Description
This program develops the skills and knowledge you need to effectively manage the health information required for patient care, administration, research, and education. The program trains you in the specialized techniques required in health information management. It offers a unique combination of medical, computer, and business courses.
Emphasis during the program will be on the following:
As a graduate you will be eligible to write the national certification exam administered by the Canadian Health Information Management Association. Successful certification allows you to seek employment across Canada.
DOCUMENT SUBMISSION
Upload Through Your Future Student Account
If you do not have a Future Student Account or require assistance, please contact our Student Service Centre at 204-632-2327.
Internationally Educated Applicants - visit www.rrc.ca/credentials for credential assessment information.
However, if you apply within 6 weeks of the program start date, admission requirements are due within 5 days of applying.
Regular Admission Requirements
Mature Student Admission Requirements
If you are 19 years of age or older and have been out of high school for a minimum of one year at time of application, and you do not meet the regular admission requirements, you may apply under the Mature Student admission requirements.
Program Progression Requirements
Program progression requirements are not due within 15 days of applying and should be submitted after you start classes.
| English Language Assessment | Minimum Required Levels | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L - Listening, S - Speaking, R - Reading, W - Writing | L | S | R | W |
| AEPUCE
(Academic English Program of University and College Entrance )
Requirement: Submission of a parchment (certificate) indicating successful completion of the AEPUCE program, including language levels achieved if available. | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| CAEL and CAEL Online (Canadian Academic English Language) | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 |
| Communication for Health Professions
(RRC Pathway)
Canadian Citizens: LINC programs are not available. | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Communication for Internationally Educ Health Prof
(RRC Pathway)
Canadian Citizens: LINC programs are not available. | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Duolingo
(Duolingo English Test)
* MINIMUM OVERAL SCORE OF 115 REQUIRED. There are no minimum required levels for L,S,R,W. Only Duolingo English Test scores that have been verified through the Duolingo English Test Portal will be accepted. | 0* | 0* | 0* | 0* |
| IELTS - Academic
(International English Language Testing System)
Please Note: 3 year expiry date for Nursing Program Applicants | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.0 |
| PTE - Academic Online Assessment (Pearson Test of English) | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
| Password Skills
(An in person English Language Assessment hosted by RRC Polytech)
This in-person, computer-based test is composed of four test modules: reading, writing, listening and speaking. The test takes 3 hours and 5 minutes to complete and is conducted in two parts. The first part assesses reading, listening, and writing, and the second part assesses speaking in a separate room.
Password Skills is hosted by the RRC Polytech Testing and Assessment Centre: E440, Manitou a bi Bii Daziigae building, on the fourth floor.
If you wish to do Password Skills remotely (not in-person), Password Skills Plus can be taken online. RRC Polytech does not offer Password Skills Plus, but we do accept the results for entry into program.
| 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Password Skills Plus (Password Skills Plus is an online assessment that can be taken instead of Password Skills. ) | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| TOEFL-iBT
(Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet Based Test)
To meet the needs of students who are unable to take the TOEFL iBT® test at a test center due to public health concerns, ETS is temporarily offering the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition test in selected areas. | 24 | 23 | 24 | 27 |
This program will appeal to you if you want to combine your interest in the health care field with medical, computer and business skills.
You could be well suited for this program, if you possess the following traits:
This program is academically demanding, and you should be prepared to set aside time on a regular basis to complete projects and assignments outside of daily class hours. The workload will vary from term to term and students must be self disciplined to keep up with the demands of the program. .
| Location | Start Date | Apply Link |
|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame Campus | Aug 31, 2026 | Apply Now |
Students may apply for financial assistance through the Manitoba Student Aid program. For general information on applying please call 204-945-6321 or 1-800-204-1685, or visit their website at www.manitobastudentaid.ca, which also includes an online application. For detailed information, please visit one of the RRC Polytech Student Service Centres or call 204-632-2327. Applicants requiring financial assistance should complete their student loan applications well in advance of the class start date.
This course is designed to develop written and oral communications skills. Students will learn the communication process and the writing techniques applicable to current working environments. The course will enable students to write clear, concise messages incorporating the mechanics, grammar principles, and sentence techniques. Oral presentation techniques will be included along with job search documents.
