School of Health Professions and Human Services
Careers in Health Care: Become a Health Informaticist
“The Bureau of Labor Statistics projected a substantial growth in the need for people who are trained at the master’s level and beyond in health informatics.”
Nicholas Mercado, MPH Adjunct Assistant Professor of Health Professions Director, Master of Health Informatics program Hofstra University
Careers in Health Care: Become a Health Informaticist
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What do they do? “You assume a health informatics specialist would be somebody looking at data on a screen, but they’re actually going on rounds with pharmacists, going on rounds with physicians, and being integrated into that team. The health informatics specialist then determines what will make the experience better for not only the patient, but also the provider.” — Nicholas Mercado, MPH Adjunct Assistant Professor of Health Professions Director, Master of Health Informatics program Hofstra University
Health informatics specialists develop methods to store and categorize information that doctors, nurses, health care workers, and administrators use to provide high-quality care for patients in the most efficient manner possible. Combining information technology with healthcare, they ensure medical information and data are accurate, accessible, and secure. Whether they are systems specialists or data analysts, health informatics specialists are transforming the way medicine and health care is delivered. Those with an advanced degree in health informatics are able to analyze, design, and manage information systems for clinical, administrative, and research environments, opening up opportunities to pursue a career as a health information systems specialist, health data analyst, manager or consultant. Some health informaticists analyze medical data to find more effective ways to deliver health care services, while others use data analysis to help clinicians offer more personalized medicine. Health informatics specialists may also review healthcare procedures to determine more effective methods of allowing doctors and nurses to access medical data. Careers in Health Care: Become a Health Informaticist
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What are my job prospects in this field? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for health informatics specialists is expected to grow by
13%
through 2026* based on employment
trends. The average growth rate for employment in all occupations is 7%, so health informatics specialists have an excellent job outlook during the next seven years. Typical careers in the field of healthcare informatics include medical records managers, office directors,
“The Bureau of Labor Statistics projected a substantial growth in the need for people who are trained at the master’s level and beyond in health informatics. You don’t need to have a specific background to excel in health informatics. All we ask is that you keep an open mind, understand that this is where health care is going, and be able to adapt in this rapidly growing field.”
— Nicholas Mercado, MPH Adjunct Assistant Professor of Health Professions Director, Master of Health Informatics program Hofstra University
informatics analysts, clinical informatics specialists, health care consultants, and administrators. *Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016
Careers in Health Care: Become a Health Informaticist
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Job prospects for public health professionals according to Burning Glass Technologies.* Metro area with the largest number of job postings for health informatics specialists:
New York New Jersey
Average annual salary in the NY metro area:
$95,890
Projected growth of jobs in the NY metro area for health informatics specialists:
12.5%
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, states with the highest employment level in this occupation: Employment
Employment per thousand jobs
Annual mean wage
California
33,160
2.08
$122,800
New York
26,010
2.86
$135,640
Texas
21,840
1.86
$104,740
Ohio
15,540
2.91
$99,000
Pennsylvania
13,640
2.37
$99,260
State
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, states with the highest salaries for this occupation: Employment
Employment per thousand jobs
Annual mean wage
Massachusetts
13,380
3.87
$121,260
Oklahoma
6,130
3.86
$86,390
Maryland
9,900
3.75
$114,730
Iowa
5,560
3.62
$84,970
Tennessee
9,460
3.27
$93,570
State
*Source: Burning Glass Technologies, March 2019
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What kind of education do I need? Because of the high demand for jobs in this rapidly growing field, many jobs are requiring master’s degrees from specialized degree programs. Coursework typically includes health care classes, as well as information technology classes. Students in the health informatics degree program also learn about the legal and ethical regulations that they must abide by when working in this field.
