As the nation pushes for widespread conversion of paper health records to electronic ones, it will be imperative for employees in medical offices to be trained in the new technology — and Bramson ORT College, a two year technical college in Forest Hills, Queens, NY is readying students for the change. Its graduates will be among the first to be hired as specialists in this new, growing field thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Verizon Communications.

Photo: Verizon Grant photo caption: From l to r: June Jee, Verizon’s Director of Governmental and External Affairs; Dr. Ephraim Buhks, Director, Bramson ORT College; and Herbert  Kaplan, Senior Director of Development at ORT America, Inc. express how thrilled they are with Verizon’s decision to support Bramson with a $5,000 grant. (Photo courtesy of Bramson College.

The Electronic Health Records curriculum will become a part of the new Health Information Technology degree. Not only will students be provided with training on meeting the federal government’s guidelines for electronic medical records, but they will receive specific instructions on how to protect patient privacy and how to follow HIPAA regulations. This course will make the students more marketable because they will have the necessary skills and the certification to work as ERC managers in hospitals and large medical specialties.

“With this grant from Verizon, we want to show that in difficult times our college has broad support from the community,” said Dr. Bukhs. “Even in this current deep recession, the College is choosing the right training. It’s important for us to train professionals in this burgeoning medical field. The fact that Verizon stepped in and helped us with a grant is indicative of the respect the College has earned,” he concluded.

“Verizon and Bramson share a vision that education and literacy are core values that prepare students for personal growth, enabling them to attain higher levels of literacy so they will succeed as adults and contribute to the community,” said Ms. June Jee, Verizon’s Director of Governmental and External Affairs in Queens, who personally presented the $5,000 grant to Bramson ORT College Director, Dr. Ephraim Buhks.

The donation represents the latest in more than $45,000 in grants from Verizon to Bramson ORT College for its continuing efforts to develop and maintain its computer technology, medical and electronics technology departments.

Herbert Kaplan, Senior Director of Development at ORT America, was instrumental in securing this grant. During the past six years, Mr. Kaplan has played a prominent role in fostering a partnership between Verizon and Bramson ORT. “It’s a relationship that has resulted in funding of laboratories, advanced computer training and other educational initiatives that prepares students for the changing demands of the market place,” Mr. Kaplan said.

“Verizon was impressed by Bramson ORT College’s extensive work with students coming from a diverse community,” noted Kaplan. “The new course will help the College’s students, many of whom are single parents, the unemployed and immigrants to find work in a tough economy,” he added.

Bramson ORT College is proud of its record as a caring, nurturing, learning environment in which students can succeed. The college offers exciting programs to prepare students for the changing demands of the job market. New computer and medical labs enhance the learning experience. Distance Learning is also available. The job placement rate is over 80%. Faculty members have strong education background and professional expertise.