Networking for Success: Tips for UNE Online Students

Research has shown that establishing personal links through networking can give you a professional boost. Networking activities are a key tool for strengthening your position in your field and have proven to have tangibly positive career implications for participants. In this post, you will find tips for networking for success, how to build your networking skills, and how to put your networking plan into action. Expand your network – who do you know? Networking isn’t just about making superficial connections with as many people as possible; it’s about actively listening and engaging. Successful networkers prioritize building meaningful relationships by investing time and effort into understanding others’ needs and interests. By doing so, they uncover genuine opportunities to forge lasting connections…

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Spotlight: Katelyn Beeley, Health Informatics Program

Katelyn Beeley, RN, BSN, MHI is the Manager of Clinical Informatics under Medical Affairs for Maine Medical Center and a graduate of our Master of Science in Health Informatics program. Here, she talks about what led her to the field of health informatics, what she learned from her studies, and about her experience with the UNE community. Click the link to read more about Katelyn’s journey with UNE Online! 

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What is Healthcare Informatics?

What is healthcare informatics
Healthcare informatics influences healthcare delivery, management, and planning, with the goal of improving clinical outcomes, lowering the cost of care, and bettering the patient and provider experience. It is the interdisciplinary study of the design, development, and application of technology-based healthcare innovations. Health informatics is known by several different names. The field is also popularly referred to as clinical informatics, biomedical informatics, health IT, data science, health informatics, medical informatics, and nursing informatics, among others. Bridging the gap between data science and patient care, health informatics is a field that ties together multiple disciplines including; information science, computer science, social science, behavioral science, and managerial science to improve healthcare outcomes. The benefits of healthcare informatics Covering health data collection,…

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What is Informatics in Healthcare?

An infographic that explains the Master in Health Informatics program and how it combines healthcare and health technology
Informatics in healthcare is the interdisciplinary study of the design, development, and application of technology-based innovations in healthcare services delivery, management, and planning. The benefits of informatics in healthcare As an industry, health informatics connects people with health technology to better improve healthcare outcomes and safety. The field of health informatics covers health data collection, storage, reporting, and communication – and maintains a mission to advance operational efficiencies to streamline comprehensive care and protect patient data. As developments to those processes are continually made through design, implementation, and configuration, the health informatics career field continues to expand. How is informatics used in healthcare? Informatics is used to achieve higher quality care. Informatics serves as a tool for patients to…

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Health Informatics at UNE Online – Program-Specific FAQ

Health Informatics Questions Answered
In this post, we answer questions about Health Informatics at UNE Online. Every single day, our Enrollment Counselors field some really great questions from prospective students. Here are a few common questions about Health Informatics: To enter the health informatics program, does your bachelor’s degree need to come from a specific field? No, your bachelor’s degree does not need to be in a specific area. We have people from all walks of life in our health informatics programs. We tend to have more students on the clinical side of things (doctors, nurses, physicians, and pharmacists) but we also have some students on the IT spectrum of the industry, as well as students coming in with an insurance background. The field…

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Examples of Informatics in Nursing – Applying your Master of Science in Health Informatics

Examples of Informatics in Nursing
Nursing informatics is a field that has evolved as the use and storage of data have been integrated into the forefront of patient care and practice management. As technology has evolved over the years, so have examples of informatics in nursing. Though the profession of nursing remains the same, the daily work of these healthcare professionals is heavily influenced by informatics, with special attention to the accuracy and communication of patient data and care. What are some examples of informatics in nursing? Examples of informatics in nursing demonstrate how much the field has evolved, and show how nurses have integrated the use of data and new technologies to improve patient outcomes. Informatics is the practice of collecting, analyzing, and leveraging…

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Top 5 Health Informatics Jobs on the Rise