Computer Essentials is a hands-on course in which students develop skills in the use of current Microsoft productivity software. Topics include introductory and intermediate skills in Microsoft Windows, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint as well as the integration of these applications. Students will also be introduced to basic keyboarding techniques and will be required to increase their speed to 40 wpm (words per minute) with 3 errors or less (5 minute timing).
This course provides coverage of system analysis and design. The course begins by analyzing the components of an information system and the stages of the system development life cycle. Students will learn requirements modeling techniques, development strategies, data design concepts, interface design, quality assurance and system security.
This first portion of the course develops a basic understanding of database theory and Structured Query Language (SQL). Topics covered in this portion include normalization, E-R diagrams, and creating queries using SQL. The majority of the course is spent on developing intermediate skills using a current database management system. Some of the topics covered in this section include: creating/modifying tables, queries, reports and forms.
Health care is one of the most data-intense industries today. However, the data within the system often is not used to the best advantage to address health care research and business questions. Data sources have traditionally been in the hospital setting. More and more data is being collected at every level of the health care delivery system to assess, monitor, and provide treatment to Canadians. This course will expose the student to various data sources within the continuum of the Canadian Health care system, providing the student with methods for the retrieval, organizing, analysis, interpretation, and application of the data to health care research and business questions. Data quality activities as well as planning for future data needs within various health care sectors will be a point of emphasis throughout the course. Students are instructed on the use and content of the basic Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI) reports and on data presentation and graphing techniques.
This course you will become familiar with health law, (especially as it pertains to Health Information) and the issues associated with privacy, confidentiality and security of health information. You will gain an understanding of legislation as it relates to health care and health information.
Students will be able to identify the major resources for locating information on laws, standards and regulations that govern the practice of health information management. Emphasis will be placed on the role of health information services in terms of access to and disclosure of health information.
This course will use a scaffolding approach to carefully sequence learning from simple to complex. This course will provide an introduction to the technical language of medical science through the study of terminology specific to anatomy and physiology, pathology, diagnostic and therapeutic services. Each chapter will consist of small learning segments (concepts, terms, illustrations and abbreviations) for the anatomy and physiology, pathology and procedures for a body system. Exercises will reinforce and assess students understanding and retention of material. Students will be exposed to terminology needed to correctly code in ICD10/CA and CCI.
This course will provide an overview of the Canadian Healthcare system in general and specifically, within Manitoba. The course will cover hospital organization and structure, medical staff, healthcare professionals, hospital insurance, funding of healthcare, and current trends and impacts. The role of the health information management professional plays in the healthcare system, will be explored.
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the basics of Health Information Management and the theories, tools and techniques that productive managers need in today's competitive environment.
This course provides an introduction to basic coding principles, utilizing the ICD-10-CA/CCI Folio, CIHI Coding standards and the Coding textbook. Students will be introduced to pathophysiology and interventions related to various body systems. Your studies will include review of coding practices and guidelines and data quality issues. Students will also be introduced to some of the abstracting requirements in relation to coding principles.
This course provides an overview of research methodologies common to healthcare. Students are introduced to terminology, research concepts, and the role of epidemiology in the clinical study of disease and illness. The importance of critical thinking is stressed. Students develop the skills necessary to analyze and evaluate healthcare data and the methodologies used to produce it.
This course will provide an introduction to the study of drugs as related to the treatment of disease and conditions, and to interventions, It is intended to provide additional theory in the application of coding and health information analysis skills. All body systems will be covered in this course.
This course is a continuation of Coding 1 and will continue to look at common disorders of the body systems integrating medical terminology, human anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology and coding standards & principles. Students will apply learned coding skills utilizing the Virtual Coding program. Students will be introduced to Discharge Abstract Database (DAD) and the Manitoba Abstract Data Elements (MADE) and the basic abstracting system utilizing MED2020 WinRecs Software.
This course involves the study of the pathophysiology of the body systems. The students will apply their knowledge of normal structure and function of the human body and medical terminology to the study of the disease process. A variety of diseases from each of the body systems will be reviewed and discussed. Emphasis will be placed upon the disease process itself, as well as the known causes, symptoms and possible risk factors. The specialists involved as well as the methods of diagnosis and treatment of the disease will also be considered.
