You are: The Systems Translator

You don’t need a technical degree to break into this field, just the right focus and foundational skills. Begin by:

• Leaning into your strengths and translational experiences: Ever work in customer service? Ever de-escalated a situation? Carry the confidence that your communication skills and ability to pinpoint root issues and misunderstandings are valuable! The “5 Whys” method may resonate with you because through communication, and understanding, you may produce the best solutions. I highlight two books below that delve deeper into that topic.

• Exploring entry-level certifications such as the CompTIA IT Fundamentals+, CAHIMS (from HIMSS), or Google’s free Data Analytics Certificate.

• Learning how EHR systems work through YouTube tutorials or free demo environments (if available). Consider starting with general healthcare workflow courses to build context.

• Consider finding a Help Desk entry-level role as your first step into the Healthcare IT space. This will allow you to experience first-hand challenges that healthcare staff may face on a daily basis.

• Networking with professionals on LinkedIn or local HIMSS chapters to understand hiring paths and job shadowing opportunities.

Essential Resources:

• The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for getting up to speed faster and smarter - This book focuses on the importance of the first 90 days of a new role. Missteps in that timeframe can jeopardize or even derail your success.

  • Hardcover version

  • Kindle Version

• The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype, and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine’s Computer Age. - This book is a compilation of compelling stories and hard-hitting analyses of physicians that provide insight into the challenges of technology in the healthcare sector. (links below)

  • Paperback version

  • Kindle version

The concept of the “5 Whys” mentioned above come from these two books:

• Unlocking Lean Six Sigma

  • Paperback Version

  • Kindle Version

• The Toyota Way

  • Hardcover Version

  • Kindle Version

Your clinical experience is a powerful asset. Here’s how to build on it and pivot into a technical role:

• Lean into your strengths and translational experiences. Stand out to your IT/informatics department by suggesting optimizations to workflows, or volunteer to be a subject matter expert or “super user.” If you believe your leader will be supportive, share your interest in this next phase of your career. Disclaimer, not all leaders are created equal so sharing such information will not always yield the same result for everyone, but it can make an impactful difference!

• Volunteer to bring everyone up to speed during huddles. Be known as the go-to person that has the inside scoop on the next EHR upgrade date, new process, and similar types of news.

• Target roles that bridge clinical and IT skills, like Clinical Informaticist, Epic Trainer, or Liaison. These positions highly value your hands-on care experience.

• Consider specialized training in systems like Epic (through an employer or consulting firm), or certifications in Health Informatics (e.g., AMIA 10x10, or CAHIMS).

• Tell a story through data by leveraging any reports that you can create in the EHR you use today. Showing that you’re able to transform stats and data to show impact of implementations, or highlight deficiencies and needs, will make you stand out!

• Leverage mentorship or job shadowing with your organization’s IT or informatics department to understand real-world applications.

Essential Resources:

Success isn’t only about understanding technology, it’s about improving systems. These two books introduce you to the foundational thinking behind workflow optimization, process improvement, and reducing inefficiencies.

• Unlocking Lean Six Sigma

  • Paperback Version

  • Kindle Version

• The Toyota Way

  • Hardcover Version

  • Kindle Version

Recommendation to all clinicians:

• The Influential Mind - strategies and lessons on how to clearly communicate vision and align multiple disciplines; something you will likely need to get familiar with.

  • Paperback Version

  • Kindle Version

Already in the field and ready to level up? Focus your next steps on deepening your expertise and broadening your impact:

• Master a specialty area such as learning SQL, Tableau, Power BI, ETL tools, and more.

• Earn advanced certifications like Certified Health Data Analyst (CHDA), or specialized vendor credentials (e.g., Epic Cogito, Willow, or Beaker).

• Finetune your focus on Data Analyst-like work. Get involved with projects where you can create a report to show impact and/or need or find a way to leverage and create reports to highlight outcomes of a project you were involved in.

• Build your portfolio with governance committees that you lead, or initiatives that have been successful due to your liaison efforts.

• Get involved in strategic initiatives within your organization or volunteer for pilot programs to showcase leadership potential.

Essential Resources:

Advanced Health Technology - helps you recognize and drive the “quadruple aim” of improved patient experience, better patient and business outcomes, improved clinician experience, and lower healthcare costs:

• Paperback Version

• Kindle Version

Principles of Health Interoperability - Diving deeper into technical build, you have a book that will help you learn more about some of the integrations and interoperability standards needed to bring healthcare systems up to the modern age of technology:

• Paperback Version

• Kindle Version