Ashford University's Degree in Health Informatics Provides Understanding of New Medical Data Practices

SAN DIEGO, May 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The modernization of medical records with electronic health data management has expanded the involvement of digital media and information in the practice of medicine. Growing interest in the academics necessary to build a career in the use, management and distribution of this data has spurred the introduction of Ashford University's Bachelor of Arts in Health Informatics.

As prescribed by the 2009 Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, health care companies are required to adopt electronic record-keeping systems by 2014. The need to satisfy the strictures of the HITECH Act has created many jobs that Ashford University's BA in Health Informatics can support: data managers and specialists, programmers, planners and analysts. The Health Informatics BA will also support information security and privacy experts dealing with the trappings of personal medical histories.

Ashford University, a postsecondary and graduate-level educational institution owned by Bridgepoint Education (NYSE: BPI), has structured the Health Informatics degree to provide students with programming, statistical and mathematical competencies, as well as the legal and ethical comprehension necessary to properly handle personal data.

"The presence of technology in our day-to-day lives has impacted countless facets of society, but the health care industry has been resistant to this change," explained Dr. Alice Vestergaard, executive dean for Ashford's College of Health, Human Services, and Science. "This new BA in Health Informatics is truly innovative. It is designed to prepare students to dramatically impact patient care by creating and managing an electronic infrastructure that will reduce cost, improve provider communication and increase the quality of care."

Ashford University's Bachelor of Arts in Health Informatics will be offered online at this time. It does not provide licensure or certification of any kind, and it is the student's responsibility to determine individual states' requirements for practice.

About Bridgepoint Education

Bridgepoint Education's postsecondary education services focus on offering associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in such disciplines as business, education, psychology, social sciences and health sciences. Bridgepoint Education's regionally accredited academic institutions – Ashford University and University of the Rockies – deliver their programs online as well as at traditional campuses located in Clinton, Iowa, and Colorado Springs, Colorado. For more information about Bridgepoint Education, visit www.bridgepointeducation.com or call Shari Rodriguez, associate vice president of Public Relations, at 858.668.2580.

About Ashford University

Founded in 1918, Ashford University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (www.ncahlc.org). The University offers graduate and undergraduate degree programs online and at its Clinton, Iowa, campus. The University is known for its high quality yet highly affordable online and on-campus programs. For more information, please visit www.ashford.edu or call Shari Rodriguez, associate vice president of Public Relations, at 858.513.9240 x2513.

Contact: Shari Rodriguez, Associate Vice President of Public Relations
858.668.2580 - [email protected]

SOURCE Bridgepoint Education

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