NORTHWESTERN

G R A D U A T E P R O G R A M S I N

Medical Informatics
S C H O O L O F C O N T I N U I N G S T U D I E S

2007–08
Welcome
The Northwestern University School of Continuing Studies is I M P O R TA N T D AT E S

dedicated to meeting the educational needs of a unique student

population: adult learners. Most of our students work full time Application Deadlines
and attend classes during evenings and on weekends. They Fall quarter: July 27, 2007
come to SCS to earn a master’s degree or a graduate credential Winter quarter: November 9, 2007
or simply to engage in a learning experience at one of the
Spring quarter: February 1, 2008
nation’s most respected universities. They take time away from
Summer quarter: April 25, 2008
their careers, their busy schedules, and their families to fulfill a
Fall quarter (2008): July 25, 2008
perhaps long-sought-after academic dream.
Since its founding as University College 74 years ago, the Evening graduate programs at North-
western employ a rolling admission policy
School of Continuing Studies has offered an impressive array
that allows students to begin study in any
of educational programs. SCS master’s degree programs can term of the academic year. Students may
help you meet your professional or personal goals in fields apply at any point during the year and may
ranging from creative writing to public policy. specify the term for which they would like
to be considered.
A hallmark of SCS is the flexibility to meet the individual stu-
dent’s requirements. If you do not need or want a full master’s Term Start Dates
program, we offer several nondegree opportunities, including
Fall quarter: September 25, 2007
the professional graduate series certificates and the opportunity
to take courses on a course-by-course basis. The SCS medical Winter quarter: January 7, 2008

informatics program also offers students the convenience and
flexibility of an online program option. Each of the graduate
programs delivers a high-quality Northwestern University edu-
cational experience.
As you examine this catalog, you will see that the School of
Continuing Studies is a place where you can satisfy your lifelong
commitment to learning — whether you seek a degree, want
to develop professional skills, or simply desire a new intellectual
challenge. We believe that when you attend Northwestern, our
great tradition of quality will set you apart — whether in the
Spring quarter: March 31, 2008
Summer quarter: June 23, 2008
Fall quarter (2008): September 23, 2008
Information Sessions
Information sessions are held in Chicago
and Evanston throughout the year, giving
you the opportunity to meet with faculty
and program directors. For current details
regarding time and location, please visit
www.scs.northwestern.edu/grad/calendar.

business marketplace or the marketplace of ideas. Visit www.scs.northwestern.edu/grad/mmi

for details about information sessions for
the MMI online option.
Sincerely,

Thomas F. Gibbons
Dean

06/07 3M
 Study Options
Students may enter the Master of Science in Medical Informatics
program at SCS as either degree students or nondegree students.
Degree and nondegree students are subject to the same admission
standards and requirements and participate in the same master’s-
level classes. Northwestern expects that all graduate students,
regardless of status, bring the same level of commitment and
academic ambition to their course work.

Degree Students

MMI Program
SCS graduate programs are designed to be completed in two to
three years of uninterrupted part-time study (one or two courses
per term). The University allows five years to finish the full
degree. Students in the professional graduate series and nonde-
gree special students who transfer into the MMI program may
apply credit toward that degree.

MD/MMI Joint-Degree Program

Students admitted to Northwestern’s Feinberg School of
Medicine may earn the MMI degree while completing their
medical studies. Feinberg students interested in pursuing the
joint degree program must meet with their medical school
adviser before applying to the MMI program.

Nondegree Students

Professional Graduate Series

Professional graduate series provide an integrated, streamlined
sequence of courses designed to make returning to school more
manageable for busy professionals and students who wish to
focus on a particular area of study. Each series consists of four
units of credit. The series usually can be completed in a year by
taking one or two courses per quarter. Upon successful comple-
tion of course work, students receive a certificate.

Nondegree Special Students

This option allows students to take individual courses in a par-
ticular graduate program without committing to the entire cur-
riculum. It is ideal for those who are not ready to commit to the
time or cost of a full program and want to keep open the option
to earn a master’s degree. Students wishing to continue their
studies may apply to transfer in to the master’s program.

MMI Online
Northwestern University, 2007
Volume XXX, Number 7, June 2007 The MMI program is now offered in an online format. See
NORTHWESTERN (USPS 428-790) is published by Northwestern
University, 633 Clark Street, Evanston, Illinois 60208-1114, and issued 11 page 9 for more information.
times during the year: once in February, nine times in June, and once in
August. Periodicals postage paid at Evanston, Illinois, and additional mail-
ing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Northwestern University,
633 Clark Street, Evanston, Illinois, 60208-1114.

