Health Information Technology (HIT)

The following items and minimum requirements must be met to be accepted into the Health Information Technology (HIT) program at ACC:

1. Complete high school or GED equivalent.
2. Complete ACC application for acceptance to college.
3. College Placement Test required scores are:
   • English:
     • Accuplacer: 95 or higher on Sentence Skills
   • Mathematics:
     • Accuplacer: Elementary Algebra score of 61 or higher
   • Students with equivalent ACT / SAT scores taken within the last five years or appropriate college-level coursework do not need to complete the placement tests. Documentation should be provided with the college application.
4. Request an Official Transcript be sent to ACC if you have any prior college courses.
   • General Education courses required by the program with a grade of "C" or better can be transferred in from an accredited college or university. To transfer general education courses a student must submit official transcripts to the Admissions and Records office, and complete an application to the college.
   • The process of course evaluation and transferring credit can be lengthy and therefore should begin immediately.
5. Schedule an advising and program planning session with the HIT Program Chair prior to enrolling in any courses that are part of the HIT curriculum.
   • To schedule the advising and curriculum planning session, contact Christine Tomas at 303.797.5603 or christine [dot] tomas [at] arapahoe [dot] edu
6. Complete the HIT Application
   • A complete application packet is indicated when all necessary application items are filled out and required documentation is attached.
   • You must also create and upload your complete HIT program plan. Watch our video for instructions.

Notes

• Please be informed that a Criminal Background Check is required prior to taking HIT 188 (first practicum). Please note: Criminal background checks require a fee and the applicant's social security number. Background Check is no more than one year old. View disqualifying events information.
• New, first-time students must complete the ACC Orientation before they will be allowed to register for classes.
• Students are required to submit the following documentation to the ACC HIT department prior to beginning HIT 289:
  • Background check (no more than 1 year old)
  • Vaccinations' documentations including:
    • Tuberculosis (TB) (no more than one year old).
    • Current chest x-ray results demonstrating no active disease must be submitted if PPD test result is positive.
    • Chickenpox (Varicella)
    • MMR
    • Hepatitis B
    • Tetanus
    • Flu Shot
• A drug screen may be required by the health care facility. Students should be aware that health care facilities may not accept students using medical marijuana, even if the student has a prescription.

ACC offers a Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management (CAHIIM) accredited program for an Associate of Applied Science in Health Information Technology (HIT). Our Associate of Applied Science degree provides you the technical skills needed to become a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT). You can complete your training in two years or have a plan designed to meet your needs. ACC has the only accredited online HIT program in Colorado.

As a graduate of the Health Information Technology program, you will be eligible to take the national Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certification exam and receive the RHIT credential.

ACC HIT Program Outcomes:

• Mock RHIT Certification Exam (required; final semester) - pass rate is 95% (2017)
• National RHIT Certification Examination - pass rate (first attempt) is 80% (2017)
• Graduate survey: employed in HIM-related job within one year after graduation - 80% (2017)
• Graduate survey: Feel prepared to enter / advance in a HIM career  - 98% agree / strongly agree (2017)

This program is entirely online with the exception of one practicum course. HIT289 HIT Capstone course is delivered as an online course, however, 40 hours will be conducted face-to-face in an off-campus setting with one of our healthcare partners, please plan for this 40- hour time period accordingly.