SUNY Polytechnic Institute Online, Asynchronous Program Format
SUNY Poly is committed to providing students with a high quality online learning experience that combines flexibility with academic rigor. Online students enjoy many of the same benefits as their peers on campus, including exclusive student discounts at many local and national businesses. Brightspace, our online learning platform, fosters collaboration and community. The HIM program’s online format offers students access to the courses, faculty, and department resources from any location. The asynchronous online format allows learners the flexibility to engage in coursework on a schedule that accommodates employment duties and personal responsibilities. General education, liberal arts, and human resource management courses can be completed online or on-campus. Out-of-state students who complete the program online enjoy reduced tuition.
Hands-On Learning
Professional Practice Experiences (PPEs) provide students with the opportunity to apply classroom learning in realworld healthcare environments. These structured, supervised experiences may take place in settings such as hospitals, physician practices, insurance companies, government agencies, long-term care facilities, or health IT organizations. PPEs are designed to help students build practical, job-ready skills in key areas like health data management, medical coding, healthcare compliance, and informatics—ensuring a strong foundation for career advancement upon graduation.
PPEs at SUNY Poly Each HIM student is required to complete two Professional Practice Experiences (PPEs): • First PPE: Typically completed during the summer between the junior and senior years, this experience involves working full-time for three weeks in a hospital’s health information department. Note: Graduates of accredited HIT programs receive credit for the equivalent of the first PPE. • Second PPE: Completed during the final semester of senior year, students spend three weeks in the health information department of a healthcare facility or health-related organization, with a focus on management and leadership.
Faculty Spotlight
Andriana Semko
SUNY Polytechnic Institute, New York’s premier public polytechnic, provides an innovative and affordable higher education for students interested in science, engineering, technology, business, healthcare, and other liberal arts offerings for a well-rounded approach to experiential learning. Our commitment to a handson education situates students with both the academic structure customary of undergraduate study and unique opportunities for training and cutting-edge research, ultimately providing learners an unmatched education targeted for success in our fast-changing world. SUNY Poly students enjoy public school tuition with benefits that many small, private institutions boast, including small class sizes, individualized learning experiences, and a tight-knit community.
MBA, RHIA, CCS, CPC, CCS-P
Associate Professor and Program Coordinator Professor Andriana Semko brings a wealth of practical experience to her teaching role, having served as the Director of Health Information Management and Director of Medical Records at Sitrin Health Care Center (Utica, NY), in addition to working remotely as a medical coder for a large hospital system in Missouri. She also has local experience as an outpatient medical coder, where she applied her early career expertise in release of information. In addition to her hands-on experience, Professor Semko holds several esteemed certifications in her field, including the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA), Certified Coding Specialist-Physicianbased (CCS-P), and Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) credentials through AHIMA. She also holds the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) credential from AAPC, reflecting her ongoing commitment to excellence in health information management. An alumna of SUNY Poly’s Health Information Management (BS) and Technology Management with a concentration in Health Informatics (MBA) programs, Professor Semko is deeply invested in her students’ success as Program Coordinator for the bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management. Recently, she was invited to present at the CNYHIMA annual conference, where she shared strategies for leveraging LinkedIn to advocate for HIM professionals and foster a thriving online community. Senior HIM student Nulifere Veliu Nela joined Professor Semko at the conference.
Health Information Management
• Bachelor of Science • Bachelor of Professional Studies
Our Campus
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ASYNCHRONOUS PROGRAM
Located in Utica, NY, on hundreds of wooded and landscaped acres, SUNY Poly’s campus is a beautiful living and learning environment. Students live in our modern, spacious residential complexes, including the new Hilltop Hall, SUNY’s first zero-net carbon residence hall, and enjoy an expanding array of studentfocused facilities that include our state-of-the-art Center for Global Advanced Manufacturing, Student Center, and Wildcat Field House. Life on campus is enriched by a wide variety of events and activities, including the Wildcats’ championship-winning intercollegiate athletics program, our Wildcat Esports team, and a weekly agenda of intramurals, concerts, comedians, and more. Students can join one of the dozens of clubs and organizations or start one with a group of friends who share an interest.
Contact us: Office of Admissions State University of New York Polytechnic Institute 100 Seymour Road, Utica, NY 13502 (315) 792-7500 admissions@sunypoly.edu sunypoly.edu
NEW YORK’S PREMIER PUBLIC POLYTECHNIC 7/25