312-503-4682 | www.scs.northwestern.edu 3
Master of Science in
Medical Informatics
OFFERED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FEINBERG SCHOOL
OF MEDICINE, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
The MMI program provides the knowledge and
skills you need to be a leader in the important
field of medical informatics. It is a part-time
evening program that focuses on the study and
application of principles of information man-
agement, design, integration, implementation,
and evaluation to enterprise-wide health care
information systems. The MMI degree is
offered by the School of Continuing Studies
in partnership with Northwestern’s Feinberg
School of Medicine.
In the MMI program, information technology
is brought into the clinical environment to
create and analyze systems for the digital med-
ical age. Whether your background is in com-
puting or information technology, health care
or the life sciences, this program builds on
your expertise and prepares you for the chal-
lenges of the medical informatics field.
Northwestern is the natural choice for students
who wish to receive superior education at a
nationally recognized research institution.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital and
Evanston Northwestern Healthcare have both
been awarded “most wired” status by Health
Care’s Most Wired magazine. The MMI program
offers students access to established leaders in
health care informatics from the metropolitan
Chicago community, including academic
appointees as well as physicians in private
practice who are early successful adopters of
ambulatory medical records. Students who
want to improve the overall quality of health
care in the United States will find Chicago
institutions to be leaders in the fields of clinical
decision support and quality reporting.
4 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF CONTINUING STUDIES
“My professors are sec-
ond to none in their
knowledge and ability to
engage the class. My
classmates are great, too
— an interesting, multi-
cultural mix of people
that includes hospital
executives and medical
professionals.”
— Scott Kerth, MMI student
Graduates of the MMI program will have the
skills to fill positions in health care informa-
tion technology across the entire spectrum of
health care delivery: independent physicians’
practices that need consultants to implement
and maintain their electronic health records as
well as hospitals beginning implementation of
COE and integrated delivery systems. Grad-
uates also have the skills to enter the growing
field of health information exchange, which
includes provider-centric regional health infor-
mation organizations (RHIOs) and patient-
centric models based on the emerging personal
health records systems.
Students in the Feinberg School of Medicine
can take advantage of the program’s flexible
course schedule to earn a both MD and MMI
degrees while completing their studies in
medicine.
Please be sure to review the important dates
pertaining to this program at www.scs.
northwestern.edu/grad/calendar.
Curriculum
Most students starting the MMI program have
either a technical or a clinical background. In
order to bring all students to a level where they
can succeed in the core program, they are placed
into one of two entry paths upon admission:
• the technologist entry path is for students
with a technical background and consists of two
courses to introduce them to the American
health care system and the clinical landscape
• the clinician entry path is for students with
clinical backgrounds and consists of two
courses designed to familiarize them with basic
concepts in computer databases and networking
Students with little background in either area
may be asked to take all four of the entry path
courses; students with strong backgrounds in
both areas may be able to start the core courses
immediately. The technical and clinical paths
then merge in the program’s common core of
seven courses and a leadership class. The pro-
gram concludes with a capstone project, which
combines research with hands-on experience
and provides an opportunity for students to take
advantage of the resources of Northwestern
University and the Feinberg School of Medicine.
A minimum of 11 units of credit are required
for the MMI degree, with each course counting
as one unit of credit. The curriculum applies to
the MMI, MMI online, and MD/MMI degrees.
(Students may be required to complete up to 13
courses in order to gain the necessary back-
ground in the field.)
The MMI program received the University
Continuing Education Association’s 2006
Creative Program Award.
MMI and MD/MMI programs
Entry Paths (2 courses)
Clinician
• CIS 313 Telecommunications and Computer Networks
• CIS 317 Introduction to Databases
Technologist
• MED INF 401 American Health Care System
• MED INF 402 Introduction to Clinical Thinking
Core Courses (7 courses)
• PUB HLTH 302 Introduction to Biostatistics
• MED INF 403 Introduction to Medical Informatics
• MED INF 404 Health Care Enterprise Operations
• MED INF 405 Health Care Information Technology
Integration, Interoperability, and Standards
• MED INF 406 Decision Support Systems and Health
Care
• MED INF 407 Legal, Ethical, and Social Issues
• MED INF 408 Medical Technology Acquisition and
Assessment
Leadership Class (1 course)
SCS strives to equip its students with fundamental skills
in effective leadership, communication, innovation, and
change management. In order to gain exposure to theories
and best practices in these administrative areas, MMI stu-
dents join other SCS graduate students in a 10-week
leadership class. With these skills complementing the
core curriculum, graduates are better prepared to face the
challenges of the modern workplace.
Capstone Project (1 course)
The final course in the MMI program is an applied
research project in which students integrate the knowledge
they have gained in the core curriculum with a topic of
relevance to their professional goals. Working with MMI
faculty, students explore the body of knowledge on med-
ical informatics while contributing research of practical
value to the field. The capstone project counts as one unit
of credit, and students have up to one year to present
their final research.
312-503-4682 | www.scs.northwestern.edu 5
Program Overview
The MMI program gives individuals with
information technology backgrounds and
clinically trained health professionals the
knowledge and experience needed to apply
their talents to careers in information services
organizations within hospitals, health systems,
academic environments, and the health sys-
tems and equipment industry. This interdisci-
plinary professional program aims to blend
computing and clinical skills in the emerging
field of medical informatics. The curriculum
recognizes the complexities and academic
demands of the field and emphasizes the spe-
cific technical requirements of the profession
without training its students too narrowly.
Graduates are able to understand and affect
developments in the medical informatics field
from a technical, theoretical, and managerial
perspective. Duration
The MMI program is designed to be com-
Admission pleted in two to three years of uninterrupted
Admission to the MMI program is on a rolling part-time study, although students have five
basis, so students are welcome to start in any years to finish the program.
of the four quarters in the academic year.
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from Tuition
an accredited U.S. college or university or its Tuition for the 2007–08 academic year is
foreign equivalent. A competitive undergradu- $2,922 per course. Students in the MMI/MD
ate record that indicates strong academic abil- program pay $1,460 per course.
ity is required. Work or research experience in
clinical, computing, or information technology
fields is highly desirable but not a requirement
for admission. The Graduate Record
Examination (GRE) is not required, but
strong scores bolster chances for admission.
Application and admission requirements in the
MMI program are identical for degree and
nondegree special students. Applicants to the
joint MMI/MD program must already be
admitted to the Feinberg School of Medicine.
For more information about admission
requirements, see the frequently asked ques-
tions at www.scs.northwestern.edu/grad/mmi.

