Associate of Applied Science Degree

Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)

The Health Information Management (HIM) program prepares graduates for the Health Information profession which focuses on improving patient care through quality management of health care information. The HIM professional is a member of the allied health team and is responsible for the collection, storage, analysis, and integration of health care data. Every health care facility must maintain patient information to document facts about the patient’s illness/injury and medical/surgical treatment. Hospitals and other health-care facilities need trained individuals who can process and maintain patient information, protect patient information, categorize medical information and tabulate statistics through ICD-10-CM and CPT coding systems, and retrieve data for continuous quality improvement and utilization review activities. The Health Information Management Program at Chattanooga State Community College prepares students for a professional career within health information management. A health information management career provides opportunities for advancement from a technician’s level up to a director’s or consultant’s position. Emphasis during this decade will be on a shift from handling “paper” medical records towards the computerized health record.

Program Options

A student who wants to obtain an associate degree in health information technology/management has two program options which contain the same career competencies. A student can enroll in either daytime courses held in a traditional classroom OR enroll in the Regents Online Degree Program (RODP). If a student enrolls in the online program, he/she registers through the “home” college, is advised by the HIM faculty at the “home” college, and upon completion of degree requirements is a graduate of the “home” college. Students who live and/or work in the Chattanooga State service area would declare Chattanooga State Community College as their “home” school.T

Admission Information

Additional admission procedures are required for this program. See the Health Information Management website for detailed admission information. The application deadline for priority consideration is the first Monday in April. Applications for qualified applicants may be accepted after this deadline if the class is not full. Applicants must have a acceptable composite scores on the TEAS test for acceptance into the program along with other requirements.