As health systems increasingly standardize on platforms like Epic and Workday, Springfield, Mo.-based CoxHealth took an aggressive approach: implementing both within months — without slowing operations.
The six-hospital network pulled off the feat, going live with the enterprise resource planning system Oct. 1 and the EHR on March 1.
“We didn’t reduce patient volumes,” CoxHealth Senior Vice President and CIO Patrick Murfee told Becker’s. “Providers continue to see patients. Productivity is already moving back towards baselines quickly. That’s been a clear focus for the organization — to take this on and recover and stabilize quickly.”
In opting for enterprise platforms on the medical record and ERP sides, CoxHealth cut back on applications. “How can we continue to consolidate those and find vendors that we have confidence in from a long-term perspective — ones that continue to release new functionality and listen to the voice of the customer and release relevant updates?” Mr. Murfee said.
CoxHealth plans to update Epic quarterly and is already readying for its next Workday update.
The organization also took much of what Epic has to offer for AI. “Our approach has been that it’s on by default, and so documentation, summaries, the automated in-basket items — all of those are rolling out,” Mr. Murfee said. “We’ve had good feedback from those.” Meanwhile, the health system is evaluating whether to switch to Epic’s new AI scribe.
About half of patients seen since March 1 have signed up for MyChart, and CoxHealth hopes to get more than 60% of its patients enrolled in the patient portal in the near future. Nearly all providers have completed their Epic training.
Declining to specify the dollar amount of the investment, Mr. Murfee said CoxHealth is on track for a positive return on investment within the “next few years.”
For the two-year Epic implementation, the health system had a dedicated team of over 100 people, more than 90% internal staffers. Mr. Murfee said the process — particularly since it was paired with a Workday go-live — was a significant transformation but overall a smooth one.
“Invariably, there’s complexity; it’s a large change to the organization,” he said. “One thing I’m continually proud of is the tie in with operations — sitting down and understanding: What are the issues? What are you seeing? What are we working through?”
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.