Workforce
Advanced degrees and credentials literally pay off for health IT professionals. Additional credentials such as certifications, in fact, roughly double the chances professionals have of earning an annual salary greater than $130,000, according to a new survey from the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Bisk Education, and HIMSS.
While 29 percent of survey respondents said they make more than $130,000 annually, only 12 percent without credentials rank in that category. Women lead in the realm of furthering education, with 232 reporting additional credentials compared with 150 male survey respondents, the survey said.
[Also: Healthcare IT workers shortage stings in Georgia]
The majority of health IT professionals earn salaries greater than $80,000 per year, the study found, and 140 survey respondents said they were very satisfied with their career in health informatics compared with only 18 describing themselves as very dissatisfied,.
The survey included 404 health IT professionals from 7 countries and 42 U.S. states. There is a correlation between the level of education and job satisfaction: Professionals with advanced degrees (master’s and doctorates) are more likely to be very satisfied (89 respondents) or at least somewhat satisfied (55) with their career choice, compared with people who are very dissatisfied (4), the survey determined.
[Also: Big salary gap between men, women healthcare pros]
Of the 404 survey respondents, 303 reported unique job titles. The potential exists to categorically break down job titles and discover how the different categories correlate with income and education, the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine said; however, there is a larger narrative here concerning the profession’s many niches, which require professionals with a wide range of skills and backgrounds.
Health IT professionals overwhelmingly see career growth over the next five years: 337 survey respondents believe their career will continue to grow, compared with only 41 who do not.
Twitter: @SiwickiHealthIT
Though longtime CIO Edward Marx, vice president at the Advisory Board Company, has won several awards as leader in the health IT sector, according to him it's nurses who should be the most recognized in healthcare.
Jeff Brown has been appointed senior vice president and chief information officer of Seattle Children's, the hospital announced today. He has filled the interim CIO position since April 2015.
Brown joined Seattle Children's from Lawrence General Hospital in Massachusetts in April 2015.
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"We are thrilled Jeff has assumed the permanent role of CIO," said Lisa Brandenburg, president, Seattle Children's.
"Jeff brings tremendous experience, and during his time as interim CIO, he has made key improvements within our Information Services Department and will be integral in supporting our next strategic plan with the technical elements necessary to excel in an increasingly competitive healthcare market," she added.
While at Lawrence General, Brown served as CIO, focusing on mobile health IT within the integrated health system and accountable care organization. Population health and digital healthcare strategies were also his focus.
He previously served in senior management positions in organizations that include Partners HealthCare and Steward Health Care Network.
Twitter: @JessiefDavis
Patricia Mechael has been appointed executive vice president, Personal Connected Health Alliance at HIMSS, effective April 15, HIMSS President and CEO Steve Lieber announced on Thursday.
Mechael will serve as consultant for HIMSS until her official appointment. She'll facilitate market analysis, business planning processes and guide immediate term goals.
At PCHA, she hopes to advance trends toward self-care technology as a way to address challenges such as chronic illness management and mental health.
[Also: The making of an mHealth maven]
Mechael most recently served as executive director of the mHealth Alliance and as Principal and Policy Lead for HealthEnabled. She also has collaborated with the mHealth Summit for more than seven years. She has 15 years of experience in field building and thought leadership.
At HealthEnabled, she concentrates on global thought leadership and advocacy, research and policy work in Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda, while working with the World Health Organization to create a Global Health Index and State of the World's Digital Health Report.
She was recently awarded a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center fellowship for a study entitled, the Future of Health is Digital that highlighted the use of technology to improve patient outcomes and strengthen the health system.
Twitter: @JessiefDavis
Sue Schade, chief information officer at University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers, plans to leave that role and will instead focus on consulting, coaching and interim management work after spending more than 30 years leading IT departments.
A new survey of healthcare organizations in Georgia shows a shortage of skilled health IT workers there.
The Department of Health and Human Services is not doing enough to manage its workforce programs, according to a recent report from the Government Accountability Office, the federal government's watchdog agency.
Daniel Barchi has taken the reins as chief information officer at NewYork-Presbyterian, where he will oversee a new telehealth program set to launch this year as well as the development and implementation of technology across the health system.
Healthcare businesses added 39,000 jobs in December, finishing out a banner 2015 that saw the industry add an average of 40,000 jobs a month, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Friday.
Overall, the U.S. economy added 292,000 jobs in the month and the unemployment held flat at 5 percent.
Healthcare’s 40,000-a-month job gains in 2015 were almost double 2014, which saw the industry add 26,000 a month.
Ambulatory health services led the hiring, adding 23,400 jobs in the month. Hospitals also saw big gains in the month, adding, 12,300 jobs.
No healthcare sector lost jobs in December.
Here's the seasonally adjusted breakdown for the healthcare sector. All numbers are in thousands:
Industry
Dec. 2014
Oct. 2015
Nov. 2015
Dec. 2015
Change
Industry
Dec. 2014
Oct. 2015
Nov. 2015
Dec. 2015
Change
Healthcare
14,863.70
15,269.70
15,299.00
15,338.40
39.4
Ambulatory healthcare services
6,766.90
6,992.70
7,001.50
7,024.90
23.4
Offices of physicians
2,501.80
2,583.30
2,587.50
2,591.30
3.8
Outpatient care centers
726.5
752.6
755.3
758.8
3.5
Home healthcare services
1,289.60
1,344.10
1,344.40
1,348.10
3.7
Hospitals
4,815.60
4,960.50
4,975.50
4,987.80
12.3
Nursing and residential care facilities
3,281.20
3,316.50
3,322.00
3,325.70
3.7
Nursing care facilities
1,653.40
1,662.30
1,664.40
1,666.90
2.5
Twitter: @HenryPowderly
Mary Beth Mitchell, RN, chief nursing informatics officer at Texas Health Resources, has won the 2015 HIMSS Nursing Informatics Leadership Award, honored for helping make THR a national leader in its use of health information technology.
In charge of leading nurse utilization and optimization of electronic health records and other health IT at the sprawling Texas health system, Mitchell has helped spread knowledge about the power of nursing informatics through presentations, books and articles in professional journals.
Under her leadership, THR has won both the HIMSS Stage 7 and Davies Awards.
This past year at HIMSS15 in Chicago, Mitchell was honored with a 2015 Healthcare IT News H.I.T. Men and Women award.
"Mary Beth is an extraordinary leader in the field of nursing informatics," said Joyce Sensmeier, RN, vice president, informatics, HIMSS North America, in a statement.
[Also: 10 nurse execs at the top of their game]
"As the chair of HIMSS nursing informatics committee, the former co-chair of the HIMSS Nursing Executive Engagement Workgroup, and a member of the Nursing Informatics Symposium Planning Committee, she is a respected thought leader in transforming healthcare and patient care through the use of technology."
Mitchell will be honored at the HIMSS16 Awards Gala on, Thursday, March 3 at the 2016 HIMSS Conference & Exhibition. Learn more about HIMSS16 and the Nursing Informatics Symposium.
Twitter: @mikemiliardHITN