About the Program

The Program

The online Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) program at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is designed primarily for working health care professionals who wish to specialize in health informatics with a focus on data analytics. Graduates are prepared to manage, use, and evaluate health care information systems such as electronic health records (EHRs), data management, and analytic systems. They also gain firsthand experience in working with leading experts in telehealth through MUSC’s Center of Telehealth, one of only two Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)-designated Centers of Excellence for Telehealth in the nation.

The program prepares students to assume positions such as:

• Data Analytics Officers
• Clinical Systems Analysts
• Health IT Project Managers
• Implementation Specialists
• Chief Medical/Nursing Information Officers

The program offers a thesis option to students interested in conducting health informatics research.

The Health Care Environment

Over the course of the past decade, health care organizations have implemented EHR systems, largely due to the HITECH Act of 2009 and financial incentives. Today, health care organizations are striving to optimize EHR use, reduce clinician burnout, manage population health, and engage patients and their families more fully in managing their health. They are also exploring innovative ways to improve quality, increase access and reduce costs. As reimbursement shifts to value-based payment models, individuals who have the knowledge, skills and abilities to easily capture, analyze and act on patient- and population-level health information are in increasing demand. Individuals skilled in health informatics and data analytics will be critical to the organization’s success.

The Faculty

The MSHI program is housed in the Department of Healthcare Leadership and Management, a department ideally suited to offer this program. By its very nature, the department and college are interdisciplinary and bring together faculty and students from a wide range of health professions. Faculty are practicing health informatics experts and leading researchers. An Advisory Council comprised of leaders in the field is actively engaged in supporting the program.

Program of Study

Students may enroll in the program on a full- or part-time basis. Full-time students will be enrolled in three online courses each and part-time students will take two courses each semester. Students are required to attend one on-campus session per semester which will typically be organized as one four-day long weekend. The on-campus sessions are generally offered in September, February and May of each academic year.

Advisory Council

The MUSC MSHI Advisory Council serves as an external board offering recommendations to the program. Members come from industry, consulting, and academics and bring expertise in the area of informatics, innovation, technology, analytics, education, telemedicine, and electronic health record (EHR) use. The council meets 1-2 times per year to review program practices and outcomes and makes recommendations on curriculum, growth, recruitment, and development. 

Council Members

Mark Daniels, Ph.D.
Chief Technology Officer
MUSC Information Systems

Shari Donley, MBA, CPHIMS
McLeod Health
Corporate HIPAA Officer
AVP of IT Governance

John Glaser, Ph.D.
Executive in Residence
Harvard Medical School Executive Education

Michelle Hager
Managing Partner
Blue Cirrus Consulting

Amanda James, RN
Telehealth Clinical Coordinator, Center for Telehealth
Medical University of South Carolina

Aaron Miri, MBA, FCHIME, CHCIO
Sr. Vice President, Chief Digital & Information Officer
Baptist Health

Jihad Obeid, M.D.
Endowed Chair for Biomedical Informatics Associated with Clinical Effectiveness & Patient Safety
Medical University of South Carolina

Heyward Titchener, MSHI
Clinical Systems Analyst II, Info Solutions - Epic Clinical
Medical University of South Carolina

Matt Turner, MHA
Vice President, Product Management - Data Solutions
Change Healthcare

Sebastian Van Delden, Ph.D.
Interim Dean and Professor
Department of Computer Science
College of Charleston

Karen Wager, DBA
Professor Emeritus, College of Health Professions
Medical University of South Carolina

Robert W Warren, MD, Ph.D., MPH
Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics / Rheumatology
Medical University of South Carolina