According to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, the United States will need at least 50,000 more trained health IT specialists by 2015. Such specialists will work in hospitals and other facilities to help manage EMRs and provide technical assistance. This year, 3,400 students will graduate with training on EMRs. Already, these specialists are receiving competitive job offers.

In rural areas, where unemployment rates are especially high, health IT prospects are especially promising. In August, President Obama announced a new jobs initiative for rural America that focuses, in part, on EMRs. The initiative will include loan programs to help “rural hospitals purchase software and hardware to implement health IT.” Such wider implementation of IT in hospitals is sure to lead to even more job creation.

While EMRs are improving the efficiency and success of individual hospitals and clinics, the technology is also bringing positive change to America’s economy as a whole. NextGen is excited to be a part of that change.