UNIVERSITY of WISCONSIN
La Crosse
February 9, 2016
To:
Joe Gow, Chancellor
From:
Bradley Seebach, Chair
Faculty Senate
&?-
At its meeting 1-28-16, the faculty senate simultaneously approved the enclosed requests to authorize
and implement the collaborative online B.S. in Health Information Management & Technology. As you
know, UW-L has been involved as a unique partner in this collaboration since its inception with supports
limited to the provision offaculty and curriculum to the collaborative effort due to concerns over the
accreditation of the College of Business Administration, the home institution of the program sponsoring
department of Information Systems. However, as concerns have been addressed within the College and
with the recent external accreditation of the program by the Commission on Accreditation for Health
Informatics and Information Management CAHllM, UW-L has decided to move forward in seeking formal
approval to offer this degree program with support from existing collaborative partners. With this
approval UW-La Crosse joins with UW-Green Bay, UW-Parkside, and UW-Stevens Point in offering
degrees in HIMT, with administrative and financial support from the University of Wisconsin-Extension.
I approve the request to implement a collaborative online Bachelor of Science Degree in Health
Information Management & Technology.
JoeGrdic~
Date
saw
Enclosure
cc:
Betsy Morgan, Interim Provost/Vice Chancellor
Laura Milner, Dean College of Business Administration
Kuang Wei Wen, Information Systems Department Chair
Faculty Senate
323 Graff Main Hall
1725 State Street, La Crosse, WI 5460 I
Phone (608) 785-8018
An affirmative action/equal oppo11unity employer
I.
Pre-Authorization: Notice of Intent
COLLABORATIVE ONLINE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN
HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
(Request to join the existing collaboration with University of Wisconsin-Green Bay,
University of Wisconsin-Parkside, and University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point)
With administrative and financial support from the University of Wisconsin-Extension
A. Name of proposed degree, institutional setting, mode of delivery, and institutional contact
information.
Name of Proposed Degree:
Institutional Setting:
Mode of Delivery:
Institutional Contact Information:
B.
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Health Information
Management and Technology (HIMT)
Collaborative program across the UW System
Online
Sandy Grunwald, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Email: sgrunwald@uwlax.edu
Phone: 608-785-8159
Clear statement on how the program fits with institutional mission, strategic plan, and existing
program array.
UW-La Crosse has been a partner in the development and teaching of this degree program, but has
not accepted students or offered the degree. UW-La Crosse is requesting permission to now offer
the degree.
The BS-HIMT degree contributes directly to four components of UW-L's mission.
a. Offer associate and baccalaureate degree level and selected graduate programs within the
context of its approved mission statement.
b. Promote the integration of the extension function, assist the University of Wisconsin-Extension
in meeting its responsibility for statewide coordination, and encourage faculty and staff
participation in outreach activity.
c. Participate in inter-institutional relationships in order to maximize educational opportunity for
the people of the state effectively and efficiently through the sharing of resources.
d. Support activities designed to promote the economic development of the state.
Offering healthcare management related programs has been one of the most important strategic
goals of the College of Business Administration. The proposed program directly supports this goal
and stands ready to complement the currently planned major in healthcare management. It also
enhances UW~L's program array covering health professionals.
C. Program description
This program is a 60-credit, online bachelor's degree completion program in Health Information
Management and Technology. This degree serves primarily adult and nontraditional students. The
HIMT curriculum has two tracks: health information technology and health information management.
Students enter the program with 60 credits. A!! students take 16 common core courses and then
depending on which track they choose, will take four additional courses in a given track to complete the
degree. There are no electives.
To be eligible for admission to the program, students will have to have an Associate's Degree from an
accredited institution or 60 credits or the equivalent. More specifically, students will have to have
satisfied UW System minimum general education breadth requirements as stipulated in the UW System
Associate Degree Transfer Policy. Prerequisites for admission are Introductory College Algebra,
Introductory Biology, and Introductory Communications, or their equivalents, passed with grades of C
or better.
0. Need for program (brief description of program in the context of local, regional, and system wide
programs.)
