The mission of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences is to advance the quality and efficiency of healthcare through improved information management, communication, and the generation of new forms of biomedical and other healthcare data. The goals of the department are leadership, innovation, initiative, and quality with strong focus on the unique arena of health informatics at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The department actively supports the central mission of the College of Applied Health Sciences by facilitating innovative educational and research programs, providing leadership within department disciplines to meet current industry challenges, and ensuring that graduates have a competitive edge in the increasingly demanding health informatics marketplace. The department strives to produce healthcare professionals who can effectively partner with and/or lead information technology professionals in the problem-solving activities of their organizations.
The Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences offers an undergraduate program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management. The undergraduate brochure for Health Information Management is available online http://www.bhis.uic.edu.
The Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).
BS in Health Information Management
The Health Information Management undergraduate degree program provides skilled instruction in the management and use of information and information systems for healthcare planning, provision, resource allocation, and executive decision making. The undergraduate program, established in 1965, maintains a reputation of excellence and consistently produces graduates who become leaders in the field.
Within the world of health information management, registered health information administrators (RHIAs) are responsible for the management of health information systems consistent with the medical, administrative, ethical, and legal requirements of the healthcare delivery system. RHIAs often have opportunities to develop information systems for quality patient care, facility reimbursement, medical research, health planning, and healthcare evaluation. Administrative duties of the RHIA encompass responsibility for personnel, capital equipment selection, systems design and analysis, hospital committee activities, and budget management. RHIAs also provide health information to qualified users and safeguard confidential patient data. The job forecast for RHIAs is positive, not only in hospitals but also in other healthcare settings such as home health agencies, hospice programs, nursing homes, and ambulatory care facilities. Employment opportunities also exist in education, research, consulting, sales, insurance companies, and with state and national healthcare organizations.
The Health Information Management program is available on a full- or part-time basis and begins with the fall semester. Although health information technician course credits do not count toward the required 60 semester or 90 quarter hours of prerequisites, registered health information technicians (RHITs) with passing scores on required validation examinations administered by department faculty are not required to enroll in certain courses.
Graduates receive a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management degree and are eligible to register for the national RHIA credential examination offered by AHIMA.
Transfer Admission Requirements
Students seeking admission to the Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management program must meet these minimum requirements:
To earn a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management degree from UIC, students need to complete University, college, and department degree requirements. The Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences degree requirements are outlined below. Students should consult the College of Applied Health Sciences section for additional degree requirements and college academic policies.
| BS in Health Information Management Degree Requirements | Hours |
| Pre-Health Information Management Required Courses |
60 |
| Health Information Management Required Courses | 62 |
| Total Hours— BS in Health Information Management | 122 |
Pre-Health Information Management
Course Requirements
| Courses | Hours |
| ENGL 160—Academic Writing I: Writing for Academic and Public Contexts |
3 |
| ENGL 161—Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research |
3 |
| BIOS 100—Biology of Cells and Organismsa | 5 |
| Additional Analyzing the Natural World courseb | 3–5 |
| MVSC 251—Human Physiological Anatomy Ic | 5 |
| MVSC 252—Human Physiological Anatomy IIc | 5 |
| Choose one of the following courses: | 5 |
| MATH 118—Mathematical Reasoning (5) | |
| MATH 121—Precalculus Mathematics (5) | |
| PSCH 100—Introduction to Psychologyd | 4 |
| PSCH 242—Introduction to Research in Psychology | 3 |
| Exploring World Cultures courseb | 3 |
| Understanding the Creative Arts courseb | 3 |
| Understanding the Past courseb | 3 |
| Understanding U.S. Society courseb | 3 |
| IDS 200—Introduction to Management Information Systems |
4 |
| Electives—To complete the required total of 60 hours of Pre-Health Information Management courses. |
6–8 |
| Total Hours—Pre-Health Information Management Requirements |
60 |
a This course is approved for the Analyzing the Natural World General Education category.
b Students should consult the General Education section of the catalog for a list approved courses in this category.
c MVSC 251/252 sequence begins in the fall term only.
d This course is approved for the Understanding the Individual and Society General Education category.
| Junior Year | |
| Fall Semester | Hours |
| HIM 310—Introduction to the Health Care System | 3 |
| HIM 317—Principles of Health Information Management | 4 |
| BHIS 405—Medical Sciences and Human Pathophysiology | 4 |
| BHIS 460—Introduction to Health Informatics | 1 |
| BHIS 461—Information Systems for Health Information Management | 2 |
| BHIS 480—Management and Business Practices | 3 |
| Total Hours | 17 |
| Spring Semester | Hours |
| HIM 319—Alternative Health Records | 4 |
| HIM 320—Technical Affiliation | 2 |
| HIM 329—Legal Aspects of Health Information Management | 3 |
| HIM 332—Coding and Classification Systems | 3 |
| HIM 337—Analysis of Health Care Data | 4 |
| Total Hours | 16 |
| Senior Year | |
| Fall Semester | Hours |
| HIM 333—Coding and Reimbursement Systems | 4 |
| HIM 343—Quality Evaluation and Management | 3 |
| HIM 361—Human Resources Management | 4 |
| HIM 381—Financial Management | 2 |
| BHIS 410—‑Health Data Structures and Management | 3 |
| Total Hours | 16 |
| Spring Semester | Hours |
| HIM 367—Systems Analysis | 3 |
| HIM 374—Health Information Research | 3 |
| HIM 377—Current Issues in Health Information Management | 2 |
| HIM 384—Clinical Practicum | 5 |
| Total Hours | 13 |
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Copyright © 2007 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois |
Information provided by: Office of Academic and Enrollment Services (MC 103), 601 South Morgan Street, Chicago, IL 60607
