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Allied Health and Education Partnership Creates New Health IT Degree
[May 09, 2014]

Allied Health and Education Partnership Creates New Health IT Degree


(Targeted News Service Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) CINCINNATI, May 8 -- University of Cincinnati's Academic Health Center issued the following news release: A signing ceremony at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) marked the debut of a new, accelerated program combining UC's bachelor of science in Information Technology, a master's of science in Health Informatics and five semesters of co-op experience in just five years.



The signing ceremony for the "IT + MSHI" degree took place Wednesday, April 30, and featured CECH Dean Larry Johnson, PhD, and College of Allied Health Sciences (CAHS) Dean Elizabeth King, PhD, as well as guest speaker, John Hutton, MD, professor of pediatrics and associate dean for information services at the College of Medicine.

Beginning fall semester of 2014, students enrolled in the accelerated program will develop expertise in one of three Information Technology tracks: Networking/Systems, Software Application Development and Cybersecurity.


In their third year, students will take master's level classes about the health care and public health landscape, health IT standards and policy, clinical information systems, usability, clinical workflow analysis, health data and analytics.

Students will ultimately gain the tools and skills necessary to integrate advanced digital technologies into the field of public health and health care and use electronic data to contribute to the transformation of health care.

"The accelerated program combines two of the biggest, fastest-growing industries into one extremely marketable degree," says Johnson. "Graduates of this program will be on the leading edge of improving health care in the U.S., largely by making it more efficient." "Health care reform has heightened demand for workers with both health care and IT skills," says King. "This new BS IT+ MSHI program will thoroughly prepare students to be leaders in this hybrid industry." "I am very interested in interdisciplinary collaborations that benefit students and create opportunity for faculty collaboration," says Victoria Wangia, PhD, program director of the health informatics. Wangia joined CAHS in 2013 to launch the program and was instrumental in reaching out and building the IT + MSHI program.

"The accelerated program really takes IT students to another level," says Hazem Said, PhD, head of CECH's School of Information Technology. "This program provides students with the unique set of skills required for this very specialized, well-paying industry." Both the progams housing the IT + MSH program, the School of Information Technology and the Department of Analytical and Diagnostic Sciences, are accredited and recognized nationally. The IT program was among the first 10 programs nationally to receive accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc.

The CAHS Department of Analytical and Diagnostic has six programs, including the MS in Health Informatics degree.

TNS 30TagarumaMar-140510-4731065 30TagarumaMar (c) 2014 Targeted News Service

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