CHICAGO – As health IT work ramps up across the country, the HIMSS Career Services Center aims to make it easier for new graduates of the Office of the National Coordinator's HIT Workforce Development programs to find jobs via HIMSS JobMine with new access from the ONC website and enhanced offerings.

HIMSS will also add a section dedicated to the ONC workforce program, where graduates can post resumes and find health IT positions posted by potential employers.

[See also: Healthcare IT talent war is on.]

Educating health IT professionals to help providers implement electronic health records, the ONC HIT Workforce Development programs target mid-career healthcare or information technology professionals who have received specialized health IT training. They include: Community College Consortia; Curriculum Development Centers Program; and the Program of Assistance for University-Based Training.

"As an organization, HIMSS offers its members the tools and resources needed to help grow their careers, whether it's landing their first job, maintaining the necessary skills to keep their current role, or excelling to earn a promotion," said HIMSS Executive Vice President Carla Smith. "With the growing demand in healthcare for information technology professionals, we also support the ONC HIT Workforce Development programs as those graduates enter into the job market. We provide these online career services to our members through the HIMSS Career Services Center, a distinction that sets the Society apart from other organizations."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, health information technicians and medical records professionals held 172,500 jobs in 2008 with 39 percent in hospitals; by 2018, a 20 percent growth is expected resulting in 207,600 jobs.

[See also: Grant provides $45M for HIT training skills .]

ONC program graduates and other individuals exploring a career in health IT can access HIMSS JobMine and other online services that are part of the HIMSS Career Services Center Resources. These include:

• Access to Academic Institutions: HIMSS members have access to professionals at academic institutions and nationally recognized subject matter experts in the field of health information technology.
• Career Services Pavilion: A centralized location at HIMSS12 for recruiters, consultants and others who can contribute to the development of the health IT workforce, the HIMSS12 Career Services Pavilion will be a gathering point for both health IT job seekers and health IT organizations looking for talent.
• E-mentoring Program: This innovative program is designed to match HIMSS members with varying levels of expertise with those HIMSS members who are experienced in many facets of health IT.
• Emerging Professional Webcasts: Monthly, one-hour webcasts for HIMSS members are geared to those new to the health IT industry who have five or less years of experience in a health IT setting.
• HIMSS Job Services powered by HIMSS JobMine: Health IT or management systems professionals seeking a new career path can use HIMSS JobMine as it matches qualified healthcare candidates with leading organizations
• Virtual Career Fair (VCF): Later in 2011, HIMSS will introduce the HIMSS Virtual Career Fair, an online career fair where job seekers and employers can interact with each other in a live, 3-D virtual environment.

At the HIMSS Career Services Center, graduates can post their resumes for employers to view for potential employment and employers can post jobs for candidates to review. Graduates of the ONC Workforce Development program can visit the website to post their resumes and view available jobs.