Location(s): General Education courses are offered at all BC locations. Program specific courses are only available at North Campus.
Program Entrance Requirements: This is a limited access program. Students are required to complete a supplemental application and meet specific criteria. Please click here for more information.

Program Description

The Associate of Science in Health Information Technology program prepares the student for employment as a health information technician (HIT) in a variety of settings and eligibility to write the national certifying examination to become a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT). The program will also provide the student the eligibility to sit for the AAPC or AHIMA coding credentialing examinations. Responsibilities include coding of diagnoses and procedures; as well as processing, storage and retrieval of health information in ether paper or electronic health records. Areas covered in the course work include, but not limited to, confidentiality of protected health information, health information and electronic health records systems, legal aspects, statistical reporting, reimbursement methodology, healthcare informatics, performance improvement, and supervision of daily department activities comprise other functions taught in the program. Visit the program’s website for additional information.

Additional Program Information

Students must complete all required coursework with a grade of “C” or higher and earn a minimum degree grade point average of 2.0. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). BC has articulation agreements with limited educational organizations in the community which allow us to accept the certifications received from that program to be counted (credits awarded) towards your degree at BC. The program currently has articulation agreements with Sheridan and Atlantic Tech Vocational Centers for students graduating from the Medical Transcription and the Medical Coder/Billing Certification Programs.

Notes:

See General Education course information here.

Students earn points by the successful completion of the select courses listed above, see Health Science Admission Criteria for additional details. 

In accordance with Florida Statute and Florida Administrative Code, students may need to satisfy the Civic Literacy Graduation Requirement. Visit the Civic Literacy Graduation Requirement page at broward.edu/civic-literacy.

Students are strongly encouraged to meet with an advisor to create a personalized educational plan.

Program Highlights

Credit for Prior Learning

Accelerate your path to completion with these options:

• Credit by exam
• Earned industry certifications
• Prior Learning Assessment
• And much more…

Related Industry Certifications

Upon completing this program, graduates will be eligible to sit for the following industry certifications/licenses:

• Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT)
• Certified Coding Associate (CCA)

Get an Internship

After completing your first year of coursework make sure to visit Employment Solutions for internship opportunities and helpful tools like virtual job shadow, to help take your career to the next level!

• Get an Internship
• Virtual Job Shadow Tool

Median Wage and Job Growth Outlook

Broward College has Career Coach! It is designed to help you find a good career by providing the most current local data on wages, employment, job postings, and associated education and training.

Fund Your Education

This program is Financial Aid eligible. Scholarships may be available. This program is part of the Career Source Broward ITA List.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates from this program will:

• • Health information technology graduates will be well-prepared to communicate effectively in healthcare settings, contributing to improved patient care and outcomes.
  • Graduates will be well-prepared to contribute to the efficient and effective management of health records, ensuring the quality and security of patient information.
  • Graduates will be able to recognize the steps in the revenue process from initial encounter with the healthcare system to the final payment of the balance.
  • Graduates will be well-prepared to input, retrieve and analyze data, assign codes to medical procedures, create and maintain accurate records, identify and address quality issues, protect patient privacy and data security, troubleshoot technical issues, optimize workflow efficiency, register patients for services, maintain demographic data, understand billing and reimbursement, ensure compliance with healthcare regulations.
  • Graduates will be able to demonstrate leadership and teamwork skills needed to accomplish team goals and objectives for health information management procedures.
  • Graduates will analyze and apply ethical principles and legal frameworks to address complex issues in health information technology.
  • Graduates will demonstrate their ability to ensure their alignment with organizational needs and their capacity to support clinical and administrative processes, and efficiently support the acquisition, implementation, and maintenance of health information technologies.
  • Graduates will possess a strong foundation in anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology, which is essential for understanding and providing effective HIT practices.
  • Graduates will demonstrate an understanding of patient privacy rights and confidentiality, assess and implement security measures, identify and apply appropriate guidelines and best practices for accessing, using, and disclosing health information, ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards such as HIPAA.
  • Graduates will demonstrate proficiency with professionalism in terms of clinical service outcomes and safety.
  • Graduates will demonstrate proficiency in teamwork as part of a healthcare team by communicating clearly and proficiently, and by making productive and positive contributions to the group. This exercise was to ensure the importance of documentation in the health care field.
  • Graduates will demonstrate proficiency and knowledge of legal requirements, legislative, and regulatory trends in health information technology.