Mary Baldwin University looks to future of healthcare with new degree program

Mary Baldwin University will offer, beginning this fall, an online bachelor’s degree in health informatics and information management (HIIM), one of the fastest-growing areas in healthcare.

“MBU is right on time in the development of this new undergraduate major,” said Beth Elias, HIIM program director. “Health informatics is booming right now and factors into all aspects of care — from biomedical research to patient data management to healthcare delivery.”

HIIM professionals improve the quality of patient care through designing, implementing, managing, and optimizing IT-based innovations such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and data analytics. MBU’s new offering will be available online through the university’s Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences.

In addition to the bachelor’s degree, students in the HIIM program will also earn digital badge credentials while enrolled in the program as well as professional skills such as project management and communication, which are in high-demand from employers.

“We’re giving interested students a chance to get a jump start on their career in a rapidly growing market,” said Virginia Trovato, director of advising for MBU Online. “They will be able to complete the program in as few as three years through our online learning platform, and we make it easy for students to transfer hours and receive credit for prior work or life experience.”

MBU has also partnered with Augusta Health and Carilion Clinic for HIIM students’ capstone work and internships.

Murphy Deming — which opened in 2014 and already offers degrees in physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant studies, and nursing — recently launched five new online programs, including a master of science in nursing (MSN), an MSN combined with a master of healthcare administration (MHA), an MSN combined with a master of business administration (MBA), an MHA/MBA dual degree, and post-professional occupational therapy doctorate.

MBU Online offers more than 30 certificate, undergraduate, and graduate programs. It was established as the Adult Degree Program in 1977, and was the first program in Virginia for women and men to earn their degrees later in life.

Interested students should visit marybaldwin.edu/hiim to request more information.

Founded in 1842, Mary Baldwin University is a small, coeducational university offering a range of degree programs from bachelor to doctoral. It serves a vibrant student population on its main campus in Staunton, Virginia; at its nearby health sciences campus in Augusta County; and online.