Academics

HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
AST 2-year Degree Program
Program Description & Job Opportunities
Course Listings
Course Descriptions

AC106 ACCOUNTING FOR SMALL BUSINESS I (2.0 credits/36 clock hours)
An introductory course in accounting, the purpose of which is to acquaint the students with the relationship between accounting and business and to define basic accounting terminology. This course introduces the students to the following: double-entry accounting, journalizing and posting entries, combination journals, work at the end of the fiscal period, preparing financial statements, and adjusting and closing entries. Prerequisite: None.

HI217 ADVANCED CODING (1.5 credits/30 clock hours)
This course is designed to give the student a more in depth exposure to ICD-9-CM and CPT coding. The concepts of proper sequencing and the importance of complications and comorbidites will be reinforced. The student will code from patient records and other medical documentation, utilize the encoder/grouper, and generate physician attestations. Prerequisites: CPT-4, ICD-9-CM II, Health Data Content and Structure.

CP210 ADVANCED DATABASE APPLICATIONS (1.5 credits/30 clock hours)
In this course in database management, students will build on the database concepts and terminology which were covered in Database. The focus of the course will be to create a project—a working database application, using several linked tables. The skills that will be enhanced are the design and creation of tables, custom forms, labels, queries, reports, and a menu system. Prerequisites: Database.

MD122 ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY I (3.0 credits/58 clock hours)
This course begins with the structure and function of cells, tissues, organs and systems. Then it progresses to comprehensive anatomy and physiology of the integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous and sensory systems. Laboratory projects will be coordinated with specific systems. Prerequisite: None.

MD123 ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY I LAB (.5 credit/14 clock hours)
Lab projects are coordinated with specific systems studied in Anatomy & Physiology I. Prerequisite: Must be taken concurrently with Anatomy & Physiology I.

MD124 ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY II (3.0 credits/58 clock hours)
This course is a continuation of comprehensive anatomy and physiology covering the following body systems: endocrine, cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive. Laboratory projects will be coordinated with specific systems. Prerequisite: Anatomy & Physiology I and Medical Terminology I.

MD125 ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY II LAB (.5 credit/14 clock hours)
Lab projects are coordinated with specific systems studied in Anatomy & Physiology II. Prerequisite: Anatomy & Physiology I, Anatomy & Physiology I Lab. Must be taken concurrently with Anatomy & Physiology II.

CP114 COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
This course in operating systems is designed to introduce students to the terminology and concepts that are required for computer literacy and for future computer related courses. Topics to be covered include hardware, software, DOS, Microsoft Windows, and a brief history of computers. Prerequisite: None.

GE111 CONVERSATIONAL SPANISH (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
This is a career-based course in which students will learn basic communications skills relevant to their majors. Units of study include pronunciation, phonics, cognates, small talk, Spanish in the medical field, Spanish in the business world, and relevant cultural differences. Students will have a base knowledge of Spanish that will allow them to create with the language without limits. Prerequisite: None.

HI203 CPT-4 (1.5 credits/30 clock hours)
This course introduces the student to the Current Procedural Terminology format and conventions and current coding practices for coding outpatient procedures. CPT is part of the HCFA Common Coding Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) which contains two levels of codes which will be explained and discussed. Coding principles and guidelines for evaluation and management, surgery, anesthesia, pathology and lab, radiology and medicine will be presented. Prerequisite: ICD-9-CM or ICD-9-CM I.

CP105 DATABASE (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
This course will cover beginning and intermediate database topics. The student will learn what a database is and how it is used in business. The student will also learn how to design and build a database, tables, reports, queries and forms. General database topics such as normalization will be covered as well as features specific to Microsoft Access. Prerequisite: Computer Fundamentals or Introduction to Computing(Accelerated).

