National health services company American Specialty Health Incorporated (ASH) and Innovista at the University of South Carolina (USC) will partner to create a health technology innovation center that will open in November. Aimed at employing up to 15 IT professionals and offering internships and job opportunities to students and recent graduates of the university's computing, information technology, and health sciences programs, it will also offer these excellent opportunities to experienced local IT professionals, according to a statement.
Innovista connects university-sponsored innovations with entrepreneurs, businesses and stakeholders to help attract and create technology-intensive, knowledge-based companies, according to its website.
The two organizations will create new healthcare web and technology solutions.
"Our new office site tied to the university campus and our affiliation with USC and Innovista puts us at the center of technology innovation, and will facilitate access to a valuable pool of prospective employees as we develop new web and mobile technology applications,” said ASH chairman and CEO George DeVries, in the statement.
ASH is currently accepting applications for IT professionals to launch the new office.
Studies have shown that job openings will grow faster in healthcare than in all other industries in 46 out of 50 states, and in the District of Columbia. Driving this growth? Technology.
Concerns have been raised about the readiness of the U.S. to supply enough trained healthcare workers to meet the demand, as Mike Miliard noted. Ironically, a recent report found that 81 percent of physicians surveyed did not see independent practices as viable in the future; 53 percent believe the Affordable Care Act will have a detrimental effect on their ability to provide quality care – up three points from 2011; 29 percent still don’t understand the reform law’s details and implications; 16 percent would like to see the law remain as is (11 percent last year) and 29 percent want a full repeal (21 percent in 2011).
But with technology centers like the one being put together by American Specialty Health and Innovista, perhaps the jobs it will open up can go a long way towards meeting that demand, and, in some way, rescue healthcare from its current sense of “dis-ease.”
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Edited by
Allison Boccamazzo
