HEALTH CARE INFORMATICS

Healthcare Informatics is an interdisciplinary field based on computer and information science, cognitive and decision sciences, healthcare disciplines, and business. While there are distinctions in eligibility for certification, there is much overlap in the career paths for Nursing Informatics Specialists and Health Information Administrators. This program will offer students the opportunity to work and study together in a collaborative learning environment. Students with diverse backgrounds communicate unique and common experiences much in the same way professionals in healthcare informatics share and work in teams to accomplish the organization’s goals. In a multi-disciplinary focused learning environment healthcare informatics students will gain knowledge and skills in planning, collecting, analyzing, maintaining, storing and communicating health care data.  They will also gain an understanding of new methods and techniques to enhance healthcare data management, retrieve data for research and clinical practice, and ensure integrity of electronic healthcare data.

The health information administrator plays a vital role by managing the information function underlying all aspects of health care.  Because information systems are critical to the delivery of quality health care, research, policy analysis, the expertise of the HIA is critical to the operations, management, and decision-making functions in a variety of health care settings (e.g. hospitals, businesses, consulting firms, government agencies, etc.) 
The primary focus of this program is on preparation of students who have   completed an associate degree in Health Information Technology, or nursing.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

According to the US Department of Labor, health information management (HIM) jobs are expected to grow an awesome 47 percent through 2012.  More than half of new health information management graduates with a Bachelor’s Degree start with salaries in the $30,000 - $50,000 range.  Five years out, many earn $50,000 - $75,000. 

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• An associate or baccalaureate degree from FSU or an accredited college or university in health information or nursing verified by the University Registrar;
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4 point scale for previous college work;

Students entering the Healthcare Informatics program with associate or undergraduate degrees who have not taken the following pre-requisite courses will be required to take them to bridge the learning process:

• ALLH 1100 Medical Terminology
• ALLH 1106 Introduction to Pharmacology or  HLIN  2200 Interpretation of Diagnostic Data
  Biology 1170 Anatomy and Physiology or equivalent
• ALLH 1102 Pathophysiology of Disease unless nursing graduate
• IS 1100 Computer Concepts and Applications or equivalent
• Online AHIMA Health Record Data modules as needed to develop competency in selected concepts and principles basic to management of healthcare information

ACCREDITATION

CAHIIM –the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education-is the accrediting organization for degree-granting programs in health informatics and information management.  CAHIIM serves the public interest by establishing standards for the educational preparation of future health information management (HIM) professionals.  When a program is accredited by CAHIIM, it means that it has voluntarily undergone a rigorous review process and has been determined to meet or exceed the standards set by the sponsoring professional organization-the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)-in cooperation with the Commission.

Accreditation Status-The Health Care Informatics program will be applying for CAHIIM candidacy.  The purpose of this process is to establish a consultative relationship with developing programs in health informatics and information management, the sponsoring institution, and CAHIIM staff in working towards CAHIIM Accreditation.  This program is in the early stages of program implementation.  Once the program receives CAHIIM accreditation status, graduates will be eligible to apply for the AHIMA entry-level certification examination for a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA).