Health Information Technology
Available entirely online and accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), the Blinn College District Health Information Technology (HIT) Program prepares graduates for various roles like HIM technicians, coders, and billing specialists.
The HIT AAS degree, Medical Billing and Coding Specialist Certificate, and the OSA in Health Information are completed entirely online. All program plans will require students to complete a clinical during their last semester at a healthcare facility near their current location.
To discover which track suits you best, check out each individual plan below.
Degree and Certificate Plans
Prepares graduates to work with health information in a variety of health care related organizations
Associate of Applied Science in Health Information Technology
Certificate Level-2 in Medical Billing and Coding Specialist
Occupational Skills Award in Health Information
The Health Information Technology program at Blinn College meets the state education requirements for a students who successfully earns their HIT associate degree to sit for the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) credential offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and for students who successfully earn their Medical Billing and Coding certificate to sit for the Certified Coding Associate (CCA) credential offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
Blinn College has not determined if the Health Information Technology program at Blinn College meets the state education requirements in any other state, any U.S. Territory, or the District of Columbia.
The Health Information Management accreditor of BLINN COLLEGE DISTRICT is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The College’s accreditation for ASSOCIATE degree in Health Information Management has been reaffirmed through 2034-2035. All inquiries about the program’s accreditation status should be directed by mail to CAHIIM, 200 East Randolph Street, Suite 5100, Chicago, IL, 60601; by phone at 312.235.3255; or by email at info@cahiim.org.
Program Outcomes
HIT Graduation Rate
AY 2022-2023: 100%
AY 2023-2024: 89%
HIT Employment Rate
(Students employed within 6 months of graduation)
Not included are students continuing their education or not actively seeking employment)
AY 2022-2023: 75%
AY 2023-2024: 100% (Fall 2023)
RHIT Certificate Exam Pass Rate
(First-Time Test Takers)
AY 2022-2023: 75%
AY 2023-2024: 100%
National Pass Rate for First-Time Test Takes is currently 80%
Program FAQ
The HIT Program offers one Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree, one certificate, and one occupational skills award (OSA):
Graduates who successfully complete their HIT AAS degree are eligible to sit for the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certification exam credential offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
Graduates who successfully earn their Medical Billing and Coding Specialist certificate can sit for the Certified Coding Associate (CCA) offered by the AHIMA or the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) credential offered by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC). Students who complete Blinn’s HIT Program are prepared for careers as HIM technicians, coders, documentation specialists, revenue cycle specialists, credentialing specialists, birth certificate specialists, inpatient or outpatient coders, billers, HIM technicians, patient advocates, chargemaster specialists, DRG auditors, patient access associates, insurance specialists, and revenue cycle specialists. They also can pursue a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management and master’s degrees in health information management and health informatics.
The HIT associate degree is two academic years in length, and the certificate is one academic year. (Academic year is fall and spring semester)
All HIT courses are only offered online.
-Academic courses (ENGL, BIOL, HIST, etc) are offered online and face-to-face at all Blinn campuses.
-The degree and certificate require the student to complete a 100-hour clinical at a health care facility. A facility near your home can possibly be arranged
A student can begin taking courses for any track during any semester.
The Blinn College District is an open-admissions institution. The HIT Program is also open-entry to any Blinn student. Students will need to:
- Apply to Blinn and follow all the necessary steps to complete their admissions file. Enrollments steps can be found here.
- Apply to the HIT Program by submitting an online application.
- Receive advising by the HIT program director.
Graduates of the HIT associates degree can sit for the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) credential offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
Graduates of the Medical Billing/Coding certificate can sit for the Certified Coding Associate (CCA) credential offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) or any credential offered from AAPC.
Possibly. Blinn will need official copies of transcripts from all colleges/universities that you have attended in the past to verify if any past courses will count towards your major.
Financial aid, scholarships, and grants are available to students who need assistance with college expenses.
Sstudents must earn a grade of C (70%) or higher in all HIT courses in order to pass that course. If a student earns a D, F, or drops the course, that course will have to be taken again and might delay progression within the degree plan. If developmental courses are taken, a grade of C (70%) or higher must be earned. A grade of D (60%) or higher must be earned for all academic courses.
All programs will require students to complete a clinical during their last semester at a healthcare facility. Clinical site city location can be determined by the student; however, the College needs to know the city location that the student is planning to do clinicals at least one (1) year in advance so contracts can be drawn up. Clinicals require the student to complete 100 hours during normal workday hours, Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Retention Services provides several different resources for Health Sciences students at Blinn in efforts to increase the number of students that successfully complete the Health Science Programs at Blinn.
A student must schedule an appointment with the Retention Coordinator within 5 business days after being notified that he/she meets one or more of these criteria. Appointments can be made by calling or emailing the Retention Coordinator directly. Continued meetings between the student and the Retention Coordinator will be determined by student progression toward academic success.
Please visit our retention services page for more information.
Before a student can complete their clinical, they must complete a criminal background check, drug screening, and immunization requirements (at the cost to the student). Additional information will be sent during the semester before the clinical is completed.
E-mail is the preferred form of communication, so documentation is on file.
Email: jaime.schroeder@blinn.edu
Phone: 979-830-4275 (please leave a voicemail)
Please visit our Health Information Technology Faculty and Staff page for more contact information.
Students are responsible for their own transportation to classes. The following links may help students coordinate their commute to Blinn College.
Parking and Transportation
www.blinn.edu/parking
Alternative Transportation
www.blinn.edu/parking/alternative.html
Handicap-Accessible Transportation
www.blinn.edu/disability/handicap-accessible-transportation.html