Vouchers for Health IT Professional Examinations

HRSA Offers Free Vouchers for Health IT Professional Examinations Validating Core Health IT Knowledge and Skills

Voucher Requests End April 1

• Are you interested in validating your core Health Information Technology (IT) and skills?
• Are you a graduate of a community college Health IT program?
• Are you seeking opportunities to advance your career?
• Are you a healthcare provider who would like to expand your knowledge of Health IT?
• Do you have employees who support your Health IT needs and would like to receive certification in this skill set?

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), in collaboration with The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT is offering free vouchers to take the Health IT Professional Exams (HIT Pro Exams). These exams assess competency in one of six Health IT workforce roles:

• Clinician/Practitioner Consultant
• Implementation Manager
• Implementation Support Specialist
• Practice Workflow & Information Management Redesign Specialist
• Technical/Software Support Staff
• Trainer

Learn more here.

National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC) Job Board

The NeHC job board is a group for organizations, non-profits, government agencies, private practices, etc. to post openings for a variety of positions across the health IT industry. The group is free to join and does not require registration. However, all members are expected to adhere to the guidelines of the group or risk removal.

National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC) is a public-private partnership that enables secure and interoperable nationwide health information exchange to advance health and improve health care. NeHC was established through a grant from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) to build on the accomplishments of the American Health Information Community (AHIC), a federal advisory committee to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) until 2008, and is led by some of the nation’s most respected thought leaders in healthcare and health IT.

Visit the NeHC job board here.

UIC for an advanced education in health informatics

The University of Illinois at Chicago is ranked in the top 4% of 4,000 colleges and Universities in the US by U.S. News & World Report. Why choose UIC for an advanced education in health informatics?

• UIC features the first master-level program to be accredited by CAHIIM*
• UIC offers well-connected programs, with classmates and alumni at the forefront of the industry
• UIC enables multi-disciplinary communication among students where expertise may be expanded to include the attitudes and perceptions of other professionals
• UIC provides an online format, so you have the flexibility to earn your degree at home
• UIC incorporates a diverse list of programs, including:

o Master of Science in Health Informatics
o Post-Master Certificate in Health Informatics
o Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Health Information Management (RHIA)
o Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management (RHIA)

If you are interested in speaking with one of our enrollment advisors about continuing your education in health informatics at UIC, visit: http://healthinformatics.uic.edu

How to find a local Health IT Workforce Development Program: Community College Consortia to Educate Health IT Professionals in Health Care

If you're looking for a local community college that is a part of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) Health IT Workforce Development Program, start by looking at the Community College Consortia to Educate Health IT Professionals in Health Care Program.

Community College Consortia to Educate Health IT Professionals in Health Care Program

The Community College Consortia Program includes five regional groups – Regions A, B, C, D, and E – of 82 member community colleges representing all 50 states. The member community colleges received funding to rapidly create Health IT academic programs or expand existing health IT training programs that can be completed in six months or less.

Health IT careers for physicians

Author: Mehul Sheth, DO FAAP

Dr. Kim’s fourth category is near and dear to me-technology and informatics. I not only work in this field, but continuously find new and interesting trends and topics that keep my interest peaked. My focus on other areas waxes and wanes, but by it’s nature, there’s always something new in technology!

Informatics has been on the front burner in the news also-automation of health records and physician workflows is seen as a way to cut down on unnecessary medical error and duplication of tests and procedures along with a whole host of other benefits. This has kept it a hot topic in politics, finance and medicine-a deadly combo that means that there’s also a lot of misinformation out there. In the end, electronic health records and other technology can go a long way to greatly improving healthcare, but humans will always be needed, so fear not!

What is the difference between health informatics and HIM?

What is the difference between health informatics and HIM?

HIM = Health Information Management
AHIMA = American Health Information Management Association

Learn more by participating in this upcoming webinar on September 28

If you are unable to attend the AHIMA 2010 convention, please dial in to join us for a presentation hosted by UIC's HIM Program Director, Karen Patena. Karen will provide attendees with an over-view of health informatics and HIM, and the differences between the two disciplines. She will also speak about the UIC graduate level programs in this area of study.

Karen Patena has worked in hospital medical record management, as well as systems planning and implementation, for nearly 20 years. Recently, she served as a vital member of the team to implement a Cerner patient-care information system at the University of Illinois Medical Center. She is a frequent contributor to the Journal of AHIMA* and a regular presenter at the meetings of local, state and national health information management professional associations.