6 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF CONTINUING STUDIES

Shelley Myers
MMI student

A registered nurse with a bachelor’s degree in physiology, Shelley Myers worked for two years as a cardiac
nurse before transitioning into marketing and consulting on health care information systems. She is cur-
rently an enterprise partnership manager for Sg2, an international health care research, consulting, and
education company headquartered in Skokie, Illinois.

WHEN DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN MEDICAL INFORMATICS? It shaped my career from the beginning. I went to

nursing school with the idea of going into nursing informatics, and my nursing degree opened the door to

consulting. Now I have a broader interest in health care informatics. It’s an evolving — and fascinating —

field. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE MMI PROGRAM? Northwestern has a great medical school and a robust infor-

matics department in its hospital, so I knew the program would be outstanding. I have a clinical background

and a lot of experience with information technology,

but I wanted to learn more. A formal education gives

you an understanding you can’t acquire on the job

from vendors. WHAT ARE YOUR CLASSMATES LIKE? There’s

a mix of students with a range of ages — one class

included a physician, several nurses and IT profes-

sionals, and a statistician. We stay in touch outside

of class through an online forum. I like to network

with other students — I learn so much from them,

and it opens opportunities for future consulting.

DOES THE NETWORKING EXTEND BEYOND THE MMI

PROGRAM? Yes. My company recruits from North-

western, and I wanted our executives to understand

the program. I’m arranging with SCS to invite speak-

ers from Sg2 to give guest lectures in the MMI

program — it’s a perfect fit. WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?

I want to leverage my background and apply what I’ve learned in the program by creating a clinical informa-

tion strategy forum at my company to connect organizations working to achieve similar health information

strategy goals.

312-503-4682 | www.scs.northwestern.edu 7
Professional Graduate Series
in Medical Informatics

The professional graduate series provide an Curriculum

integrated, streamlined sequence of courses in
select fields of graduate study at Northwestern.
They are designed to make returning to school
more manageable for busy professionals and
students who want only to focus on a particular
area of study or earn a professional credential.
Each series is designed to function both as a
complete educational experience and as a por-
tal to further study for a graduate degree.
Admissions standards and requirements for the
professional graduate series are identical to
those for the corresponding master’s degree
programs, so students may be confident that
their educational experience will be rigorous
but cost a fraction of the time and tuition
required for a full degree. Students may trans-
fer to the degree program and earn credit for
any professional graduate series course com-
pleted with a grade of B or higher.
The professional graduate series usually can be
completed in a year by taking one or two
courses per quarter. It must be completed
within two years of the date of acceptance.
For more information on courses and prereq-
uisites, see pages 14–15.
n entry track classes (if any) as required by the
admissions committee
n MED INF 403 Introduction to Medical
Informatics
n three other courses chosen from the Medical
Informatics curriculum, except for MED INF
590
Certificate of Completion
Prior to completion of their fourth course,
students must submit the Application for
Professional Graduate Series Certificate to be
awarded the certificate (download the form
from www.scs.northwestern.edu/forms.)
Other Study Options
n Nondegree special student
See page 3 or www.scs.northwestern.edu/grad
/mmi/faq.cfm for details.

