Navigating Your Healthcare IT Career – Thinking Outside the Box

Jeffrey Weide is Product Manager for symplr, instructor at Georgia State University Health Informatics program, and currently serves as a member of the HIMSS Professional Development Committee.

Healthcare technology is transforming at breakneck speed, fundamentally reshaping how we deliver care and creating career opportunities that didn't exist just a few years ago. For professionals in health information technology and systems (HIT/HIS), this rapid evolution presents both exciting possibilities and daunting choices about career direction.

I have been fortunate to have had a variety of roles over my nearly 20 years in healthcare, technology, and government positions. When I transitioned from the Air Force over a decade ago, I spent considerable time researching the best trajectory for my career path, guided by wonderful mentors who helped me explore the possibilities.

Today's healthcare IT professionals face an even more complex landscape. To provide additional context and considerations for mapping out your career, I interviewed several industry professionals for their insights on navigating this expanding field.

Beyond Traditional IT: The Explosion of New Roles

One key insight from these discussions was that the traditional path from healthcare IT to CIO/CTO represents only a small fraction of available HIT/HIS roles today. Cloud computing advancement has created opportunities extending far beyond traditional health system IT departments.

These expanding roles include:

Account Management - Sales representatives, customer success managers, and solution consultants who bridge the gap between technology vendors and healthcare organizations.

Project, Product, and Program Management - Professionals overseeing application implementations, managing cross-industry integrations, and conducting marketing analysis for healthcare technology solutions.

Data and Information - Business analysts, data scientists, programmers, and interoperability specialists who transform healthcare data into actionable insights.

Cybersecurity & Regulatory - Compliance officers, auditors, ethical hackers, and regulatory specialists ensuring healthcare technology meets security and legal requirements.

Academics and Research & Development - Faculty members, biotechnology researchers, and grant managers advancing healthcare technology through education and innovation.

It's important to note that there is no "one size fits all" career path in health information technology. As healthcare increasingly relies on technology, these roles blur into other healthcare realms and industries. Where health systems once depended on their IT departments for all technology needs, responsibilities now span across organizations and extend to vendor partnerships.

What Should I Focus On?

Given the wide variety of potential roles, I asked my colleagues what they recommend for those wanting to enter or grow in the field. Here are the key themes that emerged:

Education and Credentials

Formal Education serves two critical purposes. First, degrees help you meet job requirements, whether that's achieving a certain education level (Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate) or gaining field-specific knowledge (such as a Master of Public Health for public health advancement). Second, formal education broadens your perspective through exposure to classmates and instructors with diverse experiences. It is also important to find programs that are qualified for their content, such as Approved Education Partners (AEP) for HIMSS.

Professional Certifications fall into two categories. Required certifications include those mandated for specific positions or industry segments, such as Project Management Professional (PMP) or Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT). Achievement certifications demonstrate expertise and experience, including Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CPHIMS®), Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), and Digital Health Leader certificate from CAHIIM.

Skill Development

Specialized Training and Badges allow you to develop targeted expertise. These include healthcare-specific training (HIPAA, EHR systems), technical skills (programming languages, cloud operations), and management capabilities (Lean Six Sigma, professional coaching). Focus these efforts on your desired career path or areas where you want to become a subject matter expert.

Professional Growth

Mentorship remains crucial regardless of career stage. Find at least one mentor, preferably more, to serve as a sounding board and provide multiple perspectives on advancement. Approach mentorship relationships respectfully — come prepared with specific questions, career outlines, or growth scenarios.

Universal Concepts apply across most HIT/HIS roles. Understanding these areas will serve you well regardless of your specific path:

• Workflow and process standardization
• Change management and project management
• Stakeholder and customer success management
• User interface/experience (UI/UX) and human-centered design
• Data analytics, reporting, and dashboards
• Interoperability standards (HL7, FHIR, HIE, ONC)
• Quality improvement and risk management
• Interpersonal communication
• Personality assessments and team dynamics

The key is balancing educational pursuits effectively. Neglecting these opportunities can stunt career growth, but focusing solely on training without applying skills to demonstrate expertise will also hinder progression. Use your mentors to help determine the best advancement strategy for your situation.

Reflections for a Younger Self

My closing question to colleagues was: "What would you have told your younger self 5-10 years ago about what to focus on?" Their responses revealed several important themes:

Embrace Your Unique Starting Point. Everyone's journey is different, so focus on understanding your "True North"—where you want to go—and identify the key elements needed to get there.

Innovation Requires Thoughtfulness. Simply adding technology to broken processes creates chaos. Seek diverse perspectives to understand how your innovations impact others and reduce unintended consequences.

Bridge the Gaps. Significant differences exist between clinical, administrative, technology, and leadership roles in terms of background, experience, and capabilities. Being mindful of these differences and learning to communicate across them is crucial.

Develop Holistic Understanding. Gaining comprehensive knowledge of all healthcare elements ensures a complete approach to innovation. Step outside your comfort zone through non-traditional routes: transition from clinical to technology roles, take courses outside your expertise, or attend professional organization events to network and learn from people with different backgrounds.

Expand Your Role. Volunteer with professional organizations, take on cross-functional projects, or work in secondary roles (adjunct faculty, consulting) to gain experience and visibility.

Embrace Evolving Goals. Your career goals will change over time. Just as organizations revisit strategic plans annually, regularly reflect on your strengths and growth opportunities. Personally, I realized my goals shifted from aspiring to C-suite leadership to understanding that my best fit was mid-level leadership, where I could interface across all levels while owning programs and products. This realization fundamentally changed my career growth focus.

Taking Control of Your Destiny

The consistent message from every professional I interviewed was clear: you are the owner of your destiny. Taking control of what you want and positioning yourself for opportunities when they arise is essential for career success.

The healthcare technology field offers unprecedented opportunities for growth and impact. By understanding the expanding landscape of roles, focusing on relevant skill development, and embracing continuous learning and adaptation, you can build a rewarding career that evolves with this dynamic industry.

Whether you're just starting your journey or looking to pivot within the field, remember that your unique combination of experiences, education, and aspirations will shape your individual path. Use the insights and guidance from industry professionals, but ultimately, chart the course that aligns with your personal and professional goals.

Special thanks to the industry professionals who contributed their insights to this article:

• Bola Adesanya
• Bonnie Matthews
• Breanna Wong
• Joannie Bewa
• Tanya Kohli