HI105 DIRECTED PRACTICE I (2.0 credits/84 clock hours)
Clinical experience in a hospital health information department. Areas include patient registration and admission procedures, storage and retrieval of medical records, assembly and analysis, diagnostic and procedural coding, abstracting, transcription, statistics and incomplete record control procedures. Prerequisites: Health Care Quality Improvement, ICD-9-CM II, Health Care Statistics, Medical Machine Transcription, Pharmacology, and Principles of Supervision

HI108 DIRECTED PRACTICE II (2.0 credits/84 clock hours)
Clinical experience in the maintenance of health information in specialty health care organizations such as nursing homes, physician offices, prison settings, specialty facilities, etc. Areas include organization and role of the specialty facility in providing health care, record content, release of information, storage, retrieval, accreditation and licensing standards, classification systems, reimbursement and billing, secondary records and statistics. Prerequisites: Health Records in Other Settings, Medical Legal Aspects, and CPT.

HI112 DIRECTED PRACTICE III (6.0 credits/252 clock hours)
Clinical experience in the management of a health information department and all of its functions. Emphasis on DRGs and reimbursement, external reviews by the PRO and accreditation/licensing agencies, and the role of the health information professional in quality management, utilization review and risk management. Prerequisites: Completion of all required courses for graduation from the Health Information Technology program.

GE101 ECONOMICS (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
This course is designed to introduce the student to the basic fundamentals of economics and how such knowledge can help us in understanding day to day life. We will discuss the principles of supply and demand and how these principles affect price and production in a free economy as well as in other economies. We will then discuss monetary policy and fiscal policy and their effectiveness in stabilizing our economy. We will end with a discussion of the varying degrees of competition and the subsequent effects on our economy. Prerequisite: None.

EN101 ENGLISH I (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
Students will learn the current practices of effective oral and written communication skills necessary for success in business and industry. Prerequisite: None.

GE127 ENGLISH II (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
Students will continue studying and practicing the four bases of writing (unity, support, coherence, correctness). Students will write paragraphs, essays, summaries of short articles, continue to write in their journals, and a write a research paper. Prerequisite: English I.

HI206 HEALTH CARE BUDGETING (1.0 credit/24 clock hours)
This course consists of an overview of financial and budgeting issues and concepts and discusses the role of non-financial managers in the health care environment. The purpose of this course is to develop an understanding of financial concepts, operations, and issues such as capital and operating budget development and control, budget variance analysis, merging of clinical and financial data, and cost containment. Prerequisite: Students must have completed, or be taking concurrently, Spreadsheets.

HI109 HEALTH CARE STATISTICS (1.0 credit/24 clock hours)
Presentation of descriptive and vital statistics, definitions, data collection methods, analysis and interpretation of data, accuracy of information, calculation of formulas, and methods of presenting data. Prerequisite: Health Data Content and Structure.

HI207 HEALTHCARE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
In-depth study of quality assessment, quality improvement, medical staff credentialing, utilization management and risk management. The organizations that license, accredit and certify health care organizations and their standards will be presented. Prerequisite: Health Data Content and Structure and ICD-9-CM I.

HI120 HEALTH DATA CONTENT AND STRUCTURE (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
Course emphasizes the importance of medical record content. Topics include the preparation and use of indexes and registers, format and uses of nomenclatures and classification systems, quantitative and qualitative analysis, documentation requirements, the medical record’s role in reimbursement, the prospective payment system, computerization in the health field and in health information, word processing, and transcription. Prerequisites: Anatomy & Physiology II, Medical Terminology II, and Introduction to Health Information. This course must be taken concurrently with ICD-9-CM I.

HI209 HEALTH INFORMATION SEMINAR (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
Final course in the study in the Health Information Technology program. Topics covered include current issues in the health care delivery system, management of a medical record department, professionalism, AHIMA Code of Ethics, and review of medical record competencies to prepare for the national accreditation examination. Prerequisites: Directed Practice II and Principles of Supervision.

HI208 HEALTH RECORDS IN OTHER SETTINGS (1.5 credits/30 clock hours)
This course is designed to enhance the students’ knowledge of the health record in settings other than the acute care hospitals. The requirements for licensure, certification and/or accreditation that cover the patient record in ambulatory care, hospice, home health, long-term care, mental health, and rehabilitation settings will be presented. Prerequisite: Directed Practice I.

