Recovery Training Funds
Available for Healthcare IT Jobs

July 29, 2009

By Henry DeVries

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the San Diego Workforce Partnership awarded funds to UC San Diego Extension to provide no-cost training to Workforce Investment Act eligible individuals.  The training offered will assist in preparing students for current and emerging San Diego jobs in the healthcare information technology (HIT) industry.

 The San Diego Workforce Partnership is providing $400,000 in ARRA funding for this effort over the course of the next two years with the plan to train individuals for emerging jobs such as healthcare integration engineer, healthcare systems analyst, clinical IT consultant, and technology support specialist.  In response, UC San Diego Extension has created a new HIT program to train 100 individuals to obtain skills for these higher demand jobs.

For more information on ARRA funded training San Diegans should contact their nearest One Stop Career Center.  For Career Center locations visit www.sandiegoatwork.org.

“Jobs and needs in the healthcare information technology field are a critical component of plans for positive change in the healthcare industry,” says Mary Walshok, associate vice chancellor of public programs and dean of Extension. ”Although much of the anticipated reform for the US healthcare system revolves around financial incentives and risk, achieving the cost efficiencies necessary to support that reform depends on more aggressive application of information technology to daily healthcare operations.”

The recently signed ARRA includes $19 billion that is clearly identified for healthcare information technology.  Successful application of electronic records is seen as the key factor in reducing healthcare costs and dealing with growing Medicare and Medicaid expenses.  Having access to enough workers trained in the understanding and use of electronic records is critical to implementing this ambitious agenda.

“Several factors – a growing industry with vast employment needs, a societal concern with federal backing for broad reform, and a solution incorporating advanced knowledge and skills among workers – combine to form a strong base for workforce development and employment opportunity for the coming decade,” says Mark Cafferty, San Diego Workforce Partnership president and CEO. “The injection of skilled knowledge workers into the magnet of healthcare information technology will not only provide solutions to immediate needs, but will serve as a catalyst for new and emerging types of jobs in the coming years as the impact of healthcare IT  takes hold.“

Healthcare information technology education programs are among the fastest growing continuing education offerings nationwide. The UC San Diego Extension certificate includes practical work experience so graduates will be immediately ready to step into the healthcare IT positions.

In the field of healthcare information technology, UC San Diego Extension has long-standing ties with each of the major healthcare systems in the region, as well as most auxiliary establishments, and leading information technology societies and subject experts.  During 2008, Extension served more than 3,700 enrollees taking 632 course offerings in information technology and healthcare alone.

Media Contact: Henry DeVries, 858-534-9955 or hdevries@ucsd.edu