Degrees / Washington / Associate Degree
Tacoma Community College
Associate Degree in Health Information Management in Tacoma, WA
Program information
- Address
- 6501 S 19th St., Tacoma, WA, 98466
- State
- Washington (WA)
- Degree level
- Associate Degree
- Subject area
- Health Information Management
- Content delivery
- Online
- Program Director
- Corinne Jarvis , MEd, RHIA
- Phone
- (253) 566-5077
- cjarvis@tacomacc.edu
- Last accreditation date
- 05/18/2022
- Next review cycle
- 2029-2030
- Progress report status
- Progress Report satisfactory and completed
Our take
The South Puget Sound’s fully online, RHIT-eligible AAS.
Tacoma CC’s HIM associate degree is fully online, holds Continuing CAHIIM accreditation with its next review in 2029-2030, and is directed by Corinne Jarvis, who holds an MEd and the RHIA. For Washington students, it is one of only a handful of RHIT-eligible programs based in the state.
Tacoma’s hospital market is bigger than people assume: MultiCare Health System is headquartered there, and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health runs St. Joseph Medical Center in the city, with the Seattle systems half an hour north. Washington also pays medical records specialists well above the national median, which makes community-college tuition into this market one of the better cost-to-wage ratios in the country.
What this means
Tacoma Community College is accredited and your degree counts.
Because Tacoma Community College holds Continuing accreditation from CAHIIM, graduates of this associate degree are eligible to sit for AHIMA's RHIT (Registered Health Information Technician) exam. That eligibility is the whole reason CAHIIM accreditation matters: without a CAHIIM-accredited degree, the exam is closed to you.
"Continuing Accreditation" is the standard status for established programs. The next scheduled review is 2029-2030.
The Washington picture
Where Tacoma Community College sits among Washington's 6 CAHIIM-accredited programs.
Washington has 6 active CAHIIM-accredited programs, 3 of them at the associate degree level. 4 of the 6 offer online delivery, and this one is fully online.
We score every Washington program on a seven-factor methodology covering accreditation maturity, director credentials, pathways, delivery, employer pipeline, cost, and reputation. See how Tacoma Community College compares in our ranking of the best HIM programs in Washington.
WA programs
At this level
Online capable
HIM jobs in WA
What the work pays
Medical records specialist pay in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro.
The occupation most RHIT-track graduates enter is Medical Records Specialist (SOC 29-2072). In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro the median is $62,270 a year, 22% above the national median. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro
- Median annual
- $62,270
- 90th percentile
- $99,240
- Employed
- 3,210
National (for reference)
- Median annual
- $51,140
- Washington state median
- $62,270
- 90th percentile
- $81,150
Accreditation history
Recent CAHIIM actions on this program
-
June 2022
Grant seven years of Continuing Accreditation. The program is compliant with the 2018 Standards. New Degree Program Search New Certificate Program Search
Source: CAHIIM Program Directory listing for Tacoma Community College. Refreshed quarterly.
FAQ
Tacoma Community College HIM program: common questions.
Is the Tacoma Community College health information management program CAHIIM-accredited?
Yes. The associate degree in Health Information Management at Tacoma Community College holds Continuing accreditation from CAHIIM, most recently affirmed 05/18/2022, with its next review scheduled for the 2029-2030 cycle.
Does Tacoma Community College qualify me to sit for the RHIT exam?
Yes. Graduating from this CAHIIM-accredited associate degree makes you eligible for AHIMA's RHIT (Registered Health Information Technician) exam. CAHIIM accreditation is the eligibility gate; without it the exam is not available to you.
Is the Tacoma Community College program online?
Yes. CAHIIM lists this program as fully online, so you can complete it from anywhere in Washington or out of state.
What do medical records specialists earn in Tacoma?
Medical records specialists in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro earn a median of $62,270 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025), 22% above the national median. The national median is $51,140.
How many CAHIIM-accredited programs are in Washington?
Washington has 6 active CAHIIM-accredited programs, 3 at the associate degree level. 4 of them offer online delivery. See our full Washington ranking for how they compare.
Keep going
Next steps.
Also in Washington
Other CAHIIM-accredited programs in Washington
Same degree level
Other associate degree programs in health information management
Data on this page is sourced from the official CAHIIM Program Directory listing for Tacoma Community College, last refreshed , and BLS OEWS May 2025. Accreditation status can change between refreshes. Always verify directly with CAHIIM before enrolling.