From the results of its employee vaccination mandate to supporting new EHR go-lives, here are seven updates on Epic's operations, software products and partnerships reported by Becker's Hospital Review in October.
Editor's note: The updates are listed in the order they were reported.
1. Epic is one of the most adopted clinical communications platforms, with 88 percent of providers having implemented it in their organizations for at least four different roles, including both clinical and nonclinical employees, according to a recent KLAS Research report.
2. More than 99 percent of Epic's employees met its Oct. 1 deadline for being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, an Epic spokesperson told Becker's on Oct. 8.
3. Miami-based Health Choice Network partnered with Epic to launch an integrated EHR system across its healthcare provider network.
4. Leitchfield, Ky.-based Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center went live with its Epic EHR.
5. Microsoft unveiled several capabilities for virtual healthcare visits, which can be used through Epic and Cerner EHRs. Patients and clinicians can launch telehealth visits through the Microsoft Teams EHR connector for Epic.
6. Epic faced backlash after a recording of a company executive appearing to say that diversity, equity and inclusion efforts should not misuse company time or resources was leaked online. A company spokesperson told Becker's that the leaked discussion centered on a staff member who was being bullied for being married to a police officer. The spokesperson said that behavior is "uncommon at Epic" and the executive "wanted to make sure it stopped."
7. Epic defended its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts after the leaked recording was released. Jesse McCormick, a member of Epic's project management team and leader of its Diversity Equity and Inclusion Council, told The Wisconsin State Journal that Epic has made progress on its council's goals and the council drafted six core values in April to uphold its initiatives.