Program Description

The program prepares students with the necessary skills and academic knowledge for management and higher-level administrative positions in a variety of health related settings including hospitals, clinics, long-term care settings, consulting firms, government agencies, insurance companies and software vendors. A health information administrator is responsible for the management of health information systems consistent with medical, administrative, ethical and legal requirements of the health care delivery system. They are experts in coding and classification systems, managing patient health information, and administrating computer information systems. Individuals with interests in computer science, business administration, health science and health care administration are well-suited for a career in health information management.

Program Objectives
Upon completion of their program, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate the ability to utilize industry standard accounting principles to support and evaluate managerial decision-making.
2. Apply knowledge of payer billing and reimbursement, the prospective payment system and fraud and abuse issues.
3. Demonstrate the ability to formulate strategic and operational business solutions utilizing a range of management tools.
4. Demonstrate mastery of industry standard classification vocabularies and records systems.
5. Demonstrate ability to create electronic health care forms in accordance with federal and state regulations, Joint Commission standards, and facility and end-user needs.
6. Comprehend medical documentation, identify diagnoses and procedures and insure that documentation supports the diagnosis and procedures performed.
7. Apply knowledge of medical terminology, disease process, anatomy and physiology and pharmacology.
8. Apply knowledge of ICD and CPT formats, instructional notations, conventions and inpatient and outpatient coding guidelines in auditing the application of the appropriate diagnosis and procedures codes.
9. Demonstrate the ability to define and articulate organizational, operational, ethical, legal and managerial issues impacting health information management.
10. Think critically at a conceptual level and by using mathematical analysis as well as scientific methods; write and speak effectively; use industry standard software applications; and understand human behavior in the context of health information management in a culturally diverse world.


Potential Job Position Titles
Potential job titles include: HIM Director, HIM Consultant, Data Quality Manager, Chief Privacy Officer, Information Security Officer, and Compliance Director.

Program Length
The average length of time for a student taking a full course load is nine semesters (36 months).

Program Content
A minimum of 123 semester credit hours is required for graduation.

Required Management Core Courses
All courses, 30 semester credit hours, are required.

AC 103 Accounting I
This introductory accounting course provides the practical application of the concepts and principles of the accounting cycle for service businesses. Topics include an overview of accounting concepts and procedures; analyzing and recording transactions; beginning the accounting cycle by journalizing, posting, and working with the trial balance; using worksheets, financial statements, and adjusting entries; completing the accounting cycle with adjusting, closing, and post-closing trial balance; working with cash and its control; working with accounting systems, journals, internal controls and an introduction to cash flow management.

BU 106 Introduction to Management
This course introduces the environment of American business with an overview of various topics that serve as a foundation for further study of business. Topics include the environments that businesses operate in; the organizational structures of businesses; management functions in enterprises; and the challenges of managing marketing, operations, information technology, finance, and human resources.

BU 204 The Digital Firm and Business Communications
This course presents an overview of technology-based issues within a business environment. Topics include the concept of digital firms and ERP systems in the areas of marketing, operations, human resources, manufacturing, finance, social networking, and supply-chain management. Additional areas to be discussed are privacy issues, government regulations, and technology on a global scale.

BU 209 Leadership and Team Dynamics
This course provides students with a foundation of knowledge regarding leadership practices and theories. The student should develop an operational understanding of leadership concepts and theories to engage and reflect on leadership topics. Course topics include leadership models, collaboration, management styles, handling conflict, and ethical issues involved in leadership.

BU 220 Principles of Marketing
This course provides a practical and managerial approach to the principles and applications of marketing in organizations and in the marketplace. Topics include the marketing process and strategic planning; the global marketing environment; developing marketing opportunities and strategies; developing the marketing mix through product development, pricing strategies, distribution channels, and promotion techniques; and managing marketing through customer relationships, social responsibility, and marketing ethics.

BU 301 Organizational Behavior and Human Relations
This course examines the nature of organizational behavior through the study of individuals, groups and intergroup relationships. Topics include: interpersonal relations; organizational design; the structure and factors affecting organizational design; the impact of technology, power and politics; organization culture change and development; cultural diversity; ethical decision-making; and motivational theory and programs.

BU 407 Quantitative Decision Making
This course presents an overview of problem modeling and decision-making. The class will introduce students to several quantitative models applicable to problems in a variety of functional areas of business. Students will be able to apply quantitative analysis to real-world management problems.

