Curriculum
Informational
Sessions
Health
Care Information Programs
Updated 6/24/08
Each student shall have the right to appeal an academic or disciplinary action or termination from a course or program, and college grievance policies shall be followed. The student shall first contact the HCI Program Director or Dean of the Health Occupations/ Physical Education Division who will provide information to the student on the appeals process.
All assignments are to be completed by the time and date scheduled unless otherwise specified by the instructor. Grades for overdue written assignments or lab projects may be lowered as specified in the course syllabus or project. It is the student's responsibility to check with the instructor if he/she has not received a returned graded assignment within one week after he/she turned it in.
Examinations must be taken on the date (s) available. A student may be permitted to take a test late if allowed by the instructor, only if notification is made to the instructor on or before the examination date(s) and then only if due to illness, accident or other emergency. In no event may a test be taken later than five school days after the date(s) scheduled. A test taken anytime after that may have its grade reduced or the student may receive a 0.0 at the option of the instructor.
The final exam shall be taken at the date/time scheduled. Any exception must be discussed individually with the instructor prior to the time scheduled for the final exam. If the student is unable to take the final exam at the date and time scheduled due to illness or emergency, he or she MUST contact the instructor personally the day of the exam to discuss the situation. The instructor will make the decision at that time whether to allow a late exam. Unless otherwise specified by the instructor, a grade of 0.0 will be given for the final exam if not taken on the date and time scheduled.
Cheating and plagiarism are considered serious offenses in any health occupation where honesty and ethics are of the highest concern.
Plagiarism
Webster's 9th New Collegiate Dictionary includes these definitions of what is meant by plagiarism: "to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own" and "to use (a created production) without crediting the source." In this society, plagiarism is an illegal thing. This makes the act of plagiarism a "punishable" offense. Accountability (being answerable for one's actions) is stressed throughout the Health Care Information Programs. It is seen as an important attribute for a student to have. To remain accountable, and to avoid the appearance of plagiarism, one must simply follow the rules.
To use another's ideas or works, you must read the material, decide the content worthy of being passed on and then restate the idea(s) in your own words. You must document the source even if you do not quote directly. Please refer to the college's library website for information on how to quote your sources and how to cite your references in a bibliography. Go to www.shoreline.edu/library/style for that site.
Cheating
Cheating is the unauthorized giving or receiving of information regarding testing or other material. Both the individual providing information and the individual receiving information are cheating. Reading the paper of another during a test, allowing another to read one's paper during a test, using unauthorized written notes or other course materials, and sharing questions or answers with someone who has not yet taken the test are all examples of cheating. Cheating also refers to copying another student's assignment without authorization from the instructor and submitting it as his/her own work.
Cheating or plagiarism will result in an "0.0" grade for the exam or assignment with no make-up allowed. Faculty of the class may also choose to fail the student in the course based upon their evaluation of the circumstances. Additional action (which may include dismissal from the HCI Program and non-readmission to that Program) may also be taken.
It is important to note that students have the right of appeal of decisions related to cheating and plagiarism. See the "Appeals" section.
An important aspect of professional ethics is the maintenance of the confidential status of patient medical records and physician/facility business. This applies to information obtained during clinical practice affiliations. Students are required to follow HIPAA federal confidentiality and security regulations while on clinical practice and may be required to sign an Oath of Confidentiality by the facility.
Confidential information must not be disclosed to unauthorized individuals, including family and friends. Unauthorized release of confidential information may result in termination from clinical practice (with failing grade) as well as termination from the HCI Programs.
Course instructors are available by phone, email, or on campus during hours posted on their doors or on Blackboard courses for conferences concerning assignments, tests, course content, etc. It is advisable to make an appointment for a specific time.
The program director or full-time program faculty are assigned as faculty advisors for program planning, advisement and registration. Each quarter, before registration, the student should make an on-campus or phone appointment with his/her advisor to discuss next quarter's schedule. Please wait until the next quarter's course schedules are available before making the appointment. It is strongly recommended that no student self-advise in professional technical programs due to the heavy reliance on prerequisite classes and the fact that most classes are taught only once or twice a year. In addition, before dropping any class, students should check with their program advisor. Students who do not take courses in the correct sequence may delay graduation from one quarter to one year.
On-campus professionally trained counselors are also available to assist students and are located in the FOSS Building. All counseling related to personal or family problems will be referred to professional counselors. Students with mid-term academic deficiencies or other academic problems that may interfere with their progress may be referred for counseling or tutoring.