Title: What is the difference between health informatics and HIM?
Date: Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Time: 2:30PM - 3:30PM EST

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

Click here to register. 

IBM will be hiring physicians and other clinicians

IBM recently announced a "$100 million health care initiative" that includes the hiring of physicians, nurses, and other clinicians. Here's a snippet from their July 15 press release:

ARMONK, N.Y., - 15 Jul 2010: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced plans to enlist some of the company’s leading scientists and technologists to help medical practitioners and insurance companies provide high-quality, evidence-based care to patients. As part of this initiative, IBM is collaborating with clinicians in medical institutions and hiring medical doctors to work alongside its researchers to develop new technologies, scientific advancements, and business processes for healthcare and insurance providers.

Later, IBM goes on to say this:

As part of this initiative, IBM expects to hire several physicians, clinicians, nurses, engineers, economists and social scientists.

I'm not entirely sure what they mean by "several," but let's hope that it's more than just a handful. After all, there are many physicians out there who are eager to get involved in health IT initiatives in both the public and the private sectors.  It's no surprise that major technology companies like IBM will be hiring physicians. After all, the government is spending billions of dollars on health IT and we will see many other health IT opportunities open up for physicians and other health care professionals.

You can read the IBM press release here.

Career Strategies on How to Enter the Health Care IT Industry

If you're interested in finding career opportunities within the health IT industry, you'll want to sign up for this complimentary webinar:

Career Strategies on How to Enter the Health Care IT Industry

Join us for a Webinar on July 28
Time: 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
(Please note time is Eastern)

Space is limited.  Reserve your Webinar seat now at:  https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/227684072

Please join UIC for the webinar entitled 'Career Strategies on How to Enter the Health Care IT Industry,’ presented by experienced health IT recruiter, Bonnie Siegel.

Have you asked the question, “How can I transition to, or further develop my career in health IT?” If so, you do not want to miss this upcoming webinar! Bonnie Siegel, a long time recruiter in the world of health IT will share her experiences, insight and tips on how to become a successful candidate for employment in this industry.

Bonnie is an Associate Partner at Sanford Rose Associates - Charleston and leads the Healthcare CIO and Senior IT Leadership practice. She is a retained health care IT executive recruiter with a successful track record in executive search and consulting and industry research. She specializes in the recruitment of CIOs, VPs, Deputy CIOs and clinical informatics and clinical IT leadership professionals for major health systems, hospitals and medical groups throughout the country. She is a Fellow at HIMSS and frequently presents at national health care associations conferences. She has published several health care IT articles and has been quoted in industry publications.

Please sign up soon, as space is limited.   https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/227684072

Health IT expansion to create "tens of thousands" of jobs

Looking for a non-clinical job? Maybe it's time to pursue something in the health information technology industry. After all, Healthcare IT News is reporting that the health IT expansion will create thousands of new jobs in this country. You can thank President Obama for ARRA and HITECH.

So, will these jobs primarily be related to implementation, integration, etc? Will there be physician jobs as well? Or will most of these jobs be geared for nurses and non-clinicians? I've seen a trend where major health IT vendors are hiring physicians as members of a sales force. Physicians like to learn about things from other physicians. So, it makes sense that doctors are more likely to be open and receptive about electronic health records if they're hearing it from another doctor. So, if you don't mind traveling, then perhaps you'll enjoy working in health IT in the world of sales.

Many physicians will leave clinical practice due to health care reform

Recently, I had the chance to poll physicians (and I'd like to thank all those physicians who helped me with this). It was an informal poll, but I wanted to know how many physicians were planning on leaving clinical practice now that the health care reform bill has been passed. It's no surprise, but an overwhelming majority of physicians were more determined to look for a transition into the non-clinical field of medicine. To some, this may mean a career in administrative medicine. To others, it could be medical writing or medical education. Some want to get into the pharmaceutical industry.

In the past, many physicians would have indicated a strong desire to work for insurance companies. That trend has changed and I think physicians recognize that career opportunities in the health insurance industry may be diminishing as the government rolls out a public option and creates some serious competition.

How will patients receive proper medical care if so many existing physicians choose to leave clinical practice? What's going to happen in areas where physician shortages are causing patients to drive several hours to receive care? More physicians may plan to retire early instead of hassling with the public option and with the electronic health record requirements outlined in the HITECH Act.  Our nation will experience some significant changes in the health care world, but will these be overwhelmingly positive or negative for the public?

