Public Health Leader: a Certificate in Public Health Informatics
OVERVIEW
The University of Texas at Austin will offer the second and final year of the Public Health Leader Certificate Program during the 2012-2013 acadmeic year. The Certificate is a post-baccalaureate certificate focused on public health informatics with generous funding provided by the Office of National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology. The program is not a graduate degree but it is designed to teach competencies in public health informatics and leadership skills to working public health professionals. Twelve to 15 individuals will be accepted into the program for the second year, and each student will be provided with 100% tuition reimbursement to complete five courses over a period of 12 months.
Classes will be held on the Texas Department of State Health Services campus on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 5:30-8:30 pm. You must be able to attend classes in Austin to participate.
ELIGIBILITY
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Employment at the Texas Department of State Health Services or Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department.
- US citizenship or permanent resident alien status.
- Possession of a bachelor’s degree in public health or closely related field* and at least two years of management** experience in a public health setting (official transcripts will be required)
-OR-
A master’s degree, or current enrollment in an accredited program leading to a degree (masters level or higher) qualifying them for practice as a public health professional. - Background knowledge in epidemiology: A list of concepts in epidemiology will be provided that participants are expected to know in advance; background reading/on-line tutorials (TBA) will be suggested if needed for Summer 2011.
- Before applying, applicants must have their supervisors’ support to complete:
- Four lecture courses on their own time over a 9-month period.
- An applied public health informatics project (internship) during work time. The project will take approximately 180 hours during the summer semester (June 1 – Aug 31).
*All bachelor’s degrees in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM disciplines) are approved, as well as selected bachelor’s degrees in other fields including nursing and behavioral sciences (e.g. psychology, sociology, and social work.)
**Management experience will be defined broadly to include management of projects, not just supervision of others.
KEY DEADLINES
May 25: Submit supervisor's name and contact email here.
June 11 (8 am): Apply online here. Submit an official transcript from the university where the highest degree was received as described below.
June 18-19: Interviews
June 22: Admission notifications sent (official transcripts from all colleges required within 3 weeks)
COST
The cost of the program will be approximately $8,700. Participants will pay the tuition each semester and will be reimbursed within a few weeks after the semester begins via a check from UT Austin. You will be responsible for the cost of university admission and textbooks and will not receive reimbursement for these program expenses.
APPLICATION
Once applicants have obtained their supervisors’ support, they must:
- Provide supervisor’s name and contact email by May 25, 2012. UT Austin will solicit an online letter of recommendation from the supervisor.
- Submit an official transcript from the university where the highest degree was received to Dr. Leanne H. Field, Program Director, The University of Texas at Austin, School of Biological Sciences, 1 University Station, A5400, Austin, TX 78712. GPA will be one of the factors considered for admission into the program. If you are admitted to the program, you will be required to provide an official transcript for all universities and colleges attended.
- Participate in an interview (if selected) in person with panel of UT Austin faculty and management at DSHS.
UT PROGRAM ADMINSTRATORS:
Leanne H. Field, Ph.D., Director (field@mail.utexas.edu)
Diane M. Kneeland, Ph.D., Senior Program Coordinator (dkneeland@austin.utexas.edu )
Carmen M. Hoffman, Administrative Associate (carmenhoffman@austin.utexas.edu)
DSHS RESOURCE FACULTY:
Rick Danko, DrPH (rick.danko@dshs.state.tx.us)
Thomas Erlinger, MD (Thomas.erlinger@dshs.state.tx.us)
CERTIFICATE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
BIO 337: Introduction to Health Informatics
Instructor and Institution: Dr. Kimberly Smith, UT Austin
Delivery Mode: taught in person in Austin (location TBD)
Meeting time: one 3 hour meeting/week; Mondays 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm.
This introductory course covers the discipline of informatics in healthcare delivery. The course will focus on the clinical aspects of information science and will give a broad overview of the nature of information in healthcare. Topics will include conceptual models of data and information and how data and information are delivered throughout the continuum of healthcare. Students will explore the information requirements for specific topics in healthcare and public health, how those requirements are addressed, and issues surrounding healthcare data storage, access, and retrieval.
BIO 337: Fundamentals of Public Health Informatics
Instructor and Institution: Mr. Robert Ligon, UT Austin
Delivery Mode: taught in person in Austin (location TBD).
Meeting time: one 3 hour meeting/week; Wednesdays 5:30pm - 8:30pm.
This course, taught concurrently with Introduction to Health Informatics, explores the application of information technology, information science, and computer science specifically to the practice of public health. Content addresses both technical and policy issues, ranging from networks, databases, and terminology standards, through national policies and legal issues. Learning will be reinforced by a team project that explores a public health informatics problem, which students will analyze and then propose a solution.
BIO 337: From Individuals to Populations: Leadership in Health Information Technology and Public Health Informatics
Instructor and Institution: facilitated by Mr. Bob Ligon, UT Austin; team taught by individuals from TDSHS/CDC
Delivery mode: taught in person in Austin (location TBD).
Meeting time: one 3 hour meeting/week; Wednesdays 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm.
This course provides the student a significant level of understanding of public health and how it is being transformed by the proliferation of new health information technologies, the expanded use of informatics, and the globalization of public health issues. Policy and infrastructure issues will be addressed with a focus on how current federal and state efforts can contribute to health outcomes for populations as well as individuals. The course will provide a detailed view of the more immediate public health challenges, including meaningful use and how improved health data interoperability and the use of disparate databases can lead to a more informed policy environment. The emerging global efforts in public health that are being enhanced by informatics and better health data infrastructure will be an area of specific focus.
BIO 337 - Methods in Public Health Informatics
Instructor and Institution: Dr. Kimberly Smith, UT Austin
Delivery Mode: taught in person in Austin (location TBD).
Meeting time: one 3 hour meeting/week; Mondays 5:30pm - 8:30 pm.
This course is intended to expose students to the tools, methodologies, and techniques used for evaluating public health. Course content covers three broad areas: policy and legal issues; geographic information systems; and evaluation and implementation of information systems in public health.
BIO 337 - Internship in Public Health Informatics
Instructor and Institution: Dr. Kimberly Smith, UT Austin; projects will be overseen by Dr. Smith, DSHS Administrators and by supervisors at TDSHS/ATCHHSD.
Delivery Mode: an applied, culminating public health informatics project carried out at public health practice agency workplace
Meeting time: 180 hours total. Hours are flexible, but must be completed during the summer semester of the program (June 1 – Aug 31).
Supervisors at the public health practice agency and Dr. Smith will work with students during the first 6 months of the program to define a relevant one-semester long project in public health informatics. Projects will be carried out during regular work hours and students will submit progress reports to their supervisor and to Dr. Smith. The project will be presented in a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation before a professional audience at the end of the semester and findings will be summarized in a written abstract. Students will be encouraged to submit their work to a peer-reviewed journal in the field.
SEQUENCE OF COURSES
The certificate, consisting of five courses, must be completed in 12 contiguous months in the following sequence:
If you start in Fall 2012:
In Fall 2012 you will take BIO 337: Intro. To Health Informatics and BIO 337:
In Spring 2013 you will take BIO 337: From Individuals to Populations and BIO 337:
In Summer 2013 you will take BIO 337: Internship in Public Health Informatics