There is a need for well-educated individuals who can help contribute to economic development
through a focus on health information management and health information technology. This is
particularly pertinent in Wisconsin where we have a broad range of healthcare providers, insurers, and
agencies that are spread across the state, and where HIMT programs are not available through any of
the University of Wisconsin campuses to provide education and training for workers in the health
information sector of the industry.
The need for an H!MT degree in Wisconsin was demonstrated in 2010 when the Division of Continuing
Education, Outreach and E-learning, Extension (CEOEL) commissioned a market study to evaluate
business needs, job opportunities, and potentially competing programs. The study was conducted by
Eduventures (a higher education market research firm) to determine if a health information
management and health information technology degree from the UW System campuses was viable
(Eduventures, 2009). The key findings of the study were:
• The occupation outlook is excellent.
• There is minimal competition regionally and nationally for this degree type.
• The growth outlook is anticipated at about 16% - roughly 43,000 new jobs nationally, 3,416
regionally (WI, MN, ll), and 730 in WI, created between 2006-2016 (BLS, 2009).
Additional information obtained from Economic Modeling Specialists Incorporated (EMSI) showed:
• 1,22S additional positions needed by 2018 in Medical Health Services and Management in
Wisconsin
The need for the program continues to be demonstrated by the increase in enrollments each of the last
four years. Current enrollment is 126 students and we expect continued growth. The BS- H!MT
program received accreditation at UW-Green Bay in April 2015 by the Commission on Accreditation for
Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHllM), an independent accrediting
organization whose Mission is to serve the public interest by establishing and enforcing quality
Accreditation Standards for Health Informatics and Health Information Management {HIM) educational
programs.
The closest undergraduate programs that exist in the UW System are at UW-Milwaukee, where an
undergraduate certificate program in Healthcare Informatics is offered (UW-Mi!waukee certificate
program, 2009), and at UW-Stevens Point, where an undergraduate major with a healthcare
informatics option is offered (UW-Stevens Point, 2009). Both of these programs are offered in the faceto-face format. A face-to-face graduate program in Healthcare Informatics is also offered at UWMi!waukee (UW-Milwaukee Graduate Program, 2009).
REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION TO IMPLEMENT A
COLLABORATIVE ONLINE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN
HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-LA CROSSE
ABSTRACT
1'he University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UW-L) proposes to join the established online Bachelor
of Science (B.S.) Degree in Health Information Management and Technology (HIMT)
collaborative as a degree-granting institution. Partner institutions already offering the degree
program include UW-Grcen Bay, UW-Parkside, and UW-Stevens Point with administrative and
financial support from the University of Wisconsin-Extension. UW-L has been involved as a
unique partner in this collaboration since its inception with supports limited to the provision of
faculty and curriculum to the collaborative effort due to concerns over the accreditation of the
College of Business Administration, the home institution of the progra1n sponsoring depart1.11ent
of Information Syste1ns. However, as concerns have been addressed within the College and with
the recent exte111al accreditation of the program by the Commission on Accreditation for Health
Informatics and Information Management CAHIIM, UW-L has decided to move forward in
seeking formal approval to offer this degree program with support from existing collaborative
partners.
PROGRAM IDENTIFICATION
1'itle of Proposed Program: Bachelor of Science in I-iealth Information Manage1nent and
Technology (HIMT)
Mode of Delivery: Collaborative online degree progra1n
Projected Enroll1nents by Year Five:
The initial projection of enrollments by year 5 (2016-17) was 133 (equivalent to 800
course enrolhnents). As offall 2015, there are 126 students in the program. With a conservative
10% growth expectation, the projected program size for 2016-17 will be 139, exceeding the
initial projection. This projection has not factored in the positive effect of recent progra1n
accreditation on student enrolhnent.
Tuition Structure
Progra1n tuition for the B.S. in HIMT program is set at $390/credit for 2015-16 and is
identical at all partner institutions. This fixed tuition rate will be charged outside of the credit
plateau. This an1ount represents an all~inclusive fixed tuition, and students will not be charged
any additional fees (such as segregated fees) as part of the program, except for the costs of their
books. There is no tuition differential for out-of-state students. If students live near their ho1ne
ca1npus and wish to pay segregated fees for the use of recreational and other facilities, they 1nay
do so. However, they will not be required to pay these fees if they do not take advantage of
associated resources. This tuition-pricing approach and structure follows the current UW System
1
pricing guidelines for distance education progra1ns (ACIS-5.4 Revised: Progra1nming for the
Non-Traditional Market in the University of Wisconsin Systein, APPENDIX C: Principles for
Pricing Distance Education Credit Courses, Degree and Ce11ificate Programs).
