The undergraduate program in Louisiana Tech’s Department of Health Informatics and Information Management (HIIM) has earned full accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). HIIM has maintained continuous accreditation since the establishment of the program in 1972; the accreditation review occurs every seven years.

“The Comprehensive Program Review we recently went through was for continuing accreditation,” said Jan Fuller, HIIM Department Head and Associate Professor. “Maintaining accreditation is important because it ensures we provide relevant, professionally required knowledge and skills to our students. Accreditation is also required for students to sit for the RHIA (Registered Health Information Administrator) credentialing exam prior to graduation.”

The department was given a year to complete a self-assessment, which offered the opportunity to evaluate the program’s goals, objectives, and outcomes.

“We had to ensure accordance with 30 standards,” Fuller said. “The most important of these was the curriculum standard, which included 102 competencies which required demonstrated compliance in the class setting.”

The department would normally have a two-day on-site review; however, the peer reviewers met with HIIM over Zoom for the review process, due to COVID-19. The review team submitted their findings to the CAHIIM Accreditation Council, and then decisions were made based upon the peer reviewers’ findings and further review.

“Our program was recognized for substantial compliance with the nationally established CAHIIM 2012 Accreditation Standards and awarded the maximum Continuing Accreditation Status of seven years,” Fuller said.

HIIM received this recognition and award after the Council made a recommendation to the Board of Directors for an Accreditation Status to be assigned to the program, based on the assessment process results.  

Tech’s Department of HIIM offers a Bachelor of Science in HIIM, delivered on Tech’s main campus in Ruston and online. The department also offers an online-only Master’s in Health Informatics.

HIIM connects health, business, and technology to help prepare students for rewarding careers in the healthcare field. Students learn to manage information so that better, more efficient care can be delivered with improved patient outcomes. In the U.S. News and World Report 100 Best Jobs in America for 2021, Medical and Health Services Manager was ranked No. 4, which moved up seven spots from No. 11 in 2020.