WGU's Online Degree in Health Informatics Earns Key Accreditation

Western Governors University's B.S. in Health Informatics Now Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Western Governors University's competency-based, online bachelor's degree in Health Informatics has received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The accreditation, which is granted after extensive reviews based on industry-developed standards, helps increase certification eligibility and job marketability for graduates of WGU's Health Informatics program.

An independent accrediting organization, CAHIIM was created to evaluate the quality and integrity of health informatics and health information management programs. The accreditation process includes a voluntary peer review, an onsite visit, and a review of degree requirements that evaluate the course of study using CAHIIM standards. It also incorporates ongoing improvement reports and periodic reviews to assess program performance over time. Program accreditation by CAHIIM is necessary to be eligible for the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) certification exam, a highly respected credential in the healthcare industry.

"Earning CAHIIM accreditation for our Health Informatics bachelor's degree program helps ensure that our graduates are learning the things they need to know to be successful in the health informatics field," said WGU Vice President of Marketing and Enrollment Patrick Partridge. "Our B.S. in Health Informatics, which is all online and very affordable at less than $5,800 per year, is ideal for healthcare or IT professionals who wish to move into this high-demand career field."

Designed for current healthcare professionals, health information professionals, and information technology professionals, WGU's B.S. in Health Informatics combines concepts in healthcare, information technology, and leadership practice and includes two industry-recognized IT certifications. The program, which is part of WGU's College of Health Professions, is one of eight online bachelor's and master's degree programs, including nursing and MBA in Healthcare Management. For more information about WGU's online bachelor's degree in Health Informatics, go to www.wgu.edu/healthinformatics.

About Western Governors University (WGU)

"[WGU is] the best relatively cheap university you've never heard of."– TIME magazine

Featured on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, WGU is the only university in the U.S. offering competency-based degree programs and the only non-profit, fully online university with students in all 50 states. WGU offers over 50 degree programs in Business, Education, Information Technology, and Healthcare Professions, including Nursing. Since its inception in 1997, WGU has grown into a national institution, serving more than 23,000 students. WGU is self-sustaining on tuition, and does not rely on state or national support to fund its operations.  

On June 11, 2010, WGU Indiana, referred to by Governor Mitch Daniels as Indiana's eighth state university, was formed through a partnership with the state. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Western Governors University, WGU Indiana is open to all qualified Indiana residents, and its degree programs are accredited through Western Governors University.

WGU is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). WGU nursing programs have been accredited by the Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and its B.S. in Health Informatics is accredited by CAHIIM (Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education). WGU's Teachers College is the first and only exclusively online provider of teacher education to receive accreditation from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

The university has earned the support of more than 20 leading corporations and foundations. They include institutions such as AT&T, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dell, Lilly Endowment, HCA, Hewlett-Packard, Lumina Foundation, Microsoft, Oracle, Qwest, SunGard Higher Education, and Zions Bank. More information is available at www.wgu.edu.

SOURCE Western Governors University