Alabama Health Informatics Degree Programs

Alabama’s healthcare sector is a vital economic engine, contributing over $25 billion annually and supporting 143,000 jobs across the state.

The Yellowhammer State faces significant workforce challenges, including:

• A projected severe nursing shortage, with nearly 39,000 nurses predicted to leave the profession over the next four years.
• Persistent shortages of primary care physicians in many rural areas, requiring innovative solutions to improve access to care.

Health informatics offers solutions by streamlining workflows, enhancing efficiency, and leveraging data for better resource allocation. Major healthcare systems in Alabama are actively embracing digital solutions:

• UAB Hospital and Huntsville Hospital both use Oracle Health (Cerner) EHR systems [4]
• The Alabama Department of Public Health employs an EHR system for various statewide programs
• The Alabama One Health Record® initiative, powered by InterSystems HealthShare, provides a statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE) platform for seamless data sharing and improved care coordination.

Alabama’s educational institutions are responding by offering robust health informatics programs:

What Kind of Jobs Can You Get with a Health Informatics Degree in Alabama?

Your degree will position you to take advantage of the diverse opportunities for health informatics professionals, from clinical settings to supply chain optimization. Here’s what leading employers across the state are seeking and the compensation they offer (with real examples).

Clinical Experience and Healthcare Domain Knowledge

Nursing and Clinical Background Requirements

USA Health (Mobile) requires either a Bachelor’s degree in nursing from an accredited institution with four years of professional nursing experience and current Alabama RN licensure, OR a Master’s degree in health informatics with four years of professional health informatics experience for their Informatics Specialist positions. Baptist Health (Montgomery) mandates current RN licensure with minimum 1 year clinical nursing experience, seeking Clinical Informatics Specialists to serve as resources for PowerChart, Surginet, Anesthesia, and Firstnet applications.

DCH Health System (Tuscaloosa) requires certification as MT/MLS or specialist/technologist certification in any laboratory discipline for their Laboratory Informatics Specialist role, emphasizing the need for clinical laboratory experience combined with informatics expertise.

Pharmacy and Specialized Clinical Knowledge

Infirmary Health System (Mobile) seeks IT Pharmacy Informatics Specialists requiring graduation from an accredited school of pharmacy, current Alabama State Board of Pharmacy licensure, and completion of Post Graduate Year 1 (PGY1) with minimum 1 year of hospital pharmacist experience. The role focuses on implementing and maintaining information systems for medication ordering, tracking, and compliance processes.

Technical Skills and Certifications

Epic and EHR System Expertise

Infirmary Health System mandates EPIC Willow Certification and EPIC Medication Order Certification within 1 year of placement for pharmacy informatics roles. Baptist Health emphasizes experience with clinical IT systems and super user experience, particularly with PowerChart and related clinical applications.

USA Health requires familiarity with electronic health record systems and other healthcare technologies, focusing on optimization and standardization of clinical documentation.

Advanced Informatics Certifications

DCH Health System requires CPHIMS or AMIA Informatics certification within 2 years of hire for Laboratory Informatics Specialists hired after November 17, 2023 (18 months for those hired prior). Alabama Department of Mental Health (Tuscaloosa) requires graduation from a CAHIIM-accredited program or equivalent AHIMA certification for Health Information Specialist positions.

Systems Management and Technical Infrastructure

Infirmary Health System seeks Radiology Informatics System Managers with working knowledge of PACS system operation, proficiency in office automation systems, communications protocols, and demonstrated project management skills. UAB Medicine (Birmingham) requires expertise in supply chain systems, particularly Lawson ERP, with skills in data mining, analysis, and VBA programming.

Compensation and Salary Ranges

Entry to Mid-Level Positions

While most Alabama health informatics positions don’t specify exact salaries, Alabama Department of Mental Health positions typically follow state government pay scales. Baptist Health and USA Health positions are full-time roles with comprehensive benefits packages including health insurance and professional development opportunities.

Senior and Management Roles

UAB Medicine offers competitive compensation for their Supply Chain Informatics Analyst position, requiring Bachelor’s degree with seven years of related experience. Guidehouse (Birmingham) seeks Associate Directors for Health Information Management with 10+ years of experience, offering comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision insurance, 401(k) retirement plans, and tuition reimbursement.

Academic Leadership Positions

University of Florida (with Alabama connections) offers “commensurate with education and experience” compensation for Division Director positions requiring PhD-level qualifications and significant research funding track records.

Educational Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree Requirements

UAB Medicine requires Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Informatics, Data Science, or related field with seven years of related experience, noting that work experience may not substitute for education requirement. Infirmary Health System requires BS in Radiology, IT, Health Administration, or related degree for radiology informatics management roles.

DCH Health System mandates Bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Science or lab-related field with three years of general laboratory experience for Laboratory Informatics Specialist positions.

Advanced Degree Preferences

University of Florida requires PhD in bioinformatics, health informatics, medical informatics, biotechnology, biomedical engineering, computer science, or related fields, or M.D. with additional specialty training in biomedical informatics for Division Director roles. UAB Medicine prefers Master’s degree in relevant fields for senior analyst positions.

Academic and Research Positions

University of Alabama at Birmingham seeks Assistant Professors for their Health Services Administration department, requiring earned terminal degrees in relevant disciplines that qualify candidates for mentoring students and teaching in health and biomedical informatics programs. The position emphasizes experience in health informatics as applied to data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and clinical/administrative health information systems. Candidates at Associate Professor rank or above must demonstrate strong portfolios of research and scholarship. The role offers collaboration with UAB’s multidisciplinary research programs across the academic campus, medical center, and UAB Heersink School of Medicine Informatics Institute, with salary and rank commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Cross-Disciplinary Opportunities

Supply Chain and Operations Integration

UAB Medicine offers unique opportunities combining health informatics with supply chain management, requiring expertise in Lawson ERP systems, data analysis, and process improvement. The role involves managing interfaces between disparate systems (Lawson, Oracle, Cerner, HealthQuest) and developing automated reports using VBA formats.

Laboratory Science and Informatics

DCH Health System provides opportunities for laboratory professionals to transition into informatics, requiring understanding of laboratory workflows, clinical best practices, and regulatory requirements while implementing information systems optimization.

Clinical Research and Data Science

University of Florida positions emphasize artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science methodologies, requiring collaboration with AI initiatives and clinical research networks. The role involves managing large-scale data repositories and electronic health record systems for research purposes.

Pharmacy and Medication Management Systems

Infirmary Health System offers specialized opportunities in pharmacy informatics, combining clinical pharmacy knowledge with IT systems for medication order management, requiring both pharmacy education and technology implementation skills.

Specialized Role Functions

Training and Education Focus

USA Health emphasizes developing and delivering training programs, creating operating manuals and learning tools, and providing ongoing support to providers and clinical staff. Baptist Health focuses on providing formal and informal technology teaching and competency validation.

Quality Assurance and Compliance

Alabama Department of Mental Health emphasizes ensuring health records are accurate, complete, and secure in accordance with state and federal regulations, participating in audits and quality assurance activities. DCH Health System requires maintaining policies and procedures for laboratory informatics concerning accreditation inspections (CLIA, CAP, TJC, ADH).

Project Management and Implementation

Infirmary Health System requires demonstrated project management and implementation skills for radiology informatics roles. UAB Medicine emphasizes managing complex projects, analyzing data to drive improvements, and collaborating across teams for technology needs.