With Health Information Exchanges and Regional Extension Centers established, and Meaningful Use, EHR certification, and other guidelines finalized, the nation’s healthcare providers can finally get to the hard work of implementing systems that will be the foundation of healthcare reform. Billions of dollars have been set aside to act as incentives for hospitals and physicians to transform the way they care for patients. But for an economy eager for workforce opportunities, there is an equally great benefit: new jobs.
Widespread adoption of electronic health records is about to cause a massive need for trained professionals. This is because the number of facilities that already have systems in place is quite low. According to a study published in the March 26, 2009, online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, “a very low number of hospitals had adopted EHRs [electronic health records],” and “6 percent of U.S. hospitals had a comprehensive EHR, and an additional 8.0 percent had a basic EHR (e.g., one that included physician and nursing notes available in at least one clinical unit).” Despite these low adoption rates, estimates based on the data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Education, and independent studies indicate a shortfall of approximately 51,000 qualified workers who would be required to meet the needs of hospitals and physicians as they move to adopting an electronic healthcare system.
Money Magazine has also called healthcare information technology the hottest career in America. According to the publication, this emerging field has the biggest demand and growth potential. It also states “the good news, whether you’re a new college graduate or in mid-career, is that you don’t necessarily need to get a graduate degree to pursue these hot jobs. In some cases, you can take university extension courses to become qualified.”
Many institutions, including Miami Dade College’s Medical Center Campus, have already begun making plans to provide these extension courses for students in six priority HIT (Health Information Technology) workforce roles identified by Office of National Coordinator (ONC) in both healthcare and public health practice settings. These roles include: practice workflow and information management redesign specialists; clinician/practitioner consultants; implementation support specialists; implementation managers; technical/software support staff; and trainers.
The first program to be offered at the Medical Center Campus will be the Healthcare Informatics Specialist, and will begin in early 2011. The program, which will be 18 credits, will be designed to provide the necessary skills for students looking to maintain EHR systems. For those looking to continue their study, the credits from the certificate program will also transfer into the College’s Health Information Management Associate degree program.
