Health First, based in Rockledge, Fla., invested more than $100 million to implement a new Epic EHR system. The move unified clinical workflows and reduced the system’s reliance on third-party vendors.
The June 1 go-live consolidated multiple EHR systems into one and led to the termination of 67 vendor contracts, CIO Michael Carr told Becker’s.
“We actually realized when we were live that we were going to spend less on Epic than we currently were paying for our software application suite,” Mr. Carr said.
Clinicians at the center: How nurses shaped the EHR rollout
The implementation extended beyond IT — it was deeply rooted in clinical operations. Cheyana Fischer, RN, Health First’s chief nurse executive, told Becker’s that one of the keys to success was embedding clinical leadership throughout the transition.
“We made sure one of our vice presidents of nursing could devote nearly 80% of her time to the Epic transition,” she said.
This commitment allowed nurses to play an active role in Epic workgroups, ensuring their feedback directly informed system design.
“It has to be a clinically and operationally led project,” Mr. Carr said. “You have to have your nurses and physicians driving a program like this, not just when you go live, but long term.”
Ms. Fischer echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that viewing the project through a clinical lens — not just an IT one — was essential to a successful EHR implementation.
“IT was — and still is — pivotal to our success, but this wasn’t about making IT decisions. It was about making the right decisions for our clinicians and our patients,” she said.
That perspective, she added, fostered cross-functional collaboration and accelerated staff buy-in.
Despite some typical hiccups, benefits were apparent almost immediately. Within 48 hours, nurses gained access to external data, allowing for a more comprehensive view of patients.
Another one of the most impactful early wins was streamlined documentation.
“Nurses said, ‘We don’t have to double document anymore.’ In the old system, they created workarounds just to get things done. Now, with Epic, documentation flows — enter it once, and it appears where it needs to,” Ms. Fischer said.
Epic’s real-time capabilities also gave leaders clearer insights into unit activity.
“We used to spend hours manually reviewing charts to get a sense of what was happening on the units. Now, all that data is immediate and accessible,” Ms. Fischer said.
Ultimately, Ms. Fischer and Mr. Carr agreed that one of the major successes of the rollout came down to inclusion.
“When nurses are involved from the beginning, they feel heard — and when they feel heard, they’re more invested. It sends a powerful message: You matter,” Ms. Fischer.
Health First announced the move to Epic in 2024.