COURSE WAIVERS AND CREDIT BY EXAMINATION
MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY REQUIREMENT FOR FIRST CODING CLASSES
Completion at a score of 2.0 or higher for both HCI 132 Medical Terminology and BioSci 108 Anatomy and Physiology are prerequisites for the first coding class and HCI 121 Hospital and Clinic Records. In addition, HCI 215 Human Diseases and HCI 214 Pharmacology must be taken prior to or concurrent with HCI 221 Basic ICD-9-CM or HCI 227 CPT Coding.
Challenge Exam for Medical Terminology
While health care professionals often have completed college level Anatomy and Physiology courses, either at Shoreline Community College or elsewhere, they may not have a medical terminology course as part of their curricula or may have taken medical terminology courses at less than 5 quarter credits. In order to determine their current level of medical terminology knowledge, a challenge examination is available.
Interested individuals must contact the HCI Program Director to obtain complete details regarding the content of the test and method of administration, and to obtain the appropriate forms for application to take the test. Students must have applied and been accepted at Shoreline Community College and pay the $50 exam fee before exam administration takes place. The exam is based on the content covered in the HCI 132 course and includes questions on medical word parts (prefixes, suffixes, and roots), anatomical terms, symptoms, diseases, tests, treatment, spelling, and abbreviations.
Grading
- Individuals who obtain a score of 75% or higher on the challenge examination (equivalent to a 2.0 decimal grade), will receive a P (Pass) grade for HCI 132 which will appear on their transcripts for college credit.
- Individuals who obtain a score of 74% or lower on the challenge examination, will receive a NC (No Credit) grade for HCI 132 which will appear on their transcripts. An NC grade is not included in GPA calculation. The challenge exam may not be re-taken.
Enrollment in HCI Courses
- Individuals receiving a Pass grade for the challenge examination may enroll in HCI 121, 214, 215, 221 or 227.
- Individuals receiving an NC grade but who had a score between 65% and 74% on the challenge examination may enroll in these classes, but must also enroll concurrently in HCI 132. Individuals not passing the regular HCI 132 course at a 2.0 or higher, may not take any additional coding classes until HCI 132 is re-taken with a final grade of 2.0 or higher.
- Individuals receiving an NC grade and who had a score of 64% or lower on the challenge exam, may not enroll in HCI 121, 214, 215, 221 or 227 until they have successfully completed the HCI 132 course at a 2.0 or higher.
*College policies in force at the time of the challenge examination administration will be followed regarding recording Pass/No Credit grades on college transcripts.
CHALLENGE EXAM FOR ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
There is a challenge exam available for BioSci 108 Anatomy and Physiology. Please contact the Science Division for further information.
WAIVERS FOR EXPERIENCE
HCI 132 Medical Terminology: No waivers will be granted, but individuals may take a Medical Terminology challenge exam. Refer to the medical terminology exam policy.
HCI 214 Pharmacology: Waivers will be granted for currently practicing registered nurses and certain other allied health professionals as determined by the HCI Program Director and Division Dean.
HCI 215 Human Diseases: Waivers will be granted for currently practicing registered nurses and certain other allied health professionals as determined by the HCI Program Director and Division Dean.
HCI 223 Statistics in Health Care: Students who have successfully passed a general statistics course will still be required to sign up for this course because of material unique to health care that is not covered in a regular generic statistics course.
HCI 121 Hospital and Clinic Records: If the employer has provided documentation that this individual has requisite knowledge and performed most or all of the activities incorporated in the laboratory portion of this course, this student may be granted absences without penalty. He/she is required to attend those sessions which cover topics not currently part of his/her job description. This individual will take all course exams.
HCI 122 and HCI 231 Clinical Practice I and II: Students who have worked in a Health Information Management Department of a Hospital (for HCI 122) or any health care facility (for HCI 231) within the past 5 years are eligible to waive the requirement for all or part of the attendance at a facility for the practicum as determined by the program director. They must have performed the activities related to the objectives of the course. They must attend mandatory meetings regarding the Clinical Practicum, obtain permission from the course instructor, register for the course on the appropriate registration forms and pay for the course. They must complete the Application for Waiver for Clinical Practice form, complete a notebook related to the objectives, obtain from their supervisor an evaluation of their performance or statement verifying employment and what activities they performed, and complete an evaluation form on the site regarding the quality of the experience they have received.
The academic year at Shoreline Community College is divided into three quarters of 10-11 weeks each and a summer session of eight weeks.
