For media information, contact:
Dana Urrutia, 678-495-3638
durrutia@gwinnetttech.edu

June 14, 2012

Healthcare of the Future: Gwinnett Tech and Georgia Tech Partner on HIT Education Initiative

Students in Gwinnett Tech's new Health Information Technology (HIT) programs will have access to the leading-edge technology and software applications that are shaping this rapidly growing field, including the Interoperability & Integration Innovation Lab (I3L) developed by the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Gwinnett Tech and Georgia Tech are partners in an HIT education initiative and last fall were awarded a $1.65 million grant to boost job creation in the field. Health information technology (HIT) is the umbrella term used to describe the comprehensive management of health information across computerized systems and its secure exchange between all users. HIT is increasingly viewed as the most promising tool for improving the overall quality, safety and efficiency of the health delivery system.

The funding helped Georgia Tech create the Interoperability & Integration Innovation Lab to test and evaluate cutting-edge health information technology software innovations originating from industry, researchers, faculty and students, inventors and other sources.  

At Gwinnett Tech, the funding is being used to develop a one-year HIT certificate program and provide tuition stipends to participating students. Scheduled to start in January 2013, the new certificate program is employer-driven and is designed to help veterans, the underemployed and those unemployed rapidly enter the HIT field – ultimately expanding the workforce needed to build and maintain health IT systems.

The I3L will be used virtually on the Gwinnett Tech campus to enhance the learning capabilities of its HIT students by providing hands-on training resources and the best available software applications.

"As part of our partnership with Georgia Tech, we look forward to connecting with the I3L to enhance our health information technology certificate and degree students' education," says Jim Sass, dean of health information systems, Gwinnett Tech.

"Industry is telling us that it needs a health IT work force with a different set of skills than what is now available in the marketplace," said Marla Gorges, associate director of Georgia Tech's Health@EI2 program. "Through the Gwinnett Technical College program, I3L will give students access to a wide range of commercial and open source systems."

Edward Oliver, a military veteran already enrolled in GTC's associate degree HIT program, believes a successful experience in is pivotal for him to obtain future employment. "I've had a great experience as a HIT student. The program is extremely informative and as a veteran, the coursework provides an almost seamless transition from my military experience in office management and administrative duties."

In addition to the HIT certificate program, Gwinnett Tech also offers a two-year associate degree program in Health Information Technology. The program was launched last fall with $75,000 in support from Cisco, which will underwrite a HIT faculty member and aid in the development of HIT curriculum components identified by industry.

For more information, visit www.GwinnettTech.edu or call 770-962-7580. Gwinnett Tech offers more than 50 degree, diploma and certificate options that can be completed in two years or less.

Get the latest news about Gwinnett Tech: www.GwinnettTech.edu/news.

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About Gwinnett Tech
Gwinnett Technical College, one of Georgia's largest technical colleges, is committed to delivering relevant knowledge to meet the workforce training needs of its community. The college offers more than 50 associate degree, diploma and certificate programs and hundreds of seminars, workshops and courses providing specialized training. GTC is Gwinnett County's largest provider of corporate training and now serves residents and businesses in north Fulton County. Gwinnett Technical College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the associate degree. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097,404-679-4500, www.sacscoc.org for questions about the accreditation of Gwinnett Technical College. For more information, visit www.GwinnettTech.edu.

A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia.