By Nina Nowakowski
CCC Journalism Program
BLACKWOOD – Camden County College sees success in its first year offering the new grant-funded Electronic Health Records Certificate Program. The program’s grant has been extended, allowing a greater amount of students to complete this certification through Camden County College.
Dana Clarke, program manager of the Electronic Health Records Certificate Program, explains, “Following Obama’s mandate for all health records to become electronic by 2013, the need for career training in this field greatly increased.” In response to this need, the Electronic Health Records Certificate Program was established at Camden County College. Clarke, of Sicklerville, was named to oversee the program.
While Clarke is relatively new to Camden County College, beginning in July 2010, she brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding through her industry and scholastic experience.
Clarke’s mother was a nurse, which had a bit of an influence on her growing up. “I knew I wanted to work in healthcare,” says Clarke. “I also knew I didn’t want to get into direct patient care.”
Following high school, Clarke attended Northeastern University in Boston, where she obtained her bachelor’s of science degree in health information management. She continued on to obtain her master’s degree in public administration.
In the following years, Clarke went on to marry her college sweetheart, Renard, and she became a mother to Tyler, 18, and Madison, 9. Clarke was employed with Virtua West Jersey Hospital for eight years, after which she was director of health information management at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where she was employed for 10 years. Clarke then took the role of program manager at CCC, where she says she “enjoys having the opportunity to help those who may be unemployed or displaced gain new knowledge and skill sets so they may become employed.”
Outside of her profession, Clarke enjoys spending time with her husband and children, who are involved in soccer and basketball. In the future, she looks forward to helping send her son, Tyler, off to college next year and Madison in the years to come.
Clarke has high hopes for the future of the Electronic Health Records Certificate Program and looks forward to seeing a large number of students from the program graduate from Camden County College and become employed.