While there are bachelor’s degrees in health informatics, those with the college say RCBC’s associate degree is the first of its kind.
In response to workforce demands, officials with Rowan College at Burlington County say the college will launch a new degree program in Healthcare Informatics this fall.
“RCBC’s new associate degree offering in Healthcare Informatics will prepare students to use technology to improve patient outcomes in a variety of medical settings,” RCBC President Paul Drayton said. “It is a growing field nationally and there is an immediate need for skilled workers in this field locally.”
According to RCBC, the college created the Associate of Applied Science in Healthcare Informatics in collaboration with Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, which is looking to fill healthcare technology positions.
While there are bachelor’s degrees in health informatics, those with the college say RCBC’s associate degree is the only one of its kind in the country.
“Deborah Heart and Lung Center approached RCBC with the proposal to build this degree program, because of their reputation for high-quality academics and highly-skilled graduates,” said Joseph Chirichella, Deborah President and CEO. “We don’t need to wait for students to achieve their bachelor’s degree before they can be hired. With our input and RCBC’s program, we know there will be a great pool of qualified candidates.”
According to the college, the degree program combines electronic health records, health information management and computer science. Professionals in healthcare informatics work with information systems, cyber security management, and computer software to define how health information is captured, used and transmitted.
“As the healthcare industry advances, there is a greater need for employees who are trained in both electronic health records and computer science,” said RCBC director of health information technology Susan Scully.
Since the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) was passed in 2009, the college says there has been surge in the use of electronic health records, which has generated a need for trained information technology professionals who can work in healthcare settings.
According to the college, graduates trained in healthcare informatics can work for software vendors, hospitals, long-term care facilities, insurance companies, consulting services and more.
Registration for the fall 2017 semester is now open.
For more information and admission requirements, visit rcbc.edu/hit/admission-requirements.
