University of California, Irvine

Program: Transforming Public Health Informatics and Technology Training to Advance Diversity and Equity - Public Health Informatics and Technology Program (UCI-OCHCA-OCHIN-PHIT)

Contact: Norma Ramirez <normar4@uci.edu>; Kai Zheng <kai.zheng@uci.edu>

# of students to be trained: 313 undergraduate and certificate students

Program Type: Expanding Existing Curriculum and New Programs

Expanding Existing Curriculum to New Institutions

In partnership with the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA) and the Oregon Community Health Information Network (OCHIN), the University of California, Irvine (UCI) is uniquely positioned to develop a robust, inclusive, and sustainable Public Health Informatics & Technology Workforce Development Program (UCI-OCHCA-OCHIN-PHIT) with a national impact. UCI is one of the few members of the Association of American Universities (AAU) that received a dual designation as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI). Through the proposed effort, an interdisciplinary UCI-OCHCA-OCHIN-PHIT taskforce will overhaul the curricula of UCI’s existing undergraduate minor program in health informatics and continuing education certificate program in healthcare and public health analytics, with input from ONC and from consortium members. New programs to be developed will include a graduate certificate option in health informatics for graduate students enrolled in the Master of Public Health program, other graduate programs in the UCI College of Health Sciences (medicine, nursing, pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences), and graduate programs in science, engineering, and other relevant disciplines. With these training components combined, UCI-OCHCA-OCHIN-PHIT program will recruit as many students and trainees as possible over the next four years, with a target of 300 graduates by the end of Year 4.

Partners and consortia members: AdvanceOC, BeWell Orange County, California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions, CalOptima, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Southern California Chapter, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, L.A. Care Health Plan, Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance Inc., Orange County Coalition of Community Health Centers, Orange County Health Improvement Partnership, Orange County Health Care Agency, Oregon Community Health Information Network, Public Health Alliance of Southern California, Washington Association for Community Health, APAIT (Access to Prevention Advocacy Intervention & Treatment), Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Latino Health Access, Lestonnac Free Clinic, and Stand Up for Kids – Orange County.