Health Choice Network to launch $400M Epic EHR rollout
The safety net provider network will offer community health centers a fully integrated enterprise ecosystem, officials say.
Health Choice Network this week announced a new partnership with Epic to broaden the technology offerings for its providers. HCN officials are calling the $400 million integrated electronic health record initiative the largest of its kind in the health center movement.
WHY IT MATTERS
Miami-based HCN is a nationwide collaboration among safety net providers, representing more than 44 such organizations in 16 states. Serving some 2.6 million patients, it provides technologies and strategies for managed care and quality improvement – helping boost efficiency, accessibility and outcomes in underserved communities.
By moving its centers to a single EHR, the network will now be able to help its members integrate primary care, specialty care, pharmacy, behavioral health, oral health and population health. With Epic, HCN will offer a “tailored to fit” model, officials say, helping ensure specific applications are deployed according to goals set by health center CEOs.
Beyond the integrated EHR, the new Epic partnership will provide health centers “an annual set 10-year pro forma and ROI strategy for the fully integrated platform across the Network. The model is designed around the ‘greater good’ strategy of, the more organizations join the Network, the greater the savings,” according to HCN officials.
The Epic platform will offer access to clinical data and research studies; integrated tools to help with accounting and cost transparency; and analytics infrastructure to support clinical staff and manage costs associated with backend operations.
The goal is to help remove cost barriers of IT adoption or conversion for health centers and safety net providers, while offering integration with other local healthcare partners.
THE LARGER TREND
Safety net providers face challenges that other health systems don’t. But more and more have been availing themselves of emerging technologies to help them manage those demands, especially during the pandemic.
Epic, meanwhile, continues to innovate with new products and partnerships. We spoke recently with its director of nursing informatics about recent research from MetroHealth and Case Western Reserve on its AI-powered predictive decision support.
ON THE RECORD
“The HCN Board of Directors’ vision has always included an integrated model for quality health care for all,” said Alejandro M. Romillo, president and CEO of Health Choice Network, in a statement. “Our partnership with Epic now allows the technology to finally catch up to the goals established over 27 years ago at Health Choice Network and our affiliated organizations and partners.”
