EmpiRx Health is one of six leading healthcare organizations committed to supporting Dominican University of New York’s Public Health Informatics & Technology Program (PHIT). This new initiative offers undergraduate students, as well as healthcare and IT professionals, the opportunity to join an emerging field linking healthcare and technology, a sector that is forecast to experience major growth and generate high-paying careers.
Says Carrie Boerick, PHIT program director, “This is a terrific opportunity to expand career options for Dominican University graduates. Becoming a public health informaticist will open up paths that are literally just coming into view on the horizon – both in private and public sector institutions. Data skills will be key to success and social mobility for today’s students.”
The PHIT program at Dominican University is funded through a PHIT Workforce Program grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Through this grant and the programs it supports, the HHS hopes to strengthen U.S. public health information technology efforts, improve COVID-19 data collection, and increase the diversity of the public health IT workforce. “EmpiRx Health believes that one of the key components of true health equity is a healthcare workforce that reflects the diversity of the populations it’s serving. We’re incredibly proud of our own DE&I successes, including a workforce that’s comprised of 40% people of color,” says Alisia Gill, EmpiRx Health Chief People Officer. “We’re so thrilled to have the opportunity to support Dominican University of New York in creating a more diverse and inclusive generation of formidable public health leaders, providing them with the skills to utilize innovative analytical methods to tackle society’s most pressing issues and the resources to embark upon successful careers in the industry.”
Additional PHIT consortium members include the New York State Department of Health and Mount Sinai Health System, among others. All members have committed to providing PHIT program curriculum guidance and feedback, as well as internship opportunities and 1:1 mentoring for program participants.
To learn more about the program, visit https://try.dc.edu/phitforce/.
