Program will support Michigan’s need for a next generation health IT workforce
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Interoperability Institute (IOI), a 501(c)(3) organization designed to provide
the products, services, leadership, and workforce to bring advanced interoperability solutions to the
health information technology (HIT) market, has been awarded an AmeriCorps Planning Grant by the
Michigan Community Service Commission.
The focus of this grant is to reinforce the work that Interoperability Institute is presently undertaking to address the issue of
Michigan’s need for digital skill building of a diverse next-generation health IT and health informatics
workforce. IOI and AmeriCorps, a national network of local, state, and national service programs, are
working in collaboration to address this emerging need.
“We are thrilled to be recipients of the AmeriCorps Planning Grant and further develop the health IT
workforce in Michigan,” said Mary Kratz, Executive Vice President of Interoperability Institute. “We are
grateful for the partnership that we have with AmeriCorps and look forward to enhancing the work that
we do to ensure that today’s students are prepared to become tomorrow’s leaders.”
IOI’s goal is to provide early career opportunities to address the talent gap in information technology
and healthcare and ensure the supply of talent meets the current and emerging needs of the healthcare
industry. That includes:
• Building career awareness at critical stages along the talent pipeline
• Establishing career pathways through college and university partnerships
• Providing intern and mentor programs to train individuals at any stage in their health IT career
“We currently have 60 students participating in the IOI workforce development program,” said Morgan
Schrauben, Workforce Development Program Manager. “The experience that students get during their
time with IOI closes gaps in the talent pipeline because the curricula is constantly informed by industry
professionals to ensure that relevant competencies are included and interns are receiving valuable realworld experience. This, in turn, results in new graduates who are highly skilled and ready to join the
workforce.”
IOI is working with academic partners, private sector companies and the Michigan Health Information
Network Shared Services (MiHIN) to solicit input into the proposed AmeriCorps Health IT program. This
will ensure that the IOI’s training experiences complement curricula at Michigan colleges and
universities, in addition to career placements with Michigan companies. IOI will also solicit input on
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) from its partners to ensure that the AmeriCorps program follows
best practices for recruiting college students from populations currently under-represented in fields
related to health IT and health informatics.
Members of the planning grant project team will attend a two-day AmeriCorps training program in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as well as monthly meetings and trainings hosted by the Michigan Community
Service Commission.