Health Information Management AAS

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Associate of Applied Science in Partnership with Laurel Ridge Community College

This program is offered in partnership with Laurel Ridge Community College. The Health Information Management AAS degree is offered via distance through Laurel Ridge; Reynolds Community College supports the coordination of internships for students in the Richmond area.

Students currently enrolled in Reynolds Community College Health Information Management courses who wish to complete the Health Information Management AAS degree must enroll at Laurel Ridge Community College and complete at least 25% of their coursework at Laurel Ridge.

This program is designed to provide training in the management of systems that collect, interpret, and analyze patient data and to communicate information related to the research, planning, provision and evaluation of everyday operations in health care services.

This program is beneficial to individuals who are seeking career advancement and eligibility for the national certifying examination - Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT). Occupational objectives upon completion of this program include: Health Information (Medical Records) Assistant/Technician, Medical Coder, Coding Manager/Supervisor, Health Information Supervisor/Office Manager, Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist, Privacy Officer, Health Data Analyst.

ACCREDITATION: The Health Information Management (HIM) associate degree is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).

For more information about the associate degree in Health Information Management please visit the Laurel Ridge website at https://laurelridge.edu/degree/health-information-management/.

Curriculum:

Below is the Laurel Ridge HIM AAS program Curriculum. Courses should be taken in the order listed.

First Semester - Fall
BIO 145 - Basic Human Anatomy & Physiology Credit Hours: 4 ¹
ENG 111 - College Composition I
HIM 111 - Medical Terminology I Credit Hours: 3
HIM 141 - Fundamentals of Health Information Systems I
SDV 101 - Orientation to Health Science ²
ITE 152 - Introduction to Digital Literacy

Second Semester - Spring

HIM 112 - Medical Terminology II Credit Hours: 3
HIM 226 - Legal Aspects of Health Record Documentation
HIM 250 - Health Data Classification Systems I
HIM 110 - Introduction to Human Pathology

Third Semester - Summer

HIM 130 - Healthcare Information Systems Credit Hours: 3³
MTH 155 - Statistical Reasoning Credit Hours: 3

Fourth Semester - Fall

HIM 230 - Information Systems & Technology in Health Care Credit Hours: 3
HIM 249 - Supervision and Management Practices Credit Hours: 3
HIM 255 - Health Data Classification Systems II: CPT Credit Hours: 3
HIM 231 - Health Records Applications I Credit Hours: 3
Health or Physical Education Elective Credit Hours: 1
Social/Behavioral Sciences Elective (excluding Liberal Arts Degrees) Credit Hours: 3⁴

Fifth Semester - Spring

HIM 151 - Reimbursement Issues in Medical Practice Management Credit Hours: 2
HIM 232 - Health Records Applications II: Advance Coding Credit Hours: 3
HIM 220 - Health Statistics Credit Hours: 3
HIM 290 - Coordinated Internship Credit Hours: 3⁴
HIM 298 - Seminar and Project Credit Hours: 1
Humanities/Fine Arts Elective (excluding Liberal Arts Degrees) Credit Hours: 3

Program Total: 64 Credit Hours

In order to complete this degree in two years (beginning fall semester), courses must be taken in the order presented in the pathway.

¹ BIO 141 - Human Anatomy & Physiology I /BIO 142 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II may be substituted for BIO 145

² Course MUST be taken in first semester. May also take SDV 100 .

³ Prerequisite: ITE 152 strongly recommended before HIM 130 .

⁴ Prerequisite: Instructor permission required; all HIM core courses must be successfully completed with a grade of “C” or better prior to the coordinated internship. Most sites require a criminal background check, flu-shot, and proof of immunizations. All associated fees are the responsibility of the student.