Orlando — As more hospitals and medical offices switch to electronic health records, there’s a growing demand for workers who can organize and manage the growing tide of health information data. To train workers for this growing field, Valencia College is launching a new two-year degree program in health-information technology.
Starting in January 2014, Valencia College’s new Associate in Science (A.S.) in health information technology will train students for jobs as health information technicians, medical coders, health data analysts, release of information specialists or documentation and coding specialists.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there’s a growing need for health information technicians. As more hospitals and medical offices switch to electronic health records, the need for health information technicians is expected to grow.
“The Health Information Technology field places students right where the expanding arena of healthcare meets the cutting edge of technology,” said Penny Conners, dean of Valencia College’s Allied Health Division. “HIM professionals are the experts on patient data that doctors, nurses and other providers rely on to perform their jobs. “
Although medical records and health information technicians do not provide direct patient care, they work regularly with physicians and other healthcare professionals to assemble patients’ medical histories, symptoms, examination results, diagnostic tests, treatment methods, and all other healthcare provider services.
Currently there are 1,200 jobs in Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Sumter counties and the number of jobs is estimated to grow by 23 percent by the year 2019.
The median annual wage of medical records and health information technicians was $32,350 in May 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Almost 40 percent of health information technicians work in hospitals, while 23 percent work in doctor’s offices. The other major employment sectors include consulting firms, insurance companies, healthcare associations, pharmaceutical companies, public healthcare organizations, government agencies and bio-tech companies.
Students who are interested in learning more about Valencia’s new A.S. degree should attend an information session. Valencia’s Division of Allied Health holds weekly information sessions for potential students. At these sessions, potential students can learn about the new program and its requirements.
The next session will be held on Wed., Oct. 2, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Valencia’s West Campus, in Building 3, room 111. The West Campus is located at 1800 S. Kirkman Road, Orlando, Florida.
Dates for more information sessions are listed here: http://valenciacollege.edu/west/health/infoSession.cfm
More information about the program and admission requirements to the program, please go to http://valenciacollege.edu/west/health/admissionupdates.cfm
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