Health information technology management (HIT), is the practice of acquiring, analyzing, and protecting digital and traditional medical information. The health care industry depends on electronic information systems. As health data becomes more digitized, opportunities are created for trained health information technicians with the skills and knowledge to collect, analyze, monitor, maintain and report health data according to established data quality principles, legal and information security standards and professional best-practice guidelines. The Health Information Technology program will prepare you to become an expert in patient health data management.

What Does a Health Information Technician Do?

  • Are the guardians and gatekeepers of the most important tool in modern health care – the medical record.
  • Ensure that patient's histories are accurate, complete, up-to-date, and properly entered into the clinical database.
  • Keep careful logs of patient histories, diagnoses, treatments and procedures.
  • Understand workflow in all size healthcare settings, from large hospital systems to the private physician practice.
  • Play vital roles in the daily operations of health information management and electronic health records (EHR) at almost every point in the healthcare delivery cycle.
  • Ensure an organization has the right information on hand when and where it is needed.
  • Maintain the highest standards of data integrity, confidentiality, and security.

Why Choose Health Information Technology?

  • The program is 100% online (with the exception of professional practice experience (PPE), and was created with the working adult in mind.
  • Health information technology is one of the fastest growing occupations in the U.S. according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  • You will become a critical member of the healthcare team.
  • No needles - you will work behind the scenes in the healthcare system without ever having direct patient care responsibilities.

See why students chose to become health information technicians by viewing real HIT/HIM stories.

  • Overview

  • Is This Program for You?

    Are you interested in the business and technology aspects of healthcare? Are you detail-oriented and enjoy science, management, law, and computers? Health Information Technology may be the career choice for you.

    Students entering the Health Information Technology program should:

    • Be interested in working in health care, but not directly with patients.
    • Be interested in business and technology.
    • Be detail oriented.
    • Have an aptitude for science, but also like management, law, and computers.
    • Enjoy working with professionals: physicians, nurses, lawyers, administrators and executives.
    • Want a career where you can choose to work on your own, with others, or some of both.
    • Have a strong knowledge of medical terminology.
    • Employ good critical thinking and communication skills.

    Program Basics

    • Associate degree.
    • All courses offered online allowing for 100% flexibility, with the exception of professional practice experiences (PPEs).
    • Financial aid is available to those that qualify.
    • August or January program start date.
    • Students must achieve a grade of C or better in each course of the program curriculum to be eligible to progress.
    • Flexible, sequenced credential training starts with a Medical Coding Specialist Certificate (first year)
    • Second year leads to Associate Degree in Health Information Technology Management.
    • Credits transferrable for a Bachelor's degree in Health Information Management.

    Related Degrees

  • Curriculum & Costs

  • Cost of Attendance (COA) 24-25

    Cost of Attendance (COA) is a total of all the usual expenses of being a student. The COA sets the maximum amount of financial aid a student can receive.

    Category Amount
    Tuition and Fees $4,820
    Living Expenses (Housing and Food) $9,148
    Books and Supplies $1,466
    Personal Expenses $3,608
    Transportation $4,018
    Charger Tech 360 Fee $600
    Loan Fees $84
    Yearly Total (Living Away from Home) $23,744
    1 Semester Total (Living Away from Home) $11,872

    Based on Wisconsin Residents.

    Approximate school costs are for a full-time (12 credit) student over a semester span of 17 weeks.

    Fees are legislated by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board.

    These costs are estimates and are subject to change without notice.

  • Requirements

  • Admission and Program Requirements

    • Submit Application
    • To make sure your classes are the right fit, we consider any previous college credit you've earned, Accuplacer or ACT scores, high school GPA, or an assessment at your registration session. Submit High School Transcripts, College Transcripts, and Test Scores to: Southwest Tech, Attn: Admissions, 1800 Bronson Blvd, Fennimore, WI 53809
    • Admissions Meeting: After applying and submitting transcripts, work with your advisor to begin or continue your student success plan to talk about your career interests and goals, develop a plan for paying for college, learn about various funding options, create an academic map, and discuss supports and services. Schedule an admissions meeting by clicking "Make an appointment" with your program advisor.

    Requirements for Online Students

    Chromebooks are not compatible with some testing features within Schoology (our Learning Management System). Southwest Tech recommends not to use Chromebooks for classes.

    • Cable/broadband/DSL internet with a minimum speed of 1.5Mbps. You can test your local internet speed at www.speedtest.net. Run this test from the location you will be working from.

      Higher bandwidth and speed will greatly assist you in your online learning environment, so where possible, a faster internet speed is recommended. Cable internet tend to be faster than DSL or 4G wireless, although DSL or 4G wireless may also work depending on other factors. Your computer, other software (such as anti spyware), other users on the system, and system configurations can all influence your ultimate line speed. Many instructors use videos as a part of their instruction, as well as synchronous meeting times (Skype, Adobe Connect, etc). Having an acceptable internet connection speed will be important to your success.

