From planning to performance: Strategies for a successful Epic implementation 

Healthcare executives often express concerns when facing the challenges associated with an Epic implementation. These concerns typically involve ensuring seamless clinical adoption, optimizing patient outcomes, and maintaining compliance with stringent reporting standards. 

To ensure a successful implementation, it’s essential to focus on key strategic areas that lay the groundwork for effective execution. By addressing these foundational elements, organizations can navigate the complexities of change and set themselves up for long-term success. 

Pre-implementation planning to support to post go-live improvement 

Through tailored strategies and a hands-on approach, your organization can navigate this intricate process with confidence, while effectively managing change to exceed your strategic objectives. Appropriate pre-implementation planning can make all the difference to the success of your implementation and your organization’s ability to continue to make improvements to the system in the future.  During pre-implementation planning, consider the following to ensure a smooth implementation and support future improvements post go-live: 

• Identify key value drivers and measure success: Set clear, measurable goals and communicate them effectively, to ensure that everyone is aligned and focused on the same objectives. 
• Establish an effective project governance structure: A well-defined governance structure enables your organization to make decisions quickly and resolve issues effectively. 
• Review total cost of ownership: Understanding every aspect of the implementation budget—including consultants, third-party systems, interfaces, go-live support, and training—is crucial for accurate cost estimation. 
• Give operations a head start on standardizing workflows: Standardizing workflows is essential for maintenance, testing, and training. Foundation build should always be considered during this phase. 
• Define future-state, third-party scope: Early determination of which non-Epic systems will remain integrated is critical for a smooth transition.