IU Northwest Health Information Management (HIM) program tops 40 Best HIM Bachelor’s Degrees list

IU Northwest Health Information Management (HIM) program tops 40 Best HIM Bachelor’s Degrees list

Healthcare Administration Degree Programs educational site judged accredited programs on graduation rates, net cost, and student-to-faculty-ratio

Gary, Ind. -- Indiana University Northwest placed first on a list of the 40 Best Bachelor’s Degrees in Health Information Management, published by the “Healthcare Administration Degree Programs” educational website.

The organization compiled the rankings using information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), and the National Center for Education Statistics. The rankings were based on student-faculty ratio, cost of tuition, and graduation rate.

Out of more than 100 such programs in the U.S., the organization ranked those accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIM), an independent accrediting organization for health informatics and health information management educational programs. The evaluators then narrowed the list by judging programs using only the criteria of student-to-faculty ratio, net cost, and graduation rate.

IU Northwest’s is a hybrid program, with both in-person and online courses. It boasts an exceptional 86 percent graduation rate. As stated in the accolade, “graduates are well-prepared to sit for the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) exam administered by the American Health Information Management Association.”

“I’m very excited that our program received this accolade,” said Clinical Associate Professor Linda Galocy, chair for the HIM programs. “Our faculty work hard to ensure that our students are receiving the best education. Each of the faculty members bring their own expertise to the HIM profession which is a strength of the program.”

Health Information Management is a discipline that has a direct impact on patient care by way of information technology. Students learn about data, and how to use it to obtain better patient outcomes, as well as keep patient data safe and secure. The degree leads to careers in analytics, electronic medical records, education, and research.

“Healthcare is constantly changing due to new technologies, evolving science, increased regulatory oversight, and an expanding workforce that covers five generations,” said Dorinda Sattler, program director for the HIT program. “All of this impacts the health information manager who not only manages information, but people as well,” she said. “Students of our program learn how to improve their own performance as well as the individuals for whom they will have responsibility for in their future careers.”

For more information about Health Information Management programs, visit iun.edu/health-information-management.