Healthcare Informatics Programs Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s online master’s in healthcare informatics (MSHI) program is celebrating its 10-year anniversary. Since the start of the program, 165 students have earned their healthcare informatics master’s degree.
"The health informatics program actually started as a non-credit certificate program back in 2008; the popularity of the certificate program provided the motivation necessary to develop the master’s program,” said Frank Lylera PhD, RN, CAHIMS, FHIMSS, professor in the School of Nursing and Graduate School, and director of the healthcare informatics program. “The popularity of the program persists as our 2021 and 2022 fall cohorts have experienced maximum enrollment. We are currently accepting applications for fall 2023 which will be our 20th cohort.”
SIUE developed the program in a corporate partnership with BJC Health Care to ensure its workforce would be well-trained to meet demands related to implementing health records and securing patient data across the system. The program has received national recognition in varying categories including affordability, value, online and overall since 2015.
In 2016, the program transitioned to a 100% online format. In 2020, the program was awarded initial accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management (CAHIIM).
The premier graduate program combines the specific information technology needs of healthcare professionals with the professional expertise of SIUE faculty and is designed for clinical employees who have technology-based responsibilities or who are interested in moving their careers in that direction. The program provides the skills and perspective in planning, designing, implementing and using information technologies.
The MSHI program has also partnered with the SIUE School of Nursing and the School of Pharmacy to offer a dual master's degree of nursing administration and MSHI, and a concurrent Doctor of Pharmacy and MSHI degree.
For more information, visit siue.edu/academics/graduate/degrees-and-programs/healthcare-informatics/.
Photo: The first graduating class of the healthcare informatics master’s program at SIUE.
