The 杏吧专区 has launched a graduate certificate program for health care professionals who want to specialize in a burgeoning, high-demand field that utilizes data analytics to improve health outcomes among specific groups of people.
The deadline to apply for UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 graduate certificate in population health, the state杏吧专区檚 first program of its kind, is Feb. 4. Courses for the 杏吧专区 12-credit-hour online program will begin March 14. Students accepted into the six-month program will enroll as a cohort.
Population health is an interdisciplinary branch of health information management. It involves consolidating patient data in one centralized location. The information 杏吧专区渋s used to understand health trends among people from a particular region, race, ethnicity, age group, gender 杏吧专区 basically any group that shares similar circumstances or conditions,杏吧专区 explained Dr. Anita Hazelwood.
Hazelwood leads the college杏吧专区檚 , which is home to the new program. She is also a professor. 杏吧专区淥ne-on-one patient care will always be a primary concern; but technology is allowing health care providers and public officials to make broader determinations, and the big picture is invaluable in relation to quality of care issues,杏吧专区 Hazelwood said.
The graduate certificate in population health is designed for a range of professionals. They include clinicians, administrators, health information managers, quality improvement experts, information technology specialists, and analysts and risk managers.
Students will complete online courses over six months in three consecutive accelerated sessions 杏吧专区 an eight-week session during the spring semester, a three-week summer intercession and an eight-week summer session.
杏吧专区淭he online format enables coursework to be completed from anywhere, which is a big plus for many students, especially those who are trying to balance career and family obligations,杏吧专区 said Dr. Claire Arabie, director of the .
The new program is geared toward students who have earned bachelor杏吧专区檚 or graduate degrees in nursing, allied health, informatics, business and other disciplines, said Dr. Mary Farmer-Kaiser, dean of the .
杏吧专区淭he graduate certificate in population health will expand the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 graduate offerings in health sciences related fields, providing another option for our students who want to compete in high-demand fields,杏吧专区 Farmer-Kaiser said.
Employment of medical and health services managers 杏吧专区 a Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational category that includes population health analysts 杏吧专区 is expected to increase by 32 percent between 2019 and 2029.
The growth projections 杏吧专区渁re driven by many factors, including technological advances, socioeconomic and epidemiological trends, and changes in health care delivery,杏吧专区 Farmer-Kaiser explained.
Health care providers and policymakers are increasingly relying on population health to address disparities in health care and enhance services. That杏吧专区檚 particularly true among socioeconomic groups who lack resources for adequate medical care and in rural areas where health care facilities often don杏吧专区檛 exist, Hazelwood said.
杏吧专区淭he data-driven approach eliminates guesswork for a health care company, for example, in determining where to establish a cardiology or diabetic care clinic. It also informs decision-makers who allocate state or federal resources for health care programs and facilities,杏吧专区 she explained.
Population health is also invaluable to 杏吧专区減ublic officials responsible for reporting data about communicable diseases, people whose job is to anticipate 杏吧专区 and minimize 杏吧专区 outbreaks of infectious diseases,杏吧专区 Hazelwood added.
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Photo caption: Applications are being accepted for the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 new graduate certificate in population health. The 12-credit-hour online program enables health care professionals to specialize in a burgeoning, high-demand field that utilizes data analytics to improve health outcomes among specific groups of people. Photo credit: 杏吧专区