Health informatics is one of the fastest growing fields in the health care industry. This might explain why so many prospective students look at health informatics programs in Oregon. These programs appeal to recent high school graduates looking to start their careers and older students ready to change careers. Oregon is also home to graduate level programs in health informatics that are open to those with a bachelor’s degree. The field focuses more on research and management than on working with patients. The top programs in Oregon provide students with knowledge they pick up in the classroom and knowledge gained from working in the health care industry.
Central Oregon Community College
Central Oregon Community College is a junior college with a commitment to meeting the needs of students living in cities and areas in the middle of the state. Located in Bend, it provides opportunities for students in the form of internships and work study programs with many local companies. Founded in 1949, COCC opened at a time when many students left Bend to attend courses elsewhere because the area did not have any community colleges. COCC partnered with Oregon State University in 2015 to offer new programs designed to help students complete the prerequisites needed for a bachelor’s degree from its campus.
AAS Health Information Technology
COCC offers two year degree programs that students can use when transferring to another college. But many of these programs also provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to go to work in their given fields. Its AAS Health Information Technology is one of the top health informatics programs in Oregon. Students take prerequisites like:
- English
- medical terminology
- computer coding
They then take required courses on:
- public speaking
- the law in the medical field
- maintaining medical records
The college also requires that students take 23 credit hours of courses on:
- data collection
- health care management
- similar topics
COCC is unique because it also gives students the option of earning certification in a specific field. They can earn certification in these areas:
- insurance
- medical office specialist
- medical billing specialist
- medical coding
The college awards certification to those who take an additional two to 19 credit hours of classes.
Accreditation
The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM
Contact
2600 N.W. College Way
Bend, Oregon 97703
(541) 383-7700
jsiegrist@cocc.edu
Website
Oregon Health & Science University
Oregon Health & Science University is a medium sized public university in Oregon. It has a total population of around 3,900 students. It was established in the 1970s. The university grew out of a medical school that opened in the state in the middle of the 19th century. This medical school primarily offered training programs for doctors and nurses before adding new programs in dentistry and other forms of medicine. When this school merged with another campus and opened its own teaching hospital, it became OHSU. Many of its top programs now provide students with on the job training before they graduate.
Graduate Certificate in Clinical Informatics
Many of the programs offered by OHSU are only open to students who already have a bachelor’s degree. Once you finish your degree though, you may not want to enroll in grad school and spend two years or more in school. OHSU now offers a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Informatics that is open to those with a bachelor’s degree. While this program includes some of the same courses in its master’s program, the university designed this one for students who want to spend less time in school.
Students take just eight classes for a total of 24 credit hours. You’ll take three required courses on:
- biomedical informatics
- clinical information systems
- management of organizations
The remaining five courses you must take are electives you can select from those available. OHSU offers this graduate program on its main campus and through its online system for students who want to finish their degrees online.
Masters in Clinical Informatics
The Clinical Informatics program that Oregon Health & Science University offers is also available as a full time program that awards graduates a master’s degree. Its master’s in Clinical Informatics is available both on campus and online. This accredited program consists of courses on:
- clinical information systems
- computer science,
- health care organizations
- medical billing and coding
- medical terminology
- evaluation of systems
The traditional Master of Science program requires students to take 60 credits of work, but only 48 of those credits will come from the courses they take. Students earn an additional 12 credit hours for the research and work they do on their thesis projects or papers. OHSU also offers a Master of Biomedical Informatics program that requires students do 52 credit hours of work. They can complete up to six credits through hybrid classes that they take on the Portland campus, and six credits will come from a final capstone project.
Accreditation
The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM
Contact
3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Rd.
Portland, OR 97239-3098
(503) 494-4502
Website
Portland Community College
Founded in 1961, Portland Community College already had a handful of students when it first opened its doors. Those students took part in an adult education program designed to help adult students earn high school diplomas and college degrees. The success of that program led to the city setting aside space and money for a new community college. Now known as Portland Community College, this school actually consists of four campuses in and around Portland and several learning centers. The learning centers provide additional resources for students, including currently enrolled students and those who hope to enroll in the future.
AAS Health Information Management
Though Portland Community College does not offer a traditional health informatics program, it does offer an AAS Health Information Management program. This program awards graduates with an Associate of Applied Science degree. PCC created this program as a way to help those with an interest in health care gain a better understanding of:
- terminology
- billing
- coding techniques
- other useful knowledge
As the college starts this program every fall and limits the number of open spaces, it recommends that students apply in the late spring or early summer. As one of the best health informatics programs in Oregon, it features required courses like:
- health records and content
- prescription medications
- medical coding
- data management
- health care compliance
Students must also take several laboratories as part of their studies, including labs on health care management and data management. Portland Community College helps its students find fieldwork and internships within this field too.
Accreditation
The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM
Contact
PO Box 19000
Portland, OR 97280-0990
(971) 722-5667
healthca@pcc.edu
Website
Health informatics programs go over topics like:
- protecting the privacy of patients
- maintaining accurate and detailed records
- understanding medical terminology
Health informatics programs in Oregon also often provide students with help finding jobs working for local hospitals and clinics before they graduate.