Department, College. School, or Functional Equivalent
The B.S. in HIMT progra1n will be housed in the Infonnation Systems Department in the
College of Business Administration (CBA). UW-Extension Division of Continuing Education,
Outreach and £-Learning provides administrative and financial support for the program.
Proposed Date of Imple1nentation
Pending approval by UW Syste1n and the Board of Regents, UW-La Crosse will accept
its first students for fall, 2016.
INTRODUCTION
Why is the Program Being Proposed and Relation to Institution's Mission
The online B.S. in 1-IIMT program provides a degree in a recognized high-demand area as
supported by research that included extensive input from employers through the state, and
develops competencies that will enable graduates to contribute immediately to service this
important function and role within the Wisconsin workforce. It is a degree targeted at adult and
nontraditional students and thus broadens access to the university. It is also a multidisciplinary
degree that helps build bridges between disciplines and develops students' abilities to think in
tenns of syste1ns and interrelationships, and within complex organizations. It will increase the
array of programs offered through the CBA and complement the healthcare 1nanagement
program to be developed under CBA's strategic plan.
The online B.S. in HIMT program contributes directly to the institutional mission ofUW-L by
supporting four of its elements:
• Offer associate and baccalaureate degree level and selected graduate programs within the
context of its approved mission stateinent.
• Promote the integration of the extension function, assist the University of WisconsinExtension in meeting its responsibility for statewide coordination, and encolrrage faculty
and staff participation in outreach activity.
• Participate in inter-institutional relationships in order to maximize educational
opportunity for the people of the state effectively and efficiently through the sharing of
resources.
• Support activities designed to promote the economic develop1nent of the state.
Current Market/Student Demand
The need for an HIMT degree in Wisconsin was demonstrated in 2010 when the Division of
Continuing Education, Outreach and E-Learning, Extension (CEOEL) co1nmissioned a market
study to evaluate business needs, job opportunities, and potentially competing progra1ns. The
study was conducted by Eduventures (a higher education market research finn) to determine if a
health information management and health information technology degree from the UW System
campuses was viable (Eduventures, 2009). The key findings of the study were:
• The occupation outlook is excellent.
2
• There is minimal cotnpetition regionally and nationally for this degree type .
• The growth outlook is anticipated at about 16% - roughly 43,000 new jobs nationally,
3,416 regionally (WI, MN, IL), and 730 in WI, created from 2006 to 2016 (BLS, 2009).
Additional information obtained fro1n Economic Modeling Specialists Incorporated (EMSI)
shows l,225 additional positions needed by 2018 in.Medical Health Services and Management in
Wisconsin.
Emerging Knowledge/New Directions in Professions
The degree focuses on the information sector of the healthcare industry because it is one
of the fastest growing and evolving segments of the industry. 1"he new advances in health-related
technologies, patient records, etc., bring with them new regulations and new concerns for privacy
and security. Highly skilled professionals arc needed to manage this area. Graduates of the
HIMT pro&•ra1n will have the knowledge and skills necessary to:
• Apply information technology to improve overall quality of care for patients
• Analyze work flow syste1ns, identify problems/issues, and research and implement
IT solutions
• Facilitate and lead systems change by collaborating with end users and ad1ninistrators
to i1nprove operating efficiencies
• Manage the collection, reporting, and storage of data
• Structure and report data for 1nultiple audiences
• Improve the exchange of medical data and information within organizations and
among users
• Assess and evaluate IT systems regarding life cycles, customizations, and general fit
[or organization needs
• Understand legal and ethical considerations in the application of health information
technology
DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM
General Structure
The program is a 60-credit, online bachelor's degree co1np[etion progran1 in I-IIMT. This
degree is primarily for adu11 and nontraditional students. The HIM1' curriculum has two tracks:
health infoITilation technology and health information 1nanagement. Students enter the program
with 60 credits. All students take 16 common core courses and depending on which track they
choose, they take four additional courses in a given track to complete the degree. There are no
electives.
