Saddleback College is in development of a new Public Health Informatics and Technology program to enhance the current HIT program degree and certificates. This certificate provides skills and knowledge to work in a new, multidisciplinary field. Students will be introduced to the basic concepts of public health infrastructure, data analysis and reporting, public health informatics and information systems, health services organization and delivery methods, data interchange standards, disruptive innovation, and data integrity, privacy, and security. Students can explore careers in the fields of public health, health information management, IT, and health informatics. 

The mission of the new PHIT program at Saddleback College is to provide comprehensive and high quality courses that enable students to become a proficient and innovative public health informatics professional, and to prepare students to pursue advanced learning opportunities in the public health sector and become lifelong learners.

Degrees and Certificates

HIT Program Information

Once invited into the program, the student must accept or decline admission during the required response time as indicated in the acceptance email.

Students are expected to abide by the program requirements as stated in the HIT Student Handbook

Students enrolling in the HIT 130 Directed Practice are required to obtain the following clearances before participation in the Professional Practice Experience. Any findings may affect the student’s ability to progress through or complete the program. Students are advised to complete the clearance process by December 1st for Spring placement.  Students in their last semester of the program are required to obtain the following clearances before participating in HIT 130: Directed Practice. Any findings may affect the student’s ability to progress through or complete the program. Students are advised to complete the clearance process by December 1st for Spring placement. Please see the Professional Practicum Experience requirements in the HIT PPE Manual.

Mandatory Health Assessment Requirements

Tuition, Fees, and Program Costs
Tuition/Fees HIT AS Degree (79.5 units)
Tuition at $46 per unit (CA resident) $2,760
Application Fee (non-refundable) $54
Books (Average $100 per course) $3,000
Health Fee ($22 per semester x 4) $88
AHIMA Virtual Lab Fee ($195 a year x 2) $390
AHIMA Membership ($49 per year x 2)
*highly recommended but not required
$98
Professional Practice Experience (PPE) Expenses  
Medical Clearance and Immunizations $155
Student Medical Liability Insurance $22
Background Investigation Fee $50
CPR (BLS)  $50
Total $6,569
Roadmap for the Health Information Technology AS Degree. Effective Fall 2021
Course Title Units
  Semester 1 - Fall  
HSC 104 Medical Terminology 3
ENG 1A or 1AH Principles of Composition I or Honors Principles of Composition I (Fulfills GE Area lA) 4
AS Degree GE Requirement Area 5: Select from Lifelong Understanding and Self Development  3
AS Degree GE Requirement Area 3: Select from Social and Behavioral Sciences 3
  Semester 2 - Spring  
HSC 107 or BIO 113 Human Body Fundamentals or Human Anatomy and Physiology 3 or 4
MATH 10* or PSYC 44* Introduction to Statistics or Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences (Fulfills GE Area IC) 3
CIM 1 or CIM 10 Computer Information Systems or Introduction to Information Systems 3 or 4
AS Degree Requirement Area 18: Select from Communication and Analytical Thinking  
  Semester 3 - Summer  
  Area 6: Select from Culture in the United States Requirement  
  Semester 4 - Fall (Start of HIT Program)  
HIT 100* Health Information Science 2
HSC 106* Legal and Ethical Aspects of Health Information 3
HIT 101* Alternative Healthcare Delivery Systems 2
CIMW 105 Web Development and DB Intro SQL and MYSQL 3
AS Degree GE Requirement Area 2: Select from Natural Sciences (only needed if BIO 113 is not taken) 3
  Semester 5 - Spring  
HIT 111* Health Information Technologies (HCIT) 3
HSC 108* Disease Processes for the Health Sciences 3
HIT 109* ICD Diagnostic Coding 3
HIT 110* ICD Procedure Coding 2
AS Degree GE Requirement Area 4: Select from Arts and Humanities 3, 4, or 5
  Semester 6 - Fall   
CIMA 288 Database Reporting 3.5
HIT 119* Management of Resources in Healthcare 3
HIT 116* Performance of Resources in Healthcare 3
HIT 115* CPT and Ambulatory Care Coding 3
  Semester 7 - Spring  
HIT 122* Reimbursement Methodologies 3
HIT 130* Directed Practice
(Requires completion of HIT 101, HIT 109, HIT 110, HIT 11, HIT 115, HIT 116, HIT 119, CIMW 105, CIMA 288, HSC 106, HSC 108, CIM 1 or CIM 10)
4

Major units 52.5 - 54.5
Total Degree Units including GE: 79.5 - 93.5

Meet with a counselor to review and incorporate GE courses that best meets your goals. The Associate of Science (A.S.) Degree in Health Information Technology requires students to complete both HIT department and GE requirements. A previous Associate Degree, Bachelor's Degree or higher degree does not automatically meet GE requirements. All outside transcripts must be evaluated toward Saddleback College's requirements. Students have 3 options for completing GE requirements: Saddleback College GE, CSU GE or IGETC.

Accreditation and Certification (Effective August 1, 2022)

NOTE: Saddleback College is no longer accepting new students to the current HIT Program.

Saddleback College is withdrawing the HIT program from the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) accreditation. The college will continue to offer accredited HIT classes until the end of the Spring 2024 semester. Beginning Fall 2024 all HIT classes at Saddleback College will no longer be accredited. Student may choose to transfer to a CAHIIM accredited college to complete their degree.


If you are a brand-new student or entering the HIT program under the 2022-2023 catalog i.e. Fall 22 or Spring 23, you must finish the program at Saddleback College by the end of Spring 2024 to be eligible for the RHIT exam.


**It is strongly advised that all current and future HIT students meet Elizabeth Weiss in the Counseling Office to discuss educational goals and options.**
 

Contact the Health Information Technology Department