EC 111 Principles of Microeconomics
This course provides an overview of economics and the economy from a microeconomics perspective. Topics include: economic analysis; factors in the market system; market structure and pricing strategies; the availability of resource markets; supply and demand; and the impact of public policy on markets.

HC 310 Medical Law and Ethics
The course will emphasize both legal questions and ethical considerations in the modern medical organization. Contracts and the physician-patient relationships will be addressed. Legal proceedings, such as interrogatories and depositions, will be described. In the area of medical ethics, the issues of patient confidentiality and standards will be addressed.

HI 305 Health Care Finance
This course introduces the unique aspects of health care finance, including payment sources and reimbursement methodologies, emerging industry trends, resource management, cost, benefit analysis, case mix management, compliance and reimbursement audit processes, and charge-master management.

Required Courses in Health Information Management
All courses, 46 semester credit hours, are required.

HC 115 Medical Terminology for Health Care Professionals
This course introduces the foundations of the language of medicine and develops medical vocabulary through the study of the structures, functions, diagnostic procedures, pathology, and treatment procedures of the body systems.

HC 405 Health Care Quality
This course covers the latest trends in health care quality control and performance improvement and serves as a solid base of performance-improvement foundations, fundamentals, and core principles.

HI 210 Principles of Health Information Management
This course provides an overview of health information practice and health care delivery systems, professional associations, accrediting, licensing and regulatory bodies, the content and standards of health records, and the management of HIM staffing and resources including productivity and performance.

HI 300 Epidemiology and Applied Health Care Statistics
This course introduces concepts of epidemiology, basic biostatistics, vital statistics, and data collection and data presentation.

HI 320 Health Care Data
This course provides students with an advanced understanding of the management of data in health care organizations including uniform data sets and health care informatics standards for health data collection, evaluation of coded and statistical data and quality assurance of data, case mix systems, data collection for enterprise, reportable and specialized databases, data mining of health care data, and the design of data collection tools. In addition, this course will include all aspects of data content and collection including structure and use of health information, clinical and health care data sets, data quality assessment and integrity, National Health Care Information Infrastructure (NHII), and primary and secondary data sources.

HI 450 Advanced Health Care Information Systems
This is a course in the design and implementation of information systems specifically designed to store and process health care data information and file structures, systems development, human factors and user, interface design, data warehousing, data storage and retrieval, and systems life cycle. Basic security principles of effective security policies, including HIPAA's security rule, risk assessment, user tracking, permissions, audit and control systems, and data recovery, are also addressed.

HI 480 Research Methodologies
This course will teach research design and methodologies, knowledge-based research techniques, evaluating resource credibility, and research protocol management. National guidelines regarding human subject's research and other health care related regulations and leading development of health information resources and systems will also be covered.

HI 490 HIM Internship/Capstone
This course provides a 180-hour supervised professional practice experience (PPE) in the field of health information management. Students will be supervised by someone with the credentials of Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) or Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT), or other qualified personnel to whom they are assigned. The PPE is designed to enable students to obtain actual work experience in theoretical and application-based procedures previously studied. Students will also receive university faculty consultation and are expected to complete other course requirements such as completing all assignments, participating in discussion threads, and completing a quality-improvement capstone project.

MC 171 Basic Diagnosis Coding
Basic Diagnosis Coding is an introduction to the ICD-9-CM data set used for reporting diagnoses. This course will also include instruction on how to classify and index diagnosis in the health care setting. The various uses for diagnosis codes will be discussed, as well.

MC 172 Basic Procedure Coding
Basic Procedure Coding helps students describe all types of health care services, treatments, and procedures provided to patients in both inpatient and outpatient facilities, as well as ancillary departments such as imaging centers and pathology/laboratories.

MC 173 Intermediate Diagnosis Coding
Intermediate Diagnosis Coding is a continuation of Basic Diagnosis Coding with advanced instruction on ICD-9-CM chapter-specific guidelines (specialty coding). Abstracting skills will continue to be reinforced. An overview of ICD-10-CM will be included to provide an introduction to this new code set.

MC 174 Intermediate Procedure Coding
Intermediate Procedure Coding continues to teach students how to identify all types of health care services, treatments, and procedures provided to patients in both inpatient and outpatient facilities, as well as ancillary departments such as imaging centers and pathology/ laboratories. In addition, how to properly apply HCPCS level II codes, as well as ICD-9-CM volume 3 procedure codes will be covered. An introduction to ICD-10-PCS will be provided.

