LIMA — The University of Northwestern Ohio has received accreditation for the Health Information Technology (HIT) program from the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).

This supplemental accreditation by CAHIIM qualifies UNOH HIT graduates to be eligible for the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) professional HIM Certification Exams. These exams, if passed, allow a graduate to become a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT). Graduating from a CAHIIM accredited program offers employers assurance that students have the expected professional knowledge and skills, and have experienced a curriculum that is relevant to today’s electronic health record (EHR) environment.

All UNOH degrees, Associate, Baccalaureate, and Master are, and have always been, approved by the Ohio Board of Regents and accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. This process was completed for the Health Information Technology associate’s degree in September 2011. The University seeks programmatic, or specialized, accreditations in many programs to provide a benefit to its students, and allow for additional opportunities for external review. The CAHIIM accreditation follows nearly two years of work from UNOH administration, faculty, and staff. All accreditation processes and timelines are controlled by the accrediting body, and the University of Northwestern Ohio diligently follows their guidelines but has no control over when accreditation is granted. These accreditation efforts are a testament to the university’s commitment to continuous improvement.

In appreciation of the patience shown by its graduates during the lengthy accreditation process, the University of Northwestern Ohio will be providing HIM certification exam refresher courses. Dates and times of these free refresher courses will be communicated to the graduates in the coming weeks.