Is Health Informatics a good career choice
When looking at careers in health informatics and the associated healthcare informatics salary, many people ask ‘Is Health Informatics a good career choice?’ As healthcare systems look to capitalize on big data and its endless applications, health informatics jobs have become increasingly vital. Consequently, as the health informatics field continues to accelerate, higher education programs are emerging to meet the demand by developing graduate programs in Health Informatics. Graduates with a Master’s in Health Informatics benefit greatly. Health Informatics – a good career choice According to the World & U.S. News Report on Online Health Informatics Master’s Degrees, “obtaining a graduate degree in the health informatics field widens your opportunity for career advancement and strengthens your competitive edge,” making…

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Jobs in Health Informatics

Jobs in Health Informatics
Jobs in health informatics involve professionals who use data to help healthcare providers achieve better health outcomes. Health informatics connects people, technology, and data to improve the safety and quality of patient health; not only for individual patients but for entire populations. Health informatics graduates and professionals are helping to transform the healthcare industry by moving towards a more advanced and patient-focused model of care. In this diverse field, practitioners collaborate across many different work environments to ensure that security and simplicity always remain within reach. Jobs for Health Informatics graduates The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow 32 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster…

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Ambassador Spotlight: Janet Quiring – Health Informatics Program

Student Spotlight Janet Quiring Health Informatics program
Janet Quiring is a student in the Master of Science in Health Informatics program here at UNE Online. We spoke with her recently about her thoughts on the program, how she leveraged her strengths to find her practicum placement, and what aspects of real-life cybersecurity her practicum is exposing her to. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself, and what encouraged you to pursue your Master’s in Health Informatics? I’ve had a career in the pharmaceutical industry for many years now. The industry is great, and I’ve enjoyed it, but at some point, you step back and look at how the market is changing. I’ve seen the whole dynamic of medicine shift, and I felt that I…

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Faculty Spotlight: Nicholas Flavin, MPH, Health Informatics Program

Nicholas Flavin, MPH faculty member, MSIN program at CGPS
Nicholas Flavin, MPH is a faculty member with the Health Informatics program at CGPS. Here, he talks about his professional experience and how that, combined with his passion for art, makes teaching a joy for him. You have an MPH – what drew you to teaching in the field of health informatics? My background is in healthcare, research, and teaching. I began as a teacher and I earned my MPH when I switched careers and started working in healthcare. After a while, I found myself being drawn to the health informatics world of data and data analytics. With the advent of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR), health informatics has become a huge piece of the healthcare puzzle. Working in the…

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Program Director Spotlight: Matt Kaszubinski, Health Informatics Program

Matt Kaszubinski, Program Director Health Informatics Program
Matt Kaszubinski is the Program Director for the Graduate Programs in Health Informatics and the new Master’s in Healthcare Administration here at UNE Online. Read on for his plan to keep students’ skills fresh, and what he is excited about for the future in the field of health informatics. Can you tell me a little about your background and what drew you to teaching at UNE Online? I actually started in medicine in a variety of different ways and in several different environments. As a Navy Hospital Corpsman for several years, I worked in shipboard medicine, and then I was moved over to a hospital on the west coast, and then to a shipyard, where I mostly worked in an…

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Spotlight: Katelyn Beeley, Health Informatics Program

Katelyn Beeley, Health Informatics student
Katelyn Beeley, RN, BSN, MHI is the Manager of Clinical Informatics under Medical Affairs for Maine Medical Center and a 2020 graduate in our Master of Science in Health Informatics program. Here, she talks about what led her to the field of health informatics, what she learned from her studies, and about her experience with the UNE community. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Sure. I’ve worked for the state’s largest health care organization, MaineHealth, for 13 years now – but if you had asked me back then where I might be today, I would not likely have predicted the journey I am currently on. Once I acquired my nursing license, I began working as an inpatient…

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Spotlight: Toho Soma, Health Informatics Program

Toho Soma
Toho Soma has two Master’s degrees: a Master of Science in Health Informatics, and a Master of Public Health. This makes him uniquely qualified to work at UNE on program evaluation and quality improvement for various projects in the Center for Excellence in Public Health (CEPH), including Primary Care Training and Enhancement, Chronic Disease Prevention Evaluation, and Statewide Substance Use Prevention Services. He also supervises a team of evaluators in CEPH. He was previously the Director of Public Health for the City of Portland, ME, and currently serves on the boards of the Maine Health Access Foundation and the Daniel Hanley Center for Health Leadership. Here, he talks about what motivated him to earn his master’s in health informatics, his …

