Health Information Management, associate degree
Health Information Management (HIM) professionals create, analyze, and manage healthcare information and data. HIM professionals are part of the healthcare team – rather than direct patient care, HIM is the business side of healthcare. HIM professionals are integral to the healthcare industry, as the work they provide is required wherever health information is collected, organized, and analyzed.
The Oregon Employment Department forecasts the employment of health information technicians in the Portland area will grow 14.1% through 2027.
Why choose Health Information Management at PCC?
Salary
The Oregon Employment Department reports that health information technicians in the Portland area are paid from $18.76 to $38.76 per hour. The average annual salary of $57,371.
The following are unique to PCC’s Health Information Management (HIM) program:
- The program is entirely online.
- Students will receive weekly lessons, complete assignments, and communicate in a virtual classroom setting.
- PCC’s program is the oldest in the state of Oregon, graduating the first class in 1971.
- Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) and transfer credit are available.
- Students with coding credentials may get Credit for Prior Learning.
- 2-year associate degree program.
- Guaranteed admissions process.
- A new cohort starts every fall.
- The program’s experienced instructors have graduated from the program at PCC and are involved in professional development. Our instructors are expert professionals and leaders with experience serving in professional association leadership positions at the state and national levels.
- Many PCC alumni are working throughout the country in various technical and leadership positions.
- The program is overseen by the Active Advisory Committee, with reps from Kaiser, Legacy, OHSU, Providence, and more. The committee ensures the curriculum is current and state-of-the-art.
The only on-site requirement is a work experience practicum (Supervised Experiential Learning), which occurs during the last term of the program.
Student success
- Proven track record of student success and employment.
- For the 2022–2024 (2-year cycle), our first-time pass rate is 87.5%, with the national average being 80%.
- We have an 86% retention rate from the beginning to the end of the program – also very high for a fully online program.
Mission statement
The Health Information Management program at Portland Community College supports student success by delivering quality education to a diverse group of students, ensuring equity in the admission process and inclusion throughout the program while preparing them to be HIM professionals.
Accreditation statement
The Health Information Management accreditor of Portland Community College is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The College’s accreditation for the AAS degree in Health Information Management has been reaffirmed through 2028-2029. All inquiries about the program’s accreditation status should be directed by mail to CAHIIM, 233 N. Michigan Avenue, 21st Floor, Chicago, IL, 60601; by phone at 312.233.1134; or by email at info@cahiim.org.
PCC was selected by CAHIIM to be a Demonstration Program, as CAHIIM and all CAHIIM HIM programs are moving toward Competency-Based Education (CBE). As a Demonstration Program, PCC is an early adopter of the CAHIIM CBE model. This benefits our students greatly by giving them more real-world education and experience.
Award information
Awards with a icon can be earned online (no scheduled meetings).
| Award | Length (attending full-time) | Financial aid eligible | Currently accepting students? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree: Health Information Management | 2 years | Limited entry, see how to apply to Associate of Applied Science: Health Information Management |
Learn more about Health Information Management and all 3 awards available »
Locations
OnlineWhat will you learn?
More information
HIM professionals bring unique skills to the healthcare industry. The skills that HIM professionals possess through education and training are planning, collecting and analyzing data, and summarizing into useful information.
At PCC, our Health Information Management program provides you with the fundamental skills necessary to begin a career in HIM. In the program, you will learn how to:
- Conduct medical coding in ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, and CPT, all used in reimbursement and/or research.
- Manage medical records and health information systems.
- Enhance the quality and uses of data within the healthcare industry.
- Summarize data into useful information.
- Comply with standards and regulations regarding health information.
- Protect the privacy and security of patient health information.
- Ensure health information is complete and available to legitimate users.
Courses
Course listing for the 2025-2026 catalog year.
| First Term | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| CIS 121 or BA 131 or BA 205 |
Information Systems and Programming * or Introduction to Business Technology or Business Communication Using Technology |
4 |
| HIM 121 | Legal and Ethical Aspects of Healthcare | 3 |
| HIM 128 or BI 121 or BI 231 and BI 232 |
Anatomy & Physiology for Health Information Management 1 or Introduction to Human Anatomy & Physiology I or Human Anatomy & Physiology I and Human Anatomy & Physiology II |
4 |
| HIM 141 | Health Record Content in Non-Acute Care Settings | 3 |
| HIM 182 | Healthcare Delivery Systems | 3 |
| Second Term | ||
| HIM 110 | Health Record Content in Acute Care Settings | 3 |
| HIM 120 | Health Record Content in Acute Care Settings Lab | 2 |
| HIM 129 or BI 122 or BI 233 |
Anatomy & Physiology for Health Information Management 2 or Introduction to Human Anatomy & Physiology II or Human Anatomy & Physiology III |
4 |
| HIM 282 | Healthcare Statistics | 3 |
| General Education: 1 Course | ||
| Third Term | ||
| HIM 131 | Medical Science | 5 |
| HIM 136 | Medications | 3 |
| HIM 271 | Quality Improvement in Healthcare | 2 |
| HIM 273 | ICD Diagnosis Coding | 4 |
| General Education: 1 Course | ||
| Fourth Term | ||
| CIS 125D or BA 169Z |
Database Application Development I Z or Data Analysis Using Microsoft Excel (BA216A=BA 169Z) |
4 |
| HIM 260 | HIM Professional Practice Lab 1 | 3 |
| HIM 283 | Health Information Systems | 4 |
| HIM 270 | ICD Procedure Coding | 4 |
| General Education: 1 Course | ||
| Fifth Term | ||
| HIM 261 | HIM Professional Practice Lab 2 | 3 |
| HIM 281 | Data Management and Analysis | 3 |
| HIM 285 | Healthcare Financing and Compliance | 3 |
| HIM 275 | CPT Coding | 3 |
| Sixth Term | ||
| HIM 262 | HIM Professional Practice Lab 3 | 3 |
| HIM 272 | Health Information Management | 3 |
| HIM 290 | HIM Teams and Training | 3 |
| HIM 293 | Health Information Directed Practice | 2 |
| SOC 213 or ES 101 |
Diversity in the United States * or Introduction to Ethnic Studies |
4 |
| Total Credits | 94 | |
- *
Could be used as General Education.
- Z
This course is part of Oregon Common Course Numbering. BA 216A and BA 169Z are equivalent.
What will you do?
HIM professionals work in every type of healthcare organization: hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, home health agencies, surgical centers, multi-level healthcare organizations, etc. Also, they are in high demand in other healthcare-related entities such as insurance companies, research, policy, and governmental agencies, law firms, and accounting firms.
HIM professionals assist all members of the healthcare team, including providers, to understand the regulations mandating proper documentation, retention, storage, and disclosure of health information. HIM professionals understand data flow and reporting requirements within the context of dynamic rules, regulations, and guidelines. HIM professionals are trained in privacy and security regulations (including HIPAA) and are the frontline in protecting the privacy and security of patient health information.
A career in HIM can offer flexibility. From coding to the release of information and the management of staff, many (but not all) HIM positions can be performed remotely or with limited onsite or in-person requirements.
Interested in watching more PCC Health Information Management videos? View our ICD-10 coding YouTube playlist.
Next steps
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