A full time-student is considered to be one who is taking from 12-18 credits a quarter. For a student to complete his or her HCI curriculum within the suggested time frame, 15-20 credits per quarter must be taken, depending on the required courses for that quarter.
The curriculum is designed so that a full-time student entering Fall Term can complete the Medical Coding and Reimbursement Certificate Program by the end of Fall Term the second year, and the Health Information Technology program by the end of Spring Term the second academic year (7 quarters).
Students must complete the formal application process to enter any of the HCI Programs. Part-time students are welcome to enroll in most HCI courses on if they have met the prerequisites.
Students enrolling in the HIT program on a part-time basis should be aware that if too much time elapses between the date of enrollment and graduation, he/she may forget much of the information taught in earlier courses, or may have missed out on instruction in current technology or new laws/regulations related to the profession. He/she may be required to retake HCI classes to obtain this material in order to practice competently upon graduation and to pass the national certification examination. All HIT students must complete the curriculum, as a minimum, within five years after the date of entry to the program. MCRS students must complete the curriculum, as a minimum, within three years after the date of entry to the program. Exceptions to this are rare and must be approved by the HCI Program Director.
Please contact the college's Financial Aid Office for information pertaining to general loans, grants and waivers. In addition, three sources are available specifically for the Health Information Technology student. Loans from the Foundation of Research and Education (F.O.R.E.) are available through the American Health Information Management Association for qualified students. One Sister Peter Oliviant Scholarship Award is given yearly to a Washington State health information technician student by the Washington State Health Information Management Association. The scholarship is available only to students entering their final year of the program. The Lucy Hay Scholarship is also available from the Seattle Area Health Information Management Association to a Washington State student. Further information may be obtained from the program director.
Final quarter grades as well as individual assignment or project grades are based on decimal grading equivalents as follows:
|
Course Percentage |
Numerical Equivalent | Course Percentage | Numerical Equivalent |
| 95-100 | 4.0 | 79 | 2.4 |
| 94 | 3.9 | 78 | 2.3 |
| 93 | 3.8 | 77 | 2.2 |
| 92 | 3.7 | 76 | 2.1 |
| 91 | 3.6 | 75 | 2.0 |
| 90 | 3.5 | 74 | 1.9 |
| 89 | 3.4 | 73 | 1.8 |
| 88 | 3.3 | 72 | 1.7 |
| 87 | 3.2 | 71 | 1.6 |
| 86 | 3.1 | 70 | 1.5 |
| 85 | 3.0 | 69 | 1.4 |
| 84 | 2.9 | 68 | 1.3 |
| 83 | 2.8 | 67 | 1.2 |
| 82 | 2.7 | 66 | 1.1 |
| 81 | 2.6 | 65 | 1.0 |
| 80 | 2.5 | 64 | 0.9 |
A final grade of 2.0 or higher is required in all courses listed in the program curriculum if the student wishes to receive an Associate Degree in Health Information Technology or Certificate of Proficiency for the Medical Coding and Reimbursement Specialist. A final grade of less than 2.0 in a required class will necessitate retaking the class.
The following letter grade symbols are also used. Please refer to the College Catalog for information and requirements for each of these letter grades: I (Incomplete), N (Audit), NC (No Credit), P (Pass), R (Repeated class), V (Unofficial Withdrawal), W (Official Withdrawal), Z (Hardship Withdrawal).
In addition to completion of the program requirements in terms of curriculum and grades, the following are required by the college to receive a degree or certificate. The student must earn from Shoreline at least 25 of the credits being applied toward the degree or certificate, earn at least 60 credits with numerical grades rather than P/Pass grades, be matriculated at Shoreline as defined by the college, and be in attendance at Shoreline at the time final credits toward graduation are earned. In addition, the student must file an application for a degree/certificate in the Registrar's Office by the end of the third week of the quarter that final coursework for the degree/certificate is taken. The summer quarter deadline is earlier. Please refer to the college catalogue for complete information. Students who have graduated during the previous Fall and Winter quarters may participate in the annual Spring graduation ceremony, along with all applicants for Spring and Summer quarter. In order to be included in graduation, applications for Spring and Summer must be received by April.
The campus does not provide routine medical care for students or staff except on an emergency basis. 911 Emergency Assistance is provided by Campus Security and regional paramedic personnel. The College offers short-term personal counseling services for on-campus students intended to address immediate problems and to identify situations requiring ongoing counseling so that early referral of these cases can be made to appropriate off-campus resources. At SCC, short-term personal counseling is defined as a maximum of six personal counseling sessions per student per twelve calendar month-period.
