Coming this fall, MVCC’s new online degree program in health-information technology

UTICA, N.Y. — Beginning this fall, Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) will offer an associate degree in health-information technology.

The New York State Education Department and the State University of New York have approved the degree program, MVCC said.

The all-online degree program is part of MVCC’s health-professions department.

The degree program’s core courses are available “only online,” but students may take general education courses, such as human anatomy & physiology, English, and math on campus, the school said.

Upon completion of this degree, graduates will be eligible to take the national certification exam to become a registered health-information technician.

With experience, the credential “holds potential” for advancement to management positions, “especially when combined with a bachelor’s degree.”

Although most registered health-information technicians work in hospitals, many are employed in other health-care agencies, MVCC contends.

About the degree program

MVCC’s health-information technology program prepares students to enter a “quickly growing field in a variety of health-care settings.”

The Chicago, Illinois–based Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education has accredited the program, the school said.

Health-information technicians are responsible for organizing and managing health-information data; ensuring the information is accurate, accessible, and secure in both paper files and electronic systems; and using various classification systems to code and categorize patient information for insurance-reimbursement purposes, databases and registries, and to maintain patients’ medical and treatment histories.

Students learn about areas such as accreditation and regulation; coding and reimbursement; data collection and analytics; information management and computer technology; and legal and ethical aspects, including privacy and security.

During their last semester of study, students have the chance to practice what they’ve learned in a nonpaid, professional-practice experience at a health-care facility, MVCC said.

Transfer options are also available for students who want to further their education, the school added.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com