The Value of Health Informatics in Maine
Maine’s unique rural landscape and aging population present both challenges and opportunities for health informatics professionals.
The state is actively leveraging technology to enhance healthcare accessibility and quality, particularly through its statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE), HealthInfoNet. HealthInfoNet’s mission centers on crafting “better, easier, and safer solutions to facilitate improvements in health outcomes, risks, conditions, and drivers,” showcasing a clear commitment to using data for actionable healthcare improvements.
Key use cases include:
- Sharing patient records securely from remote mountain clinics to coastal hospitals
- Monitoring chronic disease trends and risk factors in older adults
- Enabling data‑driven public health actions for rural communities (Rural Health Info Hub)
Healthcare systems in Maine are at the forefront of this digital push. Major initiatives include:
- Providing real‑time analytics for hospital and community health metrics
- MaineHealth Innovation Center funds Bonfire projects like anti‑cancer drug delivery and breast cancer biomarker detection
- Integrating and optimizing Epic EHR systems in clinical workflows
2026 Best Health Informatics Degree Programs in Maine
University of New England
Biddeford, ME - Private 4-year - une.edu
Master's - Master of Science in Health Informatics
Online Learning - Visit Website
The University of New England's 100% online Master of Science in Health Informatics prepares professionals for leadership roles in healthcare technology. This two-year program uniquely blends healthcare knowledge with IT skills, emphasizing data management, privacy laws, and system design. Students gain practical experience through a required practicum while learning database design, project management, and healthcare quality improvement. The program offers flexible pacing and does not require GRE entrance exams. Ideal for those passionate about improving patient care through technology, it focuses on real-world applications in health information management.
- 100% online.
- Two-year program.
- Focus on healthcare IT.
- Includes practicum experience.
- Covers data privacy laws.
- Teaches database design.
- Project management skills.
- Flexible course pacing.
- No GRE required.
- Prepares for leadership roles.
List of Maine Colleges With Health Informatics Degree Programs
Biddeford, ME
University of New England
- Master's - Master of Science in Health Informatics
Online Learning - Website
- 100% online.
- Two-year program.
- Focus on healthcare IT.
- Includes practicum experience.
- Covers data privacy laws.
- Teaches database design.
- Project management skills.
- Flexible course pacing.
States Nearby
Check out more programs in New Hampshire and Massachussets.
Career Opportunities in Maine
Maine’s healthcare sector offers a diverse range of informatics opportunities, from clinical nursing informatics to public health surveillance systems. The state’s employers seek professionals who can bridge clinical practice with technology solutions while supporting both patient care and population health initiatives.
Based on some current job descriptions from major employment websites, here are some skillsets that employers are seeking.
Clinical Nursing Informatics & EHR Expertise
Registered Nurse Clinical Informatics Specialists MaineHealth in Portland leads demand for clinical informatics professionals, offering Clinical Informatics Specialist positions requiring BSN degrees (preferred), current Maine RN licensure, and 2+ years of relevant clinical/training experience ($81,311-$119,257). These roles integrate healthcare science, computer science, and information science to analyze, plan, develop, train, implement, evaluate, and maintain clinical information systems. MaineHealth requires EPIC certification within 6 months of start date for non-certified candidates.
Maine Medical Center in Westbrook offers similar Clinical Informatics Specialist positions with identical requirements, featuring fully remote work arrangements with standard Monday-Friday schedules and no required holidays or weekends. These positions emphasize work-life balance while maintaining comprehensive clinical informatics responsibilities.
Clinical Management Consultants in Cutler seeks RN Specialist Clinical Informatics professionals requiring 3-5 years of clinical experience, RN licensure, and strong knowledge of electronic health information systems ($82,070-$102,300). This critical access hospital role involves leading design, configuration, testing, and implementation of Electronic Health Systems changes while reporting to the Director of Information Technology.
Senior Leadership & Strategic Roles
Executive-Level Ambulatory Informatics MaineHealth in Portland offers Senior Director of Ambulatory Informatics positions at the executive level ($160,000-$200,000), requiring extensive leadership experience in healthcare technology. This strategic role involves leading development, implementation, and optimization of ambulatory informatics systems across the organization, creating strategic plans aligned with organizational goals, and mentoring teams of informatics professionals.
The Senior Director position emphasizes staying current with industry trends, developing policies for patient data security, monitoring performance metrics, and representing the organization at conferences and forums. This role requires collaboration with clinical, operational, and IT teams while ensuring regulatory compliance.
Public Health & Population Informatics
Epidemiology & Disease Surveillance Public Consulting Group and Staffing Solutions Organization in Augusta offer multiple Informatics Epidemiologist positions requiring Bachelor’s degrees in Public Health, Information Systems, or related fields with 4+ years relevant experience ($52,000-$83,200 for Level 1, $62,400-$93,600 for Level 2). These roles support the Maine CDC’s Infectious Disease Epidemiology Team.