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7 Examples of Health Informatics Coming in the Near Future

MRI Resonance Imaging is one of our examples of health informatics coming in the near future
Health informatics, which is the intersection of people, technology, and data to improve the safety and quality of patient care, can be found in many forms. A few examples include patient portals, electronic medical records (EMRs), telehealth, healthcare apps, and a variety of data reporting tools. But what comes next? We assembled a list of seven examples of health informatics technologies or advances that are either being explored or improved in the field right now. Learn more about a career in health informatics with our infographic 1. Voice Dictation Now that healthcare organizations have moved their medical records to digital systems, health informaticists are diving into the possibilities of improving artificial intelligence voice recognition to digitally transcribe healthcare providers’ notes…

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4 Major Health Information Technology Benefits

Health Information Technology Benefits
It’s strange to imagine life before we had access to the world’s repositories of knowledge in a slim metallic device that fits in our pockets. Technology has surged through our lives and our society, propelling us into an unexpected yet exciting future. One of the most significant advances in information technology is the widespread adoption of the electronic health record in American healthcare organizations. While implementation has not been perfect, there are several notable benefits that come from the transformation of health information technology: 1. More health data, plus an improved ability to analyze and apply that data As our white paper explains further, healthcare data is accumulating faster than ever before. EHRs were created in part to address and…

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Analysis of a Health Informatics Job Description

Illustration of man with many arms pointing to various electronics to depict a Health Informatics Job Description
One of the most fascinating aspects of health informatics is its versatility. Professionals from many backgrounds—healthcare, computer science, insurance, pharmacy, business, and more—have found their niche within the field. The duties on a day-to-day basis can vary from handling support tickets to holding training sessions to meeting with healthcare professionals and beyond. Still, you may wonder if your talents and skills are the right fit for the job. To provide a clearer picture of the health informatics field, we combined a number of informatics-related job descriptions so that we could go through the major responsibilities and daily duties with you point-by-point. Please note that the health informatics job description below is a simplified amalgamation from a number of advertised related…

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Webinar: A Day in the Life of Health Informatics

A Day in the Life: Health Informatics Webinar featuring the title and three circle-cropped images of the presenters
Are you curious about health informatics, but want to know more about what your day-to-day workload, life, and environment might look like? You’re in luck! In our webinar, which live-streamed Thursday, April 25th, UNE Online Health Informatics alumni Irene Chen (of Harvard Children’s hospital) and Michele Marshall (of medical technology company BD) each gave a walk-through of their typical day at work, highlighted successful projects, and compared and contrasted responsibilities in their respective workplace settings. Watch the Webinar With former Program Director Megan Landry as moderator, these experts also recalled their graduate school journey with UNE Online, including which Health Informatics courses had the biggest impact on their working lives. Viewers submitted questions which were answered during the final Q&A…

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UNE Online Joins Champions of Health at HIMSS 2019

Title card for HIMSS 2019 Conference with purple, blue, and white text
The HIMSS 2019 Global Conference & Exhibition brings together 45,000+ health information and technology professionals, clinicians, executives and vendors from around the world. Exceptional education, excellent speakers, cutting-edge health information and technology products, and powerful networking are hallmarks of this industry-leading conference. Starting Monday, February 11th, HIMSS 2019 will bring together the brightest industry minds to share current and future developments shaping the health technology landscape. For five days, attendees will have the opportunity to connect with peers, executives, and industry professionals. As a HIMSS Approved Education Partner, UNE Online takes pride in our involvement with the global organization and this annual event. Will you be attending HIMSS 2019? Explore some of the Conference & Exhibition topics that the…

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Health Informatics Focus Areas - One Year Later

