While I agree with the latter part of the last sentence, the former is open to question. Blumenthal is calling for exactly that – real training in health information technology and informatics, not seat of the pants on the job “learn through mistakes” (which sometimes get buried, literally) training.

I had an interesting conversation with my mother (retired RN) over the holidays. She confirmed your complaint that computers reduce the interaction between doctor and patient. Prior to getting a computer her doctor would ask her if she had quit smoking each time she had a checkup. My mother has never smoked in her life. Now that he has a computer her doctor no longer asks if she has quit smoking. Apparently he pays more attention to his computer than he does to my mother. And now that he no longer asks unnecessary question, he spends less time with my mother.

According to the comment of a reader last week, if you sign up for courses at a community college, you will be right in the middle of the cash popnd. Start there and swim to shore.

Finland requires help with its HIT problems.”work slowdowns, lack of an easily understood abstract of immense amounts of information, and decreased time with patients due to increased time entering data ”

Gee, are US companies selling their HIT to Finland?

So how do you go about getting some of this money that is being “passed out”? I know plenty of adults (many displaced IT guys) who are going back to school and are all looking at the health care field -and after many discussions i realize that no one know how to get this money? Who is it for and where do you go sign up? Thanks for any help you can offer.