Department website: http://medicine.wvu.edu/hiim/
Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Science
Nature of the Program
Health Informatics and Information Management (HIIM) integrates business, science, and information technology. The Bachelor of Science (BS) program is designed for students who are hands-on learners interested in having a direct and valuable impact on patients without being in the physical clinic. The program strives to graduate students who understand current and emerging healthcare industry trends and issues; who can develop, communicate and manage resources and solutions to address healthcare industry challenges; and who have the skills and experience to improve overall quality and outcomes of the healthcare system.
Students gain valuable experience with advanced healthcare applications currently in use through the internet-based V-Lab, developed by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), and through three required professional practice experiences (PPE). Typically, students are required to complete 400 hours of PPE to fulfill program requirements and be eligible to graduate. However, non-traditional students holding a significant level of work experience and/or certification relevant to HIIM may be eligible to create a professional portfolio to reduce the total amount of PPE hours needed. Qualifying experiences will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
The program - which is the first and only baccalaureate degree of its kind in West Virginia - is offered via the HyFlex format, with all HIIM classes offered face-to-face and online during the class time and also recorded for viewing later. HyFlex is a student-directed, multi-option approach to learning which allows each student to decide on a day-to-day basis how to participate in each class and activity.
Students graduating with this degree are prepared for leadership roles in a wide variety of job settings, or for graduate study in fields related to healthcare management, data analytics and informatics, or business. Career opportunities are available in the areas of compliance and risk management; medical and health services management; healthcare privacy and security; health informatics and data analytics; clinical documentation improvement; information governance; operations and administration; and revenue cycle management (clinical coding and billing).
Administration
Program Director
- Sally Lucci - MS, RHIA, CCA (Geneva College)
Assistant Professor
Assistant Program Director
- Megan McDougal - MS, RHIA, CHTS-IM (College of Saint Scholastica)
Assistant Professor
Faculty
Assistant Professors
- Sally Lucci - MS, RHIA, CCA (Geneva College)
Program Director - Megan McDougal - MS, RHIA, CHTS-IM (College of Saint Scholastica)
Assistant Program Director - Ashley Simmons - MBA, RHIA, CCS, CDIP (West Liberty University)
- Danielle Sollenberger - MS (University of North Carolina at Greensboro)
Adjunct Faculty
- Nicole Ludwig - MS, PA-C (Seton Hill University)
- Zach Otey - MS, RHIA (Marshall University)
Admissions for 2025-2026
Freshman and transfer applicants must meet the minimum WVU general admission requirements for admission to the program.
Current WVU students must have a 2.0 overall grade point average to be admitted to the program.
Please see details at http://admissions.wvu.edu/how-to-apply.
Major Code: 8320
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 23 | |
| Program Requirements | 25 | |
| Health Informatics and Information Management Major Requirements | 72 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 4, 6, 7, and 8 | 21 | |
| HIIM 191 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| General Electives | 1 | |
| Total Hours | 23 | |
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 102 & 102L | General Biology 2 and General Biology 2 Laboratory (GEF 2) | 4 |
| CS 101 | Intro to Computer Applications (GEF 8) | 4 |
| PHIL 331 | Health Care Ethics (GEF 5) | 3 |
| STAT 111 | Understanding Statistics (GEF 3) | 3 |
| PALM 200 | Medical Terminology | 3 |
| PALM 205 & PALM 206 | Introduction to Human Anatomy and Human Anatomy Laboratory | 4 |
| PSIO 241 | Elementary Physiology | 4 |
| Total Hours | 25 | |
Health Informatics and Information Management Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A grade of C- or higher must be earned in all graded courses required for the major. | ||
| HIIM 110 | Introduction to U.S. Healthcare Delivery System | 3 |
| HIIM 112 | Fundamentals of Health Information Management | 3 |
| HIIM 231 | Health Information Management Applications | 2 |
| HIIM 233 | Health Informatics and Information Management Disease Fundamentals and Management | 3 |
| HIIM 235 | Coding and Classification of Diseases | 3 |
| HIIM 237 | Introduction to Professional Practice | 1 |
| HIIM 240 | Classification of Healthcare Procedures | 3 |
