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The Gaining Equity in Training for Public Health Informatics and Technology (GET PHIT) Consortium is part of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s (ONC) PHIT Workforce Development Program. The program aims to strengthen U.S. public health information technology (IT) efforts, improve COVID-19 data collection, and increase representation of underrepresented communities within the public health IT workforce.
The GET PHIT Consortium is led by The University Texas of Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health (SPH) and the School of Biomedical Informatics (SBMI). It includes Huston-Tillotson University, Prairie View A&M University, Texas A&M International University, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, The University of Texas at Arlington, The University of Texas at El Paso, The University of Texas Permian Basin, and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). The consortium plans to train 1400 students, predominantly from underrepresented groups, and 500 public health, clinic, and academic professionals, while placing 400 students in internships.
For more information about the GET PHIT Consortium, please visit the GET PHIT website.
UTRGV GET PHIT Team
Tracia Forman, PhD, Principal Investigator (PI)
Email: tracia.forman@utrgv.edu
Dr. Forman is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Her research program is contextualized to the specialty of health informatics, encompassing nursing informatics. She is particularly interested in guiding learners to become well-prepared professionals ready to translate healthcare administrative problems and processes into informatics-based solutions. Dr. Forman serves as PI for the UTRGV GET PHIT Program.
Suad Ghaddar, PhD, Co-PI
Email: suad.ghaddar@utrgv.edu
Dr. Ghaddar is an Associate Professor at the Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Her research focuses on health disparities along the Texas-Mexico border and on the development of innovative approaches to health professions education. Dr. Ghaddar serves as a Co-PI for the UTRGV GET PHIT Program.
Kristina Vatcheva, PhD, Co-PI
Email: kristina.vatcheva@utrgv.edu
Dr. Vatcheva is an Associate Professor at the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Her research focuses on statistical modeling and the application of statistical and data mining methods in addressing epidemiology, medicine, and public health related questions as well as research targeting the health disparities of the Rio Grande Valley population. Dr. Vatcheva serves as a Co-PI for the UTRGV GET PHIT Program.
Michael Machiorlatti, PhD, Co-PI (2021-2023)
Email: michael.machiorlatti@utrgv.edu
Dr. Machiorlatti is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Population Health and Biostatistics in the School of Medicine at UTRGV. His applied research has primarily been in oncology, examining trends and disparities by sociodemographic characteristics. Dr. Machiorlatti serves as a Co-PI for the UTRGV GET PHIT Program.
Jazmine Cadena, BA, Coordinator (2022-2023)
Email: jazmine.guerrero01@utrgv.edu
Ms. Jazmine Cadena is currently a coordinator at UTRGV’s Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. She brings experience in administrative processes, information systems coordination, and data analysis.
Samuel Valdez, Graduate Research Assistant (2022-2023)
Email: samuel.valdez04@utrgv.edu
Mr. Samuel Valdez is a student in UTRGV’s Master of Science in Health Science Program. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology. He has experience in event coordination and data visualization. Samuel attended a GET PHIT Bootcamp at the University of Texas Arlington in Summer 2023.
Olivia Mackey, M.S.,Graduate Research Assistant (2023)
Email: olivia.mackey01@utrgv.edu
Ms. Olivia Mackey is a student at UTRGV’s School of Podiatric Medicine. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Science in Medical Sciences. Her prior research experience includes Type 2 Diabetes foot and ankle health, AI & NLP in extracting text data, and population health informatics work.