The Urbana-based University of Illinois plans to roll out a $100 million IT expansion project at its hospital in Chicago, UI Hospital and Health Sciences System, reports The News-Gazette.
The project team, called 3i for "integrated information infrastructure," is weighing its options for which EHR system the hospital should adopt. So far, it has recommended an Epic system that would cost $62 million over the next seven years. However, implementation and operating costs will bump the overall budget to around $101 million, which would be paid out over 15 years.
The UI Hospital is using a 20-year-old IT system, said Avijit Ghosh, interim CFO for the university system and former CEO for the hospital, according to The News-Gazette. "Our system is so fragile now. If you asked me in the past what kept me up at night as the hospital CEO, it is the IT system."
UI trustees will vote on the Epic contract Thursday.