A program providing hands-on experiences and instruction, resulting in 100 percent pass rates in recent years, is being recognized by Waubonsee Community College as a Student Success: Featured Program. The college’s Health Information Technology (HIT) Program helps students to develop entry-level competencies developed by the American Health Information Management Association.
Andrea Siekierski, Waubonsee HIT Instructor, describes HIT as the “business side of health care.” Health information is the data related to a person’s medical history, and health information professionals are highly trained in the latest information management technology applications. They ensure a patient’s health information and records are complete, accurate and protected and have a large impact on the quality of patient care. HIT professionals are focused on the technical side of managing health information, working with software and hardware used to manage and store patient data.
“There is a huge demand for HIT professionals and many of our students have found employment prior to graduating,” Siekierski said.
The program received accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Information and Informatics Management Education in October 2013. Since then, they developed a Health Information Advisory Committee consisting of alumni, faculty, employees and administrators from hospitals and other healthcare providers, launched the Waubonsee Health Information Technology Student Association, and an open lab to assist students with coursework, applications exercises, case studies and review for accreditation exams. The Health Information Technology program has received the Illinois State University Center for Specialized Professional Support New Look grant and the Illinois Community College Board Pathways to Results grant.
