To provide a quality education to produce competent, confident, adaptable, reflective, and service-oriented entry-level Health Information Administrators who provide professional services in a variety of facilities and agencies and exemplify the philosophies, ethics, and standards of the American Health Information Management Association and Western Carolina University.

The HIA Program combines a firm base in general academics, medical sciences, computer concepts and applications, and law and ethics with specific health information professional education.  The program's courses provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to become self-directed learners possessing critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills with a commitment to life-long learning. 

Graduates of the HIA Program are expected to successfully complete the national certification examination and competently perform entry-level duties and responsibilities of the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) in a variety of traditional and nontraditional settings.  Students are prepared to assume leadership roles in professional associations, continuing education, and guided research.  Students learn by doing and the educational process encompasses professional practice experiences supported by academic orientation.

The HIA Program is further committed to an ongoing, organized, continual assessment of its goals, methods, and allocation of resources in order to meet the dynamic changes taking place in the health information management profession, the community, state, and nation.  The health care industry today is dynamic, both from efforts within itself to seek new and improved health care delivery systems, and from developments without, in the areas of basic and applied sciences, technology, and government.

The HIA Program upholds standards of ethical practice by informing its students of fair and equitable practices and procedures affecting students in the program.  The procedures are described in WCU's catalog, Student Handbook, and in the HIA Student Handbook.

Ethical practice at WCU and in the HIA Program is reflected through the following: