Spring A 2025 Application Deadline is Fast Approaching!

📣 Attention aspiring professionals!   The University of New England’s Spring A application deadline is fast approaching! If you’re passionate about making a difference in public health, social work, education, nutrition, healthcare administration, or health informatics, this is your moment! 📚⏰   📆 Mark your calendars: All applications must be submitted by January 5th, 2025. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to further your education and expand your impact. 🌟   Whether you’re looking to elevate your career or dive into a new field, UNE offers top-notch programs designed to empower and equip you for success. 🎓   Click the link in our bio or visit UNE’s official website to explore our programs and start your application today! Only 9 days left! Let’s…

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Get ready for a busy week!   The Spring A application deadline has been EXTENDED to Friday, December 9th, and our next Science Prerequisites for Health Professions registration deadline is this Monday, December 5th!   ‘Tis the season to give yourself the gift of personal and professional growth!    Explore our programs and sign up today!

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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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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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Healthcare’s New Digital Era

Student Spotlight Janet Quiring Health Informatics program
Healthcare systems’ and facilities’ response to COVID-19 has uncovered technology applications and remote care capabilities that are steering the industry even faster into a new digital era—while simultaneously reshaping the outcomes of patient care, delivery of disease management, and the pace at which health professionals can extract transformative information from patient data. With the most vulnerable of populations, like elderly residents and those living in densely populated areas, presenting an unprecedented challenge, the healthcare field swiftly responded with remote monitoring technologies and artificial intelligence to help redefine how patients experience care in the future.  AI & Telehealth Lead the Way In an effort to minimize exposure and prevent front-line health workers from turning victim to COVID-19, health systems around the…

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Outcomes led by health technologies are inspiring hope

Student Spotlight Janet Quiring Health Informatics program
Health data has proven itself an invaluable tool in delivering quality care delivery, enhanced patience experiences, and valuable insights towards developing more effective treatment protocols. In critical health situations that affect varying groups of a population, like a global pandemic, the foundation for fighting the crisis and correcting its trajectory is built on data. Global healthcare systems have responded to COVID-19 with a united approach to expedite recovery and establish prevention methods for public health safety. Specialized health technologies are charging this mission. These are the leading five that are producing real-life applications and results. 1. Remote Patient Monitoring Varying companies have emerged with innovative technologies and apps that help manage the spread of COVID-19 and monitor patients who have…

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Health Experts Weigh In On Open vs Closed States

Student Spotlight Janet Quiring Health Informatics program
A recent Gallup poll determined 73% of Americans “think there’s a shortage of coronavirus tests” in the U.S. Additionally, the poll also concluded that there’s been a 23% drop in adults adhering to self-isolation measures the week prior to the poll. Feelings and opinions on the issue of when to safely resume state businesses remain mixed. Healthline spoke with four healthcare professionals, each of whom serve the field in distinct ways—security, infectious disease, public health, and global epidemiology. Here’s what they offered in response to key questions. What will be used as identifiers for states to reopen? Amira Roiess, PhD, MPH, professor of Global Health and Epidemiology at George Mason University shared: “We want to keep track of the number…

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Congratulations Class of 2020!

Graduation video for the Class of 2020
Hooray to the class of 2020 – you made it!!  We love graduation because it’s the one time of year that we get to physically see the depth of beauty that we’re helping bring to our students’ lives. Because we can’t see you in person this year, we asked our faculty and staff to submit short video messages for you. The first video is a compilation of short clips from these messages.  4-minute video (get tissues)   This 27-minute video features full-length messages to the Class of 2020 from our faculty and staff. You’ll see messages from some of the instructors and Student Support staff that you’ve come to know during your program. Throughout each…

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Technology is proving key to speeding our return to everyday life.

Graduation video for the Class of 2020
In late March, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) partnered with state and local governments to facilitate a geolocation initiative to analyze coronavirus spread and compliance measures as many states wait for proper COVID-19 testing kits. Aimed at identifying high-traffic territories and efficacy of stay-at-home measures against the spread of coronavirus, the data from this initiative will help public health officials understand how people are adjusting to enforced measures, what areas are prone to crowds, and which locations are most frequented by residents. As noted in the piece published by Forbes linked below, there are currently 3.8 billion smartphones in use across the world, which could potentially allow government and health officials to effectively leverage technology to slow…

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Balancing health data sharing – public health vs patient privacy

Graduation video for the Class of 2020
As of April 2020, approximately 30 countries have taken action to enable digital technology as a containment strategy for COVID-19. Through the use of these apps, combined with health data sharing capabilities, health systems must balance the good of the public health with patient privacy regulations to preserve and strengthen public trust in health technology. Across Europe, several countries are discovering this rapid response to critical treatment through data and health data sharing may help reshape the future of healthcare and serve as a leading model for future use. “Some of these have been snap responses but they are generally positive and will pave the way for people to come together and say that we need a proposition for taking…

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Telehealth is the solution for one leading U.S. Pharmacy

Graduation video for the Class of 2020
Recent and evolving CDC recommendations for social distancing measures and stay-at-home protocols have energized Walgreens to expand its teleheath capabilities, providing broader, effective care to patients when and where they need it.  Walgreens announced the expansion plan on Thursday, April 9th using its Find Care™ platform. Find Care™ by Walgreens exists as both a digital platform and marketplace connecting patients in need to providers, health care services, lab testing, urgent care, local clinic services, and more. Through partnership with an expanding list of participating providers like Providence St. Joseph Health, Novant Health, and AmWell, Walgreens is able to address acute and chronic care needs. It added specific efforts in the expansion to meet growing patient needs during this unprecedented time.…

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Former Program Director Spotlight: Megan Landry, BSN, MHA – Health Informatics

Program Manager Spotlight Megan Landry, Health Informatics program
Megan Landry, BSN, MHA, was the former Program Director for the Graduate Programs in Health Informatics at UNE Online. To start off, let’s define health informatics. What is Health Informatics? Former Program Manager Megan Landry explains. Megan Landry, B.S.N., M.H.A.-Informatics formerly directed the Health Informatics programs at UNE Online. The early years of Megan’s career were spent in healthcare. As a nurse, she was responsible for both the direct care of patients and the management of their health information. Over the years, Landry developed a passion for the efficient use of health information technology to improve quality of care. “I quickly saw how technology could both improve safety and health outcomes for patients,” she said.…

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Student Spotlight: Michele Marshall, Health Informatics Program

Michele Marshall, MSIN Student
Michele Marshall is a Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSIN) student originally from Casco, Maine. With a strong interest in healthcare and science, Michele spent twenty years working as a medical technologist. Michele currently balances working full-time as a microbiology software analyst for a medical technology company with family life and her studies. Hear more from Michele in our webinar Deciding to pursue Health Informatics Michele’s passion for technology and science led her to earn her Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from Rochester Institute of Technology. After she earned her undergraduate degree she worked as a medical technologist in various clinical laboratories for over twenty years. Working in labs, part of her job involved utilizing databases – which…

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Announcing – NEW – Health Informatics Focus Areas

Health Informatics focus areas
In celebration of National Health IT week, we are pleased to announce the creation of three NEW focus areas for our Master of Science in Health Informatics degree. You are now able to select one of the following areas as a specialization: Healthcare Leadership Health Data Analytics Training and Development These three focus areas complement our existing Master of Science in Health Informatics degree, making the degree even more of a positive return on investment. Students can opt to pursue one of the three focus areas or complete their degree as a Generalist. More about each focus area: 1. Healthcare Leadership Focus Area The Healthcare Leadership focus area prepares the Masters of Health Informatics students with the knowledge and skills…

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Health IT Education and Career Growth

Health IT Education and Career Growth
As the field of health informatics grows, there is a tremendous need for educated professionals to fill crucial roles. One of the greatest challenges in health informatics today comes from ensuring that new health informatics professionals are equipped with the skills and knowledge to make sure that healthcare technologies are implemented effectively and in a way that improves efficiency, affordability and patient outcomes. The great need for health informatics education Formal education in health informatics serves to fill critical gaps in the workforce through technical training, healthcare knowledge, and management training. UNE Online’s graduate programs in health informatics prepare future leaders who are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to make a positive impact. We make sure our students…

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Faculty Spotlight: Nan Solomons, Ph.D., Practicum Coordinator – Health Info

Nan Solomons, Ph.D., Practicum Coordinator
Dr. Nan Solomons is the Practicum Coordinator for the Master of Science in Health Informatics program at UNE Online. We spoke with her this week to discuss the field of health informatics, and how she supports students through their Practicum process. How did you get interested in the field of Health Informatics? I got interested in the field of Health Informatics when the internet bubble burst in 2002 and my career in software support and implementation imploded. I was out of a job and looking to retrain into a new career. I spent a year trying to decide what I wanted to be in this new phase of my life because I realized that the software world I had known…

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Meet Our Team: Jonathan Chavoustie

Jonathan Chavoustie, Student Support
At UNE Online students are our top priority, and their success is what drives each and every one of us to do what we do. We’d like to share a little bit about the people that are dedicated to making that happen every day. Meet Jonathan Chavoustie: Student Support Specialist for the Science Prerequisites for Science Professions (SPHP) suite of courses. Jonathan joined UNE Online in March of 2017 and comes from a background of unique jobs, including retail banking, bartending, building koi ponds, and delivering phone books. Jonathan studied at several universities in the northern US and the Netherlands before earning his BA in Humanities and Philosophy from the University of Southern Maine. What do you do at UNE…

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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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