The UTHSC Department of Health Informatics and
Information Management is excited to announce
that beginning in the fall of 2010, we will
offer an entry-level masters degree in Health
Informatics and Information Management. This
degree replaces our baccalaureate program and
degree. The good news is that the prerequisite
courses will remain the same and you may enter
the UTHSC program without an undergraduate
degree. The program is completely on-line so
you can continue to work while you complete your
degree.
We have continually worked to ensure that our
curriculum meets the highest standards and
comply with all CAHIIM requirements; however,
this is becoming increasingly difficult at the
BS degree level. Because of this and the
continuing complexities of the healthcare
information technology and management field, we
are now moving the curriculum to the graduate
level.
Eventually all BS programs will transition to
the entry-level masters as called for in the
AHIMA report Vision 2016: A Blueprint
for Quality Education which is available at
http://www.ahima.org/emerging_issues/vision2016blueprintforeduc.pdf.
We believe with all the national emphasis on
health IT that the timing is right to make this
transition in our curriculum.
Here are a few of the advantages that will
benefit you as we make these program changes.
-
RHIA exam eligibility with a masters
degree
-
Ability to earn a master’s degree
instead of a BS degree
-
Career progression and potential for
quicker growth
-
Higher earnings for RHIAs with a
masters degree (AHIMA 2008 salary survey)
-
No changes to the prerequisite courses
-
No need for a BS degree before you earn
your MHIIM
Please refer to the program information
available at
www.utmem.edu.him. After you review the
information on the web site, please let us know
if you have additional questions. Our office
will be glad to do a transcript evaluation to
determine your readiness for the MHIIM.
Sincerely,
Rebecca B. Reynolds, EdD, RHIA
Interim Chair