EHR vendors are looking for implementation consultants and specialists

Electronic health record (EHR) vendors are looking for implementation consultants and specialists. The nice thing is that most of these EHR companies will train you, but you should expect to travel quite a bit for this type of job. The majority of these clinical informatics positions are being filled by nurses, but physicians can play a unique role when it comes to interacting with other physicians.

You see, physicians generally like to learn from other physicians. They want a colleague to provide them with pointers and tips on how a system can improve the clinical workflow. Many hospitals are cultivating physician "champions." These champions are influential advocates and have a unique way of communicating with other physicians in the hospital system. We need more champions, don't we?

So, if you're thinking about a career in health IT, consider how you can play a role in the EHR implementation process. Implementation is just the first step. Maybe you could be instrumental in helping physicians and hospitals reach "meaningful use" so they can receive financial incentives from the government through the HITECH Act (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act) within ARRA.

Who are some EHR vendors? Here are a few (in no particular order or preference): Allscripts, GE, Epic, McKesson, NextGen, eClinicalWorks, Practice Fusion, athenahealth, Cerner, ChartLogic, Eclipsys, Greenway, Ingenix, MedConnect, and many others.

Getting ready to travel to Atlanta next week

I'll be in Atlanta next week for HIMSS10! Hope to see you there as I blog about health IT, electronic health records (EHRs), computerized physician order entry (CPOE), smartphones, tablet computers, gadgets, and much more.

I plan to publish most of my HIMSS-related blog posts on MedicineandTechnology.com since the majority of topics will be related to health IT, ARRA, HITECH, "meaningful use," interoperability, clinical decision support, EHR implementation, and much more.

However, I'm sure I'll also add relevant blog posts to MedicalSmartphones.com and MobileHealthComputing.com as I meet with vendors and explore new products and gadgets.

Job-related blog posts will obviously get published here on NonClinicalJobs.com

So, make sure to follow all my blogs next week!

Health Care: Rx for MBA Job Blues

There's an interesting article on BusinessWeek titled, "Health Care: Rx for MBA Job Blues."

To grab your attention, you'll see this under the title: Health care is one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dismal job picture for b-school grads, and reform, if it happens, has the potential to make it brighter still

So, what types of opportunities are opening up for MBA graduates as the nation prepares for some significant health care reform? The article places a considerable amount of focus on health IT (health information technology) and electronic health records. After all, we're going to see $25.8 billion (or is it $36.5 billion?) set aside for health IT through the HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health) provisions found within American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). 

Click here to read the BusinessWeek article.

U.S. Employers Slash 20,000 Jobs

The Wall Street Journal puts it this way: "U.S. Employers Slash 20,000 Jobs; Jobless Rate Falls to 9.7%"

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

• The unemployment rate declined from 10.0 to 9.7 percent in January.
• In January, the number of unemployed persons decreased to 14.8 million.
• Health care employment continued to rise in January.
• Ambulatory health care services added 15,000 jobs over the month.

It's good to see growth in the health care sector. We're certainly also going to see growth in the health information technology industry as companies and hospitals receive some ARRA stimulus funds related to the HITECH provisions. Will that be enough to stimulate the economy back to life?

Webinar series about Health IT (meaningful use of EHRs)

It seems like we're getting bombarded by free webinars focusing on the topic of "meaningful use" of electronic health (or medical) records (also known as EHRs or EMRs). NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, Inc. has a series of webinars on EMR/EHRs and the first webinar is today. It's titled,  "Meaningful Use Definition: An Analysis For Medical Providers." Here's a brief description:

On December 30, 2009, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) finally released for public comment, the rulemaking document that defines Meaningful Use.

Be sure to sign up for this webinar to learn:

• Why and how you can participate in the public comment period
• The rulemaking document’s relationship to the healthcare reform movement
• Why it’s important to make your EHR selection now

Over the next 60 days (January 14 through March 13) the medical community will analyze this document with the intention of helping to shape its direction. Did you know, for example, that the first incentive paid in 2011 will be based on data captured for three months in 2010?

To view the entire list of NextGen webinars, click here.

