Health Information Technology courses are reinforced by professional practice experiences. Placements are completed during semesters two and three of the curriculum.
Prior to beginning professional practice experiences (HITT-2101 and HITT-2201), students need to be aware of the following requirements:
- Health Requirements
- Immunizations/Titers to determine immunity to communicable diseases
- TB test or Chest X-ray
- Health Insurance
- The College requires that students have health insurance, as neither the hospital nor the College insures the student against accidents or illness. The student will need to provide proof of health insurance coverage.
- Criminal Background Check/Drug Screening
- Many of the health care facilities that Macomb Community College contracts with require a criminal background check and drug screen for all HITT students. Criminal background checks are conducted routinely for admission to the program. Clinical placements may be denied to students who have been convicted of a crime and will result in the inability to complete the program. Therefore, all students are required to undergo a criminal background check, and are required to submit the results of a drug screen to the secretary of the HITT program prior to the beginning of the student’s second semester in the program. Drug screening will be completed at the student's expense. Students who fail to complete the above will not be allowed to participate in clinical.
- Transportation
- Students are responsible for all transportation and parking fees to professional practice sites.
- It is the student's responsibility to submit the documentation at the appropriate times.
Essential Functions
In order to be successful in Macomb’s Health Information Technology Program and later in the work place, our students must possess the following general qualities: interest, motivation, critical thinking skills, sound judgment and integrity, emotional stability and maturity, empathy, interpersonal skills, physical and mental stamina, and the ability to learn and function in a wide variety of didactic and clinical settings.
Students in the Health Information Technology Program must demonstrate the following minimum abilities:
- Ability to acquire and apply information from classroom instruction, laboratory and practicum experience, independent learning, and team projects
- Ability to communicate effectively in English in oral and written form with colleagues, patients, third party payers, health care professionals, and others who demonstrate a need for information from patient records or data bases maintained in Health Information Management departments
- Ability to use computers and complete computer-based assignments in a timely fashion
- Ability to function (consult, negotiate, share) as part of a team
- Ability to delegate
- Ability to read materials used in HIM settings such as coding manuals, policy and procedures, and patient health records
- Ability to calculate mathematical information such as hospital statistics, budgets, and productivity information
- Manual dexterity necessary to file medical records and cards, as well as assemble paper medical record forms
- Visual ability and manual dexterity necessary to prepare office layouts and to design forms and computer screens
- Ability to operate equipment, word processors, transcription equipment, electronic movable files, copiers, etc.
- Ability to synthesize information regarding health care outcomes for formal, verbal and/or written presentation to health care professionals
Students requiring reasonable accommodations in order to meet program requirements must meet with the Program Coordinator as soon as possible to discuss their individual needs. Students should also contact Macomb's Special Services area.