CLINTON, IA – Ashford University, in Clinton, Iowa, has recently introduced several new online healthcare degrees – including one in healthcare informatics – to position its students to compete for high-demand healthcare jobs created by the aging population.  

Government statistics show healthcare will generate 3.2 million new wage and salary jobs between 2008 and 2018.

The health informatics program is specifically designed to meet mandated needs for the modernization of medical records with electronic health data management. New careers are emerging in managing digital media and information in the practice of medicine. As prescribed by the 2009 Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, healthcare companies are required to adopt electronic record-keeping systems by 2014.

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Besides the Bachelor of Arts degree in healthcare informatics, the other degrees are in Complementary and Alternative Health, Health and Wellness, and Gerontology. Ashford University offers undergraduate and graduate degree courses online and at its Clinton, Iowa campus.

"Aging Baby Boomers are going to cause a demographic earthquake that shakes the foundation of our healthcare system to its core and the workforce needs to be prepared," said Alice Vestergaard, executive dean of the College of Health, Human Services, and Science at Ashford University in San Diego.  "There are nearly 78 million Baby Boomers between the ages of 47 and 65 years old in America and they comprise 29 percent of the total population. They are entering a time of critical healthcare needs including age-related disease such as osteoarthritis accompanied by societal trends like obesity, of which 39 percent are afflicted."

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Ashford introduced the degrees after years of analysis and careful planning.  The goal: to provide students with degrees that may be unmatched among educational institutions, either traditional or online, in their depth, breadth and relevance to future healthcare needs.  The curriculum includes programs addressing the technological revolution toward electronic health records and wireless healthcare.

"Americans are living longer and rather than thinking about putting them into the equivalent of assisted living warehouses, we need to create a workforce that is attuned to the new positive aging movement," said Vestergaard.  "Envision skilled caregivers who can meet future human needs for aging in place, such as an existing residence, rather than in an institution.  This is essential if the system is to deal with the millions of Baby Boomers who will soon suffer from Alzheimer's disease."

The Alzheimer's Association estimates that one out of every eight Baby Boomers will get Alzheimer's disease after turning 65 years old. At age 85, that risk grows to one in two. With the 65 and over population in the United States expected to double by 2030, there may be up to 16 million people with Alzheimer's disease by 2050 with almost 1 million new Alzheimer's disease cases diagnosed each year.  For the general population in the United States, 4 percent of people move to a nursing home by age 80; with Alzheimer's disease, that number rises to 75 percent.  This means an increased need for long-term care specialties.  

Vestergaard said new models of care will be aimed more at healthy aging, which includes purposeful living, social engagement, physical, spiritual, and psychological aspects of longevity rather than just treatments. The job opportunities will be significant.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare will generate 3.2 million new wage and salary jobs between 2008 and 2018, more than any other industry.  Ten of the twenty fastest growing occupations are related to healthcare. Many job openings should arise in all healthcare settings as a result of employment growth and the need to replace workers who retire or leave their jobs for other reasons.