GE109 HUMAN RELATIONS (2.0 credits/36 clock hours)
This course is designed to be an in-depth study and the building of specific skills in the area of one-to-one communication. Emphasis is placed on group dynamics, conflict resolution, dealing with diversity, and social responsibility. Prerequisite: None.

MD206 ICD-9-CM (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
This course introduces the student to the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, format and conventions and correct coding practices for diagnoses and procedures. Basic coding principles and guidelines for the following areas will be presented: Late effect versus current illness or injury, V codes; signs and symptoms; infectious, endocrine and blood diseases; immunity and mental disorders; nervous, respiratory, digestive, genitourinary, and circulatory system diseases. Prerequisites: Anatomy & Physiology I and II and Medical Terminology I and II.

HI216 ICD-9-CM I (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
This course introduces the student to the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification format and conventions and current coding practices for diagnoses and procedures. Coding principles and guidelines for the following areas will be presented: Late effect versus current illness or injury; V codes; signs and symptoms; infectious and endocrine diseases; immunity and mental disorders; diseases of blood and nervous system; diseases of respiratory, digestive, and genitourinary systems; and diseases of circulatory system. Emphasis will be placed on abstracting and coding hospital inpatient records using the Prospective Payment System. Prerequisites: Anatomy & Physiology I and II and Medical Terminology I and II.

HI210 ICD-9-CM II (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
This course reinforces the coding skills developed in ICD-9-CM I with further emphasis on neoplasms; musculoskeletal system diseases; pregnancy, childbirth, abortion, congenital anomalies and perinatal conditions; injuries, burns, poisonings; complications of care, and E codes. The guidelines for coding diagnoses for outpatient medical records will be introduced as well. Prerequisites: ICD-9-CM I and Pathophysiology

GE141 INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS MATH (2.0 credits/36 clock hours)
This course is designed to refresh the student’s knowledge of math fundamentals and to apply these fundamentals in business and everyday life. The concepts covered are a review of decimals and fractions, bank reconciliation, percentages, payroll, cash and trade discounts, and related areas. Prerequisite: None.

HI110 INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH INFORMATION (3.5 credits/72 clock hours)
This course introduces the student to the healthcare delivery system and the professionals involved in healthcare. Topics include the history of healthcare; the organizations that set standards or regulations in healthcare, the organization of hospitals and their medical staffs; the content, uses and format of the patient record; methods of storage, retention and retrieval of patient records; and medical staff committees. Prerequisites: Anatomy & Physiology I and Medical Terminology I

GE140 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY (1.0 credit/24 clock hours)
In this survey course students are encouraged to think about society critically, by examining such topics as: culture, socialization, social interaction, social inequality, and social change. Included are the study of race and ethnicity, sex and gender, families, government, health care, urbanism and the environment. Prerequisite: None.

KE101 KEYBOARDING I & LAB (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
This course is designed to teach the student correct keyboarding techniques and to help the student operate the letters, numbers, and symbols keys. Introduction to letters, memorandums, centering, tabulation, and how to set up a standard report style are stressed. This class will also provide time for students to increase their speed and accuracy through drill work and timed writings. Prerequisite: None.

CD204 JOB SEARCH SKILLS (1.0 credit/24 clock hours)
This course instructs students in job seeking skills. Topics such as informational interviewing resume development, application completion and job interviewing will be covered. Students will identify work and personal skills, role-play mock interviews using the video camera, and start to develop a list of prospective employers for which they would like to work. Prerequisite: None.

HI205 MEDICAL LEGAL ASPECTS (2.0 credits/36 clock hours)
Study of basic concepts, terminology, and principles of law and their application to the health care field and the health information department. Legal issues dealing with confidentiality of health information, release of health information, consent forms, liability of health care providers, HIPPA regulations, and other current issues will be presented. Prerequisites: Healthcare Quality Improvement, Healthcare Statistics, Principles of Supervision, and Directed Practice I.

