Overview
Health Information Technology (Health IT) is a national priority and will improve health care delivery, reduce medical errors, improve care coordination and efficiency, engage patients in their own health care, and serve public health. The federal government is promoting Health IT and the deployment of EHRs, including monetary incentives for “meaningful use” of EHRs, requiring 51,000 new Health IT professionals over the next five years. Columbia is uniquely positioned to provide the experience, faculty, and resources needed to train these professionals. To do this, the Columbia University Department of Biomedical Informatics is pleased to offer two new Health Information Technology Programs: a Health IT Certificate Program and a Master's in Applied Biomedical Informatics.
Certificate: The Health Information Technology Certificate is a six-month program that will provide students with the practical knowledge and skills required to use electronic health records (EHRs) in health organizations. This program aims to train each individual for one of three roles defined by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC): 1) Privacy and Security Specialist, 2) Programmer/Software Engineer, and 3) Health Information Management and Exchange Specialist. At the end of this program, successful trainees will receive a certificate of completion from the Columbia University School of Continuing Education.
The program involves a practical, hands-on approach that addresses the national, legal, social, financial, and political environment that surrounds EHR implementation. Training includes both online and in-person instruction, for an average of eight hours per week. In addition, mandatory in-person sessions are held one day per month at Columbia University in New York City. For a flyer about the program click here, and to view slides from the information session in November, 2011, click here. For more information, please contact certificate@dbmi.columbia.edu
Master's: The 1-year, full-time Master’s (MA) degree in Applied Biomedical Informatics aims to train individuals for one of four roles defined by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC): (1) 1 Clinician Leader, 2) Public Health Leader, 3) Research and Development Scientist, or 4) Health Information and Technology (HIT) Sub-specialist. This program leverages the existing master's program courses with an additional offering, "Cardinal Topics in Applied Biomedical Informatics" and a practicum in an industry or research setting culminating in a Master's thesis based on the practicum experience. Students in the degree program will receive a Master's of Arts degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. For more information about Columbia University Department of Biomedical Informatics graduate degree programs, click here. For information about the Master's in Applied Biomedical Informatics, contact appliedmasters@dbmi.columbia.edu.
In both programs, students will gain a strong foundation in informatics concepts and for compliance with the new “meaningful use” criteria. They will develop practical skills to serve in leadership roles in healthcare organizations.
