Health and Medical Administrative Services
This program is a Selective Program. Application requirements are included in the description below.
Electronic Health Record Specialist
The Electronic Health Record Specialist is a one semester certificate that will prepare the students for entry level positions with knowledge and skills required to transition from a paper based record to an electronic health record, and learn the basic functions and the use of the technology for the Electronic Health Record (EHR). Medical clinics, hospitals, doctors’ offices, in all types of facilities, and in various locations within a facility offer various employment settings for an Electronic Health Record Specialist. Electronic Health Record Specialist can pursue a lifelong program of continuing education.
Medical Coding Specialist
Medical Coding Specialist Certificate prepares students to access health information, identify diagnoses, and assign appropriate medical codes to narrative descriptions of health diseases and procedures required for reimbursement, medical research, quality assurance, or risk management.
Medical clinics, hospitals, doctors’ offices, private coding agencies, consulting firms, and home offices offer various employment settings for Coding Specialist. Coders may pursue a certified coding specialist rating by passing the National Certification Examination that measures proficiency and competency in the standards set by the American Health Information Management Association. Medical coding specialists pursue a lifelong program of continuing education.
*Students are eligible to participate for the national examination that qualifies them for a certificate as a Certified Coding Specialist (CCS), Certified Coding Associate (CCA), or Certified Coding Specialist - Physician-based (CCS-P).
Medical Information/Transcription Specialist
The Medical Information/Transcription Specialist certificate is designed to provide health care facilities with professionally trained individuals who will promote the smooth operation of an office or department within a health care agency. These professionals, during the course of overseeing the day-to-day operations, maintain an efficient records system, and utilize a variety of office equipment that facilitates the administrative clerical functions of the medical department/office.
It also prepares students to for physician-dictated reporting, speech recognition editing, regulatory compliance, advanced editing, health information technology and health care documentation standards describing a patient’s medical care and condition. These reports include office chart notes, history and physical examinations, consultations, discharge summaries, laboratory tests and diagnostic studies. Medical clinics, hospitals, doctors’ offices, private transcription agencies and home offices offer various employment settings for Medical Information/Transcription Specialist. Transcriptionists may pursue a level 1 Registered Healthcare Document Specialist (RHDS) or a level 2 Certified Healthcare Document Specialist (CHDS) credential in healthcare documentation by passing the national certification examination administered by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI). Medical Information/Transcription Specialist can pursue a lifelong program of continuing education.
Students enrolling in this program must type a minimum of 35 words per minute as determined by department evaluation. As part of the program, students will complete an internship that enables them to gain real-world experience.
Health Information Technology
The Associate of Applied Science Degree in Health Information Technology prepares students for careers as Health Information Technicians.
Health Information Technicians are responsible for maintaining components of health information systems consistent with the medical administrative, ethical, and legal, accreditation, and regulatory requirements of the health care delivery system. In all types of facilities, and in various locations within a facility, the health information technician possesses the technical knowledge and skills necessary to process, maintain, complete and report health information data for reimbursement, facility planning, marketing, risk management, utilization management, quality assessment and research; abstract and code, clinical data using appropriate classification systems; and analyze health records according to standards.
As part of the degree plan, students will complete an internship that enables them to gain real-world experience. In addition, students are prepared for a national exam that measures proficiency and competency in the standards set by the American Health Information Management.
*The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) has accredited the program in cooperation with the Council on Accreditation of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Students are eligible to participate for the national examination that qualifies them for a certificate as a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT).
Application Requirements
- Participate in the required Prospective Student Information Session. For the session schedule, access the information online at http://nah.southtexascollege.edu or contact the HMAS Program at 872-3170.
- Submit an application for admission online at Apply Texas (www.applytexas.org).
- AAS Degree Option: Meet TSI College Readiness Standards, or meet TSI exemption standards.
- Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for all courses completed at STC
- Pass a criminal background check, 10-panel drug screen through approved providers, and complete all required immunizations including Hepatitis B series.
- Submit a completed program application.
NOTE: For up-to-date program information, admission requirements and registration see: http://nah.southtexascollege.edu/
Nursing and Allied Health Graduation Requirements
To earn the Electronic Health Record, Medical Information Specialist Certificate, the Medical Transcriptionist Certificate, the Medical Coding Specialist Certificate or an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Health Information Technology, a student must meet all college graduation requirements and complete all coursework as prescribed in the specific degree plan with a minimum grade of “C.”
