03 February 2016
Abu Dhabi: The Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) will work closely with the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Foundation to establish a synergistic relationship between the parties to promote the development of a skilled and well-trained health information management workforce in the UAE and the GCC region, with the recent signing of a Memorandum of Association.

The MoU was signed by Dr Abdullatif Al Shamsi, Vice Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology, and Dr William Rodman, CEO of the AHIMA Foundation, in the presence of HE Mohammad Omran Al Shamsi, Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology.

The primary goals of the collaboration will be to establish standards of excellence in creating and implementing a core academic curriculum, and to create a competent and skilled health information workforce. The latter of these will lead to career opportunities for UAE Nationals and it will also contribute to safe, high-quality care and improved population health in the UAE and GCC region.

Dr Abdullatif Al Shamsi said the collaboration with the AHIMA Foundation is of great importance as it will lead to more qualified and specialized UAE Nationals in these modern fields, which are much needed by the health sector in the UAE. "This will promote Emiratization in the administrative and technical areas of this vital sector," he said.

He stated that the Health Information Management and Health Information Technology specializations, which combine computer science, management and medical care skills, are in high demand in the UAE's booming healthcare industry.

Dr Al Shamsi added that the development of health information systems is essential to the proper operation of technical healthcare fields, which require accurate information and data that enable officials to make sound decisions and develop ongoing development plans.

He said that under this MoU, new and advanced programmes will be offered in the fields of information systems and health management. In addition, faculty training opportunities will be provided to meet AHIMA's international standards. "As a result HCT faculty will be encouraged to conduct specialized scientific research and incentives will be given to students to enroll in these new majors," Dr Al Shamsi said.

Dr Muhadditha Al Hashimi, Executive Dean of the Health Sciences Division and Director of the HCT-Sharjah Colleges, said the MoU will support the HCT's Bachelor in Health Information Management programme by developing curricula and courses in line with international criteria.

Students will also be provided with training opportunities using the learning resources and simulation systems related to medical records provided by AHIMA.

Dr Al Hashimi added that the HCT focuses on health programmes and builds partnerships with reputable international institutions to promote these programmes so as to meet the expanding needs of the UAE's health sector.

Under the terms of the MoU, the parties will undertake a range of activities including the promotion of Health Information Management (HIM), Health Informatics (HI), and Health Information Communication and Technology (HICT) professions and academic programmes, as well as facilitate faculty exchange between academic institutions and support HCT faculty in health sciences research areas.

The parties will also work together to look at establishing a UAE-based Health Information Management Association to represent HIM professionals.

-Ends-

AHIMA Foundation
Established in 1962, the AHIMA Foundation is a not-for-profit entity and is the charitable affiliate of AHIMA, providing resources to support continuous innovation and advances through research, leadership and educational scholarship opportunities in health information. Initially dedicated to procuring books for the AHIMA library and to providing loans to HIM students, the Foundation has grown into a robust organization that leads the field in professional HIM development and research. Visit www.ahimafoundation.org/

Higher Colleges of Technology
Founded in 1988 with four colleges, the Higher Colleges of Technology have grown to be the largest of the higher educational institutions in the UAE, gaining a well-respected reputation for innovative learning. Over 23,000 students attend 17 modern, technology-oriented men's and women's campuses throughout the UAE. HCT offers a wide range of English-taught programmes in a range of disciplines. All HCT programmes are all relevant to the UAE's fast growing and are designed in consultation with business and industry leaders to ensure that the skills students learn are job-relevant and to high standards. They are constantly monitored to ensure they are at the cutting edge of industry standards and technological change. Visit www.hct.ac.ae

For more information or to arrange interviews contact:
Paul Lancaster of HCT Communications Department
Mobile: 050 6160964
Email: plancaster@hct.ac.ae

© Press Release 2016