Sen. Brown Announces More Than $7.1M To Boost Health Information Technology At Cuyahoga Community College In Cleveland

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced that $7,116,493 was awarded to Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland. The Health Information Technology (HIT) funds, awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will help bolster academic HIT programs at Cuyahoga Community College or Tri-C.

“These funds will train Ohio workers for the high-tech jobs of the 21^st century,” Brown said. “Northeast Ohio is a leader in providing cutting-edge health care, and health information technology represents the future of this industry. This grant will enable Tri-C to give Ohio workers the skills needed for high-tech health jobs. By matching our workforce training programs with regional, high-growth clusters – like health care in Northeast Ohio – we can put Ohioans back to work and attract new employers.”

Health information technology enables health care providers to better manage patient care through secure use and sharing of health information, according to HHS.

Cuyahoga Community College is Ohio’s oldest and largest multi-campus community college. Tri-C ranks 1^st in Ohio and 45^th in the nation in conferring associate degrees in all disciplines.

Brown recently announced plans to reintroduce the Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional Success (SECTORS) Act, which addresses the disparity between high unemployment rates and a shortage of skilled workers for many emerging industries. Despite the nation’s 9.3 percent unemployment rate, there is still demand in today's labor market for skilled workers. This is particularly true for “middle-skill” jobs that require more than a high school degree but less than a four-year college degree. These jobs make up nearly half of America’s labor market and provide good compensation for workers.

The SECTORS Act would organize stakeholders connected to a regional industry-multiple firms, unions, education and training providers, and local workforce and education system administrators-to develop plans for growing that industry. Eligible entities would be able to apply for a one year planning grant of up to $250,000 and a three year implementation grant of up to $2.5 million.

###