Health IT is a burgeoning industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates health IT employment will increase 21 percent through 2020. At the same time, troops are starting to return to American soil and transition back to civilian life. Approximately 246,000 troops are currently looking for work, according to a CNN report. With this projected increase in health IT careers and veterans on the search for employment, HIMSS has developed a program dedicated to properly and adequately train veterans to lead successful careers in this up-and-coming sphere.
HIMSS has partnered with Bellevue (Wash.) College and the United States Department of Labor, Education and Training Administration to offer its Veterans Career Services initiative. The goal of the initiative is "to welcome transitioning military veterans into the health IT field — a growing and promising area for technologically-adept veterans," according to the HIMSS website.
As part of the initiative, HIMSS offers a vMentors (Veteran Mentor) program, where military veterans turned health IT professionals can assist transitioning veterans by sharing advice and insights regarding the field.
The initiative also features a Veterans Career Services Webinar Series discussing how service members can transition into a career in health IT.
In addition, HIMSS developed a new health IT certification geared toward emerging professionals in the industry, such as newly transitioning veterans. Completion of the Certified Associate in Healthcare Information and Management Systems demonstrates basic knowledge of health IT and management systems and can help certificate holders find entry-level careers in health IT.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration awarded an $11.7 million grant to fund the initiative.
"The overarching focus of our grant is veterans," said Patricia Dombrowski, executive director of the Health e-Workforce Consortium at Bellevue College's Life Science Informatics Center, in a news release. "Veterans have skills that they can bring to civilian life. In partnership with HIMSS, we’ve invested a considerable amount of effort in curriculum development and setting standards."
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