12.4.09 – HHS announces grants to develop health IT workforce

The Department of Health and Human Services announced on Tuesday, November 24, 2009, the plans to provide $80 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grants for community college programs and curricula to strengthen the nation’s health information technology workforce.

The recipients will develop intensive non-degree training programs and materials to quickly prepare people with some background in health care or IT to help health care practices deploy and support IT systems. Participating colleges will coordinate their efforts through five regional consortia. “Critical to achieving the goal of the Heath Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act and supporting meaningful use of health IT is the availability of a skilled workforce that understands the unique technology and management needs within a clinical setting,” said National Coordinator for Health IT David Blumenthal. HHS expects to post details on the grants soon at http://healthIT.HHS.gov/HITECHgrants