Connie Renda, MA, RHIA, CHDA, Program Director and Assistant Professor for Health Information Technology and Management, was recognized by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) with the prestigious Leadership Award.
Psychology major Emerald Moreno is inspired by a passion for understanding and interpreting others, along with a deep faith that psychology is her calling. She plans to transfer to a university to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology, minor in Spanish, and continue exploring a future in law.
After a major surgery and months of recovery, Tracey Kushner faced a decision that would reshape her future. In 2024, she returned to San Diego Mesa College determined to finish the degree she had started years earlier.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — San Diego Mesa College proudly celebrated the achievements of the Class of 2026 during its annual Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 29, 2026, honoring 1,958 graduates who earned more than 2,017 academic degrees and 414 certificates. A total of 727 graduates participated in the ceremony, joined by family, friends, faculty, staff, and community supporters.
January 10, 2019
In March 2015, the California Community College Board of Governors voted unanimously to approve that San Diego Mesa College offer a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Information Management (HIM)[BROKEN LINK]. Mesa College is one of only fifteen community colleges in the state to offer a BA degree, and made history in 2018 with the first graduating class to receive bachelors from the College.
Interested in a career in Health Information Management?
Health Information Management (HIM) offers an entrance into the healthcare field for those with a passion for helping people, along with a strong interest in computers and data. This profession entails gathering, evaluating, and securing the healthcare information of patients. Health information managers are responsible for confidential materials including histories and physical exams; lab results—blood tests, urine tests, etc.; clinical information—nursing notes, physical therapy notes, and progress reports; x-rays and other radiology procedures, and more. These professionals are the security guards to confidential medical information.
It is essential that HIM professionals know and follow the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The HIPAA law implements the ability to transfer and continue health insurance coverage for millions of American workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs. It prevents health care fraud and abuse, mandates industry-wide standards for health care information on electronic billing and other processes, and requires the protection and confidential handling of protected health information.
Mesa’s Health Information Management (HIM) Department
Mesa’s Health Information Management Bachelor of Science degree[BROKEN LINK] provides accessible, high-quality industry-approved instruction designed to prepare students to work at a management level in a variety of healthcare settings. Graduates will be able to apply the laws of patient record confidentiality, privacy, and compliance; use and design data, databases, and healthcare systems; demonstrate and apply knowledge of the principles of personnel management; develop a financial plan for a health information management department, and analyze healthcare data.
Students interested in earning a BA degree in Health Information Management are required to first complete required courses for Health Information Technology (HEIT)[BROKEN LINK], which is also available at Mesa College.
Mesa College will begin accepting applications this Spring for the Fall 2019 semester.
For more information, please visit the Health Information Management website.
Tags: Health Information Management, HIM
Jennifer Nichols Kearns
Director of Communications
[email protected]
(619) 388-2759
Connie Renda, MA, RHIA, CHDA, Program Director and Assistant Professor for Health Information Technology and Management, was recognized by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) with the prestigious Leadership Award.
The San Diego Mesa College Allied Health Department and San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD), successfully co-hosted the Healthcare Career and Annual College Symposium at UCSD Park and Market on Thursday December 7th. This event was attended by over 300 high school students from across the county, providing them with valuable insights into various healthcare career pathways.
As a new graduate of Mesa College’s Health Information Management (HIM) bachelor’s program, Vicki Dunbar celebrates an educational milestone almost 30 years in the making. While Dunbar originally intended to continue her education immediately after earning an associate degree in Health Information Technology from Cypress College in 1994, life steered her in another direction.
