New ACC degree gives grads profitable skills, experience

Tommy David - Graduate of ACC's Health Information Technology (HIT) Program

Tommy David is a sort of healthcare detective. He deciphers bad handwriting, unravels medical mysteries, and saves his hospital money – all in a day’s work.

“Paying attention to detail is what I do,” says David, a graduate of Austin Community College’s Health Information Technology (HIT) Program.

In 2005, David came to ACC to study medical coding, and he left a year later with a technical certificate in the field and a “coder 1” job at St. David’s Medical Center.

“I’m one of the guys who handle the emergency reports and billing. Once a person leaves ER, the chart comes to me,” he says. “Coders find out what medications were given, what bandage was applied. I’m looking at the chart to see what the nurse did, what the doctor did. There’s a code for everything.”

Coders like David are sometimes called health information technicians (HITs) or billing specialists. They break down healthcare interactions and translate them into standardized medical codes.

“The coder’s job is very important because that’s where the revenue is generated,” David says. “Insurance companies will not pay if the correct codes are not there.”

The HIT field is one of the bright spots in an otherwise slow economy, and the Obama administration’s push toward electronic health records is expected to increase the demand for skilled coders. In fact, ACC recently introduced a two-year, HIT associate degree to meet local industry demand for skilled coders.

“This new degree fulfills the college’s mission to develop skilled workers who can earn a good living while meeting a community need,” says Mike Midgley, vice president of workforce education and business development.

ACC’s new HIT degree will enable coders to obtain industry credentials as registered health information technicians (RHITs).

“This degree program will open even more doors for ACC’s medical coding students,” says Norma Mercado, ACC’s HIT Program chair. “There are some positions that require RHIT credentials.”

Mercado is working with the industry’s accrediting body to obtain accreditation, a process that begins in spring.

Besides RHIT eligibility, Mercado says the new two-year degree offers future coders a huge advantage over shorter, less rigorous programs.

“We’ve added core curriculum and nine additional classes that cover health delivery systems, healthcare statistics, and advanced medical terminology,” Mercado says. “Students also will have three times the previous amount of on-site, clinical experience – over 600 hours.”

Cynthia Colovas, St. David’s Medical Center’s health information management director and an advisor to the ACC HIT Program, welcomes the new HIT degree.

“ACC’s degree program offers many benefits to the healthcare community, and ultimately, to patients,” Colovas says. “ACC graduates will be equipped to work in an evolving healthcare field, and employers will have a solid pool of applicants who have a broad, deeper knowledge base.”

Interested in learning about the Health Information Technology Program? Visit austincc.edu/health/hitt or call the Health Sciences Information and Admissions Office at (512) 223.5700 or (888) 626-1697.