Deadline for Public Health Informatics Certificate Training Program Extended (web article)

Public health workers are encouraged to apply. Tuition subsidies are available.

The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is accepting applications for the Public Health Informatics Training Program until April 15, 2011. The program, offered in collaboration with the schools of Medicine and Nursing, and the Public health Data Standard Consortium (PHDSC), targets public health professionals. Program graduates will earn a post-baccalaureate Certificate in Public Health Informatics, approved by the state of Maryland.

The Program offers training in methods and concepts of health informatics and health information technology that are applicable to public health. It is designed for current (and future) public health professionals who wish to develop expertise or specialization in this area.   Courses for this program are available completely online.  Individuals residing in the Mid-Atlantic region may also take selected courses on campus.

The training program focuses on the following:

• Overview of public health and biomedical informatics
• Health information systems design and development
• Health information technology standards and systems interoperability
• Systems evaluation in health sciences informatics
• Population health informatics
• Knowledge engineering, knowledge management and decision support in public health (including spatial analysis and GIS)
• Real time public health bio-surveillance
• "mHealth" mobile consumer health applications

To complete the training, students will undertake a “practicum,” working on a public health informatics project at an organization that will be identified in collaboration with Johns Hopkins faculty.

This training program is also available to the current degree candidates at the Bloomberg School of Public Health who meet the requirements below.

Credits earned in the certificate program may be applied towards other Johns Hopkins degree programs—such as the MPH or informatics MS—if a student is enrolled or accepted into such programs.

On a competitive basis, $10,000 tuition subsidies are available to qualified individuals via a grant from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), US Department of Health and Human Services.

With the $10,000 subsidy, the total amount of tuition and fees that the student or employer will be required to pay to complete the certificate requirements is approximately $8,800.

Only U.S. citizens or permanent residents not currently employed by the federal government are eligible for the ONC tuition subsidy. Those awarded the subsidy must complete all certificate requirements within 12 months.

Priority for a tuition subsidy will be given to professionals currently employed in the public health field within the U.S. or those intending to enter the domestic public health field.  The tuition subsidy is not intended for those already working on a full—time basis in the public health informatics field.  All tuition subsidy awards are subject to ONC approval.

The above criteria do not apply to individuals who use other (non-ONC) sources to pay their full tuition (approximately $18,800).

Eligibility requirements for the certificate (with or without the subsidy) include a graduate degree in public health (or current enrollment in such a program) or a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 3 years of direct public health experience.

We are especially interested in applicants currently working in the public health field who wish to re-tool to specialize in public health informatics.

The next cycle of training for the 2011—12 academic year will begin in late August of 2011.  The preferred application deadline has been extended to April 15, 2011. Applications may be accepted until May 15, 2011, on a space available basis.