Health Information Management Program Supports Governor Napolitano's Health-e Initiative

The Phoenix College Health Information Management (HIM) Department is leading the way in supporting national and statewide efforts by preparing students for the electronic health record workforce environment. In April 2004, President Bush requested a "widespread adoption of interoperable electronic health records (EHRs)" within the next 10 years while Governor Janet Napolitano signed an executive order last year creating a cooperative initiative to achieve this goal in Arizona even sooner.

If Arizona exceeds the federal goal of merging health care with high-tech applications in an effort to share medical information among health care entities, Arizona could become a model for other states. Whenever the goal is reached, Phoenix College HIM students will be ready. Last semester, Phoenix College contracted with College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN, to give students an opportunity to work with the ATHENS Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.

ATHENS was adopted by the Maricopa County Community College District through the efforts of the Health Information Management Department at Phoenix College. As the first college to pilot the program, Dr. Bonnie Petterson, Department Chair, and Deborah Dennis, instructor and project manager, note that the college expects to add its nursing program to the system this Fall.

Under a $1.8 million Title III grant, College of St. Scholastica and its computer vendor partner developed ATHENS - a first in the nation - integrating hands-on experiences with state-of-the-art computer based clinical information systems for the college's health sciences programs. The goal of the ATHENS project is to increase the competence and confidence of health sciences' program graduates to practice professionally in an increasingly computer-based work environment. Now available by subscription service, this hospital electronic record system teaches students to navigate a computerized health record system as one of their professional practice tools.

"Phoenix College is the first two-year college to contract with St. Scholastica," said Dr. Bonnie Petterson. "The hospital-based software being used by students is similar to what is being used in many hospitals today."

Not only does this unique system immerse students in the technologically rich health information environment that is emerging in today's health care industry, but it also helps the industry decrease errors that periodically occur due to its built in safety alerts.

"We want our students to be ready to perform in a competitive workforce once they graduate," added Dr. Petterson. "By exposing them to this technology in the classroom, they are better prepared for their health care careers."

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