Project Management in Information Technology: Show Me Health Care!

There is no doubt that the job market is bad. 9.7% American workers are unemployed as of August 2009. Many experts observe that the harsh economic conditions will linger on for years before a full economic recovery.

One source for job market optimism, however, should come from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Also known as the Stimulus Bill, it has been passed in February 2009 to help create or save jobs. One particular segment of the job market that should benefit from the stimulus bill is health care information technology. Up to $20 billion dollar is allocated to upgrade the health-care information system across the US.

Project Management in Information Technology is needed

And some states are jumping at the chance. For example, North Carolina has a proposal for a statewide network called a Health Information Exchange that will cost $40 million. The program will provide "timely and secure exchange of electronic health information for the purposes of improving the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare and the overall health of North Carolina's residents."

A similar project is also in the works in Camden, New Jersey. In that program, three hospitals, namely Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, Virtual Health, and the Cooper University Hospital, are joining with local doctors to share health records of patients with proper permission, so that doctors may give more timely and informed care.

In the state of Maine, the HealthInfoNet program just recently went live. The centralized network allows city hospitals and clinics to share patients' electronic health records. Some industry experts observe the HealthInfoNet as the largest and most comprehensive clinical health information exchange in America and could, perhaps, be a national model.

For those looking for a career in health care information management, the developments and initiatives by various states around the country are great news. Many more information exchanges or similar projects are being developed throughout the country. More importantly, through the stimulus bill Congress and the US government have already budgeted a large sum of funds to see developments through. Workers in the health information technology industry, from systems analysts to medical coders to project management for IT, should be seeing job demands for the next 5 years or more.

The author writes freelance on various subjects, including where to anticipate upcoming project management for IT openings. Job seekers in the health care information industry are also encouraged to consider a project management certification for a rewarding career.