Doctorate in Health Informatics

McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston offers the first practice-focused Doctorate in Health Informatics (DHI) in the United States. Designed for executive professionals with at least three years of informatics or supervisory experience, the DHI program equips leaders with the advanced skills necessary to drive innovation and improvement in clinical and healthcare systems.

Our DHI curriculum is rooted in the principles of a Learning Health System (LHS) – a model that seeks to create continuous improvements in healthcare by integrating data and clinical insights. Like an LHS, our program emphasizes data-driven decision-making, continuous improvement, and collaboration across disciplines to improve patient care quality, outcomes, and operational efficiency.

Key Features of the DHI Program

• Data-Driven Leadership for Real-Time Healthcare Decisions
• Develop expertise in managing large, diverse datasets that inform real-time decisions. DHI students learn to harness data for actionable insights, helping healthcare systems evolve and deliver superior care.
• Commitment to Continuous Improvement
• Just as a Learning Health System thrives on constant adaptation, the DHI program emphasizes continuous learning based on new evidence. Graduates are equipped to lead data-driven improvements in healthcare quality and patient safety.
• Integration of Technology and Innovation
• With coursework focused on technologies and methods, DHI students become proficient in integrating AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics—core components of a Learning Health System—to support data-driven insights in clinical care settings.

Curriculum Overview

The DHI curriculum includes 63 semester credit hours, focusing on essential competencies to support a Learning Health System:

• Foundations of Biomedical Informatics - Introduction to core concepts in health informatics, exploring data ecosystems and their applications.
• Leadership and Decision Making - Training in organizational leadership with an emphasis on informatics-based decision-making and outcomes.
• Advanced Project Management and Change Management - Developing strategic and operational skills to implement and manage health information systems that are flexible and responsive to ongoing advancements.

In line with the LHS model, students work on a translational project within a healthcare organization to directly apply learned concepts, ensuring that knowledge is rapidly translated into practice and continuously updated for improvement.

Why Choose the DHI at McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics?

The DHI program at McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics prepares you to become a leader in healthcare informatics, specializing in creating systems that learn and improve continuously. If you’re ready to transform healthcare through a Learning Health System model and drive the future of data-centered patient care, our program is uniquely positioned to guide you on this path.

Important 2025 Dates for Admitted DHI Students

• New DHI Student Orientation: August 21 and 22, 2025
• November Residency Session: November 6 and 7, 2025

Contact Information:

For admission and application information about the DHI program please contact:

Office of Academic Affairs
D. Bradley McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston
(713) 500-3591
[email protected]

For information on program qualifications and curriculum, please contact:

DHI Program Director
Angela Ross, DNP
[email protected]

DHI Program Coordinator
Debora Simmons, PhD
[email protected]

Updated: 3/19/2025