12800 Abrams Road Dallas, Texas 75243-2199 972.238.6950 www.richlandcollege.edu/hit Health Professions Division Program Application Packet Funding for this project was made available through the Office of the National Coordinator, Department of Health and Human Services, award number 90CC0078/01 under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Public Law 111-5: Information Technology Professionals in Health Care: Community College Consortia to Educate Information Technology Professionals in Health Care. Dallas County Community College District
PROGRAM OVERVIEW By 2015 healthcare practitioners will be required to have electronic health record (EHR) capability. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Education, and independent studies indicate a shortfall over the next five years of approximately 50,000 qualified health IT workers required to meet the needs of hospitals and physicians as they move to adopt electronic health care systems. A health IT professional is someone who is qualified to support the adoption and implementation of Electronic Health Records (EHRs), information exchange across health care providers and public health authorities, and the redesign of workflows within health care settings to gain the quality and efficiency benefits of EHRs. Dallas County Community College, Temple College and Austin Community Colleges offer an intensive online CE program training six (6) various Health IT workforce roles and is designed for self motivated experienced Health Care and IT professionals that can be completed in less than six (6) months. Upon completion of the program, graduates are expected to sit for the national competency exam developed by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Graduates will find employment with health care institutions, physician offices, and vendors of EHRs. The first 20,000 program completers in the nation will be able to complete the certification for free. Program Description General Description Workers in this role provide on-site user support for the period of time before and during implementation of health IT systems in clinical and public health settings. These individuals will provide support services, above and beyond what is provided by the vendor, to be sure the technology functions properly and is configured to meet the needs of the redesigned practice workflow. Suggested Background Individuals training for this role will have a general background in information technology or health information management. Competencies Workers in this role will be able to: Execute implementation project plans, by installing hardware (as needed) and configuring software to meet practice needs. Incorporate usability principles into software configuration and implementation Test the software against performance specifications. Interact with the vendors as needed to rectify technical problems that occur during the deployment process. Page -2-
Proactively identify software or hardware incompatibilities. Assist the practice in identifying a data back-up and recovery solution, and ensure the solution is effective. Ensure that the mechanism for hardware/software recovery (e.g., data backup or redundant systems) and related capabilities are appropriately implemented to minimize system downtime. Ensure that privacy and security functions are appropriately configured and activated in hardware and software. Document IT problems and evaluate the effectiveness of problem resolution. Assist end users with the execution of audits. Program Admissions Criteria Admission Requirements are based on the following education and experience: Health Information Technology / Management professionals: o Associate degree or higher from a CAHIIM accredited college or two years of experience or combination. Information Technology o Minimum two years IT education or two years IT experience. Military o Two years experience related to health information, database management, MIS,HIS, communications, technology, healthcare delivery, or electronic data interchange OR o Currently employed at the VA, DoD, IHS, or military base with healthcare or IT experience Physician Office Setting o One year experience related to physician practice management, coding, billing, related experience. Hospital setting: o Associate degree or higher in a healthcare related field OR o Two years experience directly related to health information management or healthcare IT systems Admission Assessments* Academic assessment tools assist applicants in determining if they have the skills to achieve program goals, objectives and competencies. With the information gained from the assessments, the Program Administrator can assist each applicant in developing an appropriate study plan. 1 Candidates must select one of the following two assessment tools: A. Documentation of a C average or above in previous college course work*, or Approved scores on the Richland College Accuplacer exam. Page -3-
Reading Comprehension 78+, Sentence Skills 80+, Arithmetic 55+ Because the purpose of the admissions criteria is to provide increased assurance of academic success, the Program Administrator has the authority to permit applicants with scores close to the above criteria to enroll in a maximum of two courses. If the applicant performs successfully in the course work, the admissions criteria may be waived. 2. Applicants must have basic computer and software knowledge*. * These are minimal requirements for admission. Individual courses have prerequisite requirements. Program Curriculum Outline Students with a healthcare background, should follow the Healthcare Coursework, and students with an information technology background should follow the Information Technology Coursework. Healthcare Track Coursework CONTACT HOURS Core Foundations in HIT, Required Courses Introduction to Information and Computer Science 36 Working with Health IT Systems 36 Installation and Maintenance of Health IT Systems 36 Networking and Health Information Exchange 36 Configuring EHRs 30 Special Topics Course on Vendor Specific Systems 16 Advanced Foundations, Required Courses Terminology in Health Care and Public Health Settings 24 History of Health Information Technology in the U. S. 16 Health Management Information Systems 36 Quality Improvement 20 Usability and Human Factors 24 TOTAL CONTACT HOURS 310 Enrichment Coursework, Not Required Fundamentals of Health Workflow Process Analysis and Redesign 36 Public Health Information Technology 24 Professional Customer Service In a Health Environment 20 Working in Teams 20 Introduction to Project Management 20 Page -4-
Information Technology Coursework CONTACT HOURS Core Foundations in HIT, Required Courses Terminology in Health Care and Public Health Settings 24 Working with Health IT Systems 36 Installation and Maintenance of Health IT Systems 36 Networking and Health Information Exchange 36 Configuring EHRs 30 Special Topics Course on Vendor Specific Systems 16 Advanced Foundations, Required Courses Introduction to Healthcare and Public Health in the US 36 The Culture of Healthcare 36 Health Management Information Systems 36 Fundamentals of Health Workflow Process Analysis and Redesign 36 Usability and Human Factors 24 TOTAL CONTACT HOURS 346 Enrichment Coursework, Not Required History of Health Information Technology in the U. S. 16 Quality Improvement 20 Public Health Information Technology 24 Professional Customer Service In a Health Environment 20 Working in Teams 20 Introduction to Project Management 20 Financial Aid This program will be funded by a grant for tuition purposes for academic years from 2010-2011, and 2011-2012, up to 150 students. Page -5-
IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT SPECIALIST APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION Last Name First Name Middle Name Student Identification Number Address City State Zip Code Home Phone Work Phone and/or Cellular Phone E-mail Address Educational History School High School College Special Training Employment History Position Completion Date (Please attach transcripts to this application) Employer (explain) Place an x by the Program Admissions Criteria that you meet: Health Information Technology or Management Professional Other Healthcare Profession, please specify below: Hospital Setting Physician Office Setting Other Healthcare Personnel Information Technology Professional, please specify: Associates Degree or higher in Information Technology or related field. Two years experience working with HIT, networks, installations or related areas. Military (current or veterans) Currently employed at the VA, DoD, Indian Health Systems or military Healthcare or IT Department, with a minimum of two years experience. Two years experience working with HIT, networks, installations or related areas. Attach documentation: Assessment scores or college transcripts Resume Applicant s Signature Date Page -6-