Virtual Epic Implementations of 2020
(Originally posted on LinkedIn)
It's looking like 2020 may be one of the biggest years in Epic history, and for good reason! Though Epic is one of the most expensive EMRs available, it garners the most positive user reviews out there, which makes it highly desirable. COVID-19 travel bans (and overall restrictions) made it challenging to do traditional in-person implementations, which requires upward of 200 support staff to be on-site in a hospital. And as remote work became a necessity, not a commodity, Epic software has proven its reliability in ensuring that healthcare systems across the globe can count on them. Here are just a handful of health systems that went live virtually in 2020!
Pacific Dental Services
After nearly two years of building, Pacific Dental Services, an 800+ facility dental organization, became the very first of its kind dental support organization to implement and go live on Epic, a huge achievement! In April of 2020, Pacific Dental Services deployed Epic's practice management solution 100% virtually. Epic will allow Pacific Dental Services dentists, and specialists, to coordinate care with other healthcare professionals who also treat their patients, closing the majority of care gaps, and reducing duplication.
Senior Vice President and CIO, David Baker, says in an interview with Becker's Dental + DSO Review, "Oral healthcare is a critical component of overall health, and this investment in Epic will enable PDS-supported clinicians and their patients to more fully participate in the promise of a seamless, comprehensive healthcare system focused on whole-body health. Our partnership with Epic aligns with PDS' primary purpose to support dentists so they can focus on providing comprehensive oral healthcare and keeping patients healthier and happier. This includes educating patients about the link between oral health and whole-body health — what PDS refers to as the mouth-body connection." The implementation went live seamlessly!
Valley Children's Healthcare
Valley Children’s Healthcare completed a remote, virtual Epic EHR implementation in May of 2020. Not only was the entire go-live process conducted remotely, but they also migrated seven different EHR platforms into one Epic platform. Valley Children’s EHR users participated in one-on-one virtual sessions, webinars, and virtual support chat rooms to prepare for go-live. In order to limit COVID-19 contact, Telehealth solutions were also implemented.
University Health System (UHS)
Due to COVID-19, UHS and Epic began conducting a virtual, remote $170 million healthcare IT upgrade at University Health System (UHS). The implementation will span throughout University Hospital, UHS health clinics, and Bexar County Jail, which employs over 10,000 employees across those facilities.
“Installing a new EHR is a significant undertaking. It’s like replacing a health system’s central nervous system,” Lee Wasvick, an executive at Epic, said in a statement to San Antonio Express-News. “That’s why a team of IT staff, administrators, and clinicians spend months preparing for the launch. This preparation includes testing hundreds of scenarios and training staff on how to use the system.”
Ballad Health
Ballad Health, which spans over four states, announced that it had deployed Epic, virtually, to operate its EHR system. Interoperability seemed to be the deciding factor for moving to Epic across the hospital system, especially due to the benefits for patient safety and finances when providers can view and manage health records at every step. According to Healthcare IT News, "When Ballad Health launched in 2018, we knew having a single EHR would be crucial for our patients’ safety, efficiency, and convenience," said Pam Austin, Ballad Health’s Chief Information Officer.
"With Epic now live in most of our Ballad Health Medical Associates practices, we’re one major step closer to bringing our health system onto a single patient record platform," said Alan Levine, chairman, and chief executive officer of Ballad Health, in the statement.
Epic Systems announced that over 190 health systems are launching on their EHR platform this fall, which will be the vendor’s busiest implementation season in the company’s 41+ year history.
"This fall will be the busiest install season in Epic’s 41+ year history, with health systems in nine countries and many states slated to go live before the second wave of COVID-19 is expected over the winter. During the first wave of the pandemic, many health systems reported that integrated, longitudinal electronic health records were essential in delivering effective care."
Epic also shared, "Organizations in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States are transitioning more than 123,000 doctors, nurses, and support staff to Epic between September and the end of the year. They include health systems doing their first installations of the software as well as existing Epic customers that are installing more applications or rolling their software out to additional facilities."
It's looking like Epic will not be slowing down its virtual launches anytime soon as the world expects a second wave hit from the pandemic this winter. Epic is proving time and time again their ability to adapt and change under a sense of urgency and to constantly be coming up with unique and streamlined ideas to positively affect users and their patients.