In today’s healthcare provider landscape, it is critical for health systems to share information with their regional affiliates so both organizations can have a clear picture of their patients’ health in order to deliver the highest-quality of care.
Additionally, there is an increased pressure for providers to streamline operational efficiencies and cut costs under value-based reimbursement models. Given these demands, many health systems are considering an Epic Community Connect partnership, which allows a health system (“hub”) to license its instance of Epic to regional affiliates (“spokes”).
Establishing a Connect program requires strategic planning and organizational commitment. Although a Connect partnership is not a typical vendor-client relationship, hub organizations will need to step into the role of a vendor while positioning themselves as a trusted partner at the same time.
Below are three tips for hub organizations that want to successfully extend their instance of Epic through a Connect partnership.
1) Map It Out: Establish Guiding Principles
From the very beginning, it’s important to set clear expectations and establish guiding principles for the project. By doing so, hubs can prevent “deal breakers” from surfacing later on that keep the spoke from going through with implementation. For example, the hub should outline the level of customization the spoke will be allowed upfront. This way, the spoke has a full understanding of its capabilities and will not be surprised by any restrictions the hub imposes.
When establishing guiding principles, the hub needs to determine under what circumstances it will be prescriptive with the spoke and when a more collaborative approach is necessary. This includes identifying the role the spoke will play during implementation, long-term support and overall governance of the application.
Once the guiding principles are established, each decision made throughout the implementation should point back to them so both organizations can stay on track with project objectives.
2) Price It Out: Provide an Accurate Cost Estimate
Because the hub takes on the role of a vendor in a Connect partnership, it is responsible for providing the spoke with a total cost estimate of the Connect program, including software, hardware/hosting, and implementation costs. It is important that the hub clearly outlines the entirety of the costs the spoke will incur, so the spoke can determine during the initial planning phase of the project if it is within the organization’s budget. Because project costs are finalized and a contract is executed prior to kickoff, there should be language in the contract to handle scope changes discovered during implementation. This should include an agreed-upon method of calculating costs based on the degree of the scope change.
If the hub does not provide a comprehensive cost estimate upfront, the spoke may be blindsided with high fees it is not prepared to pay. As such, it may be beneficial for the hub to outsource the development of its cost estimate to ensure each component of the implementation project is properly accounted for.
3) Talk It Out: Communicate Regularly
By prioritizing transparency and communication, the hub can create a culture of trust that is necessary for a successful implementation and ongoing partnership. It is essential to communicate the guiding principles and roles to everyone involved with the project to ensure both teams are on the same page.
For instance, timing is an area where poor communication can lead to implementation missteps. The hub should develop a detailed project timeline to share with the spoke, so the spoke is kept fully in the loop about deliverables and milestones. If the spoke does not know when to expect each step of the process, it will not be able to adequately prepare its staff and processes for implementation.
A win-win solution
There are many ways a hub can adapt to its new vendor role to provide a positive customer experience for its spoke during project planning and implementation. By following these three tips, potential hub organizations will create a solid foundation for a mutually beneficial Connect program that positions all parties to boost financial performance, increase operational efficiencies and improve care delivery.
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