Consistent with the other three academic partner institutions, UW-L has appointed an academic
director who oversees six of 24 program courses in which UW-L has assumed responsibility and
is offering, and will begin to provide acaden1ic advising to the online students who select UW-L
as their hon1e institution. UW-Extension provides administrative and financial support to the
program. A progra1n manager is housed at UW-Extension and works in concert with UW-L
academic director and student services staff to provide general program infonnation, resolve
problems as they arise, and offer additional supports and assistance as required to ensure student
persistence and success. The program manager is in close contact V-.'ith the enrolled students and
3
the UW-L acade1nic program director to provide hands-on active support that has been shown to
be i1nportant for adult and nontraditional learners. Students enrolled in the program have access
to an extensive array of online student services including writing labs, learning readiness
assess1nents, and additional resources offered by UW-Extension.
Institutional Program Array
The B.S. HIMT program will serve as a valuable complement to the existing
undergraduate program array at UW-L and will not compete with any program currently offered.
While the HIMT program teaches students how to use and manage information technology for
supporting healthcare operations and decision making, it does not duplicate the focus of the
computer science discipline on commanding digital apparatuses in the most effective and
efficient ways. On the other hand, graduates from the HIMT program will manage and provide
pertinent health information to the caregivers and their supporting staff with degrees from UWL's healthcare related disciplines (e.g. Radiation Therapy), but do not compete with them
occupationally.
Other Progra1ns in the University of Wisconsin System
The closest undergraduate progra1ns that exist in the UW System are at OW-Milwaukee,
where an undergraduate certificate program in Healthcare Informatics is offered (UWMilwaukee certificate program, 2009), and at UW-Stevens Point, where an undergraduate major
with a healthcare informatics option is offered (UW-Stevens Point, 2009). Both of these
programs are offered in the face-to-face format. A face-to-face graduate program in Healthcare
Infonnatics is also offered at UW-Milwaukee (UW-Milwaukee Graduate Program, 2009).
Collaborative Nature of the Program
The B.S. in HIMT is a collaborative degree program that benefits fro1n the shared
resources of all partner institutions. UW System encourages and supports system-wide
cooperative and collaborative efforts among its institutions as one means to develop need-based
programs of mutual interest, benefit, and value to all partners; add to the existing base of quality
academic offerings within the System; and more effectively and efficiently address the needs of
both traditional and nontraditional learners, as well as employers \Vithin the state. This degree,
like other collaborative programs currently offered within the System, provides each of the
participating academic institutions the ability to offer a high-quality, sustainable program without
a requirement to extend significant local resources or a risk of co1npromising existing programs.
Four partner campuses (UW-Green Bay, UW-La Crosse, UW-Parkside, UW-Stevens Point)
collectively contributed in the development of the program curriculum and competencies. All
courses have been approved by the partner institutions except UW-L, which has approved only
the six courses for which it is responsible as part of the collaborative program and partnership.
UW-Extension provides administrative support, financial investment, marketing, and student
services for the program. Although students choose a home institution where they receive the
degree, all the courses are developed and housed at UW-Extension. The cohesive development
and offering of courses ensures that students have a consistent experience even though the
faculty reside at the different partner institutions. All courses will be listed in the UW-L campus
registration system. All partners share equally in net revenues realized from the program.
4
In addition, the progra1n continues to engage external input and advise through a program
Advisory Board consisting of I 0 representatives fro1n industry who are serving as ambassadors
and referral agents to the program. The acaden1ic directors from each of the four partner
campuses also hold seats on the board. The B.S. in I-IIMT Advisory Board meets biannually.
Program faculty are invited to attend and participate in the meetings. The board members are
also asked to help host students working on capstone projects, and to help create school-to-work
transitions so that as students graduate from the program they will move to gainful e1nploy1nent.