Students in Library studying their Health informatics focus areas
In October 2017, the Health Informatics graduate programs at UNE Online introduced three new focus areas to give students the opportunity to shape their electives around individual career goals. Restructuring the graduate programs gave students the capability to specialize in one professional area of health informatics, ensuring a valuable return on investment. How are these focus areas helping students find career success one year later? Focus Areas Designed to Meet Employer Needs Health informatics continues to be one of the fastest-growing fields in healthcare, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a 20% job growth for health information professionals by 2026. The UNE Online focus areas were developed with this growth in mind, and aimed to provide students with…

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Student Spotlight: Ruthie Pearlman, Master of Science in Health Informatics

Ruthie Pearlman, Master of Science in Health Informatics Program
Ruthie Pearlman is a second-year student in the Master of Science in Health Informatics program. Here she tells us about her experience in the program, her vision for integrating seamless patient experiences with mobile health technology, and her advice for incoming students. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself, and what encouraged you to pursue your Master’s in Health Informatics? I graduated in ‘99, lived in Israel for a while, got married, had kids, and worked as an office manager for a nurse midwife for about ten years. When we decided to move to Maine, I took the opportunity to explore different types of jobs that would more closely fit my career aspirations. When I looked into…

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Benefits of Complimentary HIMSS Membership for Students & How to Join

Doctor displaying the process for a student to sign up for their HIMSS Membership
As a HIMSS Organizational Affiliate, the University of New England proudly offers students complimentary membership to the global Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) organization. Moreover, as a  HIMSS Approved Education Partner (AEP), students have the opportunity to learn curriculum that has met the rigorous academic standards set by HIMSS. As a member of this exclusive group, UNE prepares students for advanced knowledge in health information and technology. Moreover, through HIMSS’s Organizational Affiliate program, UNE Online can offer staff and students a plethora of resources they can use to succeed at their jobs and in the industry. This partnership enables UNE Online students to get hands-on experience, network, and even contribute to the industry while they’re completing their…

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Health Informatics Practicum Overview

Health Informatics Practicum Experience
The Master of Science in Health Informatics is a master’s degree that can be completed 100% online in six semesters, or two full years, assuming a student takes two courses per semester. Students enrolled in this program complete ten required courses, two elective courses, and a field practicum experience. We spoke to Nan Solomons, the field practicum coordinator for the Graduate Programs in Health Informatics, about the Health Informatics practicum experience. What is the field practicum experience? At UNE Online, the field practicum experience is made up of two 16-week courses taken concurrently. The two courses that make up this experience are Health Informatics Capstone (HIN 740) and Cumulative Experience in Health Informatics (HIN 745). Course descriptions Health Informatics…

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Top Health Technology Trends & Insights

Graphic with rising arrow to depict emerging health information technology
As we entered the second half of 2018, our Graduate Programs in Health Informatics weighed in on the major trends we can look forward to seeing in healthcare. The landscape of the industry changes regularly, but some prominent tech improvements continue to stand out. The following three emerging health information technology examples are advancing healthcare’s mission of delivering more efficient and effective care, and ensuring that patient service and security remain the focus in that pursuit. 1. Telemedicine Mobile health continues to lead the fight towards improving patient engagement and experience. Although this strategy and practice has existed within healthcare in past years, telemedicine is currently making its biggest impact yet. As access to healthcare is becoming more limited in…

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American Tech Giants Enter the Race to Improve Healthcare

Illustration of a doctor pointing to a clipboard with several logos around his head such as Amazon, Google, and Apple to depict healthcare tech
The United States spends more than $3 trillion annually on health care, making it the fifth largest industry in the country. In 2017, ten of the largest American tech giants entered the healthcare race and became involved in health care equity deals valued at more than $2.7 billion, up 90% since 2012. As technology begins to shape the future of healthcare, the demand for health professionals such as those well-versed in health informatics continues to climb. The Stunning Growth of Tech in Healthcare In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was signed into law. This bill provided economic stimulus in areas like tax relief, social welfare provisions, and unemployment benefits. Included in this $787 billion legislation, 20% was…

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