Parker University launches 3 degree programs for 2013

August 28, 2012 — Parker University has announced the addition of three new academic programs launching in January 2013, part of a larger strategic plan to develop 12 new programs through 2017. The development is part of Parker University’s evolution to a health science institution, which will offer new academic programs designed specifically to compliment and support the chiropractic profession. The expansion takes place as the school celebrates its 30th anniversary in the DFW community.

“After an extremely thorough market investigation, these programs were identified as the first to add to our degree offerings based on how well they compliment chiropractic and the high demand for graduates with these degrees,” said Dr. Gery Hochanadel, provost of Parker University. “The introduction of these programs represents the first step in a journey to becoming a comprehensive university, one that offers degrees in health and wellness and integrates them with chiropractic.”

The trio of degrees includes an associate’s degree in Radiologic Technology, bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management and master’s degree in Business Administration, beginning the Spring 2013 trimester. Each of the three programs were selected due to high demand, how well these programs integrate with and support chiropractic practitioners, high salaries, and the soaring job outlook in health care, as evidenced by the July 2012 report by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and Workforce:

• “Healthcare support is projected to be the fastest-growing occupational cluster for the [Southern] region (out of 10).
• On par with national trends, the fastest growth is expected for education-intensive services sectors, including health care services (38.5 percent [projected growth through 2020]).
• [In Texas,] health care occupations will grow by 25 percent and comprise 7.5 percent of total employment in 2020.”

The report cites that the United States will create 5.6 million new health care jobs by 2020, most of which will be high-paying and require post-secondary education. Given the rising diversity of the health care industry, and the effects of the Affordable Care Act, these trends provide Parker University the opportunity to equip more graduates with the resources they need to fill those job vacancies.

“As the healthcare industry requires more health care professionals and more and more people become open to integrative health care models, now is the time to expand our programs to account for these overwhelmingly positive trends,” said Dr. Fabrizio Mancini, president of Parker University. “Because all of these programs relate to health care, we’re excited about the many opportunities that we’ll have to inform students in other programs about chiropractic. We hope to bring more awareness of the benefits of chiropractic and the education a chiropractor goes through. We foresee this as another opportunity to advance the profession by working with like minds that will eventually be working in health care and can become chiropractic advocates.”

Parker University’s leadership has spent months gathering insights and research to strategically develop its program enhancements. Each of the selected programs demonstrated historically positive data in job demand, salaries, industry projections, and education requirements:

Radiologic Technology (RT), Associate’s: After completion of the Radiologic Technology program at Parker University, graduates will be fully prepared to perform a wide variety of radiological procedures.

• A reported 54 percent of RT academic programs were at full capacity and were turning qualified students away.
• The Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects a 28 percent increase in demand through 2020.

Health Information Management (HIM), Bachelor’s – online program: Parker University’s program will train future HIM administrators in technologies related to electronic health records (EHR), personal health records, email communications, clinical alerts, reminders, and more.

• Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects a 20 percent increase in demand by 2018.
• Texas alone is conservatively expected to need an additional 10,000 workers in this field by 2013, driven in large part by Meaningful Use Criteria incentives offered for electronic health records.

Business Administration, Master’s (healthcare focus) – online program: The MBA program offers Parker University students a health care concentration that provides practitioners and administrators a solid foundation in business and marketing education to build practices and careers within the corporate hospital environment.

• Practitioners that complete an MBA program can expect 28 percent growth in their practice in the five years following graduation.
• A surveyed 61 percent of health care practitioners reported a lack in business and marketing skills needed to grow their practices.

Source: Parker University, parker.edu