Dominican University New York is offering healthcare and IT professionals the opportunity to join an emerging field linking healthcare and technology, a sector that is forecast to experience major growth and generate high-paying careers. The new certificate program focuses on public health informatics which is the science of using data, information, and knowledge to improve human health and the delivery of services by solving complex healthcare issues.
The program, called PHIT, for public health informatics and technology, offers an online certificate for those with a bachelor’s degree who are already in the workforce. There is also an undergraduate program for students who want to take the courses in person as a minor.
Classes begin January 18th and the University is offering a 20% savings per credit for those who enroll in the certificate program by January 10th. Additional financial support may be available through employers and those who are interested are encouraged to get more information in order to discuss options with their employers. More information can be found at https://tinyurl.com/phit3
“Whether you’re seeking to enter the healthcare field, want to accelerate your healthcare or IT career, or are an employer in need of a workforce with upgraded skills, the Public Health Informatics and Technology program at Dominican can open the door to a wealth of opportunities,” stated Carrie Boericke, PHIT Program Director. She added, “The difference between Dominican’s program and similar offerings is that ours is taught through the lens of public health with its focus on epidemiology, social determinants of health and interoperabilty.”
The future of healthcare is being powered by data. The highly trained specialists who can connect people, technology, and information to improve healthcare outcomes and safety while streamlining costs will be in great demand. In fact, Health Informatics is in the top 10 highest-demand healthcare occupations and is growing 10 times faster than healthcare jobs overall. Obtaining a degree or completing a certificate in this area could result in increased salary, faster advancement, and job security.
Private medical practices, hospitals, and larger healthcare systems are increasingly transitioning to all-electronic data collection and other digital tools, paving the way for a workforce that can manage all facets of data analytics from telehealth visits, virtual patient engagement, mobile apps, billing, and insurance reimbursements. Some of the jobs that will be in high demand include Nurse Informaticist, Public Health Informaticist, Data Analyst, Public Health Data Quality Analyst, and Clinical Informatics Specialist.
All PHIT enrollees will have the opportunity for a paid internship through a consortium of partners that are advising the program, including Bon Secours Charity Health System, CorEvitas, Cornerstone Family Healthcare, Mount Sinai Health System, EmpiRx Health, and the New York State Department of Health.
The PHIT program at Dominican College is funded through a $2.2 million PHIT Workforce Program grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). Dominican College was one of only 10 higher education institutions nationwide to receive this funding. The grant aims to strengthen U.S. public health information technology efforts, improve COVID-19 data collection, and increase the diversity of the public health IT workforce. More information about the program can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/phit3