| HIIM 242 | Healthcare Reimbursement and Revenue Cycle Management | 2 |
| HIIM 244 | Principles of Health Informatics and Information Management Quality Management | 2 |
| HIIM 246 | Fundamentals of Clinical Documentation Improvement | 3 |
| HIIM 247 | Registries in Healthcare | 2 |
| HIIM 248 | Health Informatics and Information Management Professional Practice 1 | 1 |
| HIIM 351 | Healthcare Data Privacy, Confidentiality, and Security | 3 |
| HIIM 353 | Healthcare Information System Analysis and Design | 3 |
| HIIM 355 | Health Informatics and Information Management Legal Issues | 3 |
| HIIM 360 | Application of Healthcare Classification Systems | 3 |
| HIIM 362 | Data Governance in Healthcare Systems | 3 |
| HIIM 364 | Healthcare Data Design | 3 |
| HIIM 366 | Healthcare Analytics 1 | 2 |
| HIIM 368 | Health Informatics & Information Management Professional Practice 2 | 1 |
| HIIM 471 | Health Informatics & Information Management Research | 3 |
| HIIM 473 | Healthcare Analytics 2 | 2 |
| HIIM 475 | Project Management in Health Informatics & Information Management | 3 |
| HIIM 477 | Leadership in Health Informatics & Information Management | 3 |
| HIIM 480 | Health Informatics & Information Management Administration | 3 |
| HIIM 482 | Health Informatics and Information Governance | 3 |
| HIIM 484 | Capstone in Health Informatics & Information Management | 3 |
| HIIM 486 | Advanced Professional Practice in Health Informatics & Information Management | 3 |
| Total Hours | 72 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| HIIM 191 | 1 | ENGL 101 | 3 |
| BIOL 102 & 102L (GEF 2) | 4 | PALM 205 & PALM 206 | 4 |
| CS 101 (GEF 8) | 4 | HIIM 110 | 3 |
| PALM 200 | 3 | HIIM 112 | 3 |
| STAT 111 | 3 | GEF Requirements (4, 6, 7 or 8) | 3 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENGL 102 | 3 | HIIM 240 | 3 |
| HIIM 231 | 2 | HIIM 242 | 2 |
| HIIM 233 | 3 | HIIM 244 | 2 |
| HIIM 235 | 3 | HIIM 246 | 3 |
| HIIM 237 | 1 | HIIM 247 | 2 |
| PSIO 241 | 4 | HIIM 248 | 1 |
| General Elective | 1 | ||
| 16 | 14 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| HIIM 351 | 3 | HIIM 360 | 3 |
| HIIM 353 | 3 | HIIM 362 | 3 |
| HIIM 355 | 3 | HIIM 364 | 3 |
| PHIL 331 (GEF 5) | 3 | HIIM 366 | 2 |
| GEF Requirements (4, 6, 7, or 8) | 3 | HIIM 368 | 1 |
| GEF Requirement (4, 6, 7 or 8) | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| HIIM 471 | 3 | HIIM 480 | 3 |
| HIIM 473 | 2 | HIIM 482 | 3 |
| HIIM 475 | 3 | HIIM 484 | 3 |
| HIIM 477 | 3 | HIIM 486 | 3 |
| GEF Requirement (4, 6, 7 or 8) | 3 | GEF Requirement (4, 6, 7 or 8) | 3 |
| 14 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 22 | |
| HIIM/MHA ABM Program Requirements | 25 | |
| Undergraduate HIIM Program Requirements | 74 | |
| Graduate MHA Program Requirements | 21 | |
| Total Hours | 142 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 4, 6, 7, and 8 | 21 | |
| HIIM 191 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| Total Hours | 22 | |
HIIM/MHA ABM Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 102 & 102L | General Biology 2 and General Biology 2 Laboratory (GEF 2) | 4 |
| CS 101 | Intro to Computer Applications (GEF 8) | 4 |
| PHIL 331 | Health Care Ethics (GEF 5) | 3 |
| STAT 111 | Understanding Statistics (GEF 3) | 3 |
| PALM 200 | Medical Terminology | 3 |
| PALM 205 & PALM 206 | Introduction to Human Anatomy and Human Anatomy Laboratory | 4 |
| PSIO 241 | Elementary Physiology | 4 |
| Total Hours | 25 | |
Undergraduate HIIM Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A grade of C- or higher must be earned in all graded HIIM undergraduate courses required for the major. A GPA of 3.0 or higher is required beginning with 400-level HIIM courses and all HPML courses. | ||
| HIIM 110 | Introduction to U.S. Healthcare Delivery System | 3 |
| HIIM 112 | Fundamentals of Health Information Management | 3 |
| HIIM 231 | Health Information Management Applications | 2 |
| HIIM 233 | Health Informatics and Information Management Disease Fundamentals and Management | 3 |
| HIIM 235 | Coding and Classification of Diseases | 3 |
| HIIM 237 | Introduction to Professional Practice | 1 |
| HIIM 240 | Classification of Healthcare Procedures | 3 |
| HIIM 242 | Healthcare Reimbursement and Revenue Cycle Management | 2 |
| HIIM 244 | Principles of Health Informatics and Information Management Quality Management | 2 |
| HIIM 246 | Fundamentals of Clinical Documentation Improvement | 3 |
| HIIM 247 | Registries in Healthcare | 2 |
| HIIM 248 | Health Informatics and Information Management Professional Practice 1 | 1 |
| HIIM 351 | Healthcare Data Privacy, Confidentiality, and Security | 3 |
| HIIM 353 | Healthcare Information System Analysis and Design | 3 |
| HIIM 355 | Health Informatics and Information Management Legal Issues | 3 |
| HIIM 360 | Application of Healthcare Classification Systems | 3 |
| HIIM 362 | Data Governance in Healthcare Systems | 3 |
