Meeting & Agendas

Meeting called to order by Cynthia Colovas. Committee members introduced themselves. Cynthia Colovas welcomed everyone.

The Medical Coding members reviewed the minutes from September 14, 2007 meeting. Members had no correction and accept minutes as written.

Cynthia Colovas reviewed the future goals of the HITT program. Ms. Colovas stated that the Medical Coding program at Austin Community College is aiming to adopt an Associate Degree by fall 2009. Ms. Colovas stated that several meetings to prepare for the degree change have been held by committee members and she presented information from those meetings. She first presented the results from the Surveys of Coding Positions for Non-acute Care Facilities dated April 7, 2008. The special committee, which met in April 2008, determined that from the survey results that it is in the best interest of ACC to follow through with a two year associate’s degree program. Ms. Colovas then presented the Crosswalk for HITT Curriculum to the members. At a previous meeting, a committee was assigned to put together this information. This information is to be used in helping to develop the curriculum for the associate degree. Ms. Mercado presented associate degrees in Health Information Management from various colleges in Texas. She also presented certificate plans. Ms. Mercado also presented the Bachelor of Science degree in Health Information from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. The members took time to review all degrees and made notes and comments of what courses they see should be in the associate degree for ACC’s Medical Coding program. Committee members reviewed the degrees and decided that the task of putting together a 72 credit hour degree plan will need extra committee time to decide which courses to include in the degree plan. The members are asked to take all degree plans and review them. They are also asked to submit their best two choices to Norma Mercado. At a special committee meeting on June 13 with Norma Mercado, the committee members will decide which courses to include in the associate degree plan and present it to the Dean of Health Science. Norma Mercado and Eileen Klein will be meeting to discuss the steps to develop the associate degree plan. Eileen Klein recommended that Ms. Mercado meet with Dianne Olla from the curriculum committee to discuss what is needed to process the degree. It is decided that more information should be presented at the next meeting in September 2008

Meeting Adjourned