UTHSCT Is a Partner in Scholarship Offer

TYLER — Scholarships of up to $10,000 each are available for qualified students accepted into a new graduate training program in health information management technology. The program is being delivered through the Northeast Texas Consortium of Colleges and Universities (NETnet) and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. The one-year program is being offered by Texas State University, which has contracted with UTHSCT through NETnet to provide access to the program for about 25 Northeast Texas students in two groups over two years, said Mickey Slimp, the project’s local director. Slimp is executive director of NETnet and the East Texas Interactive Health Network, a partnership of area health providers from Livingston to Mount Pleasant.

Called the Professional University Resources and Education for Health Information Technology (PURE HIT), the project is funded by a $5.4 million federal grant divided among academic institutions throughout Texas, said Texas State project director Susan H. Fenton. “It is estimated that nationally, 50,000 new health information technology (HIT) professionals will be needed to help hospitals and physicians implement electronic health records by 2014,” Dr. Fenton said. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology awarded the grant to Texas State. Students admitted to the program will take courses on the UTHSCT campus, with instructors at Texas State teaching classes via videoconferencing, said Dr. Slimp.

Dr. Slimp urged anyone who is interested to apply as soon as possible, because scholarships are limited and will be awarded to qualified applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. Classes start Aug. 25. To apply, visit http://www.health.txstate.edu/him/PURE-HIT-Training-Consortium.html for more information and an online application.