When Epic went live across UAB St. Vincent’s locations on July 25, thousands of medical staff and employees began using a new electronic health record (EHR) system for patient care, documentation, scheduling, registration, billing, and other daily work.
The launch marked a major milestone in UAB Medicine’s move toward a single EHR system and a more connected health system.
“Moving to a modern, integrated electronic medical record is another important step in becoming one connected health system and improving care for the patients we serve,” said Janet Hadar, chief operating officer of UAB Health System.
Reaching that milestone required months of preparation across the organization. Clinical, technical, and operational teams worked together to test the system, review workflows, prepare employees, and develop the support structure needed for go-live.
“It takes all parts of the organization working collaboratively for many months to achieve a successful implementation,” Hadar said. “We are grateful for everyone’s effort and proud of the way our teams came together to support one another and our patients.”
As with any transition of this size, the first days brought challenges, including device and printer issues, access questions, patient flow concerns, scheduling problems, and interface issues connecting to third party devices. Some required technical fixes, while others pointed to the need for clearer guidance, additional training, or more support at the point of care.
Across UAB St. Vincent’s, at-the-elbow support teams, command centers, operational leaders, clinicians, and technical teams worked together to identify issues and develop solutions. More than 7,000 support tickets were opened, and 86% have already been resolved. Teams also clarified workflows, updated tip sheets, and deployed additional resources where they were needed most.
Those experiences are now shaping preparations for Wave 2. They reinforced the importance of disciplined, detailed planning, including understanding how information moves through legacy systems, identifying where gaps could occur, and engaging clinical teams early and often to understand how existing workflows may change in Epic. Issues identified during Wave 1 are being incorporated into testing, training, tip sheets, staffing plans, and command center preparations.
The launch also showed the value of detailed issue-reporting and timely communication. The Daily Digest, ONE, tip sheets, command center updates, and leader messages helped employees find current guidance and newly resolved issues.
The successes of Wave 1 deserve to be celebrated, while the hurdles provide valuable lessons. By reviewing what worked and identifying where adjustments are needed, teams can improve the experience ahead of Wave 2.
Wave 2 will be larger in scope and bring a different set of needs. However, UAB Medicine will enter the next phase with tested support structures, stronger planning, and firsthand experience responding to issues in real time.
The work completed during Wave 1 is helping teams prepare for a smoother, more coordinated transition when Epic goes live across UAB Hospital and other UAB Health System locations on Feb. 27, 2027. See the album below for a look at a photo collection we’re calling Snapshots from the Journey.
