission Requirements on/after Fall 2007.

General Education (29credits)

• BS 103 Anatomy and Physiology I
• BS 104 Anatomy and Physiology II
• BS 205 Physiology of Disease
• CIS 101 Computer Concepts and Applications
• EN 101 Composition I
• EN 102 Composition II
• MA 103 Basic Statistics
• PS 101 Introduction to Psychology
• Speech (ENS 104 or ENS 106)

Courses in Major (40 credits)

• HIT 101 Health Care Organization
• HIT 104 Health Care Terminology
• HIT 105 Professional Practice Experience I
• HIT 106 Legal Aspects of Health Information Management
• HIT 108 Health Record Content and Structure
• HIT 109 Health Data Management
• HIT 201 ICD-9-CM Coding
• HIT 205 Professional Practice Experience II
• HIT 208 Supervision and Management in Healthcare
• HIT 210 Health Statistics and Quality Improvement
• HIT 211 Health Information Technology Seminar
• HIT 212 Computer Applications in Health Care Organizations
• HIT 221 Advanced ICD-9-CM and Coding Applications
• HIT 231 CPT Coding
• HIT 240 Principles of Healthcare Reimbursement

For more information please contact the Health Information Technology Program:

Mail:

Lisa DeLiberto, MS, RHIA
Health Information Technology Program
Passaic County Community College
1 College Blvd.
Paterson, NJ 07505

Phone: (973) 684-6297
Fax: (973) 684-6627
E-mail: ldeliberto@pccc.edu