Bachelor of Science in Health Information Administration

Bachelor of Science in Health Information Administration

Nationally Ranked

Edumed Ranking Badge

UToledo is ranked #6 of the nation’s best schools for online healthcare degrees and certificates for 2023-2024. Only six percent of regionally accredited colleges and universities earned a ranking position.

UToledo’s online health information management program has earned top honors from EduMed.org. for their overall quality, affordability and commitment to student success. Their full rankings can be found at: Best Online Health Information Management Degrees – “Our rankings showcase the schools giving future nurses and allied health professionals the best chance to succeed from day one in the classroom to day one on the job,” said Wes Harris, outreach coordinator for EduMed.org. “This starts with low-cost tuition, but also includes academic counseling, career placement and other key resources that students need to graduate and get hired.”

EduMed.org’s rankings come at a time when the demand for trained healthcare professionals is on the rise. According to Mercer, a global consulting leader in healthcare, the U.S. will see millions of vacancies in critical healthcare positions by 2025. Nurse practitioner, nursing assistant and home health aide roles stand to experience some of the greatest shortages over the next three years and beyond. 

“One key to solving the healthcare shortage is making higher education more accessible,” said Harris. “Online programs open the door to students who may not be able to commit to a campus-based program while working, or to commute to a classroom at all. Each school in our rankings has made online learning a priority.”

EduMed.org researched and analyzed more than 7,700 accredited schools using data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and from the schools themselves. The website’s data science team then applied a proprietary algorithm to rank all qualifying schools for each healthcare discipline. Primary data points include: 

  • Academic counseling services
  • Career placement services
  • Student-to-faculty ratio
  • Tuition
  • Percent of students receiving school-based financial aid
  • Amount of school-based aid per student

To be eligible, a school must hold active regional accreditation and have at least one partially online program in the ranking subject. Just 8 percent of U.S. postsecondary institutions earned a ranking position. 

Named a Top 10 Online Health Informatics Program for 2016-2017!

The University of Toledo Online Bachelor of Science in Health Information Administration Program has been identified as one of the top online Health Informatics Degree Programs by the Health Informatics Degree Center.  The ranking is based on graduation rates, tuition rates, affordability and academic quality. It is also the first undergraduate program at the University of Toledo to have all core courses certified by Quality Matters. Quality Matters certification demonstrates the program has the correct level of teaching materials, course expectations are clear, and the curriculum produces learning outcomes that can be measured.


PROGRAM OUTCOMES

  • The UToledo HIA program graduates' National Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) certification exam pass rate for the first time exam takers was 100%  [Exam report for the academic period:  8/1/2022-7/31/2023 as reported by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)].

  • One full-time and six part-time students graduated (2021-2022); six graduates are employed within one year in the health care industry and one graduate is employed in non-health care.*

  • 100% program completion rate, 8.5 semesters (academic period 8/1/2021 - 7/30/2022)**

* The HIA Program results are reported to CAHIIM in the Annual Program Assessment Report (APAR-2023).
** Completion rates are full-time baccalaureate degree students ONLY.


Program Highlights

The U.S. Department of Labor Predicts that in the next few years jobs for Health Information Specialists will increase by more than 50,000 new positions! HIM positions are being aligned with STEM occupation categories. The following positions have been classified as STEM positions and are highlighted in the AHIMA Career Map: Clinical Research Coordinator, Clinical Data Specialist, Clinical Systems Analyst, Clinical Data Developer, Clinical Data Manager, Health Data Analyst, Health Information Specialist, Health Information Management Director, Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars.

The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) has been providing certifications in the health information management (HIM [HIA]) for over 80 years. With all of the changes happening in HIM [HIA], this is an excellent time to invest in certification and advance to the next step in your career —but only if you have the right training and technical skills.

  • Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security
  • Certified in Documentation Improvement Practitioner (CDIP)
  • Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA)


Employers Value Credentials in Healthcare

Did you know certification can give you a competitive edge in the eyes of employers?

  • Overall, employers think favorably of industry credentials
  • Employers feel that credentials are most important for medical coding professionals and other HIM [HIA] professionals, followed by IT professionals and privacy and security officers.
  • Employers think credentialed employees require less training, produce more accurate work, improve the quality of healthcare delivery, improve reimbursement and billing, and help reduce exposure to fraud and abuse charges.
  • 68% of employers report choosing a credentialed candidate over one who is not.
  • Credentialed employees are rewarded financially—67% earn more than non-credentialed employees.

Reprinted in part from AHIMA-CCHIIM Commission on Certification 16 Dec 2011


Our Program Has:

  • 100% Employer satisfaction rate
  • 100% Graduate satisfaction rate

The University of Toledo's Health Information Administration (HIA) program is available completely via Distance Learning.  Students who reside outside of the state of Ohio and enroll in an online program at UToledo may be eligible for the Online Learning Out-of-State Scholarship.  UToledo also participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program providing scholarships to military veterans.

You may enter the University of Toledo directly from high school or as a transfer student, and you'll be on your way to achieving your degree in Health Information Administration online. If you already have a baccalaureate degree, you may apply for the BS in HIA program and will be able to earn a second BS degree in HIA.

Upon completion of the baccalaureate program, students are eligible to sit for the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) examination offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Bachelor of Science degree from the HIA program will qualify graduates to work in a wide variety of settings, such as hospitals, medical centers, physician group practices, ambulatory care facilities, long-term care facilities, healthcare consulting companies, government regulatory positions, insurance companies, information technology corporations, and others. Changes in the healthcare industry increase the need for information managers. New electronic health record keeping and other technological advances to aid with coding, compliance, and documentation add to the opportunities available.


State Authorization

The University of Toledo must comply with a state's regulations before any educational activity can occur within that state.  Complete information is located here.

Seal of Accreditation

The Health Information Management accreditor of the College of Health and Human Services is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The College’s accreditation for a Baccalaureate degree in Health Information Management has been reaffirmed through CAHIIM. 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

Advising

CHHSAdvising@utoledo.edu 

 

"The HIM field always has been the backbone of the healthcare industry. I feel like HIM professionals are the behind-the-scene soldiers of the healthcare workforce that supports the healthcare organizations’ financial well-being and the continuation of patient care. We also contribute to public health by providing them the data needed for the prevention of many diseases."

Nilgun Sezginis, Ph.D., M.P.H., RHIA, CCS-P

Senior Lecturer/Program Director

Last Updated: 3/14/24