Health informatics degrees in Arkansas are helping to provide highly-trained, qualified individuals for an industry that is growing rapidly. Health informatics specialists are responsible for medical data collection and the organization of data for hospitals, clinics and other medical professions. Those with experience in health informatics can also find positions in education and the legal field as the need for trained employees grows with the expanding healthcare industry. Medical Information Technicians with a two-year degree in Arkansas earn an average of between $14.66 and $22.44 per hour, while those who obtain degrees at the bachelor’s level can earn as much as $50 per hour depending on experience.
Arkansas Tech University
Arkansas Tech University began in 1909 as the Second District Agricultural School, and the first classes were held in 1910 in Russellville, Arkansas. Originally, the school only offered a high school degree until it began offering two-year degrees in 1925. That year, the school’s name was changed to Arkansas Polytechnic College. The school stopped offering high school diplomas in 1931, and the name of the school became Arkansas Tech University in 1976. In 2003, Arkansas Tech took over Arkansas Valley Technical Institute, and began offering classes on the Ozark campus in 2004. There are currently more than 11,000 students attending college on the two campuses, and the average freshman ACT scores have ranked higher than the national average for 19 consecutive years.
Master of Science Health Informatics
The Master of Science in Health Informatics at Arkansas Tech serves the needs of employers in an increasingly growing industry. The program includes a multidisciplinary approach to health care delivery concepts combined with information technology. Students must successfully complete Introduction to HIM or demonstrate a background in the subject. In addition, students must have completed a three semester hour course in computer programming or demonstrate background in the subject. A letter of intent that outlines the student’s interests, goals and reasons for applying and approval from the Program Director are necessary for admission into the graduate program. The degree requires 35 semester hours of graduate-level coursework, and students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or better. At least 27 credit hours of coursework must be completed at Arkansas Tech and students must complete the program within four years of admission.
Accreditation
Higher Learning Commission North Central Association
Contact
Dr. Melinda Wilkins, Director
Arkansas Tech University
Dean Hall, Room 201C
Russellville, AR 72801
Telephone: 479-968-0441
Email: mwilkins@atu.edu
Website
National Park Community College
In 2003, Garland County Community College and Quapaw Technical Institute merged to form National Park Community College. It is one of Arkansas’ largest community colleges and gets its name from its proximity to Hot Springs National Park. The college has received funding from Frederick M. Dierks, a pulp and paper manufacturer, in order to establish a new nursing and health science facility. In 2005, National Park assisted students displaced by Hurricane Katrina by enrolling them in college programs or finding colleges for their enrollment. The campus is located in a beautiful resort community approximately 45 minutes southwest of Little Rock. The thermal waters of National Park, along with the hiking trails, five lakes, golf courses and outstanding art community make the area an important tourist attraction. In addition, there is a large retirement community in the area, making medical sciences a growing industry in the area.
Associate of Applied Science Health Information Technology
National Park Community College offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Health Information Technology which prepares students to perform tasks related to the use, analysis, coding, storage and retrieval of healthcare information in both manual and electronic form. Graduates qualify to take the Registered Health Information Technician Examination in order to become certified. Objectives of the program include:
- Knowledge in organizing, analyzing and technically evaluating health information.
- Qualifications for entry-level positions in the health informatics industry.
- Responsiveness to the needs of the health informatics industry by providing knowledge and skills necessary to compile statistics, code disease and maintain a variety of health information indexes.
Accreditation
Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education
Contact
National Park Community College
101 College Drive
Hot Springs, AR 71913
Telephone: 501-760-4222
Email: info@npcc.edu
Website
For more information on obtaining your Health Informatics degree, please see 20 Most Affordable Master’s in Health Informatics Degree Programs.
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