The School for Professional Studies partnered with the Doisy
School of Allied Health Professions this fall to offer a new
program of study, that allows students to earn a Bachelor of
Science in health information management with a minor in
informatics.

“The need for accurate, timely and useful information has
rapidly increased in recent years,” said John Buerck, Ph.D.,
director of the computer science technology program in the School
for Professional Studies. “In the area of health care, information
management is vital, whether it is used for searching medical
databases for the latest treatment, managing health care costs or
legislative issues.”

Buerck collaborated with Jody Smith, Ph.D, chairwoman of the
health information management department in Allied Health, to
create this interdisciplinary program that responds to the needs of
working adults. According to Smith, there is an increasing sense of
urgency to move the health-care industry into the electronic
information age.

The health information management professional is an expert in
securing, analyzing, integrating and managing information and is a
vital part of the healthcare team in the workplace. A career in
this field provides a challenging opportunity where the fields of
medical science, business, legal and information technology
converge. A graduate of this program can pursue a career in a
variety of work environments, including hospitals, ambulatory care
clinics, research information system companies, insurance
companies, law firms and pharmaceutical sales.

The health information management program is accredited by the
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs in
conjunction with the Council of Accreditation of the American
Health Information Management Association, according to the SPS Web
site. Graduates are eligible to take the credentialing examination
allowing them to become a Registered Health Information Management
Administrator (RHIA), which provides validation to employers and
competent consumers by setting them apart from job candidates
without credentials.

Students must first apply and be admitted to the School for
Professional Studies in accordance with the school’s guidelines.
The degree program requires that the student complete 45 credit
hours in the SPS core and 24 credit hours of informatics courses.
When the SPS core is complete, the student moves on to the School
of Allied Health, where upon completion of about 56 credit hours
they will complete the required coursework to earn their
degree.