Health Informatics Programs in California (G-Z)

When searching for accredited health informatics programs in California, students should pay particular attention to programs and schools that offer convenient options. This field continues to offer exciting career possibilities.

Health information technology plays an integral role in the way that hospitals and other medical practices perform key functions and maintain day-to-day operations. People with the right technical qualifications enjoy a quickly growing career path. Those in California can expect particular growth as it’s one of the best states for HIT positions. The following is the second half our list of California schools that offer quick and academically rigorous programs in the health informatics field. To see the first half of the list of health informatics programs in California, see Health Informatics Programs in California (A-F).

ITT Technical Institute — Orange

School of Health Sciences

ITT Technical Institute in Orange, California strives to give students a solid technical education based on top industry standards. Coursework challenges students to achieve more than a basic education. The school was founded in 1946 in Carmel, Indiana. It has since grown to encompass more than 140 campuses in at least 35 states. Students who study at ITT Tech in Orange will gain access to a variety of programs designed to help them become professional health information technology specialists.  They can find employment in a wide range of technical health careers, such as:

  • medical billing
  • clinical quality management
  • data processing

Health Information Technology: Associate of Science Degree

The Associate of Science in Health Information Technology at ITT Technical Institute is designed with working professionals in mind. The program requires a total of 96 credit hours, but candidates have several options for completing the program. For students who wish to pursue this degree but have limited time available, the school offers most of the program online to meet busy schedules. In fact, all but the professional practicum course and its corresponding class on coding can be taken online. The school also offers a hybrid program where students can choose which courses they take on campus.  Students who need assistance getting familiar with online coursework also have the option to sit for an online class at the Orange campus. Courses for this degree cover a variety of topics to help students become certified in health information technology. These include health record maintenance and CPT coding.

Accreditation

  • The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)

Contact

4000 W Metropolitan Drive #100
Orange, CA 92868
Phone: (714) 941-2400
Email: Not available
Program Website

ITT Technical Institute — San Bernardino

School of Health Sciences

ITT Technical Institute is a career-oriented school established in 1946 in Carmel, Indiana. It’s designed to help students pursue professional development courses and degree programs that enable them to seek new careers or transition from high school into the workforce. ITT Tech in San Bernardino upholds the institution’s commitment to creating appropriate work opportunities. They do this by offering a Health Information Technology Associate of Science degree program that combines theoretical concepts with real-world, hands-on experiences for its students. Students will gain the skills and training necessary to pursue a wide range of jobs at hospitals and private medical offices.

Health Information Technology: Associate of Science Degree

ITT Technical Institute’s mission is to provide training for students who want highly technical careers in fields where certification and experience matter more than a traditional four-year degree. The school’s Associate of Science in Health Information Technology degree program will help students understand job demands and adequately prepare to meet the challenges of today’s rigorous healthcare industry. Students need to complete a total of 96 hours for the program, and coursework is designated as follows:

  • 32 hours of general education credits
  • 60 hours of core health information technology courses
  • four credit hours on a technical proficiency course

The school wants to allow as much access as possible, particularly for working students. As such, the HIT program can be taken:

  • entirely online
  • entirely on campus
  • or as a hybrid schedule

At the end of the program, students will be able to sit for a certification exam.

Accreditation

  • The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)

Contact

670 E Carnegie Drive
San Bernardino, CA 92408
Phone: (909) 806-4600
Email: Not available
Program Website

ITT Technical Institute — Sylmar

School of Health Sciences

The Health Information Technology Associate of Science Degree program is offered by ITT Tech’s School of Health Sciences. It enables students to learn the hands-on skills and theoretical concepts necessary for a career in health information technology. Students who complete the A.S. in Health Information Technology from ITT Tech Sylmar should be able to pursue a variety of careers in the health information sector.

Health Information Technology: Associate of Science Degree

Students today may not have the option to enroll in a traditional four-year program, and that’s where schools like ITT Technical Institute excel. For those seeking careers in health information technology, the school offers an Associate of Science in Health Information Technology degree program. It enables students to develop the skills and technical competency necessary for this high-demand job.

The program requires 96 hours divided into:

  • 60 core credits on health information technology
  • 32 credits on general education courses
  • four credits on technical proficiency

Students may enroll full-time or part-time depending on need. Those who need greater flexibility can pursue the entire program or a portion of it online. Courses in health information technology cover topics such as:

  • healthcare data sets
  • computers in healthcare
  • supervision and personnel management in healthcare

Those who earn their associate’s degree will be eligible to sit for various HIT certification exams.

Accreditation

  • The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)

Contact

12669 Encinitas Avenue
Sylmar, CA 91342
Phone: (818) 364-5151
Email: Not available
Program Website

Kaplan College — San Diego

Allied Health

Founded as a small college dedicated to commercial training in Iowa in 1937, is what is now known as Kaplan College. It offers a wide range of technical degrees and professional development programs in more than 50 campuses across the United States. As a subsidiary of Kaplan, Inc., the college understands the importance of appropriate academic testing and flexibility when it comes to educational offerings. The school strives to provide hands-on instruction that meets the needs of working students who want to enhance their professional resumes. Kaplan College’s Allied Health department offers an Associate in Health Information Technology degree program. It combines technical competency with practical instruction.