| HIIM 364 | Healthcare Data Design | 3 |
| HIIM 366 | Healthcare Analytics 1 | 2 |
| HIIM 368 | Health Informatics & Information Management Professional Practice 2 | 1 |
| HIIM 471 | Health Informatics & Information Management Research | 3 |
| HIIM 473 | Healthcare Analytics 2 | 2 |
| HIIM 477 | Leadership in Health Informatics & Information Management | 3 |
| HIIM 480 | Health Informatics & Information Management Administration | 3 |
| HIIM 482 | Health Informatics and Information Governance | 3 |
| HIIM 484 | Capstone in Health Informatics & Information Management | 3 |
| HPML 555 | Health Services Project Management | 3 |
| HPML 582 | Managing Quality Improvement in Healthcare | 3 |
| HPML 596 | Graduate Seminar | 2 |
| Total Hours | 74 | |
Graduate MHA Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A grade of C- or higher must be earned in all graded HIIM undergraduate courses required for the major. A GPA of 3.0 or higher is required beginning with 400-level HIIM courses and all HPML courses. | ||
| HPML 510 | Health Economics | 3 |
| HPML 523 | Healthcare Finance | 3 |
| HPML 556 | Managerial Epidemiology & Strategy | 3 |
| HPML 575 | Health Insurance & Revenue Cycle | 3 |
| HPML 601 | Health Policy, Law, and Ethics | 3 |
| HPML 626 | Internship | 1 |
| HPML 659 | Comprehensive Experience in Healthcare Management | 3 |
| Graduate Seminar | 2 | |
| Graduate Seminar | ||
| Total Hours | 21 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| HIIM 191 | 1 | STAT 111 (GEF 3) | 3 | ||
| BIOL 102 (GEF 2) | 3 | PALM 205 | 3 | ||
| BIOL 102L (GEF 2) | 1 | PALM 206 | 1 | ||
| CS 101 (GEF 8) | 4 | HIIM 110 | 3 | ||
| PALM 200 | 3 | HIIM 112 | 3 | ||
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | GEF 4, 6, 7, or 8 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | HIIM 240 | 3 | ||
| HIIM 231 | 2 | HIIM 242 | 2 | ||
| HIIM 233 | 3 | HIIM 244 | 2 | ||
| HIIM 235 | 3 | HIIM 246 | 3 | ||
| HIIM 237 | 1 | HIIM 247 | 2 | ||
| GEF 4, 6, 7, or 8 | 3 | HIIM 248 | 1 | ||
| PSIO 241 | 4 | ||||
| 15 | 17 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| HIIM 351 | 3 | HIIM 360 | 3 | ||
| HIIM 353 | 3 | HIIM 362 | 3 | ||
| HIIM 355 | 3 | HIIM 364 | 3 | ||
| PHIL 331 (GEF 5) | 3 | HIIM 366 | 2 | ||
| GEF 4, 6, 7, or 8 | 3 | HIIM 368 | 1 | ||
| GEF 4, 6, 7, or 8 | 3 | GEF 4, 6, 7, or 8 | 3 | ||
| 18 | 15 | ||||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| HIIM 471 | 3 | HIIM 480 | 3 | HPML 626 | 1 |
| HIIM 473 | 2 | HIIM 482 | 3 | ||
| HIIM 477 | 3 | HIIM 484 | 3 | ||
| HPML 582 | 3 | HPML 555 | 3 | ||
| HPML 596 | 1 | HPML 596 | 1 | ||
| 12 | 13 | 1 | |||
| Fifth Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| HPML 510 | 3 | HPML 523 | 3 | ||
| HPML 556 | 3 | HPML 601 | 3 | ||
| HPML 575 | 3 | HPML 659 | 3 | ||
| HPML 696 | 1 | HPML 696 | 1 | ||
| 10 | 10 | ||||
| Total credit hours: 142 | |||||
Major Learning Outcomes
Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics and Information Management (HIIM)
Students completing the degree will be able to:
Data Structure, Content, and Information Governance
- Ensure data integrity, privacy, and security of health record content
Information Protection: Access, Disclosure, Archival, Privacy and Security
- Recommend privacy and security strategies for health information.
Informatics, Analytics, and Data use
- Conduct research and perform data analysis on healthcare issues.
- Present findings using data visualization for decision-making.
Revenue Cycle Management
- Code health records using ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, and CPT classifications in accordance with official guidelines and policies.
- Verify that documentation in the health record supports the diagnosis and reflects the patient’s prognosis, clinical findings, and discharge status.
- Evaluate revenue cycle processes and reimbursement methodologies.
Health Law and Compliance
- Comply with healthcare legal processes, policy, and compliance, using an ethical perspective.
- Analyze components of risk management, quality improvement, and health policy.
Organizational Management and Leadership
- Oversee fundamental and change leadership activities, such as performance improvement, financial processes, training needs, and project management.
Professional Preparedness
- Engage in 400 hours of unique, customized, professional practice experience.
- Create a professional portfolio.
Accreditation
The Health Information Management accreditor of West Virginia University is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The College’s accreditation for Baccalaureate degree in Health Informatics and Information Management has been reaffirmed through 2029-2030. All inquiries about the program’s accreditation status should be directed by mail to CAHIIM, 200 East Randolph Street, Suite 5100, Chicago, IL, 60601; by phone at (312) 235-3255; or by email at info@cahiim.org.