“The use of electronic health records and other information

technology will transform our health care system by reducing
medical errors, minimizing paperwork hassles, lowering costs, and
improving quality of care.”
– Mike Leavitt, Secretary of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services

8 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF CONTINUING STUDIES

going online
The MMI Online Option
In addition to the traditional classroom structure, the MMI is
offered in an online distance-learning format, presenting an oppor-
tunity to study this field from virtually any location in the world.
Designed with the working professional in mind, the online option
for the MMI program parallels its campus-based counterpart in
every way, providing the same curriculum, designed and taught
by Northwestern faculty. The online program can be completed in
two to three years of part-time study. Students choose either the
on-campus or online option; a combination of online and campus-
based coursework is not available for the MMI program.

For program and admission information, call 877-664-3347, and

review the application checklist in this catalog.

For the latest course and schedule information, please visit

www.scs.northwestern/grad.

312-503-4682 | www.scs.northwestern.edu 9
Faculty and Advisory
Board
MMI faculty and advisory board members are doctors,
clinicians, administrators, educators, researchers, and
information technology professionals at Northwestern
University, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and other
leading organizations. Leaders in developing and
deploying health information technology, they play an
integral part in setting health care standards nationally
and bring this expertise to the classroom. The MMI
advisory board ensures the curriculum meets the com-
plexities and demands of the informatics field.
Jay Anderson
Jay M. Anderson, director of operations and quality
for Northwestern Memorial Hospital, is responsible
for the installation of process improvement, measure-
ment, and monitoring skills for a large contemporary
academic medical center. Prior to his work at
Northwestern Memorial, Anderson was a certified Six
Sigma Black Belt in the financial services industry for
the General Electric Company and a nuclear trained
officer in the U.S. Navy. He received his BS in systems
analysis from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and
his MBA in finance from the University of Chicago.
Patricia Becker
Patricia Becker is vice president of technology services
at University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC),
where she is responsible for building and managing
information systems and services that support the
needs of UHC’s programs. UHC is a member organi-
zation supporting the needs of academic medical
centers across the United States. Before joining UHC,
Becker was employed at the University of Chicago
Hospitals and Health Systems for 19 years in various
information services management positions, including
an appointment in 1993 as vice president of informa-
tion systems and chief information officer. She has
been an active participant on UHC’s CIO Council
and has been the CIO representative on UHC’s opera-
tions committee since its inception in1998. Becker has
an MBA in management systems from DePaul
University.
10 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF CONTINUING STUDIES
Charles Colander
Charles Colander is director of technology manage-
ment at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. In this role
he is responsible for all technical infrastructures,
including networking, telephony, desktop, and com-
puter services. He has over 20 years of experience in
information technology assisting many health care
organizations with IS strategy development, merger
and acquisition planning, as well as the integration of
technology and clinical transformation. Colander
earned his master’s degree in management information
systems at Benedictine University.
Stasia Kahn
Stasia Kahn has been practicing internal medicine since
1988. She completed her residency at the University
of Illinois Hospital in Chicago after attending the
University of Illinois College of Medicine. She prac-
tices at and is cofounder of Fox Prairie Medial Group
P. C. in St. Charles, Illinois, and is an attending staff
member at Central DuPage Hospital. Her passion is
to use health information technology to improve the
safety and quality of patient care, leading to her
instrumental role in forming the regional health infor-
mation exchange group Northern Illinois Physicians
For Connectivity, and she is spearheading the effort to
have a state-wide universal Personal Health Record.
Kahn serves on the expert panel Assessing the
Economics of Electronic Health Record Adoption and
Successful Implementation in Physician Small Practice
Settings, part of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, and also serves on the IT systems
security workgroup of the Health Information
Management Systems Society. In 2004 Kahn pub-
lished How to Select and Implement the Right Electronic
Medical Records and Practice Management Solution for
Your Practice.
Stasia Kahn, M.D.
MMI faculty

As cofounder of Fox Prairie Medical Group in St. Charles, Illinois, Stasia Kahn was an early adopter of
health care information technology. She plays a leadership role in two organizations that promote the use
of medical informatics in health care Northern Illinois Physicians For Connectivity (NIPFC) and Community
Health Record of Illinois (CHRI).

BETWEEN YOUR PRACTICE IN INTERNAL MEDICINE AND YOUR LEADERSHIP IN CHRI AND NIPFC, YOU’RE VERY
BUSY. WHY TAKE ON TEACHING? I see teaching in the MMI program as a way to positively influence the work-
force: We need more people with training in medical informatics. It’s also fun to teach at SCS. My students

have varied backgrounds — clinicians, administrators, IT professionals — and they learn from one another.

