Article summary
- Ballad Health will upgrade its Epic electronic health record system beginning at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 13. Epic will be in “read-only” mode for up to two hours, preventing data entry, and users will be notified when full access is restored.
- Leading up to the upgrade, some Epic features will be limited starting at 5 p.m. Friday, May 8. A build freeze for non-emergency changes will run from noon Wednesday, May 6, through 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 13.
- Epic users should prepare by confirming login access, reviewing downtime procedures, ensuring patient data is flowing to downtime devices and verifying departments have updated downtime forms.
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Ballad Health will do an upgrade to our Epic electronic health record (EHR) on Wednesday, May 13, starting at 1:30 a.m. Epic users will experience a scheduled Epic downtime of up to two hours as the new November 2025 version of Epic is applied.
Leading up to the event, Epic users will experience limitations with various Epic features beginning Friday, May 8, at 5 p.m. Click here for more information on the system freeze.
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-emergency Epic changes will go into effect starting Wednesday, May 6, at noon, lasting until Wednesday, May 13, at 6 p.m.
About the upgrade
Epic upgrades ensure our EHR 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
- Make sure your Epic login is working on or before Monday, May 11.
- 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 Tuesday, May 12, 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.
- If you have issues as you prepare for the downtime, contact the IT Service Desk immediately.
- The change management plan for this upgrade, which includes a Q&A, as well as dates for future Epic upgrades can also be found on the ShareIT site on the intranet.
