Throughout the United States, and particularly in Illinois, there is a growing demand for technology professionals who understand the challenges and opportunities facing the health care industry. Hospitals, medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and medical research laboratories all require qualified technology workers who understand the industry's unique needs. Long-term trends, such as the aging of the nation's population and the increasing reliance on technology in healthcare diagnostics and therapies, are driving this need.

Two of the most promising careers in health care technology include biomedical engineering technology and heath information technology. Biomedical engineering technology involves the design, creation and maintenance of critical health equipment, and health information technology refers to the design and maintenance of electronic health records and related data.

Data shows that both are growing career fields:§ The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that the demand for biomedical engineers will increase by 26.1 percent between 2002 and 2012.

According to the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, there is a great demand for biomedical equipment technicians and too few trained technicians to fill the jobs. The supply of certified technicians with degrees in electronics or biomedical technology is not keeping up with demand.

America's Career InfoNet ranked Health Information Technology as the 13th fastest growing occupation for 2000-2010.

The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that the demand for medical records and health information technicians will increase by 46.8 percent between 2002 and 2012.

DeVry University offers two programs that combine health care education with DeVry's established technology curricula to prepare students for these in-demand careers. Like all DeVry University degree programs, these health care technology programs were developed with input from professionals working in the health technology industry.

The biomedical engineering technology bachelor's degree program teaches students about the design, implementation and maintenance of health services equipment, such as medical imaging systems or computer-based systems used during surgery or intensive care.

Rodney Winterland is a 2001 DeVry University graduate working in the biomedical engineering industry. A nuclear service engineer for Philips Medical Systems in Chicago, Winterland says his career success is a direct result of his experiences at DeVry. "The university made me the best candidate for the best jobs," he says. "I am a very driven person and DeVry gave me the right classes and the right professors to get my education and get right out in the field and start working." Although he's only been working in the field a few years, Winterland has already advanced in this rapidly expanding industry. Winterland comments, "My degree has more than paid for itself."

DeVry also offers an associate degree program in health information technology. This program prepares students to analyze and manage health care data, implement applications software to support health care data analysis and management, and perform complex clinical coding tasks that support health care record keeping.

According to Pat Hertel, Chair of the HIT program at DeVry University Chicago, health information technology jobs are growing as hospitals and other health care providers move to more advanced forms of electronic recordkeeping and work to maintain compliance with health information privacy regulations. "Health care is one of the most rapidly growing career fields, and the demand for health information technicians is at an all-time high," said Hertel. "Every time a patient goes to the hospital or visits a doctor, that information must be tracked, analyzed, coded, protected, and stored. With the anticipated increase in the use of health care in the coming years and the strong initiatives for electronic health records, the demand for highly trained HIT specialists will continue to rise."

For more information about health care technology careers and DeVry University degree programs that help open the door to these exciting opportunities, contact DeVry University at 773/929-8500.