As a past Epic training manager and current consultant to hospitals that implement training programs, one of my critical responsibilities is hiring. A new Epic implementation requires an influx of training personnel to teach users about their new system, and that means looking at a lot of resumes to find capable new hires for the […]
When we first introduced our blog readers to Pam, she was a freshly-minted Epic consultant starting her very first assignment. Her advice to other new consultants ranks as one of our most read posts. Now Pam has over a year and a half of consulting experience and a couple of client projects under her belt. So […]
As a HIT consultant and road warrior, organizational skills are a key to your success. But one of your simplest organizing tasks can also be one of the most vexing: receipt management. No one likes completing expense reports. It’s a job that is made that much more frustrating by the daily accumulation of receipts of […]
Change management is a critical—and often misunderstood—component of most Epic implementations, and indeed, most software projects. If you’re an Epic Build Analyst, you may not think about change management much, except when it seems like an annoyance. But understanding and working effectively with the change management team is a huge part of being an Epic […]
Completing an Epic certification is a great milestone, but it’s not the finish line in terms of your Epic education. Until recently, New Version Training (NVT) was the primary requirement for continuing your Epic learning and retaining your certification in a given application. But new requirements—issued near the end of 2016—update the Continuing Epic Education […]
There are plenty of ways to share information across a large healthcare organization during an EHR implementation. One of the most effective, in my experience, are Town Hall meetings where users can ask questions and hear directly from leadership about the status and goals of the implementation. When done well, Town Halls should result in […]
If you’ve aced your interview, then the next and final step before a job offer is often a check of your references. While this may seem routine, employers don’t take this step lightly, and you—as a consultant—shouldn’t either. In our experience, professional references can be deal makers or deal breakers. Our Consultant Advisors have seen […]
While there are many “pieces of the puzzle” to a successful EMR implementation, in my experience as a consultant to several large-scale Epic projects, getting your Providers on board is most essential. This includes Physicians as well as the ever more utilized Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants. Incorporating the healthcare providers is one of the […]
Winter weather wreaked havoc on travel this past week with two major blizzards causing flight delays across the Northeast. Such delays can be a source of frustration and anxiety, but they shouldn’t be a surprise to well-traveled consultants, many of whom fly weekly. Over the course of a year, almost a third of all flights are […]
StarBridge Advisors is a new healthcare IT advisory firm launched by David Muntz and Sue Schade, along with Russ Rudish, a principal at Healthcare IT Leaders. Healthcare IT Leaders is a strategic partner to StarBridge, supporting their initiatives as needed, while expanding our own consultative offerings for our hospital and health system customers. Many in healthcare […]
How do you separate yourself from the pack when interviewing for your next healthcare IT consulting assignment? To quote NFL quarterback Russell Wilson, “the separation is in the preparation.” If you’re a veteran consultant, you may not feel like you need to prepare for job interviews. But in our experience, interview prep is an important […]
As a traveling health IT consultant, it’s hard to factor in extra time to improve your health. Just ask Chris Freise, an Epic implementation specialist who says consulting life was good for his wallet, but not his waistline. “I was staying in hotels, sleeping in a different bed each night and eating a lot of fast […]