SANFORD - Health Information Technology will be offered at Central Carolina Community College in Fall 2016, pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Central Carolina Community College's Health Information Technology program provides training to students who wish to pursue a career in the administrative side of healthcare and obtain their Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certification.

Health Information Technicians play a critical role in healthcare organizations by collecting, analyzing, transmitting, and maintaining health information in a variety of healthcare settings, which include hospitals, doctor's offices, surgical clinics, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, public health offices, insurance companies, law firms, pharmaceutical companies, and government agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Careers in the Health Information Technology field include jobs such as Medical Coder, Medical Records Technician, Release of Information Specialist, HIPAA Compliance Officer, and Healthcare Data Analyst, to name just a few of the many different opportunities.

CCCC's program will be offered online to allow flexibility for students who work full time or who do not live close to campus. All general education courses have a seated option.

"The Health Information Technology (HIT) program at Central Carolina Community College is currently a bright outlook occupation that is expected to grow rapidly over the next several years," says Lisa Baker Godfrey, CCCC Dean of Health Sciences. "The HIT program allows students to acquire and use medical knowledge in order to provide data analytics to hospital administrators and other healthcare professionals that ultimately leads to reimbursement, reduced healthcare costs, and improved quality in healthcare.

"Health Information Technology professionals are a critical link in the healthcare team. CCCC is excited to be able to offer this exciting program that will continue to diversify our Health Sciences program offerings to meet the growing needs of our local hospital partners," said Godfrey.

A maximum of 18 students will be officially accepted for the fall 2016 cohort. All students must be able to pass a criminal background check and a drug screening because part of this program involves hands-on experience in a real healthcare setting.

For more information on this program, contact Program Director Denise Martin at 910-814-8820, or by email at dmartin@cccc.edu.

More information on the Central Carolina Community College Health Information Technology program can be found at the website: www.cccc.edu/hit.