MO 146 Pathophysiology and Pharmacology
This course provides instruction in the study of human diseases with focus on the symptoms, signs, causes, and diagnosis of disease. Additionally, students will learn about pharmacology, drug categories, and pharmacological treatment related to human diseases.

SC 145 Anatomy and Physiology I
This course will provide students with information about Anatomy and Physiology relating to each of the following body systems: Integumentary, Skeletal, Muscular/joints, Nervous, and Blood and Lymphatic systems.

SC 145L Anatomy and Physiology I Lab
This is the lab portion of SC 145.

SC 245 Anatomy and Physiology II This course will provide students with information about Anatomy and Physiology relating to each of the following body systems: Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Digestive, Endocrine, Special Senses, Urinary, and the Male and Female Reproductive systems.

SC 245L Anatomy and Physiology II Lab
This is the lab portion of SC 245.



Required Elective Courses
A minimum of 8 semester credit hours are required. Students may take any Health Care Management, Business Management, or Human Resource course. At least 3 credit hours must be at the upper level (300-400-level).

Required Courses in General Education
Students enrolled in bachelor degrees must complete a minimum of 37 semester credit hours in general education distributed among the following disciplines. A minimum of 9 semester credit hours must be upper level (300-400 level courses). Refer to the General Education section of the catalog for Herzing University courses that would satisfy these requirements.

1 Semester Credit Hour in Information Literacy
6 Semester Credit Hours in English Composition or Literature
3 Semester Credit Hours in Speech
4 Semester Credit Hours in Computer Applications
7 Semester Credit Hours in Mathematics (College Algebra or Above)***
4 Semester Credit Hours of Natural Science with a Lab Component
3 Semester Credit Hours in Social or Behavioral Science
3 Semester Credit Hours in Humanities with a Critical Thinking Focus **
3 Semester Credit Hours in Cultural Diversity
3 Semester Credit Hours of General Education Electives

* Transfer students may use three semester credit hour courses transferred from other colleges to satisfy these discipline requirements. Any resulting deficiency in the total of 37 semester credit hours required in general education may be made up with general education electives from any of the listed disciplines.

** A course with a critical thinking focus would be a course that addresses the theories and application of critical analysis with an emphasis on developing sequential reasoning skills. Examples may be courses in critical thinking, philosophy, logic, or science.

*** Students in the Bachelor of Science with a Concentration in Business Management program must take MA 320 Statistics.

Personal Development Courses
A minimum of two semester credit hours is required in addition to PD 214.

PD 100 Student Success Skills
This course provides instruction in the both theory and practice of personal growth that lead to successful life experience. Topics include research in critical self-analysis of student habits and attitudes; and psychological impediments to successfully setting and achieving personal goals. 1.0 credit hour. Prerequisite: None.

PD 120 Personal Financial Management
This course deals with the concepts of personal financial planning and financial control. Topics center on critical self examination of student planning techniques through analysis and research of personal financial legal documents, checking accounts and banking services; income tax procedures; savings methods; investment planning; risk management and insurance; and credit records, credit law, and the cost of credit. 1.0 credit hour. Prerequisite: None.

PD 150 Client Services
This course provides a critical examination of issues embedded in the practice of providing client service. Topics include research about best practice in customer service and communication techniques; psychologically based methods for dealing with the management of customer complaints; and the roles of a customer service employee and supervisor within ethical boundaries and common business practice. 1.0 credit hour. Prerequisite: None.

PD 200 Career Development Seminar
This seminar provides an opportunity for the student to apply critical self-examination techniques and processes for developing a career path and an awareness of the need to embed life-long learning into career management. Topics include career planning research, job searching, developing career search documents, and refining interview and communication skills within an awareness of psychological boundaries implicit in this process. Successful completion of this course requires the creation of a professional resume suitable for e-mail. 1.0 credit hour. Prerequisite: None.

PD 213 Health Information Management Internship Preparation
This non-credit course will assist students in finding and securing the required internship experience for credit. Students must pass this course in order to be cleared to start working at their internship site. Students will discover ways to approach a facility about an internship, access the tools they will need to successfully get your internship approved and successfully land an internship in the health information management field. 0.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: None.

(Courses are subject to change. Please call (330) 724-1600 or toll free at (800) 311-0512 to request the current course schedule.)