Applications for the Health Information Management Program will be accepted at the beginning of Fall, Spring or Summer Semesters. Application for admission to MECC and an official copy of all high school and college transcripts must be submitted to Enrollment Services before the Health Information Management application is processed.

Financial Aid does not cover the cost of certification. The HIM student is solely responsible for the cost of certification for American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), Certified Professional Coder Certification (CPC) and coding certifications through American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and other certifying organizations affiliated with the health information management profession. Note: When grants are available to assist HIM students with certifications, applications will be provided.

The student shall prepare a letter of intent for evaluation by the program director. In the letter, the student shall explain why they want to enter the field of health information management and what their educational and career expectations are for future growth. The letter of intent shall be two pages, double spaced and addressed to the Director of Health Information Management.

In addition to the usual tuition, the purchase of items such as laptops and tablets, background checks and drug screens are the financial responsibility of the individual student. A fee of $105.00 will be charged to drug screen and criminal background check. Financial Aid may be used to cover the cost but is not always guaranteed.

  • Electives: A minimum of 2.0 GPA will be accepted. A grade lower than a C for ENG 111 or ENG 112, Humanities, Social Science and General Elective courses will not be accepted. The student will be required to retake the course to improve the grade to a “C” or higher.
  • Core HIM courses: A letter grade lower than a “C” will not be accepted and the student will risk being dropped from the HIM program.

The HIM department has some textbooks in the Wampler Library for the sole use of HIM students. Other books and software packages will be available from the bookstore or from your instructor. If books are on loan from the Wampler library, the HIM student is solely responsible for check out and return of text books. Otherwise, books are available from the campus bookstore or they can be purchased or rented from an online source. Students are responsible for purchase of textbooks and software package (financial aid or personal finance).

Academic Integrity Statement

Academic work is evaluated on the assumption the work presented is the student’s own, unless designated otherwise. Anything less is unacceptable and is considered academically dishonest. Specific terms related to academic dishonesty are defined as follows: · Cheating – Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic work submitted for credit. Alteration or misuse of college documents pertaining to academic records by any means including computer resources or other equipment also is included within this definition of “cheating.”

  • Plagiarism – Submitting academic work for credit that includes material copied or paraphrased from published or unpublished work(s) without documentation.
  • Fabrication – Deliberately falsifying or inventing any information or citation in academic work.
  • Facilitating Academic Dishonesty – Knowingly helping, attempting to help, or being helped by another to violate the College’s policy on academic integrity.
  • Any violations of academic integrity are subject to sanctions and/or disciplinary actions as outlined in the Student Conduct section of this handbook.

Enrollment/Registration:

  • Enrollment procedures and class times are published online at www.mecc.edu several weeks before enrollment. Questions about enrollment not answered online should be directed to the Admissions Office. Students are responsible for assuring that they are enrolled in the appropriate classes and that adds, drops, swaps, and withdrawals are implemented as expected. Class registration is available online at MyMECC for students who have completed the admission process. You are encouraged to enroll as early as possible. You may adjust your schedule by adding, dropping, and/or swapping classes throughout the enrollment period. After the schedule adjustment period, you may drop classes or withdraw completely only in accordance with regulations stated in the current College Catalog. You are urged to promptly report any changes in your status online using MECC Online so your official records are accurate and up-to-date. Address and telephone number changes are especially important so that correspondence from the College can reach you without delay.
  • Advising: When you have declared a program of study at MECC, you will be assigned a faculty advisor to assist you in choosing the appropriate classes during your pursuit of a degree or certificate. When you are assigned a faculty advisor, he or she will become your main point of contact for academic issues that impact educational progress. Because faculty schedules vary throughout the year, scheduling an appointment to meet with your faculty advisor is recommended. However, if you have not yet chosen a program of study, or if your faculty advisor is not available, academic advising is also available through the Office of Student Services or other faculty within your area of interest. The mission of academic advising is to partner with students to help them define, plan and progress towards their educational goals by fostering independence, facilitating a professional, supportive environment and promoting student development skills. In general, all academic advisors assist students in selecting proper courses as related to their declared program, interpreting curriculum requirements and assessing academic progress. Academic advisors are familiar with the college and with the programs for which they advise. They can either answer questions directly, or direct students to the appropriate campus resource.

For more information, please contact:

  • Nora Blankenbecler, RHIA
    Director/Advisor, Health Information Management
    Business and Information Technology Division
    Phillips Taylor Hall, Room 242
    276-523-9054
  • Sabrina Ward, RHIA, CPC, CCS
    Professor/Advisor, Health Information Management
    Business and Information Technology Division
    Phillips Taylor Hall, Room 241
    276-523-9060

The Health Information Management accreditor of Mountain Empire Community College is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The College’s accreditation for the Associate of Applied Science degree in Health Information Management has been reaffirmed through 2027.

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