At its regular meeting on March 9, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education approved a new degree program, a Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics and Information Management (HIIM) to be housed within USI’s College of Nursing and Health Professions.
The new program, which will begin in the Fall 2017 semester, will provide students with specialized training in using information technology to support effective health care administration and innovative health care services delivery in a variety of work settings across an array of environments.
“Today’s health care industry is constantly evolving, and all signs point to a need for more Health IT professionals,†said Dr. Ann White, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Professions. “Our new Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics and Information Management degree will provide students with a competency-based education to meet the labor market demand in the community, region and state.â€
On a national level, employment of health information technicians alone is expected to grow 15 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development’s Strategic Research and Development Division states, “the employment of medical records and health Information technicians is projected to grow 23 percent in Indiana, 12 percent in Illinois, and 25 percent in Kentucky.â€
“It is very exciting to launch this new degree program,†said Dr. Gabriela Mustata Wilson, associate professor of Health Informatics. “By studying health information and information management at USI, students will acquire a versatile, yet focused, skill set incorporating clinical, information technology, leadership and management skills to enter the workforce or prepare for graduate work either at USI or elsewhere.â€
The Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics and Information Management program is designed for a broad range of students, including those who have just graduated from high school or adult learners who want to return to school and complete their bachelor’s degree. Transfer programs from two-year campuses are being developed, so learners can begin their education at local community colleges and then transfer to USI to complete their bachelor’s degree. In addition to traditional students, many students with IT or health care preparation at the associate level, such as associate degree-prepared nurses or Health Information Management professionals, can complete the Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics and Information Management program.
Wilson said the program will offer an intentionally-designed curriculum with internships and other learning activities focusing on information systems, informatics principles and information technology as applied to the continuum of health care delivery. Students will conduct real-life, hands-on studies that will involve system modeling, workflow analysis, service innovations and project implementation provided by regional hospitals, clinical centers and other health care organizations. Most of the courses in the new curriculum will be offered in two formats: traditional classroom-based and online.
Plans are set for a Health Informatics and Information Management (HIIM) scholarship, funded by Wilson and her family. The Gabriela, Brian and Michael Wilson Health Informatics and Information Management Scholarship has been established as a renewable, three-year scholarship, with preference given to female applicants with a minimum, cumulative 3.5 GPA. Additional scholarship criteria and application information are forthcoming.
More information about the new Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics and Information Management degree is at USI.edu/health/health-informatics-and-information-management-program/.