This course is a continuation of Coding 1 & 2 and will provide further enhancement of coding skills with the Virtual Coding program. Students will continue to work with CIHI, DAD and Manitoba's MADE abstracting utilizing the MED2020 WinRecs Software. Students will be exposed to other reporting systems within the continuum of care, such as National Rehabilitation System (NRS), and National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS). Students will study CIHI Case Mix Groupings, Resource Intensity Weighting and Complexity Overlay and gain an understanding of its uses within the healthcare system. Application of learned theory will take place both in the classroom and in the practicum placements.
This course introduces descriptive statistics including tables and graphs, measures of central tendency and variation, probability rules, probability distributions, sampling and sampling distributions, as well as inference statistics including estimation, hypothesis testing, regression and correlation. Approximately 20% will be done using microcomputers.
This course provides the student with an opportunity to apply the knowledge gained during the course of study and in so doing prepare for active participation in the Health Information Management profession. Students are assigned to accredited urban and rural health care facilities, and other related health information, information technology departments and is under the supervision of qualified health information management professionals or designate.
Practicum is a mandatory component of the HIM program and no supplementary privileges are granted. All costs incurred are the responsibility of the student and the College reserves the right to assign students where appropriate, based on availability of practicum sites. Students must have a clear standing in all previous terms in order to participate in practicum.
This course provides students with an introduction to health information management (HIM) including discussions of the information systems used in healthcare planning and care delivery. Course topic areas include: (1) The HIM profession including ethical practices (2) Evaluating data, information & knowledge (3) The basic components of record management (4) Clinical classifications, nomenclatures & terminologies (5) Data collection and quality (6) Secondary uses of health data and health databases (7) Legal aspects of Health Information (8) Privacy, confidentiality, security, access and release of personal health information.
This part of the course focuses more on the technical side of Health Information and its movement towards the electronic health record. The course will include introduction to various health information systems, (Administrative & Clinical) and strategic planning for information systems. Introduction to the electronic health record, technology and application security, information systems life cycle and information and data standards will be explored. Principles involved in the evaluation/assessment/accountability of healthcare and tools utilized. (Performance Management, Quality Management and Risk Management) as well as ethics, in particular HIM practices will be explored.
This course focuses on normal human structure and function. Topics include cells and tissues, support and movement, communication, and organ system control. Unifying concepts of the relationship between structure and function, structural hierarchy, and organ system integration are emphasized. Laboratory experiences reinforce these topics and concepts.
A working knowledge of introductory anatomy and physiology is assumed. The details of anatomy and physiology are organized around unifying concepts such as interrelationships of body organ systems, homeostasis, and the complementary nature of structure and function. Presentation of the material reflects hierarchical levels of complexity that contribute to the organization of the body as a whole and the students' understanding of this organization. Laboratory exercise are essential in adding students to apply theoretical concepts of anatomy and physiology.
Most training will take place at the College, however students will be required to attend mandatory practicum sessions in accredited urban and rural health care facilities.
Online learning is a critical component of course delivery in all Red River College Polytechnic programs. To ensure each student has the tools they need to achieve their academic goals, all Red River College Polytechnic students require, at minimum:
1. Off-campus access to a current computer with a webcam
2. A high speed internet connection
• Recommended minimum speed: 10 mbps for download, 3 mbps for upload
• Slower internet connection speeds may result in audio and video issues. Please keep in mind that if others in your home are using the same internet connection at the same time as you are, you may also experience audio and video issues.
• Please refer to https://www.rrc.ca/future-students/computer-requirements/ for further information on Computer Requirements for Students.
Please note that any anticipated costs are not included in Books and Supplies estimates.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process which documents and compares an individual's prior learning gained from prior education, work and life experiences and personal study to the learning outcomes in College courses/programs. For more information, please visit www.rrc.ca/rpl.
It is strongly recommended that you have a personal laptop for this program.
Most graduates have found employment in a variety of health-related facilities, such as:
Others are employed as sole-charge health information practitioners in rural health care facilities.