Health Information Management Department

Our mission is to provide quality education that stimulates students to reach their full potential through respect for inquiry and lifelong learning, to develop required professional competencies that will enable them to succeed in an ever changing health care industry, and to develop leadership, problem solving and critical thinking skills for advancement in the field of health information.

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Become a Leader in Health Information

Are you seeking healthcare career options beyond the world of direct patient care? William Carey University’s Health Information Management program equips you to assess and manage vital medical records and help patients and healthcare institutions thrive.

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Your Future Starts Here

Whether you are a first-time student or a working professional seeking to advance your career, William Carey College of Health Sciences has a place for you. We are excited to connect with you and guide you on your way toward joining the next generation of leaders and difference-makers in the global community!

The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Health Information Management (H.I.M.) is designed to graduate professionals who can competently manage health care data and maintain information systems. Essential skills of graduates will include, but not be limited to, gathering and maintaining information, data analysis and interpretation, and maintaining health information systems. Also, graduates will have expertise in health informatics and technology as well as ethical, legal, and regulatory requirements of the profession. The curriculum is a synthesis of content from information technology, business, biomedical sciences, healthcare organization and delivery, and health data courses. The curriculum will be supported by teaching-learning strategies that facilitate the development of the learner for the professional attributes necessary to attain organizational objectives through the appropriate use of health care data.

Thank you for your interest in the H.I.M program at William Carey University. We are very proud of this innovative and timely degree. We hope you will consider joining us for an exciting educational journey.

Graduate outcomes for the program were adapted from the standards of the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) and are as follows:

Graduates will demonstrate entry- level competencies of the profession as currently defined by the Domains and Subdomains for Registered Health Information Administrators established by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
Graduates will pass the Registered Health Information Administrator national certification exam.
Graduates will demonstrate appropriate professional knowledge and skills as well as ethical and professional demeanor during enrollment in HIM 410 Professional Practice Experience and on the job one year following graduation.
80% of graduates from William Carey’s HIM program are currently employed in their field.

Upon completion of the program of study in health information management, the graduate will be able to:

articulate and promote the need for and uses of quality data and information requirements across the lifespan;
organize, analyze, and manage health care data in order to improve health care outcomes, implement standards, and control costs;
function as an agent to manage the content, integrity, accessibility, use, and protection of information resources;
use a core set of critical skills in order to adapt to multiple roles and work settings;
collect health care data in compliance with national and regional standards;
identify and use current quality improvement, risk management, and utilization review methodologies and models;
accurately implement and manage applications and processes for clinical classification and coding;
analyze and respond to the information needs of internal and external customers throughout the health care continuum; and
advocate confidentiality, privacy, and integrity of health care data.

The College’s accreditation for a Bachelor's degree in Health Information Management has been reaffirmed through 2028-2029.

William Carey University’s Health Information Management program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), 200 East Randolph Street, Suite 5100, Chicago, Illinois, 60601; (312-235-3255).

Meet the Director

Dr. Alicia Watts, PhD, MBA, CPHIMS, RHIA

Dr. Alicia Watts, a Mississippi native, was raised in Sandy Hook, MS. She is a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) and has worked in a number of roles in the healthcare management field including Record Index Specialist, Epic-Certified Clinical Analyst, Adjunct Professor, and Clinical Research Coordinator. She joined the faculty at William Carey University as an Assistant Professor of HIM in 2020 and helped to develop and launch the school's Master of Science in Health Informatics and Information Management program.

She began her studies at William Carey University in 2015 after completing her Associate of Arts degree at Jones College. She is a proud graduate of William Carey University where she received her Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management, Master of Business Administration, and Doctor of Philosophy degree in Health Administration and Education. Her previous experience and educational background have allowed her to become well versed in information governance, health informatics, leadership, regulation and compliance, and privacy and security. She is an active member of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the component state association, the Mississippi Health Information Management Association (MSHIMA). She currently serves on the 2024-2025 MSHIMA Board of Directors in the role of Southern Liaison.