Healthcare Informatics, BAS

The Bachelor of Applied Science in Healthcare Informatics prepares individuals to successfully compete for jobs in the rapidly growing field of healthcare informatics, which focuses on optimizing use of technology to manage knowledge in order to improve quality of care. 

This program focuses on understanding healthcare data systems with an emphasis on process and data, user-centered design thinking, and statistics and predictive analytics. The topics include understanding healthcare data, workflow quality, change management, system operations, and user-centered design principles. This program also covers project management, process improvement, and healthcare training approaches. 

This program emphasizes current healthcare business norms and trends. The content focuses on building skills that are used by informaticists working for healthcare organizations. Writing assignments are based on technical and business writing. Students will develop the skills to be effective in healthcare organizations. There are also approaches to market informatics skills to healthcare organizations.

The first 90 credits of the degree are fulfilled by general education co-requisites. The second half of the degree program offers a professionally relevant curriculum that helps students achieve their goals. 

Learning Outcomes

Degree recipients should possess the skills and abilities described below:

• Serve as liaison between technical, clinical, and operational functions to support systems analysis, data analytics, training, and documenting the use of technology in healthcare settings 
• Gather, identify and document requirements for healthcare informatics solutions while working closely with patients, consumers, clinicians, and administrators 
• Manage, analyze and present healthcare data for effective decision-making and problem-solving in support of a wide array of healthcare practices  
• Identify and apply appropriate tools and techniques to analyze a given data set 
• Develop metrics and processes to obtain data supporting key healthcare decisions 
• Apply knowledge of current and emerging data standards and principles of interoperability 
• Contribute to process improvement through the redesign of healthcare workflow and information management practices. 
• Demonstrate an understanding of leadership, ethical and economic issues as they pertain to healthcare informatics 
• Complete a capstone or field studies project that demonstrates the breadth and depth of educational preparation 

Degree Requirements

In addition to eligibility requirements shown in the worksheet, students must also achieve the following:

• Completion of BAS Program Requirements and Program Electives with a grade of “C”, or better  
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all coursework taken at BC and the courses applied to the degree, including credits transferred from other colleges 
• At least 45 quarter credits for the degree must be completed in residence at BC, of which 30 credits must be upper-division 

Application Process

To be considered for the Bachelor of Applied Science in Healthcare Informatics, prospective students must submit the following:

• Complete Bellevue College general admission application form
• Pay admissions and placement fee
• Complete Bachelor of Applied Science in Healthcare Informatics application form
• Check program’s website for more information
• For students planning to transfer credits to Bellevue College, submit official transcripts from regionally accredited college(s) and transfer credit request form to the BC Evaluations Office