Health Information Management webinar (complimentary)

Here's a complimentary webinar on health information management coming up in a few days (plus it will be available after the event, but you must register to access the content). This web seminar has been approved by HIMSS for up to 1.2 contact hours of continuing education credit toward renewal of the CPHIMS credential.

The Key to Addressing Regulatory Compliance While Improving your Financial Position through Effective Health Information Management

Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Time: 2 p.m. Eastern / 11 a.m. Pacific
Duration: 1 Hour

Here's a brief description:

Today's healthcare environment presents a constant storm of challenges. Recent regulatory changes and the privacy and security measures enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 have presented a new set of challenges that providers must comply with, which often become a lower priority when it comes to allocating spending in uncertain economic times. These measures are critical in achieving widespread HIT adoption.

As heightened regulations with stiffened penalties go into effect, it is important that providers address privacy and security measures now - to avoid the costs later. These costs not only come in the form of steep financial penalties, but also require resource dedication, which can disrupt processes and cause further negative impact to your bottom line.

Attend this Web seminar on January 20, and you will:

• Understand the scope of the new privacy and security measures enacted with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 and how this is affecting Health Information Management.
• Learn how heightened HIPAA enforcement, also enacted through ARRA, is affecting Health Information Management in provider organizations like yours and what potential financial impact these stiffened penalties can have on your organization.
• Develop a comprehensive knowledge of how process improvement in Health Information Management can advance your economic position to enable success in the current economic environment.
• Discover how technology can bring value to your organization through enabling regulatory compliance and streamlining processes.

Speakers:

Kelly McLendon, RHIA
President
Health Information Xperts

Bill Kloes
Vice President and General Manager
Enterprise Imaging Group
McKesson Corporation

Moderator:

Chip Means
Web Editor
Healthcare IT News
Healthcare Finance News

Can't make the live event? Register now and after the event you will receive an e-mail with the complimentary presentation content.

Click here to register for this webinar

Free health IT webinar on "Meaningful Use"

How well do you understand "meaningful use" as defined within the HITECH provisions within the ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009)?

You may be interested in this free webinar that will review the topic of "meaningful use." It's titled:


Meaningful Use: An Update on Meeting Criteria for Federal Incentive Payments

Jan 26, 2010
12:00 p.m. Eastern / 9:00 a.m. Pacific

Join us for a critical eSeminar to discuss important new legislation for Healthcare IT.

The situation is clear - the Federal Government is serious about creating substantial improvements in Healthcare IT. One of the most important components of this groundbreaking legislation is to meet "Meaningful Use" requirements as defined by the government. Understanding this definition, and what it means to your organization in actual use, is crucial in today's world of tight budgets and limited capital expenditures.

Join us and we'll help you understand the specifics, the requirements on your organization, and how you can meet the directive.

Here are the speakers:

Harry Greenspun, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
Dell Perot Systems Healthcare Group

Matt Krupnick
Public Policy Counsel
Dell Government Affairs

Aaron Goldberg
VP, Market Experts Group
Ziff Davis Enterprise

Click here for more information about this upcoming webinar.

Physicians' IT Symposium: What it Means to be a Meaningful User

This year, the Physicians' IT Symposium is focusing on: What it Means to be a Meaningful User. If you've been following the discussions surrounding the HITECH (health information technology) provisions within the ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act), then you know that one of the key phrases is "meaningful use." What does that mean? How does a physician demonstrate meaningful use of an electronic health record system? Attend the Physicians' IT Symposium on February 28 and stay for HIMSS 2010 (March 1-4) in Atlanta, Georgia. You can receive CME (Continuing Medical Education) credit for attending, so maybe you should make this your CME trip for the year.

Here's a brief description of the  Physicians' IT Symposium

From the large organization to the small physician practice, this is a critical time for healthcare IT. This highly acclaimed symposium will examine planning, implementation, workflow, vendor guidance, and legal aspects of the EMR. Small interactive discussions will tackle the meaningful use criteria.
Symposium Educational Objectives - After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:

• Discuss the meaningful use criteria related to aspects including patient privacy, clinical information exchange and public health organizations
• Describe malpractice implications in using electronic health records, personal health records and health information exchanges
• Summarize questions physicians should ask their vendor before implementing electronic medical records in order to comply with meaningful use criteria.

Will you be in Georgia next month?

Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CPHIMS)

The world of Health IT is full of acronyms.You can expect to see this one after many people's names fairly soon. It's CPHIMS. Do you know what it stands for?

Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CPHIMS)

CPHIMS is a professional certification program for healthcare information and management systems professionals. Individuals who meet eligibility criteria and successfully complete the CPHIMS exam are designated a Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CPHIMS).The CPHIMS credential provides both internal and external rewards. It is a mechanism to validate your skill, knowledge and abilities.

• Distinguish yourself from your peers as certified in healthcare information and management systems;
• Expand your career opportunities;
• Validate your healthcare information and management systems knowledge, competency and credibility;
• Provide yourself with skills and tools to help you make a difference in your career, your organization, and your community;
• Demonstrate your commitment to continuing professional development;
• Enjoy the pride of recognition of knowing that you are among the elite in a critical field of healthcare; and
• Hold a premier credential based on a sound assessment to distinguish yourself in an increasingly competitive marketplace. 

In order to become a CPHIMS, you must pass an exam. That's right, it's time to study and look for some test-prep courses.

The examination consists of 115 multiple-choice test items, presented during a 2-hour session. Scoring is based on 100 items pre-selected for desirable psychometric characteristics. The additional 15 test items are included as pretest items. Performance on pretest items does not affect a candidate’s score.

Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility standards are designed to include those experienced in healthcare information and management systems, but exclude others. To participate in the CPHIMS examination, a candidate must qualify under one of the following options.

• Baccalaureate degree plus five (5) years of associated information and management systems experience*, three (3) of those years in healthcare.
• Graduate degree plus three (3) years of associated information and management systems experience*, two (2) of those years in healthcare.

*Associated information and management systems experience includes experience in the following functional areas: administration/management, clinical information systems, e-health, information systems, or management engineering.

How many CPHIMS are out there? Right now, the list is relatively small. In fact, you can view that list right here. However, you can be sure that this list will grow considerably over the next few years as ARRA dollars get poured into the health care system (HITECH provisions within ARRA).

To learn more, visit: http://www.himss.org/ASP/certification_cphims.asp

HIMSS10 Physicians' IT Symposium

HIMSS = Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society

The HIMSS10 Physicians' IT Symposium is coming up quickly! The theme is "What it Means to Be a Meaningful User." The Physicians' IT Symposium will be a full day meeting on February 28, 2010. Here's what you can expect to cover that day:

A message from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT regarding:

• ARRA Funding
• Quality
• Safety
• Meaningful Use

Real-world discussion focusing on meaningful use adoption
Issues surrounding malpractice liability in the use of EHRs, PHRs and HIEs
Tough questions you need to ask your IT vendor

The HIMSS10 conference will start March 1 and run through the 4th in Atlanta, Georgia. If you're seriously considering a career in health IT, then you should attend HIMSS (you can receive CME credit while you're there) to learn, network, and explore career opportunities in the health IT industry. The early bird registration fee ends on December 15 (wow, that's only a few days away).

Here's a list of some of the featured speakers:

Opening Keynote Address:
Quality, Safety and Meaningful Use in Healthcare Technology: A Message from ONC
David R. Hunt, MD, FACS
Chief Medical Officer and Acting Director Office of Health Information Technology Adoption Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT

What You Need to Know About Your EMR Vendor: The Right Questions to Ask
Adam Gale
President
KLAS Enterprises, LLC
Mark Wagner
Director of Ambulatory Research
KLAS Enterprises, LLC

Dealing with Malpractice Liability in the use of EHRs, PHRs and HIEs
Howard Burde, JD, FHIMSS
Howard Burde Health Law LLC

Clinical Decision Support and Meaningful Use: Requirements, Enablers and What you Should Do Now
Jonathan Teich MD, PhD, FHIMSS
Chief Medical Informatics Officer Elsevier

How to "Meaningfully" Protect Privacy Without Harming Patients
Eric M. Liederman, MD, MPH
Director of Medical Informatics
Kaiser Permanente

Clinical Information Exchange
Robert E. White, MD, MPH
Medical Director of Clinical Informatics Lovelace Clinic Foundation
ABQ Health Partners

Meaningful Use: Protecting the Public's Health
Raymond D. Aller, MD, FCAP, FHIMSS
Director, Automated Disease Surveillance
County Department of Public Health

Facilitated Open Discussion
William F. Bria, MD
CMIO
Shriners Hospitals for Children

You can learn more about the upcoming HIMSS conference by visiting: http://www.himssconference.org