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CAHIIM Accredited
The bachelor's and master's degree programs at The College of St. Scholastica are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).
A conversation with
department chair
Ryan Sandefer
Alum Beth Haenke Just
shares her experiences at St. Scholastica.
Health Information Management Major
A tradition of leadership
The College of St. Scholastica was the first college in the nation to grant a bachelor's degree in this professional field. Our program has been accredited for over 50 years and is the only accredited program in Minnesota granting a four-year degree. Graduates are qualified to take the national registration examination to earn professional recognition as a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA).
RHIA certification
As an RHIA you will be a member of the management team in the dynamic health care environment. RHIAs may supervise other health information professionals, technicians and clerical staff, or may work in specialty areas such as cancer data systems or in programs set up to monitor the quality of patient care. RHIAs work closely with physicians and health care administrators to set up effective information systems.
As an RHIA you can work in hospitals, clinics, health care agencies, long-term care facilities, insurance companies and health care consulting firms. You will gain knowledge in health law, management theory and techniques, computer systems, disease process and medical terminology, disease/procedure classification, etc. This major is ideal for the person who likes the health care environment but does not want to work directly with patients.
Career opportunities
As a St. Scholastica graduate, you will have a head start in this field because of the excellent reputation our alumni enjoy in this profession. Our placement rate is nearly 100 percent within six months of graduation. Many of our graduates have assumed leadership roles in the profession at the local, state, and national levels.
Your degree from St. Scholastica will also prepare you for graduate school. You may pursue a master's degree in any area of interest, including HIM. In 1997 the College established a distance based graduate program in Health Information Management. Other potential graduate degrees include business administration, health care administration, law education, finance, and information systems.
Placement
Nationally, the demand for health information managers exceeds the number of qualified professionals. Statistics from the
Department of Labor indicate that this trend will continue and over 50,000 new jobs are predicted in the next 10 years. As an RHIA you can expect an entry level salary of $45,000-55,000.
Because of the reputation of our graduates, you can expect excellent placement opportunities. St. Scholastica alumni can be found from Maine to California in a variety of positions inside and outside the hospital setting.
Professional practice experience
The Professional Practice Experience or internship consists of a three-week placement in a regional hospital, a two-week experience in a large medical center, ambulatory clinic or specialized facility and a one-week exploration of non-traditional HIM practice. Our students have enjoyed experiences in Seattle, Honolulu, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Tampa, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco as well as in Minnesota-based hospitals. You'll have the opportunity to choose among dozens of excellent professional practice sites across the nation.
The Health Information Management program at St. Scholastica is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).
Admission to major
Student applies to the Health Information Management Program during spring semester of his/her sophomore year or at the time of transfer to the College.
Major requirements
- 40 credits | Health Information Management Courses (Upper Division)
- 8 credits | Health Information Management Courses (Lower Division)
- 16 credits | Biology Courses
- 16 credits | Computer Information Systems
- 4 credits | Health Sciences Course
- 4 credits | Statistics Course
- 4 credits | Theology and Religious Studies Course
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