One of the nation’s fastest-growing and most in-demand career fields now has a new training program at Laramie County Community College.
Health information technology and management professionals manage and protect patient health records and report patient health information by assigning appropriate medical codes using related computer systems to help improve the quality of patient care.
This new program provides a multi-level educational pathway for careers in medical office environments. Students can choose a path to either receive certification or an associate’s of applied science.
U.S. News & World Report recently listed health information management as one of the nine hot majors in the country and said "the need is huge for professionals who can help acquire, manage, and use information to improve health and manage payments."
“As healthcare reform continues to unfold, we have a tremendous need to update the skills in coding and health information management,” program director Dawn Puente said. “This complements the college’s clinical programs and ultimately helps ensure that quality healthcare is available in our community.”
Individuals in this field often work in hospitals, nursing homes, insurance offices, physicians' offices and ambulatory care facilities. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook in this career is expected to grow at a rate of 20 percent by 2018.