On February 17, an announcement delivered by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) detailed the magnitude of federal incentive distributions for meaningful use of healthcare technology. Interestingly, Sebelius' announcement was issued in conjunction with a visit and round table discussion at the Penn Valley Community College Health Science Institute, an academic institution that provides training for students looking to enter the growing healthcare IT job sector.
Sebelius' trip to the university signals an increasing emphasis in the country on training students in healthcare IT practices at the academic level.
According to a press release surrounding the HHS announcement, the Obama administration has launched a workforce training initiative, educating students to competently use technology for the betterment of patient care.
As such, training programs have been developed at nine universities and 82 community colleges, creating a new network of individuals who will be able to leverage experience in the field when they enter the job market.
Considering the experience with healthcare IT these students will gain at the collegiate level, they will likely be in high-demand at medical facilities, especially those looking to transition to these software options in the future.
To better attract these candidates, small facility managers that haven't adopted these systems may want to optimize their medical practice management through the deployment of a medical technology consulting company. Certified implementation and training experts can help a facility get the most out of electronic medical records, billing and eprescribing software, increasing the practice's appeal to the bright young minds entering the field.
Microwize Technology is a leading healthcare IT consultant offering products such as electronic medical records software and medical billing software from top providers like Allscripts and McKesson, including McKesson's Medisoft, Lytec and Practice Choice products.