MVCC adds online degree program in health-information technology

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

Both the New York State Education Department and the State University of New York (SUNY) approved the degree program, MVCC said in a news release.

Enrollees can complete the program “entirely online,” the school said.

Health-information technology core courses are available “only” online, but students may take general-education courses, such as human anatomy and physiology, English, and math, on campus.

About the program

The Chicago, Illinois–based Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education has accredited MVCC’s health-information technology program, the school said.

The program prepares students to enter a “quickly growing field in a variety” of health-care settings.

Health-information technicians are responsible for organizing and managing health-information data, along with ensuring the information is “accurate, accessible, and secure” in both paper files and electronic systems.

They’re also responsible for using various classification systems to code and categorize patient information for insurance-reimbursement purposes, databases and registries; and maintaining patients’ medical and treatment histories.

Students learn about topics 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 can practice what they’ve learned in a nonpaid professional-practice “experience” at a health-care facility.

Students can also pursue transfer options if they’d prefer to further their education.

When students complete their degrees, they’ll be eligible to take the national registered health-information technician certification exam, MVCC said.

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

Most registered health-information technicians work in hospitals, but many are also employed in a “variety” of other health-care agencies, MVCC contends.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com