NOT AN ADVERSTISEMENT.
I haven't diaried here close to a year but I thought I would share with those who are in the same boat I am. I am in my early' 40's and I had been laid off 3 times in the past 7 years. After being unemployed close to a year, I finally got on as a low paying teachers aid in special education with the Dekalb School System in Atlanta. I thought I would try and keep this job while I continue looking for something else. Well, I lasted 1 school year and got a call yesterday that because of budget cuts I would be let go. Once I heard that, I realized that I have to take a chance and make a career change because I am sick of this. President Obama has created an opportunity for me and I would like to share with those who have either been laid off, want to change careers or know of someone that this information could help.
I just enrolled in a online 4 month program called Electronics Health Record System Technology at Boston Reed College/Clayton State University. Read on for more info
http://www.bls.gov/...
About 2 years ago, I started looking into going back to school and getting a Masters in Healthcare IT because I already have a B.S, but because I didn't have any healthcare experience or background this might not have been wise. So I looked into an Associate prorgam at Devry called Healthcare IT
http://www.devry.edu/...
Once I found out that the associate program was $32,000, and that I would have to take out a loan, I said well maybe this is not for me because I can't afford it. I looked into a couple of other schools that had the Healthcare IT program at the community colleges, but again it was out of my budget and I didn't want to take on a student loan. So I decided to just pass on it and just get a job where I can retire and pay my bills.
Fast Forward 2 years. My aunt who knew I was looking into this 2 years ago, told me that she heard they had a condensed cheaper program at Clayton State University here in Georgia and that I needed to look into it. Well last winter, I got a school curriculum mailed to me and they had an upcoming seminar with instructors with information about the program. I went and it was good crowd so they begin to explain to us what this program was about.
Here were the key points:
Because of OBAMACARE or the real name of it AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
1. Boston Reed College is partnering up with colleges/universities in a couple of states to offer a 4 month $3600 Electronic Health Records Certificate Program
http://www.adulteddata.com/...
Here is a MAP of what states are partnering with Boston Reed College. If you don't see your state, you may want to find out if a community college/university is offering the same opportunity for students/adults
http://www.bostonreedcollege.com/...
2. Healthcare IT is one of the HOTTEST CAREERS right now because of the Affordable Care Act law
http://www.bostonreedcollege.co/ ( Several links that you can read and or print out)
3. By January 2014 every single doctors office, hospital, health clinic, dental office, veterens facility in the entire United States medical records MUST BE converted to electronic files or they will be HIT WITH HUGE FINES.
4. President Obama set aside BILLIONS of dollars in grant money for these facilities to be coverted to electronic records.
5. President Obama set asided BILLIONS of grant money in certain states for those who want to go back to school and get the training in Healthcare IT, you just have to research online or ask the schools if they know of any info.
6.There is a HUGE shortage of trained "HEALTH IT VENDORS" so for those who do decide to take advantage of this you can make a pretty good salary. She told us most starting salaries with the basics is 35,000 depending on where you are located and education/traning. Also she said she knew of folks who worked as "CONSULTANTS" which was they would solicit their business to doctors offices who needed someone to convert their medical files.
http://www.bostonreedcollege.com/...
7. She told us that once the millions of folks are coverted to electronic files, then you have to maintain them forever which is why this would be my permanent career and if I decide to train more or go back to school I can take advantage of that as well.
8 She gave us about 20 career opportunities just in this area. From Sales/Marketing, Project Managment, Implementation/Training Support, Clinical Implementation Specialists, Quality Improvement Specialists, EHR Trainers/Support, Billing, Coding and Collections Support, SOftware Developers/Programmers, Enterprise Application Specialist and whole bunch of others.
Here is a PDF file you can print out and read
http://www.bostonreedcollege.com/...
She told us their were career opporunities for the novice all the way up to those who have healthcare background.
So after the meeting last fall, I was sold. I am going to do this because this was the best opportunity for me to get into a booming career in the future, and I had no choice. So, I decided that I would start during the summer months once school was out because I would be out until August and I could keep my teachers aid job while I take these classes and try to find employment in 2013. Well that plan has changed. I just got laid off, so I just signed up to start July 28, 2012 online every Saturday at 12-1. I would finish the program December 29th, 2012. Boston Reed College is in California so we are three hours ahead of them.
Okay..I know you all are wondering. How am I able to afford this. Well luckily Boston Reed has financial aid department that they don't check your credit or deny you. EVERYONE is approved. My credit is JACKED UP, so I asked my counselor before I gave my information, even though I have bad credit can I get approved. He told me that they have a 12 month financing where they spread it out so you pay like 300 bucks back a month until its paid. But you will make that back when you get a job.
Here is what my counselor also told one I secured my spot in the class. I told him that I am nervous about doing this because I am from the old school of being in a classroom with flesh and blood teachers and students, I haven't taking a college course close to 20 years, I don't have a background in Healthcare and this is my first time taking an online college/coarse.
He told me to relax. He asked me these questions
1. Are you 18?
2. Can you write/speak English?
3. Do you have a high school diploma?
4. Do you have access to a computer/laptop?
5. Do you have printer?
He say that is all I need. He said I will need to get a headset because I will be "TECHNICALLY" in a classroom with students but with the headset I can participate with the classroom discussion and get assignments and they sell it at Bestbuy, etc. He said that I would need to access to the internet to complete my assignments. I also asked him could I retire in this field. HE SAID HELL YES!! He told me that 1 doctors office could take close to 6 months to convert all those files and after that you would have to maintain them. He also said I would be in demand because of the shortage of people trained.
Thats it!! I am scared out of my mind, but I have to do this because I am tired of the rat race. I am tired of worrying about how I am going to pay my bills.I am tired of worrying about losing my house. I am tired of being laid off. I am looking in the future and I see an opportunity for me to go into a field where they will always needs people. HEALTHCARE!!
You all can share this with everyone you can think of that may want to take advantage of this. I dont' know if their is a forum here where you can post job opporunities but if there is one, add my diary to it. Spread it around on other forums or message boards as well.
Last thing: President Obama needs millions of folks to get trained because the work is there. Also if you decide to take the plunge, the counselors are very very nice and very patient with any questions. My counselor was Lauren and Allan
Ph# is 1-707-307-5000