Health Information Technology

School of Health, Wellness & Public Safety

CONTACT INFORMATION

Program information is available from the Ask CNM Contact Center at (505) 224-3000 or go to cnm.edu.

Program Description

The Health Information Technology (HIT) associate of applied science degree program provides students the opportunity to gain the knowledge and technical skills necessary for managing health information within the health care delivery system. Students will study: anatomy and physiology; medical terminology; diseases; pharmacology and laboratory procedures; the scope of the health information management system; the origin, use, content and format of health records and release of information; ICD-10-CM and CPT coding; health care reimbursement; legal/ethical aspects; data analysis, quality and supervision in health information.

The HIT program is an associate of applied science degree and is designed for the working student.

The HIT program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). For further information on accreditation, contact CAHIIM at 233 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 2150, Chicago, IL 60601-5519, (312) 233-1100. Upon graduation, students are eligible to take the national certification exam. Successful candidates earn the professional credential of Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT).

Special Requirements

To be eligible to enter the HIT program in 2011, as student must meet the following requirements:

• Official transcripts must be on file in the CNM Records Office. High school diploma or GED score is required. College transcripts that are to be evaluated for transfer credit should be requested as soon as possible.
• Completion of program prerequisite courses.
• Completion of HIT 1030 - Health Data Content and Structure .
• An information interview with the HIT program director. 

Career and Educational Opportunities

The health information field has opportunities in hospital medical records/health information departments, clinics, physician offices, long-term care facilities, ambulatory care facilities, managed care organizations, insurance agencies, state health departments, the federal government, entrepreneurship and private industry. Additional career information is available from the American Health Information Management Association at ahima.org.

Exit competencies (see Program Exit Competencies  ) for this program of study are available at cnm.edu/exitcomp.

For the graduation policy refer to the Moving On  section, cnm.edu or the Students tab in my CNM.

Special Notes

Student wishing to enter the HIT program in 2011 will be requiremed to complete pre-entry courses with a 2.5 GPA or better and fill out an HIT application.

Starting in 2012, the Health Information Technology program will be designated as a Limited Entry Program at CNM. Students who wish to pursue Health Information Technology will need to apply and be accepted before they can start the program. Please refer to the Office of Limited Entry Programs for information about application requirements, selection criteria, and deadlines.