YOU MOVED FROM A PAPER-BASED PRACTICE TO AN EMR (ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS) SYSTEM. WHY
DITCH PAPER? We don’t need a medical records

department, which saves space and spares

personnel. We don’t use a transcription serv-

ice; our practitioners enter information

directly, which makes for more accurate infor-

mation. Every communication is documented

— and legible. HOW DO YOU TEACH A SUBJECT

LIKE MEDICAL INFORMATICS? I brought my lap-

top to one class to demonstrate how a provider

enters data from a patient into an EMR. To

highlight the difference between using a test

patient [with invented data] and a real patient,

I accessed remotely the records of a consenting patient. When you’re evaluating technology, real examples

give a better understanding of the product. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS AS A TEACHER? One thing I teach is the

importance of standards in health care information. For example, I am able to demonstrate my use of the

continuity of care record, which helps disparate providers share information. Most important, I want my

students to see the big picture. People tend to see health care informatics as split between private prac-

titioners and institutions like hospitals. I want to show that they can all work together.

312-503-4682 | www.scs.northwestern.edu 11
David Liebovitz
David Liebovitz is the chief medical informatics offi-
cer for the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation,
the full-time academic medical practice affiliated with
the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern. In
this role he works to further development of the out-
patient medical records system and optimize informa-
tion exchange with Northwestern Memorial Hospital,
where he serves as medical director for clinical infor-
mation systems. Within the hospital, Liebovitz has
been the physician lead for implementation of CPOE
and online notes. In addition, he works on the inpa-
tient general medical service, sees outpatients in his
clinical practice, and, in his role as an associate pro-
gram director for the Internal Medicine Residency
Program, supervises residents’ inpatient and outpatient
experiences and their interactions with medical
records. Liebovitz previously was a full-time faculty
member at the University of Chicago. He received his
medical degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago
and his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Liebovitz is director of the MMI program.
12 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF CONTINUING STUDIES
Dennis Murphy
Dennis Murphy is the vice president of medical affairs
at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. In this capacity
he is responsible for the development and implemen-
tation of policies governing all financial transactions
between the hospital and the physician practice plan
of the Feinberg School of Medicine. His responsibili-
ties also include the management of graduate medical
education programs and the conduct of clinical
research programs at Northwestern Memorial
Hospital. He represents Northwestern Memorial
Hospital in medical center–wide initiatives such as
research management, the McGaw GME consortium,
and faculty leadership recruitments. After receiving an
MHA from Duke University, Murphy spent 10 years
at Johns Hopkins Hospital in a series of roles ranging
from administrative fellow and assistant administrator
of surgery to the administrator for the department of
medicine. Following his work at Johns Hopkins, he
was employed by the University of Chicago Hospitals
and served as the vice president for ambulatory services
and decision support. He has been at Northwestern
Memorial Hospital since September 2000.
Linda Salchenberger
Linda Salchenberger is associate dean of academics at
Northwestern’s School of Continuing Studies and
senior lecturer at the J. L. Kellogg School of Manage-
ment. She has published research articles on data
mining and neural network applications in health care
and has been invited to address national health care
organizations on medical informatics, data warehous-
ing, and data mining in health care. Salchenberger
holds a PhD in managerial economics and decision
sciences and an MBA in decision sciences and infor-
mation systems from Kellogg.
Dale Sanders Theresa Wisdom

Dale Sanders is vice president of information services
and CIO at Northwestern Medical Faculty Founda-
tion. His background includes serving as regional
director of information systems and medical informat-
ics for Intermountain Health Care (IHC); vice presi-
dent of systems integration for Information
Technology International; senior systems engineer for
TRW Space and Defense Systems Integration Group;
and as a captain and information systems officer in the
U.S. Air Force. He earned a bachelor’s degree in
chemistry with biology minor from Fort Lewis
College, Durango, Colorado, and a certificate in
information systems management from the U.S. Air
Force. His interests include analytics and data ware-
housing, systems integration, and effective project
leadership and risk management.
Theresa Wisdom works for the Health Information
Management Systems Society as a facilitator on the
Health Information Technology Standards Panel. The
HITSP panel was organized based on the President’s
Executive Order to harmonize the exchange of health
data in the United States. Wisdom is a Registered
Health Information Administrator (RHIA) and has
an MBA from Lewis University. She is a speaker for
the Implementation of an Electronic Health Record,
assisted in amending the book Illinois Health
Information and the Law, and teaches medical ethics,
law, and regulations within health care delivery
systems.

Charles Watts

Charles Watts joined Northwestern Memorial

Hospital as senior vice president of medical affairs
(chief medical officer) and clinical associate dean at
Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine in
November 2001. He came to Northwestern from the
University of Michigan, where for eight years he
served as chief of clinical affairs as well as medical
director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit and clini-
cal associate dean in the medical school. He received
his undergraduate and medical degrees from the
University of Michigan, where he also received his
residency training in internal medicine and pulmon-
ology, specializing in critical care. His research inter-
ests have included severity adjustment in the ICU,
quality improvement measurement, and acute respira-
tory distress syndrome. While at the University of
Michigan he was a coinvestigator in the Acute
Respiratory Distress Syndrome network.

312-503-4682 | www.scs.northwestern.edu 13
Course Descriptions
In addition to the MMI program’s core courses, SCS
offers a wide variety of electives to enrich your graduate
experience. Following are a sample of the courses
offered by the MMI program. For the latest course
and schedule information, please visit www.scs
.northwestern/grad.
MED INF 401-0
American Health Care System
Components of the U.S. health care system, including
the federal government’s role in health care, health
industry management, cost and quality issues, man-
aged care, reimbursement mechanisms, legal and reg-
ulatory issues, profit vs. nonprofit care, the role of
technology and technology assessment, and the U.S.
system vs. international health care systems. This is an
entry track course for students with little clinical
experience and should be completed before attempt-
ing core courses.
MED INF 402-0
Introduction to Clinical Thinking
This course introduces the clinical environment
throughout the health center. It is designed for stu-
dents not previously involved in clinical medicine as
well as those trained in medicine outside the United
States. The course features problem-based learning
and traditional medical informatics task domains. It
covers medical terminology and basic pathophysiology.
Topics include the clinical setting, eliciting informa-
tion from patients, synthesizing the history and physi-
cal examination, establishing diagnosis, treatment
planning, integrating evidence-based medicine, and
using an intelligent medical record in a complex envi-
ronment. This is an entry track course for students
with little clinical experience and should be com-
pleted before attempting core courses.
14 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF CONTINUING STUDIES
MED INF 403-0
Introduction to Medical Informatics
Survey of fundamental concepts and activities in
information technology as applied to health care.
Topics include computer-based medical records,
knowledge-based systems, telehealth, decision theory
and decision support, human-computer interfaces,
systems integration, the digital library, and educa-
tional applications. Department-specific applications
such as pathology, radiology, psychiatry, and intensive
care are also discussed. Should be taken within the
first two terms, preferably as the first core course.
Prerequisite: CIS 317 (if required by admissions
committee), equivalent knowledge, or consent of
instructor.
MED INF 404-0
Health Care Enterprise Operations
This course examines the information technology
needs of every part of hospital organization and man-
agement, including patient access services, ambulatory
care, clinical practice and organization, nursing serv-
ices, managing facilities and resources, personnel and
staffing, and finance. Prerequisite: MED INF 401 or
consent of instructor.
MED INF 405-0
Health Care Information Technology Integration,
Interoperability, and Standards
This course provides the details of health care tech-
nology standards and interoperability. The value
proposition of standards is presented. The course
reviews health information models, looks at the IHE
Initiative, HL7, DICOM, CCOW, CorbaMED, and
other medical standards, and covers the role of non-
medical standards in medical informatics (HTTP,
XML, etc.). The course also covers multi-institutional
issues and telemedicine, e-commerce, and Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA)
standards compliance.
MED INF 406-0
Decision Support Systems and Health Care
This course provides an introduction to decision
analysis with elements of human cognition under
uncertainty. Topics covered include structuring deci-
sion problems and developing creative decision
options, quantifying uncertainty and preferences, and
combining them to arrive at optimal decisions. The
course also provides the foundation needed to apply
the methods of decision analysis in decision support
systems and intelligent systems. Students become
familiar with the graphical display of medical infor-
mation, decision analysis and modeling, evidence-
based medicine, Bayes’ theorem, knowledge-based
systems, learning systems, lexicons, coding and struc-
tured data entry, and data mining. Class meetings
may be augmented by presentations from selected
vendor representatives. Prerequisite: MED INF 405
or consent of instructor.
LEADERS 481
Foundations of Leadership
The purpose of this course is to identify the funda-
mental leadership behaviors that enable people to
excel in their careers and to help students apply these
behaviors to personal and professional success. The
course builds from the premise that leadership is
learned and looks at the theory and practice of leader-
ship at the individual and organizational levels. The
course explores definitions of leadership, the impor-
tance of leadership, leadership styles, the role of vision
and integrity, the importance of giving and receiving
feedback, how to lead change and solve problems,
effective teamwork, and communication strategies.
The culmination of the class is a personal leadership
development plan formulated by each student.