TB testing is required of all HIT students within 12 months prior to clinical practice. The student is responsible for obtaining the test and providing a written report, signed by a licensed health care provider, showing the results along with the HCI Health Assessment Report form to the HCI Program Director. In addition, students may be required to submit written information regarding prior immunizations as determined by the HCI Program Director. If the completed and signed forms are not given to the Program Director at the time the student is scheduled to attend practicum, he/she will be required to withdraw prior to the first day of attendance. Students may be required by the HCI Program Director to obtain a complete physical examination and to provide a copy of the report from the physician. A student who is noted by a licensed health care practitioner to be incapable of performing professional responsibilities in a health care setting will not be able to attend clinical practicum. The student will be required to meet with the HCI Program Director to determine eligibility for continuation in the program.
INTERRUPTION OF PROGRESSION IN THE HCI PROGRAMS
HCI students who withdraw from college should meet with the HCI Program Director prior to withdrawal to discuss reasons for the withdrawal and net effect on future academic coursework. All HCI students, full-time or part-time, who drop out of college or who do not attend Shoreline for two quarters or more and wish to re-enter his/her HCI program, must contact the HCI Program Director and reapply. Any student seeking readmission must meet the following criteria:
- A student must have submitted a written request for readmission.
- Be readmitted to the specific HCI program within two years (six quarters) of the time the last HCI class was taken and successfully completed.
- Have a cumulative college grade-point average of at least 2.0.
- Provide evidence of sound emotional and physical health, if requested.
A student will be considered ineligible for return if:
- The student has been terminated or dismissed from the HCI Program for documented acts of dishonesty or unethical behavior, or has been asked to withdraw from clinical practice by the clinical site supervisor and not allowed by Shoreline Community College to repeat the practicum.
- The student has failed to satisfactorily complete a specific HCI course after enrolling in the class twice.
Because the size of many classes is limited, readmission to the program is subject to available space.
Although the HCI faculty does not provide job placement services for students or graduates, notices of available positions in health information occupations are received by the program director. Announcements of such job openings are posted on this web site.
The faculty will respond to requests for references from employers with whom the student or graduate has made application. Students/graduates may automatically list the HCI Program faculty as references on any job application. Information released by program faculty will include details on class attendance, punctuality, dependability, attitude, dress, relationships with others, professionalism, appropriate participation in class and group projects, a general statement of academic progress (excellent, good, average, below average), and information recorded on clinical practice evaluation forms recorded by site supervisors. Specific course decimal grades or GPA will not be released. Students must authorize, in writing, GPA information sent to requesting individuals (e.g. potential employers) by contacting the Shoreline Transcript Office personnel directly.
Although activities performed by the HIT student during the clinical rotation may benefit both the student and health facility, at no time is the student to be considered an employee of the facility. HIT students may not be paid for services while on Clinical Practice, nor shall they be utilized in the place of regular staff. HIT students may be employed in the field of study outside regular educational hours, provided the work does not interfere with regular academic responsibilities. Students may receive credit for clinical practicum for prior paid related work experience based on program policy outlined above.
Students must assume the responsibility for their personal property. Purses, backpacks, wallets, and other valuables should never be left unattended ANYWHERE on campus, including the laboratory or classrooms. The staff cannot be responsible for the personal property of students. Please do not request instructors to store student property in individual faculty offices.
The college reserves the right to terminate a student's enrollment in the program, upon the specific recommendation of the HCI faculty and Dean of the Health Occupations and Physical Education Division. Official college policies will be followed. This will be initiated when the HCI faculty and Division Dean deem it inadvisable for that student to complete the program. The conditions contributing to these determinations by the faculty may include:
- Unsatisfactory academic performance levels.
- Unsatisfactory clinical practicum performance.
- Non-completion of curriculum in required time frames.
- Unauthorized release of confidential patient, health facility or physician information.
- Unauthorized removal of medical records, reference materials, supplies, or software from the campus or clinical site.
- More than one instance of documented cheating or plagiarism.
- Other unethical or unprofessional conduct.
Students will be informed of the reasons for this action and the policies and procedures he or she may follow in this instance. Students shall have the right to appeal and college policies shall be followed. The student may contact either the HCI Program Director, Division Dean, or the Vice President for Academic Affairs for information related to these policies and procedures.