Eddie Groom and Bayan Karassi were awarded merit scholarships by the Alabama Chapter of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (Alabama HIMSS).

Groom is a dual student in the M.S. in Health Informatics (MSHI) program and the M.S. in Health Administration – Executive Format program. Karassi is in the UAB MSHI program and an alumna of the UAB B.S. in Health Care Management program (2017). Both are first-year students in the UAB MSHI program.

“Now more than ever, technology and data is impacting all aspects of healthcare from economics to outcomes,” said Adele Allison, president, Alabama HIMSS and senior director of economics and digital health strategy, SS&C Health. “We are impressed by the accomplishments of these two UAB students and proud of the health IT talent being developed at UAB.”

Criteria for winning the scholarship “centers on making change and evolving the Alabama HIMSS mission of promoting professional development.”

Both Groom and Karassi helped heighten awareness of the organization through volunteering, participation and advocacy. In addition, Groom served as team analyst for the UAB team that won the national HIMSS Case Competition in January 2020.

“We are grateful for Scholarship opportunities, such as those from AL HIMSS, that contribute to our ability to recruit students from across the U.S.,” said Sue Feldman, RN, MEd, PhD, MSHI program director and associate professor, UAB Department of Health Services Administration. “The faculty are very proud of the accomplishments of our students and this level of recognition for their hard work is gratifying.”

Groom and Karassi each received $1,250 for their efforts. Usually awardees are honored at the Alabama HIMSS annual Spring Conference, but of course the event was cancelled this year, so they were fittingly recognized via a Zoom call.