Community Colleges, Other Partners Join Federal Initiative
08/29/2022
Contacts for media: Emily Gowdey-Backus, Emily_GowdeyBackus@uml.edu and Nancy Cicco, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
UMass Lowell will launch new programs in public health informatics and technology this fall, preparing graduates for jobs and helping to diversify the workforce in the field.
A new track for undergraduate public health majors will combine classes in computer science, public health and business. It will be led by public health faculty with guidance from UMass Lowell’s Solomont School of Nursing, department of computer science and Manning School of Business.
At the graduate level, UMass Lowell’s Division of Graduate, Online and Professional Studies will offer new tracks in public health informatics and technology for working professionals.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for UMass Lowell to work with community and educational partners to enhance the public health infrastructure in the Merrimack Valley,” said UMass Lowell Public Health Prof. Dan Berlowitz, chair of the department, who is leading the effort.
Lowell resident Lawreta Kankam, who, in May, received her UMass Lowell bachelor’s degree in public health, is working as an academic adviser for the new programs. She will also be among the first cohort at the university to pursue her master’s degree in the specialty when classes start Sept. 1.
“I’m excited this program will provide me – and students like me – additional training in this important area of public health. I’m proud UMass Lowell decided to offer this coursework, anticipating the needs of the evolving workforce,” Kankam said.
The new programs are funded by a $3.2 million cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information as part of the Public Health Informatics and Technology Workforce Development Program. The initiative, funded through the American Rescue Plan, seeks to strengthen public health capacity and bring more diversity to the field.
Middlesex and Northern Essex community colleges in Massachusetts, and Nashua Community College in New Hampshire, are developing public health coursework at their institutions that is compatible with the UMass Lowell program and are working with the university to ensure students who graduate from these two-year schools can transfer seamlessly to UMass Lowell to complete their degrees.
Beyond the classroom, UMass Lowell students in the programs will have a chance to gain real-world experience through internships with public health providers throughout the Merrimack Valley.
Community partners working with UMass Lowell to provide such opportunities and ensure the new academic programs meet local job needs include the Lowell Health Department, the Lawrence Board of Health, the Greater Lowell Health Alliance, the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, Lowell General Hospital, the Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, the UMass Chan Medical School Division of Health Informatics and Implementation Science, LLX Solutions, and Academic Public Health Corp.
UMass Lowell is a national research university located on a high-energy campus in the heart of a global community. The university offers its students bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences and social sciences. UMass Lowell delivers high-quality educational programs, vigorous hands-on learning and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be leaders in their communities and around the globe. www.uml.edu