Western Michigan University Develops New HCIT Center

An interdisciplinary partnership has resulted in the creation of new center at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo aimed at improving health care information technology.

The Center for Health Information Technology Advancement (CHITA) is a joint project by the Bronson School of Nursing and the Department of Business Information Systems. The center's overall focus is to facilitate better health care by providing solutions to today's health care information technology needs, says Dr. Bernie Han, center director and WMU professor of business information systems.

One of the center's first initiatives will be to provide WMU students with real world, hands-on experiences. This fall, selected computer information systems undergraduates are working with nursing graduate students to study the workflow of the health care business at Bronson Methodist Hospital, says Dr. Sharie Falan, center associate director and assistant professor of nursing. Students will examine various business processes and, after thorough analysis, develop recommendations for improvement.