Central Oregon Community College
Directory
Student Login
Employee Login

This is the searchbox for the COCC website

Student Stories

Headshot of HIM student ErinErin Dailey

Health Information Management student

Originally planning to become a registered nurse, Erin Dailey soon decided that pursuing an education in Health Information Management was more aligned with the work she hoped to do.

Dailey was chosen to be the leader of her three-person group for a semester-long project, and although skeptical at first and uncomfortable in the leadership role, she learned valuable skills in delegation, active listening, and overcoming fear. "It made me realize I am capable of being in a leadership and management position in the future," she reflects.

While HIM is an online degree, Dailey feels supported by the teachers, program director, and other students in the program. She has gained valuable knowledge in medical coding, reimbursement, health care and statistics, privacy, security of health information, and more. When she completes her degree at COCC, she is interested in becoming a medical coder or revenue cycle specialist.

"It made me realize I am capable of being in a leadership and management position in the future."

Headshot of HIM graduate AmyAmy Falkenrath

Health Information Management graduate
Utilization Management Specialist, St. Charles Health System

Amy Falkenrath, who previously worked in the health insurance industry, was inspired to enroll in COCC’s Health Information Management program when she faced a personal medical crisis five years ago. "I experienced the challenges that come with navigating the health care industry while trying to focus on getting well," she says. "I've seen this industry from the perspective of a payer and a patient, and after these experiences, I was motivated to continue my education to more fully understand our health care system and make a career choice that aligns with my values."

Falkenrath, who has worked for Moda Health since graduating from COCC in 2014 and recently started with St. Charles Health System, looks back at her time in the HIM program fondly, lauding the quality of professors and coursework that prepared her for success in her current career. "The faculty are outstanding," she says. "There is something different about the communication style that feels less like a teacher telling a student how to do something and more like a mentor working through a problem with you." Throughout the program, her mentors created a learning environment where she felt supported, respected, and confident.

"I've seen this industry from the perspective of a payer and a patient, and after these experiences, I was motivated to continue my education to more fully understand our health care system and make a career choice that aligns with my values."

One of Falkenrath's most impactful educational experiences was learning about the critical work of cancer registries, which play an invaluable role in improving an understanding of cancer, helping inform public health policies, and guiding research efforts. She says, "Learning about this important work and my discussions with the HIM faculty have influenced me to continue my education in the cancer registry management program through the American Health Information Management Association."