    • Convenient access to a computer that has one of the following current versions of Internet Browsers:
      • Microsoft Internet Explorer
      • Mozilla Firefox
      • Google Chrome
      • Safari
      Call 608.822.2302 for verification of other browsers.
    • An active e-mail account (all Southwest Tech students are issued a free email account)
    • Word processing software (Microsoft Word is the recommended word processing software at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College). Free Microsoft Office software is available to all Southwest Tech students at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/products/office
    • Availability of 10-15 hours per week for each 3-credit course
    • Self-motivation and self-discipline

    Helpful Academic Background

    • Keyboarding and basic computer skills
    • Biological Sciences

    Program Fees

    • This program is eligible for Financial Aid.
    • Estimated cost for each semester can be found under the Curriculum tab. Please note that costs are approximate and are based on the current academic year.
    • Please discuss additional fee questions with the program advisor or instructor.
  • Career Opportunities

  • Employment opportunities for Health Information Technology include:

    All health care facilities such as: hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, surgery centers, insurance companies, consulting companies, government agencies, computer software companies and other health care settings. Possible employment for program graduates may include:

    • Outpatient Coder
    • Inpatient Coder
    • Medical Coding Specialist
    • Coding Analyst
    • Claims Analyst
    • Patient Care Coordinators
    • Patient Registrar
    • Benefits Coordinator
    • Medical Biller
    • Collections Clerk
    • Insurance Claims Clerk
    • Customer Service Representatives
    • HIM Revenue Cycle Auditors
    • Document and Coding Specialists
    • Coding Specialist
    • Health Information Technicians
    • Medical Office Administrators
    • Clinical Data Analyst
    • Compliance Auditors

    Southwest Tech's Career Connections Center offers Services to assist students looking for job placement.

  • Transfers
  • Prior Learning

  • Credit for Prior Learning

    Experience Pays! You've Been There... You've Done That... Let's See If You Can Get Credit For It!

    Credit for prior learning gives you opportunities to earn credit for college-level knowledge that you have already acquired. This may be the result of work or volunteer experiences, certifications, apprenticeships, military training, extensive self-instruction, or professional development. Credit for Prior Learning affords you the opportunity to accelerate the completion of your educational goals.

    For more information on Credit for Prior Learning see our Credit for Prior Learning page.

    At any time, you may Request Credit for Prior Learning.

    Health Information Technology Courses that may have Credit for Prior Learning options:

    Course # Course Title
    Challenge Exam
    (Demonstration)
    Challenge Exam
    (Standard)
    CLEP
    Credential
    Portfolio
    10-501-101Medical TerminologyYes
    Available online
    10-501-107Digital Literacy for HealthcareYes
    10-530-161Health Quality ManagementYes
    10-530-162Foundations of HIMYes
    Challenge exam not available for Cancer Information Management program.
    10-530-163Healthcare Stats and AnalyticsYes
    10-530-164Intro to Health InformaticsYes
    10-530-165Intermediate CodingYes
    10-530-167Management of HIM ResourcesYes
    10-530-178Healthcare Law & EthicsYes
    10-530-182Human Diseases for Hlth ProfesYes
    10-530-184CPT CodingYes
    Current Certified Professional Coder (CPC) or Certified Coding Specialist - Physician Based (CCS-P)
    10-530-197ICD Diagnosis CodingYes
    Current International Classification of Diseases - 10 (ICD-10), Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) or Certified Professional Coder (CPC)
    10-530-199ICD Procedure CodingYes
    International Classification of Diseases - 10 (ICD-10) or Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)
    10-801-136English Composition 1Yes
    CLEP Test - College Composition
    10-801-196Oral/Interpersonal CommunicationYes
    10-809-172Introduction to Diversity StudiesYes
    10-809-198Introduction to PsychologyYes
    CLEP Test - Introduction to Psychology

Outcomes

Program Outcomes

  • Apply data governance principles to ensure the quality of health data
  • Apply coding and reimbursement systems
  • Model professional behaviors and ethics
  • Apply informatics and analytics in data use
  • Apply organizational management techniques

Health Information Technology Student Achievement Data

Student achievement/outcomes (2021-2022)

Employment in related field:
90% of graduates were employed in related field for 2021-2022.
Retention Rates:
62.5% retention rate for students.
Course Completion Rate:
57% (in normal time for program completion, 24 months for Full Time students or 30 months for Part Time students)

Respectfully submitted by:

Jennifer Lame', MPH, RHIT – HIT Program Director
Kim Maier, Executive Dean

Revised April, 2023

Accreditation

CAAHIM accreditation seal The Health Information Technician program accreditor of Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The College’s accreditation for Associate degree in Health Information Technician has been reaffirmed through 2028-2029. 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.