Two of the country’s largest health systems reached new milestones in their Epic EHR rollouts, reflecting the continued push by major systems to consolidate sprawling technology portfolios onto a single platform.
Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health announced June 2 that 65% of its 137-hospital system is now live on Epic, with two of eight planned implementation waves complete. The health system has reduced its EHR portfolio from 19 platforms to 11 as part of its multiyear OneEHR initiative and is running approximately two years ahead of its original schedule, executives said during the system’s May 29 investor call.
“Now three years in, we’re well into our Epic integration, as well as our move to a single ERP, replacing 12 disparate [enterprise resource planning] systems [with] one,” Michael Browning, system senior executive vice president and CFO, said during the call. “Our Workday ERP should be completed in mid-2027 and we’re ahead of our original schedule in our Epic transition by about two years.”
CommonSpirit’s financial reporting shows early operational benefits from the transition. Facilities that recently moved to Epic are generating charges greater than 105% of prior charges before conversion, which the system attributed to a more robust charge reconciliation process and stronger clinical engagement.
The EHR consolidation is one component of CommonSpirit’s broader “One CommonSpirit” strategy, which includes standardizing operations, aligning technology platforms and eliminating legacy inefficiencies across the system. A parallel Workday ERP implementation is expected to retire 12 disparate systems and 20 software platforms, with full completion targeted for early fiscal 2028.
Northwell Health, based in New Hyde Park, N.Y., separately reported June 1 that it has completed the second wave of its enterprise Epic rollout. The health system is in the midst of a multiyear effort to consolidate more than 30 core EHRs across its 28 hospitals and hundreds of ambulatory sites onto Epic.
The second wave spans Northwell’s Central Region on Long Island and represents Epic’s largest single implementation to date, according to a system spokesperson. The go-live covered approximately 42,000 users across nine hospitals and introduced new Epic functionality, including transplant and dialysis capabilities.
“After the success of our wave 1 go-live, our wave 2 Epic launch is our largest yet and a significant milestone in Northwell’s digital transformation,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Becker’s.
Northwell’s first major Epic go-live took place Nov. 1, 2025, covering its Western Region, including hospitals and ambulatory sites in Westchester, Manhattan, Staten Island and parts of eastern Long Island. For the second wave, the system incorporated lessons from the first go-live, including enhanced training resources, refined workflows and faster issue-resolution processes, the spokesperson said.
“With Epic, we will be better equipped to care for the communities we serve,” the spokesperson said. “A single EHR will enable easier access to patient records, stronger care team coordination, fewer redundant steps for patients and a more seamless experience from scheduling to follow-up care. This is about more than technology; it’s about giving our caregivers the tools to put our patients first.”
Northwell announced its switch from an Allscripts platform to Epic in March 2023. CommonSpirit CEO Wright Lassiter III made EHR unification a top priority after joining the system in 2022, following the merger of Englewood, Colo.-based Catholic Health Initiatives and San Francisco-based Dignity Health. The health system aims to complete its full Epic transition by 2030.
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