Radiology Informatics: Career Associate

The Radiology Informatics AS program prepares students to enter the field of medical imaging informatics as Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) Administrators. Students are taught computer and radiology imaging basics, PACS interface and system analysis, project management and quality control, Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) and Health Level 7 (HL7) messaging systems, and electronic health records (EHR), in addition to basic human biology. Students gain oral and written communication skills to aid them in working in PACS team and healthcare environments.  Students are able to design and implement a “PACS Plan” for an imaging department within a health care facility. This program also includes 720 hours of practical clinical education in a PACS environment in which students may apply their skills in a “real world” setting. Graduates are prepared to take all five levels of certification exams through the PACS Administrators Registry and Certification Association (PARCA). Additionally, graduates with a minimum of three years’ previous experience in healthcare imaging or imaging informatics, meet the educational and continuing education requirements for taking the American Board of Imaging Informatics Certification (ABII). Students taking their clinical coursework at one of HACC’s affiliated sites must submit to a physical examination, a drug and alcohol screening, the Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance, the Federal Criminal Record Check and/or the State Police Criminal Record Check prior to the clinical experience and/or employment.  The complete program is only available at the Lancaster Campus. Some required courses are available at the Harrisburg, Lebanon, and Gettysburg campuses.

General Education   
ENGL 101 English Composition I  3 
ENGL 106 Business Writing   3 
COMM 203 Interpersonal Communication  3 
Core A Elective  3 
Core B Elective  3 
Core C Elective (Recommend: MATH 103)  3 
Free Elective (Recommend: CIS 105)  3 
Physical Education & Wellness  1 

Major Requirements   
RADI 100  DICOM & HL7 I  2 
RADI 101  DICOM & HL7 II  3 
RADI 102 RADI Regulations, Quality Control, & Security   3 
RADI 103  PACS Interface & Systems Analysis I  2 
RADI 201  RADI Project Management I  3 
RADI 202  PACS Interface & Systems Analysis II  3 
RADI 203 RADI Advanced Concepts I  4 
RADI 204 RADI Advanced Concepts II  4 
RADI 205 RADI Project Management II   2 
RADI 210 RADI Clinical I   3 
RADI 211 RADI Clinical II  3 

Other Required Courses   
BIOL 111 Introduction to Human Biology  3 
CIS 140 Intermediate Micro Database  3 
CNT 120 Network Comm. Tech I  3 
ELEC 125 Introduction to PC Technology  3 
RADT 104 Intro to Radiology Informatics  4 
RADT 110 Radiology Basics for Informatics  4 

This curriculum is designed to prepare students to:

Function as an entry-level imaging informatics (PACS) administrator

Demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving skills

Demonstrate professional behavior while functioning as an informatics specialist

Demonstrate effective communication skills

Demonstrate effective project management skills 

Apply imaging informatics legal and ethical standards in the professional environment

Comply within applicable imaging informatics professional standards

Use appropriate safety practices within the clinical environment

Apply for a Full-Ride Scholarship

Are you a future student and ready to apply to HACC? 
By applying to HACC, you have the opportunity to apply for a full-ride scholarship! HACC will fund two years of your education – enough to complete your associate degree.

Thanks to the support of the HACC Foundation, the College is able to offer FREE money to support future students, like you, in reaching your educational goals. Six full-ride scholarships are available – one from each of the five campuses and one through HACC’s Virtual Learning Program. 

Please note that current students are not eligible for the full-ride scholarships. However, there are more than 250 scholarships available for current students.

What should you know about the full-ride scholarship?

The scholarship covers tuition, books and fees for a full academic year. 

The scholarship will automatically renew each term for up to six consecutive terms if you maintain your eligibility.

Once you apply to the College and receive a HACC ID and email address, you may apply for the full-ride scholarship. You do not have to register for classes before applying for the scholarship.

Are you eligible?

To be eligible, you must:

Apply to HACC

Take 12-15 credits each term for no more than six consecutive terms (two years)

Live in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, Schuylkill or York county

Have a minimum cumulative high school GPA of 3.0

Provide a 480 SAT reading score, 21 ACT or comparable scores on the College’s placement test

Maintain a GPA of 3.0 while enrolled at HACC

Participate in at least two HACC student organizations