The program manager provides assistance to the Board, coordinates meetings, and so on. The
acade1nic directors of the program and program 1nanager engages with board 1nembers and
ensures that the board is connected to the program in constructive and positive ways. Board
meetings provide opportunities to present program progress and successes, and to gather
feedback regarding changes in the industry and how those changes may affect program
graduates. l'he meetings also help to ensure that the progran1 stays relevant to trends in the field.
Diversity
The B.S. in HIMT progra1n strives to achieve inclusive excellence by enrolling, retaining,
and graduating sufficient nu1nbers of students from underrepresented populations; engaging
faculty from underrepresented populations; implementing strategies to pro1note and support
integration efforts; implementing multidimensional approaches to teaching and learning; and
leveraging resources so that the program responds to students" evolving and growing needs.
This degree targets pri1narily nontraditional student populations. Many students of color, firstgeneration Americans, first-generation college students, and low-income students are - often by
necessity - nontraditional students because they have family or work responsibilities that prevent
them from attending school in traditional formats. The online delivery format provides
opportunities to those students who are time and place bound (do not reside within close
proximity to an existing UW institution). Hence, from its inception, this degree was designed to
attract underserved students. In addition, recruitment and 1narketing efforts for this degree will
focus on underrepresented populations. UW-Extension will leverage advertising space on
1nultiple partner sites in the "Diversity & Inclusion Network": BlackPlanet.com,
AsianAvenue.co1n, MiGente.co1n, and others. UW-Extension \viii a!so advertise this program in
minority-tOcused newspapers, periodicals, and websites.
UW-Extension has several initiatives currently underway to attract more students of color into
the UW System. Through UW HELP, brochures focusing on I-lispanic and Hmong students are
sent to those target groups. The program manager for the 8.S. in HIMT program employed by
UW-Extension conducts outreach, \Vorking with employers to encourage and support the
education of their en1ployees, especially focusing on underrepresented 1ninorities. In addition,
the Advisory Board provides suppo1t in this area by helping the program extend its reach to
diverse prospective students and con11nunities.
Ensuring that diverse student populations enter the B.S. in HIM1'' program is important, but
equally important is providing the support services that students need to fee! co1nfortable and
able to succeed. The UW-Extension student adviser works closely with all students to selfidentify ban·iers to their success to either help them overcome those barriers directly or to point
them to ca1npus and other resources that will be of assistance to them. UW-Extension maintains
5
online student environments that will allow individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds to
connect with other students over both cultural similarities and over programmatic interests to
help build points of commonality and understanding. Social media opportunities for student
connection are available through Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedln, to name a few. Simply put,
an essential goal of this program is to increase both the access for diverse audiences to this
degree and the success of those students once they enter the program. To ensure that this goal is
met, one of the areas of assessment focuses on diversity.
Student Leaming Outcomes
The HIMT program will prepare knowledgeable and skillful professionals to assume leadership
positions within the public and private sectors. Within organizations, an HIMT professional \Vill be able
to 1nanage and ad1ninister health information and technologies that span across divisions, departments,
and businesses.
Graduates of the HIMT program will be able to:
I. Demonstrate knowledge of healthcare billing, coding, and reilnbursement policies
2. Demonstrate knowledge of healthcare terminology and medical conditions
3. Demonstrate knowledge of dynamic healthcare delivery syste1ns and regulatory environments
4. Apply principles of healthcare privacy, confidentiality, and data security, and address legal and
ethical issues
5. Apply critical and creative thinking, probtc1n solving, and effective inter-professional
co1n1nunication skills related to health information management
6. Evaluate, use, and integrate information technology to support medical decision 1naking and
processes
7. Apply quantitative methodologies to process healthcare infonnation
Management Track
8. Demonstrate the principles of leadership and manage1nent in the HJMT environment
Technology Track
9. Demonstrate the application of information technology in the HIMT environment
Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes
The assessment of student learning outcomes for the B.S. in HIMT degree progra1n is
managed by an assessment team composed of the academic directors from each partner campus
as well as the program manager. This team also serves as the oversight and decision-making
body for the program. This team 1neets biannually in person; however, teleconferences have
been used to meet more frequently whenever the need arises.
