Thanks for the question AH! To be honest, it’s hard to gauge which specific states and regions are most in demand for medical informatics administrators at hospitals, medical groups, healthcare systems, and other provider organizations. For one thing, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t publish that kind of information.
We know that the overall demand for skilled informatics workers is there. A recent report from HIMSS Analytics found that 84 percent of healthcare organizations hired at least one IT staff member in 2014 and 82 percent of respondents plan to hire at least one full time employee in the next 12 months. Other research efforts, including one from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, have similarly concluded that this is a growing field. However, few—if any—have highlighted which states are specific magnets for health informatics professionals.
I do think there are some common-sense clues about regions that could be considered top-heavy, in terms of jobs and opportunities. Every year we do the Healthcare Informatics 100—which ranks the top 100 vendors in the industry—and a few states always stand out as hubs. Those states are Massachusetts, Georgia, Tennessee, and California. In fact, I spoke with Georgia economic development leaders about the state’s efforts to promote itself as a health IT capital. Those states are clearly places where there are health informatics jobs to be had—both at vendor and at provider organizations.
I’d also look at states where major university programs for medical informatics professionals have popped up. In many cases, like in Arizona, those university programs are collaborating directly with affiliated healthcare provider organizations. Those kinds of collaboration point to a larger need for health informatics in that surrounding area.
Hope this helps! If you are a talented professional, while some areas of the country may be more fruitful than others, you have to know that this is a growing field no matter how you slice it.
