Implementing Epic requires consistent cross-department communication and cooperation throughout each phase of the project. To ensure effective decision-making and communication across the organization, a project governance structure was established that:
- Clearly articulates the team’s roles and responsibilities, each group’s and each person’s decision-making authority, and the routes for issue escalation.
- Enables the team to get answers, act on decisions, address disputes, and confront and resolve issues in a timely and efficient manner.
- Helps a project move forward smoothly.
- Allows the right people to make decisions that impact their areas and workflows.
At the base level are operational workgroups that are made up of individuals in various roles and from various departments across the organization who are selected to help guide decisions that impact their areas. These groups meet regularly throughout the implementation to not only make decisions and sign off on workflows, but also to plan for changes that will come at go-live. Workgroups are clinical, revenue cycle/patient access-focused or cross-functional for those with a wider range of impact.
Decisions that need to be escalated above a workgroup level funnel up to the appropriate advisory council, and from there the administrative advisory council for final decisions.