Advisory Committee Members
Monte Bivens, RHIT, Tumor Registry Manager, DHR Health Advanced Care Center
Elizabeth Gonzalez, RHIT, Director of HIM, Doctors Hospital at Renaissance
Dan Elizondo, RHIT, Director, HIM Dept., McAllen Medical Center
Julian Garcia, RHIT, Donna High School
Cyndi Lara, Office Manger, Dr. Joseph M. Caporusso
Sandra Naranjo, Medical Records Coordinator, Mission Nursing Home
Marivel Perez, RHIT, Assistant Director, South Texas Health Systems
Veronica Ramirez, RHIT, Director, HIM Dept., Rio Grande Regional Hospital
Claudia P. Tovar, Cancer Registry Specialist, DHR Health Advanced Care Center
Nancy Rodriguez1, Office Manager, Rio Grande Regional Surgery Center
| 1 | Advisory Committee Chair |
Electronic Health Record Specialist Certificate
TSI EXEMPT
| First Semester | Credit Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| HITT 1305 | Medical Terminology I | 3 |
| HITT 1301 | Health Data Content and Structure | 3 |
| POFM 1317 | Medical Administrative Support | 3 |
| HITT 1341 | Coding and Classification Systems | 3 |
| HITT 2371 | Current Procedural Terminology Coding CPT-4 | 3 |
| HITT 1211 | Health Information Systems | 2 |
| HITT 1253 | Legal and Ethical Aspects of Health Information | 2 |
| HITT 1167 | CAPSTONE: Practicum | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 20 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 20 | |
Medical Coding Specialist Certificate
Gainful Employment (https://www.southtexascollege.edu/ge/Medical-Coding-Specialist/index.html)
TSI EXEMPT
| First Semester | Credit Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| HITT 1305 | Medical Terminology I | 3 |
| HITT 1301 | Health Data Content and Structure | 3 |
| NURA 1407 or VNSG 1420 |
Body Systems or Anatomy and Physiology for Allied Health |
4 |
| POFM 1317 | Medical Administrative Support | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| HITT 1341 | Coding and Classification Systems | 3 |
| HITT 2371 | Current Procedural Terminology Coding CPT-4 | 3 |
| HITT 1211 | Health Information Systems | 2 |
| HPRS 2301 | Pathophysiology | 3 |
| HITT 2231 | Advanced Medical Terminology | 2 |
| HITT 1349 | Pharmacology | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Third Semester | ||
| HITT 2372 | Advanced CPT Coding-CPT4 | 3 |
| HITT 2335 | Coding and Reimbursement Methodologies | 3 |
| HITT 1253 | Legal and Ethical Aspects of Health Information | 2 |
| HITT 1166 | Coding Practicum (CAPSTONE) | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 38 | |
Medical Information/Transcription Specialist Certificate
TSI EXEMPT
| First Semester | Credit Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| HITT 1305 | Medical Terminology I | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 3 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| HITT 1301 | Health Data Content and Structure | 3 |
| NURA 1407 or VNSG 1420 |
Body Systems or Anatomy and Physiology for Allied Health |
4 |
| POFM 1317 | Medical Administrative Support | 3 |
| MRMT 1307 | Medical Transcription I | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Third Semester | ||
| HITT 1211 | Health Information Systems | 2 |
| HPRS 2301 | Pathophysiology | 3 |
| HITT 2371 | Current Procedural Terminology Coding CPT-4 | 3 |
| HITT 1349 | Pharmacology | 3 |
| MRMT 2333 | Medical Transcription II | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Fourth Semester | ||
| HITT 1341 | Coding and Classification Systems | 3 |
| HITT 2231 | Advanced Medical Terminology | 2 |
| HITT 1253 | Legal and Ethical Aspects of Health Information | 2 |
| MRMT 2166 | Practicum (CAPSTONE) | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 8 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 38 | |
Health Information Technology Associate of Applied Science
TSI LIABLE
| First Semester | Credit Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| HITT 1211 | Health Information Systems | 2 |
| BIOL 2401 | Anatomy and Physiology I 1 | 4 |
| HITT 1305 | Medical Terminology I | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| ENGL 1301 | Composition I 1 | 3 |
| BIOL 2402 | Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| HITT 1301 | Health Data Content and Structure | 3 |
| MATH 1332 or MATH 1414 |
Contemporary Mathematics 1 or College Algebra |
3 |
| Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Third Semester | ||
| HPRS 2301 | Pathophysiology | 3 |
| HITT 1253 | Legal and Ethical Aspects of Health Information | 2 |
| HITT 1341 | Coding and Classification Systems | 3 |
| HITT 2231 | Advanced Medical Terminology | 2 |
| HITT 1349 | Pharmacology | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Fourth Semester | ||
| HITT 2166 | Practicum I | 1 |
| HITT 2335 | Coding and Reimbursement Methodologies | 3 |
| HITT 1345 | Health Care Delivery Systems | 3 |
| PSYC 2301 | General Psychology 1 | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 10 | |
| Fifth Semester | ||
| HITT 2371 | Current Procedural Terminology Coding CPT-4 | 3 |
| Humanities Elective 1 | 3 | |
Select one of the following recommended electives: |
||
| Introduction to Ethics | ||
| Introduction to Logic | ||
| Introduction to Humanities I - Western | ||
| HITT 1255 | Health Care Statistics | 2 |
| HITT 2343 | Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement | 3 |
| HITT 2339 | Health Information Organization and Supervision | 3 |
| HITT 2167 | CAPSTONE: Practicum II | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 60 | |
| 1 | Identifies courses to fulfill minimum 15 credit hour General Education requirement |