MED INF 407-0

Legal, Ethical, and Social Issues
This course addresses the legal, ethical, and social
challenges of health care informatics. The health care
industry is highly regulated, and the nature of this
regulation — and the requirements that regulation
imposes on software development and acquisition —
must be understood. Medical ethics, the regulatory
environment, licensure, JCAHO, HIPAA, confiden-
tiality, disclosure, and accountability are discussed.

MED INF 408-0

Medical Technology Acquisition
and Assessment
This is a practical course in how to acquire and assess
new medical technology, either as a vendor who needs
to know how to meet the expectations of customers
and their acquisition requirements or as a customer/
practitioner who must know how to validate technol-
ogy selections and implementations. Topics include
cost analysis and justification, economic models, capi-
tal purchase, leasing strategies, the ASP or risk-sharing
model, purchase agreements and contracts, writing an
RFP, analyzing an RFP response, and industry busi-
ness trends.

312-503-4682 | www.scs.northwestern.edu 15
 David Liebovitz, M.D.
MMI faculty director

Before medical school David Liebovitz majored in electrical engineering. He’s made good use of that
hybrid background as chief medical informatics officer for the Northwestern Medical Faculty
Foundation, medical director for clinical information systems at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and
director of the MMI program at SCS. He also sees patients in his clinical practice in internal medicine,
supervises residents, and conducts research on the use of electronic information systems.

HOW CAN MEDICAL INFORMATICS REVOLUTIONIZE PATIENT CARE? Let’s say a physician sees a new patient
who’s already received five or six diagnoses and is on nine different medications. It’s beyond the ability
of any physician to manage that much information dur-
ing a 20-minute visit. Medical informatics facilitates
and guides medical decision making, increasing the
probability of safe and effective care. Tens of thou-
sands of people die from medical errors every year;
those are largely system errors that could be signifi-
cantly reduced with proper management of medical
information. ARE THERE OTHER ADVANTAGES? Medical
informatics improves communication and acts as a
bridge between patients and physicians. In my own
practice, patients have online access to some of their
records, including lab results with my comments.
Information can empower patients and encourage
them to participate in their care. Medical informatics
also saves money — potentially billions of dollars
annually. HOW DOES THE MMI PROGRAM WORK? MMI
students follow one of two tracks, depending on
whether their backgrounds are in health care or in
computing and information technology. The program
helps students leverage their backgrounds to understand both sides of the equation. HOW DO MMI STU-
DENTS BENEFIT FROM THE PROGRAM? There’s an enormous need for a skilled workforce in medical infor-
matics. The time and effort spent in the MMI program should pay off in expanded opportunities for
Northwestern graduates.