HI114 MEDICAL MACHINE TRANSCRIPTION (2.0 credits/36 clock hours)
This course trains students in every aspect of medical transcription including preparation of accurately transcribed medical reports (history and physical exams, operative reports, discharge summaries, consultations, and ancillary reports) utilizing proper format, punctuation, capitalization, numbers, symbols, abbreviations, and spelling. Prerequisites: Anatomy & Physiology I and II, Medical Terminology I and II, and Keyboarding I or Word Processing.

MD114 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY I (2.0 credits/36 clock hours)
Presentation of medical terms, including medical prefixes, root words/combining forms, suffixes, abbreviations and diagnostic tests as they correlate with specific body systems presented in Anatomy & Physiology I. Prerequisite: None, but taken concurrently with Anatomy & Physiology I.

MD105 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY II (2.0 credits/36 clock hours)
Presentation of medical terms, including medical prefixes, root words/combining forms, suffixes, abbreviations and diagnostic tests as they correlate with specific body systems presented in Anatomy & Physiology II. Prerequisites: Anatomy & Physiology I and Medical Terminology I. Taken concurrently with Anatomy & Physiology II.

MD300 OVERVIEW OF DATA COLLECTION (2.0 credits/36 clock hours)
This course acquaints the student with different types of data collection and reporting. The student will follow approved guidelines to obtain data by reviewing hospital patient records and data reporting forms. Abstracting of data for reimbursement and severity of illness will be utilized. Prerequisite: ICD-9-CM or ICD-9-CM I.

HI106 PATHOPHYSIOLOGY (3.5 credits/72 clock hours)
Study of abnormal physiology associated with disease states of the body with emphasis on the nature, cause, diagnostic, treatment and management of prominent clinical disease processes of the body. Diagnostic methods, interpretation of laboratory tests and drug therapies will be included. Prerequisites: Anatomy & Physiology I and II and Medical Terminology I and II.

MD200 PHARMACOLOGY (2.0 credits/36 clock hours)
An introduction to basic pharmacological concepts as it applies to the allied health fields. Various drugs will be presented according to their therapeutic applications. Pertinent physiology and related diseases will be reviewed. Emphasis is placed on current drug therapy. Each drug classification will be discussed in regard to its mechanism of action, main therapeutic effects and adverse reactions produced by the drugs. Prerequisites: Anatomy & Physiology I and II, Medical Terminology I and II, and Pathophysiology.

PD119 PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT (1.0 credit/24 clock hours)
This course is designed to explore the fundamental building blocks to a student's success in school and ultimate success in the workplace. The focus is on building success through goal setting, motivation, personal responsibility, self-discovery, and change. Prerequisite: None.

HI200 PRINCIPLES OF SUPERVISION (2.0 credits/36 clock hours)
Concepts of management, including basic theories, planning, controlling, organizing, staffing and training will be presented. Emphasis is placed on human relations, motivation, leadership, and communication. Preparation of budgets, time management, dealing with unions, and writing job descriptions will also be discussed. Prerequisite: None.

GE224 SPEECH (1.0 credit/24 clock hours)
This introductory course offers fundamentals in communication with emphasis on improving speaking and listening skills. This course will familiarize students with formal speech preparation, presentation skills, and nonverbal communication. Prerequisite: None.

CP104 SPREADSHEETS (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
This course uses a problem-solving approach to teach spreadsheet functions. The student will be introduced to beginning and intermediate level spreadsheet functions that will be used for creating, manipulating and enhancing a worksheet, for creating graphics based on the worksheet, enhancing a worksheet, integrating worksheets, and graphics. Prerequisite: Computer Fundamentals or Intrduction to Computing(Accelerated).

WP202 WORD PROCESSING (3.0 credits/60 clock hours)
This course is designed to provide students with the basic understanding of word processing keyboarding applications, concepts, and terminology. The purpose of the course is to develop an ability to use the current version of Microsoft Word for both professional use (simple business correspondence) and for personal use (report writing). Prerequisite: Keyboarding I & Lab or exemption.