Health Information Technology Education and Training

Universities and medical schools interested in health information technology (HIT) could benefit from the stimulus package in two ways:

• The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in consultation with the Director of the National Science Foundation, will award competitive grants to institutions of higher education to establish or expand medical health informatics education programs. Included are undergraduate, masters and certification programs for students in either the healthcare or IT fields. Priority will be given to existing training/education programs and to those designed to be completed within six months. The funding level and timing for these awards have not been announced.
• The Secretary of HHS may also award grants for demonstration projects to develop academic instruction and training in integrating certified Electronic Health Records technology in the clinical education of health professionals. Grants would cover up to 50% of costs, with the institutions providing a matching amount. Under the program, federal money cannot be used to purchase hardware, software or services. Further details have not yet been released.

 To read more about these two components, see pages 142 and 143 of the Recovery Act.