Health Information Technology Associate Degree

Kaplan College offers several degrees and certificate programs under the direction of its Allied Health division. Students looking into health informatics careers will appreciate the school’s Health Information Technology Associate Degree. The degree program promotes several educational objectives:

  • developing technical competency in billing, coding, processing information and interpreting data
  • understanding the importance of medical data and patient healthcare information
  • using the skills learned in the program to assist medical professionals with record maintenance and other appropriate job applications

Students who complete the program will be qualified to perform a wide range of functions as billing and coding specialists. They will also understand the need for and sensitivity involved in dealing with patient records. Students will gain access to in-depth instruction and relevant computer software and hardware necessary for the job. Kaplan offers its programs online and in other convenient forms for those who need greater flexibility when it comes to technical training.

Accreditation

  • Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC)
  • The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)

Contact

9055 Balboa Avenue
San Diego, CA 92123
Phone: (858) 279-4500
Email: Chat available online
Program Website

Loma Linda University

School of Allied Health Professions

Loma Linda University was founded in 1905 as a private health and science institution. It’s a Seventh-day Adventist school that offers more than 107 academic degree and certificate programs. It has least 4,000 students in the Southern California region. For students looking into health informatics programs in California, Loma Linda University boasts a 100 percent job placement rate for graduates of its 2013 health information management class. This means that the school values a hands-on and practical approach to education. This is designed to help students find immediate and relevant employment in the industry. The school promotes a Christian philosophy and seeks to help students pursue academic degrees under a religious influence.

Health Information Management

Those who want to pursue careers in the health information technology sector will appreciate Loma Linda University’s many HIT offerings. Students can choose from the following six programs, depending on educational background, professional aspiration and need:

  • certification in medical coding
  • a bachelor’s program to become a Registered Health Information Administrator or RHIA
  • certification in RHIA
  • health information technology progression
  • an on-campus master’s program in health informatics
  • an online master’s program in health informatics

All programs except the bachelor’s in RHIA require that students hold an undergraduate degree. Each program requires varying coursework and other prerequisites necessary for completion. For example, the Master of Science in Health Informatics program requires 45 credit hours and can be completed online or at the Loma Linda campus on a full-time basis. Students at the graduate level take advanced coursework that enables them to become health informatics professionals in a highly technical field.

Accreditation

  • The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)

Contact

Health Informatics & Information Management
Loma Linda University
School of Allied Health Professions
Nichol Hall, Room 1905
Loma Linda, CA 92350
Phone: (909) 558-4976
Email: slarsen@llu.edu
Program Website

San Diego Mesa College

School of Health Sciences/Public Services

San Diego Mesa College celebrates its 50th year in 2014 as one of California’s largest community colleges and San Diego’s largest two-year institution. San Diego Mesa is an academically rigorous and affordable college. It provides students looking for health informatics programs ample opportunity to explore a wide range of courses and applicable experiences. These enable graduates to pursue careers as healthcare technologists in a variety of industries.

San Diego Mesa’s School of Health Sciences/Public Services offers a comprehensive Associate in Science program on Health Information Technology. It’s designed to help students understand the necessary skills and techniques behind information technology as it relates to the healthcare industry.

Associate in Science

The Allied Health division offers a two-year Health Information Technology program. It leads to an Associate in Science. Students in the program learn the importance of protecting patient health data while using their skills to retrieve and analyze medical records in an administrative capacity. Courses cover a broad range of topics relevant to general education as well as health informatics such as:

  • ICD coding
  • health law and accreditation
  • basic pharmacology

The program requires a total of 11 allied health courses, culminating in a two-part clinical practice. Upon completion of the program, students will be eligible to sit for the Registered Health Information Technician or RHIT exam. Becoming certified is not necessary. However, obtaining RHIT certification enables students to pursue careers as preferred health information technologists in a wide range of medical industries.

Accreditation

  • The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)

Contact

7250 Mesa College Drive
San Diego, CA 92111-4998
Phone: 619-388-2606
Email: crenda@sdccd.edu
Program Website

Santa Barbara City College

Health Information Technology & Cancer Information

Santa Barbara City College is a large community college established in 1909. It is the top community college in the nation according to the Aspen Institute. The school’s commitment to academic excellence sets it apart from other two-year technical institutes. Santa Barbara City College’s Health Information Technology & Cancer Information department upholds the school’s prestigious rankings by offering an Associate of Science Degree in Health Information Technology program. It yields excellent results as measured by the RHIT Certification Exam pass rate. Students who complete the associate’s program at Santa Barbara will have an excellent preparation for a career in the health technology industry.

Associate of Science Degree in Health Information Technology

Students who complete the Associate of Science Degree in Health Information Technology program at Santa Barbara City College and who sat for the RHIT Certification Exam have consistently outperformed the national average. This makes the program important to students interested in an accredited health informatics program in California. Students who study here will gain access to a variety of in-depth courses and top-notch instruction that help prepare them for careers as healthcare administrators and records technicians. The associate’s program in health informatics requires at least 46 credits on core health information technology courses. These are taken along with general education classes as determined by academic advisement. Santa Barbara’s HIT program is particularly useful for students who need greater flexibility. The program is offered entirely online. Nearly all general education courses may also be taken online, but students need to take basic math and English courses in person.

Accreditation

  • The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)

Contact

Health Information Technology
Santa Barbara City College
721 Cliff Drive
Santa Barbara, CA 93109-2394
Phone: (805) 965-0581 ext. 2851
Email: hitcim@sbcc.edu
Program Website

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, health information technicians and medical records professionals can expect a 22 percent increase in the number of jobs over the next decade. Health informatics professionals earned a median salary of $34,160 in 2012. These programs offer a variety of courses and hands-on experience. They will help students looking into health informatics programs in California achieve the education they need to pursue rewarding careers.