5 schools offering free health IT workforce training

Schools help health pros get up to speed on technology

Online training and continuing education is available for healthcare workers who want to advance their technical skills for service in a healthcare environment. The Office for the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology recently provided a list of educational organizations offering new IT workforce training sessions across the country. ONC notes that while registration is open, space is limited at the discretion of the schools. Deadlines to sign up vary by programs.

This list of participating educational institutions was released in December.

Columbia University

Columbia University has developed a program it calls HI-FIVE (Health Informatics For Innovation, Value and Enrichment), designed for healthcare professionals to update their knowledge of health information technology.

The school offers studies in care coordination and/or interoperability of health IT systems; data analytics; population health; and value-based care. The training is provided online through Coursera.

More information about the program can be found here.

Johns Hopkins University/Normandale Community College

The program for these institutions is called MN HEALTH IT and is free workforce training for professionals working in healthcare or at a healthcare-related organization, to stay current in the changing healthcare environment. Individuals can focus training on what is appropriate for their role in an organization or their own career goals.

The program offers the following tracks—healthcare data analytics; population health; value-based care; care management; interoperability; and more. Training is all online, and the asynchronous approach meshes with the time demands of health professionals. Those in the courses have a designated date range to complete coursework. Educational coaches are available for some courses.

More information on the program can be found here.

Oregon Health & Science University

Oregon Health & Science University offers a free continuing education course, Update in Health Information Technology: Healthcare Data Analytics, to physicians, nurses, other healthcare professionals, and health informatics/IT professionals. The course is free, but the institution recently announced that it’s current course, has reached its enrollment capacity and registration is no longer available. Prospective students should visit its web site later this spring for information on additional available courses.

ONC reports that Oregon Health & Science also has offered courses in care coordination and/or interoperability and population health.

More information on the program can be found here.

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Offered under the auspices of the UAB School of Health Professions, the UAB Department of Health Services Administration offers free online health IT training for individuals working in a healthcare setting. Students can choose from three courses and earn continuing medical education or continuing education unit credits, plus a certificate of completion. The online six-week courses are offered multiple times throughout the year.

Current courses include value-based care; population health; and data analytics.

More information on the program can be found here.

University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston

Operating a program called the Health Informatics Curriculum and Training for Transformation, the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston is led by UTHealth School of Biomedical Informatics (SBMI) and funded by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC). By partnering with various Regional Extension Centers, SBMI is providing free online informatics training to help healthcare professionals advance care transformation for their patients.

The program offers courses in care coordination and/or interoperability of health IT systems; data analytics; patient-centered care; population health; and value-based care.

More information on the program can be found here.