The inaugural cohort of Break the Code, HL7ās free global workforce development program, began October 1, with more than 50 academic programs participating from across the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Presented in partnership with the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), the program gives university students practical experience building healthcare applications with HL7 FHIR. Throughout two semesters, students learn from industry experts, create portfolio-ready work, and earn official HL7 credentials based on demonstrated competencies.
āHealthcare has made enormous progress building the standards and infrastructure for a more connected future. Now we need to build the workforce that can put them to work,ā said HL7 CEO Professor Rachel Dunscombe. āBreak the Code gives students an opportunity to develop practical interoperability skills while they are still in school and see how those skills translate into meaningful careers across healthcare. Building that talent pipeline is essential if we want innovation in AI, digital health and connected care to scale globally.ā
From Learning to Building
Break the Code helps students connect healthcare policies and interoperability standards to working technology. Participants will:
- Build a foundational SMART on FHIR application during the fall semester, learning how policies and standards translate into technical requirements.
- Apply FHIR to responsible AI during the spring semester, exploring considerations including transparency and data quality.
- Learn from industry experts through microlearning modules, expert sessions, and guided building checkpoints.
- Develop portfolio-ready work and earn HL7 credentials that recognize demonstrated interoperability skills.
Designed to complement existing academic curricula, the program requires approximately three to four hours of participation per month. Students who complete the requirements can publish their applications on GitHub and earn credentials that recognize their skills.
āBreak the Code is designed to bridge the gap between understanding interoperability in theory and being able to apply it,ā said Daniel Bach, HL7 Contributor Experience Lead. āStudents will work through the same kinds of challenges implementers encounter in the real world and leave with something tangible that demonstrates what they can do.ā
By introducing students to practical FHIR development while they are in school, Break the Code supports a growing talent pipeline for healthcare interoperability, digital health, and AI.
Learn more about Break the Code.
