Health Information Technology

Degrees & Certificates

Overview

You can combine your computer skills and your passion for people into a dynamic and in-demand career.

A health information technician is an essential player in numerous health care settings, responsible for acquiring, analyzing and protecting medical information in a variety of settings. The field is growing quickly, with job openings increasing each year.

Whether you're seeking an associate degree or one of our certificates, Waubonsee's HIT Programs will prepare you to to meet your career goals — on a convenient evening and online-only schedule.

Studying Health Information Technology at Waubonsee

Thanks to input from local health information directors and professionals, our curriculum is guaranteed to be up to date and in line with industry trends.

In addition to being current, the curriculum is comprehensive, providing you a solid foundation in clinical classification systems, health care law, data management, reimbursement systems, data statistics and analysis, and health care information systems.

Our Accreditation Can Lead to Your Credentials

Because our Health information Technology Associate in Applied Science Degree Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), our graduates are eligible to take the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) and other credentialing exams. Such credentials often lead to greater professional recognition and opportunities.

Pass Rates

Time Period	2017-2018	2016-2017	Number of Examinees	2015-2016	Number of Examinees	2014-2015	Number of Examinees
*AHIMA National Mean Pass Rate*	69%	70%	3,457	67%	3,642	70%	6126
*First time test taker Passed*	73%	69%	1,969	68%	2,475	71%	3126
*Repeat test taker - Passed*	49%	43%	597	36%	769	33%	608

*WCC HIT Program Pass Rate*	83%	66%	11	79%	13	90%	8
*First time test take - Passed*	86%	70%	10	85%	11	88%	7
*Repeat test takers - Passed*	17%	0%	1	0%	1	100%	1

*WCC Graduate Survey Satisfaction Rate*	TBA	100%		N/A		N/A
*# responses*	TBA	11		N/A		N/A

*Job placement*	TBA	66%		N/A		N/A
# responses	TBA	12		N/A		N/A

** For years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 students taking the RHIT exam in their last semester have a 100% pass rate

60 sem hrs

to earn HIT AAS degree

$8,160

in-district tuition total for degree

$40,000

average annual salary for the industry

Working in Health Information Technology

A health information technician is responsible for acquiring, analyzing and protecting medical information in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, physician offices, clinics, nursing homes and surgical centers.

While working in health care settings, these professionals have very little direct contact with patients. Instead they care for patients by caring for their health records, ensuring the records are complete, accurate and protected, using their knowledge of business, science and technology.

Thanks to the increasing digitization of medical records, the field is expected to grow well into the future. And salaries are healthy too, averaging around $40,000 per year.