Health Informaticists

A health informaticist with strong leadership, managerial, organizational, and communication skills; a graduate degree; and at least five years of experience could be promoted to the position of health informatics director. These professionals lead the health informatics department at their employer, manage staff, and work with other executives regarding health informatics research goals. Directors can advance to the position of chief medical information officer. These professionals—who are often physicians—spend part of their work days treating patients and the other half designing and integrating health information management systems and analytical software. They also serve as the bridge between medical and IT departments at a health care organization. A health informaticist with an interest in entrepreneurism might start his or her own health informatics consulting firm. Others choose to teach informatics at the college level.