The assessment team identifies and defines measures and establishes a rubric for evaluating how
well students are n1eeting the program's co1npetency areas. The team also identifies what data
will be needed and serves as the collection point for the data. As a part of the course
development process, the assessment team detennined which examples of student work would be
1nost appropriate to demonstrate competency in a specific student learning outcome. Program
graduates will be surveyed to determine success in securing employment related to the major,
and regarding the types of roles and careers that graduates have entered.
6
The assessment team also receives data collected by UW-Extension each semester. UWExtension collects and 1nonitors data on new enrollments, retention rates, and graduation rates.
Because this progra1n is part of the UW System Growth Agenda and Adult Student Initiative,
pertinent student demographics is being collected to determine whether the degree is reaching
adult students, and \vhether students in the program are part of a traditionally underserved
de1nographic (as defined by UW System).
The assessment tean1, made up of the acaden1ic directors from all partners institutions and
supported by UW-Extension, compiles these various sources of data and completes an annual
report summarizing the data, the assess111ent of the data, and the decisions regarding
improvements to the curriculutn, structure, and program delivery. This report is shared with the
faculty of the program and other stakeholders. Decisions of the assessment team go through the
normal curricular processes at each partner institution. The assessment team is responsible for
ensuring that recommendations for itnprovernents are i1nplemented.
Student services, instructional, and business office personnel will meet annually to review
processes and concerns, and to 1nake adjustments as necessary. Jlrogram evaluation regarding
the collaborative nature of the 1nodel helps to assess processes critical to the success of the
collaboration, including the financial model, student recruit1nent and advising, admission and
enrollment processes and trends, and curriculum design.
Program assessment and evaluation occur on a more frequent schedule than in traditional
academic progra1ns. The B.S. in HIMT progra1n went through an informal progra1n and fiscal
review three years following the degree implementation. Based on those discussions,
reco1nmendations were made for the continuation of the program. Jn addition, the program will
engage in a tive-year review as required by UW System. Designated Progra1n Planning and
Review Liaisons at each partner campus will be invited to participate in these review processes.
Progra1n Curriculu1n
The B.S. in HIMT program represents a fixed curriculum co1nprising 24 three-credit
courses to include a capstone course (72 credits total). A complete course listing with
abbreviated descriptions is summarized as follows (see Attachment A for a listing of courses
with detailed descriptions):
CORE
Course
Number
J-IIMT 300
HIMT310
--
HIMT 320
-
Ccurse 1'it!e
Course Description (abbreviated)
Survey of
Contemporary
Co1nputing
l·lealthcare Systems
and Organizations
Overview of conte1nporary
information technology and
computers.
Overview of how healthcare and
public health are organized and how
their services arc delivered in the US.
Survey of essential healthcare
information technologies that are
Survey of Information
l'echnology in
liealthcare
7
Host
Cam nus
Green Bay
Green Bay
La Crosse
used for healthcare infonnation
systems.
HIMT 330
HIMT340
HIMT 350
HIMT360
HIMT 370
H!MT 380
HIMT400
HIMT 410
Health Care I:
Terminology & Body
Syste1ns
Ethical Issues,
Security Management
and Compliance
Statistics for
Healthcare
Health Care 11:
Survey of Disease &
Treatments
I-Iealthcare S yste1ns:
Analysis & Design
Healthcare Billing,
Coding and
Reimbursement
Healthcare
Information and
Technoloov-Data
I-Iealthcare Systems:
Implementation and
Integration
!-!!MT 420
Healthcare Systems:
Project Management
HIMT430
Quality Assessment
and Improvement
!-!!MT 440
Group Processes,
Team Building and
Leadership
Healthcare
Information and
!-!!MT 450
Examine specific terminology and
vocabulary used by workers in
healthcare and public health.
Introduces evidence-based medical
ethics; framework of healthcare
information security management;
healthcare regulations and
compliance.
Introductory course in statistical
methods for the health sciences.
Investigates the topics covered in
HIMT 330.
Stevens
Point
La Crosse
Stevens
Point
Parkside
Addresses methods and techniques of La Crosse
healthcare information system
analysis and design.
Addresses the reimbursement cycle.
Parkside
Explores the sources and data
contents of health-care infonnation.