16 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF CONTINUING STUDIES

Career Opportunities
Graduates with an MMI degree have an edge
when seeking careers in
Private Industry
n Promote design and deployment of new
technologies such as electronic prescription
technology, electronic health records, and
personal health records
Research
n Develop new techniques and technologies
n Collaborate with industry as a consultant to
the design process
n
Design and perform systems evaluations
n Initiate standards development
Education
n Teach medical students, residents, and
fellows core informatics concepts
n Educate colleagues and participate in
change management
Health Care Administration and Management
n Extract and analyze management informa-
tion from health care information systems
n Manage and implement health information
exchange
312-503-4682
Application Checklist
❍ Meet application deadlines
❍ Complete online application at www.scs
.northwestern.edu/grad/information
/apply.cfm
❍ Submit the nonrefundable application fee
of $75
Supplemental Materials
❍ One sealed copy of official transcripts of
all previous college or university academic
work
❍ Two letters of recommendation focusing
on academic and professional achieve-
ment and ability
❍ Statement of purpose (see below)
❍ Current résumé or curriculum vitae
(include details of clinical or IT experi-
ence)
Statement of Purpose
Applicants must submit a 300-word state-
ment of purpose explaining how the degree
program will help them meet their academic
and professional goals. Those without previ-
ous education or training in medical infor-
matics or a related field should explain how
other academic and nonacademic experi-
ences have equipped them to undertake
graduate study in the program.
Transferring to a Degree Program
Nondegree graduate students interested in
matriculating into an affiliated master’s
degree program should submit an
Application for Readmission/Program
Transfer form (download form from
www.scs.northwestern .edu
/grad/mmi/admission.cfm) before registering
for their fourth course as a nondegree stu-
dent.
For More Admissions Information
If you have any questions about the
application process call 847-491-3582
for assistance.
MMI online students call 877-664-3347.
School of Continuing Studies
Office of Graduate Admission
405 Church Street
Evanston, Illinois 60208
| www.scs.northwestern.edu 17
Student Services
Advising/Student Services Financial Aid Parking Permits
School of Continuing Studies Chicago Office of Financial Aid Students who wish to purchase a parking
847-491-5611 710 North Lake Shore Drive, Suite 629 permit should contact the following offices
Program Coordinator Chicago, Illinois 60611 for more information:
847-467-7854 312-503-8722 Parking Office (Evanston)
Admissions Coordinator 1819 Hinman Avenue
847-491-3582 Human Resources, Benefits Division Evanston, Illinois 60208
Evanston: 847-491-7513 847-491-3310
Chicago: 312-695-8134 Parking Office (Chicago)
Bookstores
Abbott Hall, Room 100
Evanston: 847-491-3990 www.northwestern.edu/hr 710 North Lake Shore Drive
Chicago: 312-503-8486 Chicago, Illinois 60611
www.northwestern.bkstore.com Identification: WildCARD 312-503-1103
The WildCARD, Northwestern’s identifica- www.univsvcs.northwestern.edu/parking
CAESAR tion card, is used to access University
libraries, sports facilities, and a variety of Sports and Athletic Facilities
CAESAR is Northwestern’s online student other services on campus.
registration and services gateway. Memberships and daily fee rates are available.
WildCARD (Evanston)
Help Line: 847-467-4877 Norris University Center Crown Sports Pavilion/Norris Aquatics
www.northwestern.edu/caesar Underground Level Center
1999 Campus Drive 2311 Campus Drive
Evanston, Illinois 60208 Evanston, Illinois 60208
Career Services 847-491-4303
847-467-6843
University Career Services lists part-time job www.northwestern.edu/fitness-recreation
opportunities. WildCARD (Chicago)
Abbott Hall, Room 100
University Career Services 710 North Lake Shore Drive Student Accounts
620 Lincoln Street Chicago, Illinois 60611
Evanston, Illinois 60208 Evanston: 847-491-5224
312-503-0548
847-491-3700 www.northwestern.edu/sfs
www.univsvcs.northwestern.edu/WildCARD
www.northwestern.edu/careers
The Vault — online career service for admitted SCS Student Advisory Board
SCS graduate students. Send an e-mail to International Office
The Student Advisory Board serves as an
talktoscs@northwestern.edu for Web site’s Visas available to international students advocate for SCS students and strives to
address and password. vary depending on course of study (degree, build a more cohesive SCS community.
nondegree, visiting scholar, etc.). People who
are not U.S. citizens or resident aliens are sab@northwestern.edu
Course Management System strongly encouraged to contact this office
Northwestern University’s Course for more information before applying to a Students with Disabilities
Management System, sometimes called graduate program at Northwestern. It is Northwestern University policy to
“blackboard,” is a tool used by many profes- 847-491-5613 ensure that no qualified student with a dis-
sors to host Web sites for their courses. The ability is denied the benefits of, excluded
System allows professors to make course www.northwestern.edu/international
from the participation in, or otherwise sub-
information such as slides, text documents, jected to discrimination in any University
and multimedia files easily available to their Libraries program or activity. Northwestern provides
students. Log on at http://courses.northwestern Northwestern maintains an extensive library a variety of services to assist students with
.edu/webapps/login 24 hours after you register system on two campuses, with combined disabilities in becoming active members of
for a course. Support personnel also can be collections totaling more than 4 million the University community.
reached by email at course-management@ volumes.
northwestern.edu or telephone at 847-491- Office of Services for Students with
4044. Northwestern University Library Disabilities
1970 Campus Drive Scott Hall
Evanston, Illinois 60208-2300 601 University Place
E-Mail Evanston, Illinois 60208
Schaffner Library
Students must create an e-mail account. 339 East Chicago Avenue 847-467-5530 (voice)
Contact Northwestern University Information Chicago, Illinois 60611 847-467-5533 (TTY)
Technology (NUIT) for further information. 312-503-8422 www.northwestern.edu/disability
NUIT Support (Evanston) Information (all libraries): 847-491-7658
Kresge Hall, Room 1-435 www.library.northwestern.edu University Police
880 Campus Drive
Evanston, Illinois 60208 Evanston: 847-491-3254
847-491-HELP Chicago: 312-503-8314
NUIT Support (Chicago) Emergency: 911
Abbott Hall, Suite 600 www.northwestern.edu/up
710 North Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60611
312-503-3682
www.it.northwestern.edu
 Continuing Education at Northwestern
There is no such thing as a typical School of Continuing
Studies student. No single age group, industry, education
level, neighborhood, or background characterizes our
students. What they do have in common is a desire to
reach their personal and professional goals. What we
offer is a plan for getting there.

312-503-4682 www.scs.northwestern.edu

G R A D U AT E P R O G R A M S • U N D E R G R A D U AT E P R O G R A M S • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT • C O R P O R AT E E D U C AT I O N

It works with my life I’m doing this for my career

I’m doing this for me
Wieboldt Hall, Sixth Floor • 339 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611

www.scs.northwestern.edu