Responsibilities include onboarding facilities for electronic case reporting (eCR) and electronic laboratory reporting (ELR), validating health messages, supporting the Maine Immunization Registry, and improving automation through Python programming. Advanced positions (Informatics Epidemiologist II) involve supervising staff, developing training materials, and conducting performance evaluations.
These positions require knowledge of health messaging standards (HL7, FHIR), surveillance systems (NEDSS, ESSENCE, ImmPact), coding languages (SAS, R, Python, SQL, Java), and data visualization software (Tableau, ArcGIS, Power BI). Remote work options are available with up to 3 days per week after orientation.
Advanced Analytics & Data Science
Healthcare Business Intelligence Humana Inc. in Portland offers Informatics Analyst positions within their Enterprise Shared Services Business Intelligence team, requiring Bachelor’s degrees and 2-5 years data analysis experience. These roles focus on converting data to actionable insights for service operations, utilizing advanced analytics techniques to solve business problems.
Requirements include proven experience with complex healthcare datasets, intermediate to advanced SQL skills, Python proficiency with analytics libraries, and experience with data mining and predictive modeling. The position emphasizes using data to drive business outcomes and improve customer experiences, with preference for advanced degrees and cloud platform exposure (Hadoop, Azure).
Technical Skills & Specializations
Programming & Data Management Maine employers consistently seek professionals with expertise in:
- Programming Languages: Python, SAS, R, SQL, Java for data analysis and automation
- Health Data Standards: HL7, FHIR messaging protocols for healthcare interoperability
- Surveillance Systems: NEDSS, ESSENCE, ImmPact for public health monitoring
- Data Visualization: Tableau, ArcGIS, Power BI for reporting and analytics
- EHR Platforms: EPIC certification strongly preferred across clinical roles
Clinical System Integration Positions emphasize integrating clinical workflows with technology solutions, requiring understanding of healthcare operations, quality improvement methodologies, and regulatory compliance (HIPAA, accreditation standards).
Cross-Disciplinary Applications
Clinical-Technical Bridge Roles Maine’s informatics positions require professionals who can effectively communicate between clinical staff and IT departments. MaineHealth’s Clinical Informatics Department serves as liaison between clinicians and IT, leveraging data and technologies to improve clinical workflows, quality, and patient outcomes.
Public Health Integration Public health informatics roles combine epidemiological knowledge with technical skills, requiring understanding of infectious disease transmission, statistical analysis, and public health surveillance principles while coordinating with federal CDC, local hospitals, and Maine’s Health Information Exchange (HIE) Health InfoNet.
Education & Certification Requirements
Entry to Mid-Level Positions:
- Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, Public Health, Information Systems, or related fields
- Active professional licensure (RN for clinical roles)
- 2-5 years relevant experience
- EPIC certification (obtainable within 6 months)
Senior/Leadership Positions:
- Advanced degrees preferred (MSN, MPH, or related fields)
- Extensive leadership and strategic planning experience
- Deep healthcare technology expertise
- Industry certifications (Nursing Informatics preferred)
Specialized Roles:
- Master’s degrees in Public Health or Information Systems preferred
- Multiple programming language proficiency
- Experience with federal health surveillance systems
- Grant writing and project management experience
Salary Ranges & Benefits
Compensation Structure:
- Clinical Informatics Specialists: $81,311-$119,257
- Public Health Informatics: $52,000-$93,600
- Senior Leadership: $160,000-$200,000
- Healthcare Analytics: Competitive with industry standards
Work Environment Benefits:
- Remote work options (up to 3 days/week after orientation)
- Standard Monday-Friday schedules
- Minimal weekend/holiday requirements
- Professional development opportunities
- Industry-leading benefits packages
Geographic Distribution & Work Environment
Northern Maine Rural Opportunities Rural facilities like the critical access hospital in Cutler offer opportunities for professionals interested in outdoor environments and northeastern coastal living, providing comprehensive care to smaller populations (approximately 14,000 people) with diverse outpatient services.
Portland Metro Area Portland serves as Maine’s primary healthcare informatics hub, hosting major health systems like MaineHealth and national companies like Humana, offering urban amenities with proximity to Maine’s natural environment.
State Government Opportunities Augusta provides public health informatics roles supporting statewide initiatives, disease surveillance, and population health management through partnerships with federal agencies and healthcare providers.
Maine’s health informatics job market emphasizes the integration of clinical expertise with technical proficiency, offering opportunities ranging from direct patient care technology support to population health surveillance and executive leadership, with strong emphasis on work-life balance and professional development in Maine’s unique healthcare environment.