Parkside
Covers the back-end stages of
healthcare systems development
lifecycle through the procurement
route.
Addresses the phenomenal impact
information system projects have had
on healthcare delivery.
Examines the Quality Assessment
and Quality hnprovement cycle and
the role of the HIT/HIM in the
process.
Introduces the necessary group/team
processes for building
medical/healthcare work teams.
Introduction to healthcare
intbrmation technology standards.
Parkside
La Crosse
Green Bay
Green Bay
Parkside
Technology~
!-!!MT 490
Standards
Capstone
Capstone course for both tracks.
HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT TRACK
8
La Crosse
HIMT355
HIMT 365
Principles of
Provides an overview of basic
Green Bay
Management for
1-IIMT Professionals
principles in manage1nent and
communication.
Applications of microeconomic
theory to analyze the behavior of
health and healthcare markets.
Examines the role of HIM staff in
Stevens
Point
l·lealthcare
Economics
HIMT 415
HIMT445
Human Resource
Management in
1-Eealthcare· - Application of
Leadership &
l\1anage1ncnt in
Healtl1care
Technoloov
Green Bay
managing human resources.
.~
Assimilates and integrates concepts
and applications of management and
leadership in the healthcare
Parkside
advancing on the topics covered in
HIMT 355, 365, 415.
HEAL TH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TRACK
HIMT 345
HIMT375
HIMT425
HIMT 435
Program1ning and
Software
Development
Database Structures
and Management
- Syste1ns
Data Warehousing
and Mining
Data Co1nmunications
and Netv>'orks in
1lealthcare
Introduction to: object·oriented (00)
programming.
Stevens
Point
Analyze and design databases to
support computer-based information
systems.
Exa1nine the concept of data
warehouse.
Provides fundamentals of data
communications and networking
techniaues.
Stevens
Point
Stevens
Point
La Crosse
The curriculum planning workgroup has identified the follo\ving course prerequisites:
• College Algebra
• Introductory Biology
• Introductory Co1nmunications
Projected Ti1ne to Degree
Based on current data from the first four years of the 1-IIMT program, on average students
are taking 6 courses per year. At this rate, the 1najority of students will complete the program
within 2 to 3 years. Students may enter the program for the spring, sum1ner, or fall se1nester.
Students may take courses in any order as long as they meet the internal prerequisites listed in
the course descriptions. The Capstone course must be taken in the final sc1nester.
Program Review
The collaborative prutners, including all four academic institutions and UW-Extension.
review the progra1n annually. Academic directors, faculty, and administrators from all pa1tners
provide input into programmatic changes and upcoming needs. UW-Extension, as the fiscal
9
agent for this program, manages the resources to ensure that funds are available to invest in the
program as needed. The decision about how to invest in the program is made collaboratively by
all partners. As defined in the partner agreement, the program engaged in an internal 3-year
review focusing on both program and fiscal matters. In addition, the program will conduct a
formal 5-year review as required by UW System.
Each of the partner institutions provides a comprehensive review of acade1nic programs.
At UW-La Crosse, acadeinic programs undergo an Academic Program Review (APR) on a
regular cycle as one component of the co1nmit1nent to academic excellence. The Faculty Senate's
Academic Program Review Committee coordinates the review process and provides an
opportunity for program faculty to reflect on curriculum, assessment, new initiatives, personnel,
and support for achieving the goals of the program. Programs that have external accreditation
participate in UW-L's APR the year following their accreditation review. Programs without
external accreditation participate in the process, which includes an external review, every seven
years.
Accreditation Reguire1nents
There are currently no special accreditation requirements for this degree. However, the
partner campuses collectively decided to pursue external accreditation from the Commission on
Accreditation for I-Iealth Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), the
credentialing body of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
The B.S. HIMT program at UW-Green Bay received accreditation on April 10, 2005. Since the
degree program is identical at the partner institutions, an umbrella accreditation for all of them is
being pursued with the AHIMA. The CAHIIM program accreditation will not only bring
prestige to the program but also qualify the graduates to sit in the Registered Health Infonnation
Administrator (RHIA) certification exam. The resulting certificate could significantly enhance
students' employment prospects.
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