“For those interested in the field of health informatics at Hofstra, it is a destination – the type of advisement they’ll be receiving, the individually tailored coursework based on their background and the ability to participate in a practicum that offers real life practice, is absolutely outstanding. It’s actually quite amazing when you think about it. You’re an intern or a practicum student who thought you were going to be sitting in a cubicle. But you’re actually told, ‘Go to the site, look at charts, go on rounds, talk to people” — Nicholas Mercado, MPH Adjunct Assistant Professor of Health Professions Director, Master of Health Informatics program Hofstra University
What should I look for in an educational program? You should choose the health informatics degree program that best fits your academic interests and career goals. Common core courses in these degree programs emphasize electronic medical records, the exchange of health information, data integration, and data analysis. The program at Hofstra University also allows you to personalize your coursework by choosing electives that fit your individual interests, including observing physicians, nurses, and other health care workers as they perform their daily responsibilities. Students get hands-on experience at Hofstra that helps set them apart on job applications. Through a six-credit practicum, students go on rotations at affiliated health information system departments in the New York metro area that not only offer real-world experience, but the ability to network as well.
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ALUMNI PROFILE:
STUDENT PROFILE: AaronPatierno, Kessel, MDClass of 2018 Megan Hofstra
MS inAthletic Health Informatics, Major: Training Hired: TK Class of 2019 Pediatric Critical Care Physician, Cohen Children’s Medical Center Student-athlete Megan Patierno knew that
athletic training program at Hofstra. Jayne
You areathletic a physician specializing in pediatric critical care medicine. and Kristin have always encouraged and Hofstra’s training program would be Why did way youtodecide degree health informatics? supported me ininmy studies.” the perfect combineto herpursue passionsaforgraduate biology and sports.
After logging moreIthan 1,000 hours ofmore AK: “Over the course of my time practicing medicine, have become between her freshman and As she prepares to graduate, Megan, an involved in activities that both succeed experience and can be improved greatly by health senior years, Megan feels ready to meet the infielder on Hofstra’s softball team, is one informatics in general. As my involvement has grown, so has my interest in demands of working for an NFL team. of the first female students to be chosen health informatics, both to improve things in which I am already involved, but for a paid, postgraduate athletic training also to help improve health care delivery with improved MP: “Every semester,data you’reexchange, assigned data internship with the New York Jets, a position to workdata with ato different college team or I would use/analysis, and improved delivery of useful clinical providers. she’ll start this summer. doctor. I also helped manage the like to streamline and improve the electronic interface that clinical doctors’ providers for Hofstra andsafer, was able to MP: “I’ll working directly with theclinical players careclinics use on be a daily basis to make better, more athletes efficient, and assist them with orthopedic and general during pre-season, setting up practices, more satisfying to both providers and patients.” doing treatments, and all aspects of sports medicine.”
medicine.”
Since her freshman year, Megan has done
Give us astrong briefmbackground your work experience, including your current athletic training rotations with three Hofstra She credits entorship from on Hofstra position. How do you Anderson expect and your graduate studies in College’s health informatics sports teams, Molloy softball team, to Softball Head Coach Larissa affect or inform work? and Nassau Community College’s football two professors in the your Department of Health Professions, Jayne Ellinger and Kristin
team, as well as a physical therapy rotation
in the field for 20 years and pioneered the
internship and beyond.”
with ProHealth. LoNigro. AK: “I am currently an attending in the Division of Pediatric Critical Care at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. Many of my clinical and administrative MP: “I’ve had the opportunity to work MP: “Jayne and Kristin recommended me responsibilities have components that require the use of health informatics to under a lot of athletic trainers and have for the opportunity and were instrumental improve care streamline processes, learned so much.and I’ve increase built a largepatient network safety. in helping me getquality, my foot in the door ... auditing IAthletic hope training to apply principles that I learned within the program to improve aspects of professionals in my field and hope really wasn’t considered of these programs.” to continue to make connections at my a profession for women. They’ve worked
What advice would you give to someone who is considering the MS in Health Informatics at Hofstra? Megan’s story isn’t unique – 100% of 2015-2016 School of Health Professions and Human
AK: Services “The Health Informatics Hofstra is atowell-rounded course undergraduate degreeprogram recipients at who responded our graduation survey or that offers students the opportunity to learn about all areas of health informatics, other reliable sources (64% knowledge rate) reported that they were employed or have withstarted enough elective options allow students to one explore own personal or were planning to startto graduate school within year oftheir graduation. interests. They are available to speak about coursework, concerns, or just offer advice at all times.”
Careers Become anaAthletic Trainer 6 CareersininHealthcare: Health Care: Become Health Informaticist
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School of Health Professions and Human Services
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