4 Ways this MSHIM Course Prepares You for a Career in Health Information Management

If you want to build a career shaping how healthcare organizations use technology to improve patient care, you need more than theory. You need practical skills that mirror real-world challenges. That’s exactly what students gain in HIM 455: Health Information Systems Analysis and Design, part of UIC’s Online Master of Science in Health Information Management program. 

The course is led by Amar Patel, Associate Director of Health Information Technology at Novartis Pharmaceuticals and a proud UIC alum. Patel graduated from UIC’s Health Information Management bachelor’s program in the early 2000s and has built a career at the intersection of health IT and pharmaceutical innovation. He began at Allscripts Healthcare Solutions during the HITECH Act era, guiding organizations to transition from paper to EHR implementation. From there, he joined the Joint Commission, where he built a team focused on patient safety and quality metrics. Today at Novartis, Patel helps field teams and healthcare organizations maximize their EHRs to improve patient outcomes, reduce friction, and speed up diagnoses and treatments. 

Drawing on these decades of experience, Patel brings his expertise directly into the classroom. Here, he shares four ways HIM 455 prepares students for success in careers in health information management.

1. Gain Hands-On Problem-Solving Experience

Students work through what he calls a “consulting-type engagement.” “They work through identifying a problem, developing a solution, and figuring out how to implement it. We walk through the entire lifecycle of a project from problem identification to stakeholder engagement, testing, and evaluation. We take you all the way from inception to close,” he said.  

Patel emphasizes that this process mirrors real-world projects. “What we teach in the course directly applies to the challenges you’ll face in the workforce.”

2. Learn to Optimize Systems and Workflows

Patel stresses that efficiency isn’t just about saving time but improving care. “There’s a lot of opportunity when we talk about optimization. That could be optimization of electronic health records, optimization of workflow, and that’s exactly what we talk about in this course,” he said. 

“Efficiencies result in better patient care and better outcomes. If there’s a bottleneck, how do we get rid of that? How do we optimize things to improve patient care, reduce physician burnout, and make providers’ jobs easier?” Patel added. 

HIM 455: Health Information Systems Analysis and Design also teaches students how to identify the right mix of people to drive successful change. “We talk about building executive sponsorship, having clinical champions, and having folks in a multidisciplinary team. Those are all things we cover in the course, as well as what makes a good project team and who you need to get involved at the organization to implement change properly,” Patel said. By learning to optimize workflows, systems, and team structures, students gain hands-on experience in creating practical solutions that improve both organizational performance and patient outcomes.

3. Build Broad, Transferable Skills Across Healthcare

In Patel’s view, HIM professionals succeed when they can see the bigger picture. “What I do at Novartis today covers a broad spectrum of roles and skills. You need to be very broad and understand all of the intricacies at a high level so you can have meaningful conversations with decision makers,” he said. 

He explained that HIM 455 reflects that need by covering skills like data analytics, informatics, privacy, and data quality management. “Those are all things I use in my role today, and they’re the same skills students develop in this course. Whether you’re in a hospital, pharma, or consulting, those skills carry across all careers in health information management.”

4. Prepare for an Evolving Health Information Management Industry

Patel reminds students that the field is rapidly changing, with opportunities both in cutting-edge areas and in foundational work. “When you think about career opportunities in health information technology and informatics, the industry is evolving. There’s work to be done in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and product development. But there’s also a lot of work at the ground level in hospitals and organizations in implementing and fully utilizing the technologies they already have,” he said. 

“Electronic health records are still highly underutilized to their fullest capacity. So whether you want to go into healthcare analytics, product development, or optimization work, this course gives you a baseline you can build on. I’m a product of that, and it’s served me well.” 

Why UIC’s Master of Science in Health Information Management Program Stands Out 

For Patel, UIC’s HIM program not only launched his career but continues to shape the field. “You must have a sound idea of the healthcare ecosystem, from health systems to IDNs, GPOs, payers, and pharma. I believe the courses at UIC provide that robust knowledge of the health ecosystem and all its players and intricacies,” he said. Patel also emphasized the strength of UIC’s alumni network. “When I was a hiring manager at Allscripts and the Joint Commission, I always hired alumni from UIC. And everybody I hired from this program performed exceptionally well. I think part of that is the education they received here.”  

Ultimately, Patel believes that HIM 455 and UIC’s Online Master of Science in Health Information Management program as a whole prepare students to lead change in healthcare. “I hope students walk away with problem-solving skills they can use on day one of their career. The principles we cover directly apply to the workforce, whether you’re optimizing workflows, implementing a new system, or reducing provider burnout.”