Workforce Programs
Health information technology professionals are in demand.
As the nation moves toward a more technologically advanced health care system, providers are going to need skilled health IT experts to support them in the adoption and use of electronic health records.
To help address this growing demand, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has funded the Health IT Workforce Development Program. The goal is to train a new workforce of health IT professionals who will be ready to help providers implement electronic health records to improve health care quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness.
About the Workforce Development Program
ONC has awarded $116 million in funding for the following Health IT Workforce Development Program activities:
- Community College Consortia to Educate Health Information Technology Professionals: Five regional groups of more than 70 community colleges in all 50 states have $68 million in grants to develop or improve non-degree health IT training programs that can be completed in six months or less. The funded community colleges will help train more than 10,500 new health IT professionals by 2012.
- Program of Assistance for University-Based Training: Nine grants totaling $32 million have been awarded to colleges and universities to quickly establish or expand health IT training programs for health IT professional roles requiring training at the university level.
- Curriculum Development Centers: $10 million has been awarded to five universities for the development of educational materials for the Community College Consortia program. The materials will also be made available to other schools across the country.
- Competency Examination Program: A two-year, $6 million grant has been awarded to fund the development of competency exams for health IT professionals.
