Why Informatics and Analytics at JSU?
By: Dr. Girmay Berhie PhD. – P.I.
Dr. Mario Azevedo – CO-P.I.
Dr. Fidelis Ikem – CO-P.I.
“We need to prepare our students with the skills, knowledge, and values in Informatics and Analytics with a concentration in Bioinformatics, Data Science, Nursing Informatics (Alcorn), Health Informatics, Business Analytics, and Public Health Informatics and Technology to have a chance to compete in the digital industry.” Girmay Berhie 2021.
In 2019, when I was hired as the Dean of the College of Health Sciences, I had a clear vision regarding student success, academic excellence, research prominence, stakeholder engagement, and the understanding that science and technology are transforming healthcare, industry and business. As a result, the need to capture the future by accepting the transformative nature of technology as a viable tool across the university is pivotal. To that end, I shared my vision with stakeholders and brought our deans together to discuss Informatics and Analytics to address the silo and turf issues and systematic challenges that may occur.
Based on the understanding and perspective of all deans, I was charged to develop and implement an innovative and emerging program under one structure that would effectively and efficiently address the technology gap at JSU. The proposed Informatics and Analytics programs would have Bioinformatics, Data Science, Nursing Informatics, Health Informatics, Business Informatics, and Public Health Informatics and Technology (PHIT) concentrations. This conceptual structure has three components as a framework a). Informatics and Analytics, b). Digital Telehealth, and c). the Innovation and Simulation Lab, as shown below.
Informatics and Analytics Frame work and Structure
- Informatics and Analytics Concentration The framework is composed of three components.
- Bioinformatics, Data Science, Nursing Informatics, Health Informatics, Business Analytics, Public Health Informatics and Technology (PHIT) (Funded by_ONC: $10,000,000)
- Community College_ Electronic Health Records (EHR) Track (Funded_Genetech: $300,000)
- Highschool_ Health Informatics Science & Technology Academy (HISTA) (Funded_: $235,000)
- Digital Telehealth Hub
- Phase 1. Formative Research and Community Development
Goal: Be the first HBCU to establish a Digital Tele-Health Hub to address Health Equity and Chronic disease prevalence and incidence among African Americans in Mississippi. We explored the attitudes, barriers, and benefits of Digital Telehealth with three targeted populations: Mississippi Pastors, church members, and JSU undergraduate and graduate students.
Results were identifying the drivers and barriers to digital health technology and will be used to inform the design of the digital health study in Phase 2. The results will also be used to underpin the long-term strategies of the Digital Tele-Medicine Lab in Phase 3.
(Funded_Kellogg Foundation: $700,000)
- Phase 2. Study Design and Deployment Managing Chronic Disease using Consumer Wearables. We are currently applying for funding.
Goal: Research on the efficacy of wearable devices in predicting and monitoring health
disparities in African Americans and their community within the Jackson MSA.
Chronic Diseases/Primary Concerns: a.) Diabetes, b.) Cardiovascular Disease, c.) Mental Health, d.) Stroke, e.) Maternal & Child Health etc.
- Phase 3. Study Operations and Digital Center Simulation
Goal: To facilitate the drivers of digital health inequities identified through Basic and
Community Participatory Research
- Innovation/ Simulation Labs such as Nvidia a powerful computer hardware for training for AI
Goal: Establish an Innovation/Simulation Lab on app development, drones, and robotics,
EHR training for high school, community college, and JSU students to train.
With respect to preparing our students to meet the greater 21st-century technological demands, this Informatics and Analytics proposal will offer an integrated, seamless, and progressive strategy toward this vision. Our challenges are mitigated with knowledge, determination, and leveraging technology for change. A new way of actualizing our capabilities at Jackson State University will result in the following benefits:
- Maximizing the institution’s capability of recruiting new students seeking more advanced and concentrated fields of informatics and analytics.
- Broadening the range of institutional focus in this field of study and research.
- Creating an easier means of conducting collaborative research across academic and community boundaries.
- A significant reduction in unnecessary and inefficient silos of teaching.
- Streaming the academic structure to develop future leaders and problem-solvers that will possess the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in the rapidly growing industry of technology
- Creating a visible and easily accessible point of contact for external organizations, corporations, and institutions seeking consulting, technical assistance, research, and contracts.
- Wider opportunities for jointly related academic capstone experiences for students
- Encouraging the transformative cultural shift capturing the future & forging the collaboration that is needed
- Such structure gives the latitude and freedom of the academic discipline to spend their energy & time on what they are good at rather than posturing on politics.
- Encourage the proposed conceptual framework to bridge the conceptual gaps between where we are & where we ought to be—such convergence is fluid, changing & dynamic that requires harnessing current & future talents to capture the future by collaboration. This is one of the best ways to bridge the digital divide—i.e. taking challenges as a potential opportunity to face the future.
- Such realization will contribute to the clarity & purposeful journey of the program.
Having the courage to make a difference among our students at JSU is our motto. I believe JSU is the become of hope and economic engine for social mobility for our students.
Girmay Berhie, PhD, Professor of Informatics and Analytics, and Principle Investigator
Dr. Mario Azevedo , CO-P.I
Dr. Fidelis Ikem , CO-P.I.
