Ballad Health will be doing an upgrade to our Epic electronic medical records (EMR) system on Wednesday, Feb. 14, starting at 12:01 a.m. Epic users will experience a scheduled Epic downtime of about two hours as the new August 2023 version of Epic is applied.
About the downtime
Epic will not be completely offline during the downtime window, but will be placed in a “read only” status, so information can’t be entered into Epic during this downtime period. Ballad Health IT will notify users when the downtime period has ended through an IT “All Clear” notification.
NOTE: A system build freeze for non-emergent Epic changes will go into effect starting Wednesday, Feb. 7, at noon through Thursday, Feb. 15, at 6 p.m.
About the upgrade
Epic upgrades ensure our EMR is current with Epic’s newest version, which keeps our foundation system current on new features and functionalities. This latest upgrade will provide a host of new modules, screen designs, reports, functionalities and fixes to issues from previous versions.
How to prepare, if you’re an Epic user
- Review your facility’s downtime procedures and log into your unit’s downtime BCA device. This step is important because your login credentials must be recognized by the BCA device prior to the downtime.
- Prior to Wednesday, Feb. 14, frontline team members need to confirm patient information is flowing into the BCA downtime devices. If an issue arises, contact the IT Service Desk immediately.
- Ensure your department has the appropriate, up-to-date downtime forms.
- Training information about the upgrade can be found here on our Epic site on the Ballad Health intranet.
