The Epic Training team has

been busy preparing for the

July opening of Epic training

registration. Dates will vary

based on application. This will

be for everyone who needs to

take Epic training for the Feb-

ruary 4 go-live of Epic at Chil-

ton and Overlook Medical

Centers as well as Home Care

and Hospice.

There are multiple types of

training that will take place

from fall 2017 through winter

2018. This includes training

for credentialed trainers, super

users, end users and providers

(see infographic on page 3 for

dates). Roughly 11,000 people

will need to be trained in Epic,

an enormous undertaking re-

quiring careful planning and

timing. Making sure everyone

who will use Epic understands

how to use it is imperative to

ensuring a smooth transition to

the new system and maintain-

ing quality patient care.

“Epic Training is one of the

biggest success factors in im-

plementing Epic,” said Mark

Nolte, Epic Training Manager,

who has been through several

Epic go-lives. “While the

time commitment isn’t small,

we’ll have a stronger

healthcare system and better

care for our patients. The

more involved and engaged

we are, the more successful

we’ll be.”

All Epic training will take

place at the new Epic Train-

ing Center. Located in the

former Gibbs community

college on Route 10 in Liv-

ingston, the center has multi-

ple classrooms for hands-on

learning. Directions to the

site and other information

will soon roll out on the new

Training section of the Epic

Compass site.

Several members of the Epic

Implementation team, includ-

ing representatives from

Home Health, Nursing Edu-

cation, Nursing Informatics

and Nursing leadership, took

a tour of the new facility on

June 21, and had a preview of

the Course Catalog that will

be made available online to

EPIC TRAINING IS COMING!

NEW TRAINING CENTER AND COURSE

REGISTRATION OPENING SOON

JUNE 2017

1

Continued on page 3

WHY I LIKE EPIC: INTERVIEW WITH

MICHELLE NEIER, MD

This is the first in a series

of interviews with Atlantic

Staff who have used and

like Epic.

“The sky won’t fall. It’s

not that terrifying. It re-

ally will be OK.”

That’s how Michelle

Neier, MD, Pediatric

Oncology, Morristown

Goryeb Children’s Hos-

pital, answers when

asked if there is one

message she could share

with providers before

Epic provider training

starts in Fall 2017.

Though she says it with

a laugh, Dr. Neier is serious

when it comes to under-

standing the Epic system

and its transformative im-

pact on how providers treat

their patients.

“I like the ease of use. I

like that everything is in

one place. I’m not search-

ing for charts anymore and

I’m not struggling to read

someone’s handwriting,”

explains Dr Neier. “I can

now much more easily

communicate with the other

physicians either within

pediatrics or in other loca-

tions. It is going to be a

Continued from Page 1

WHY I LIKE EPIC

INTERVIEW WITH DR. NEIER

2

Have you used

Epic? Let us

know.

Please contact

EpicCommuni-

cations@atlanti

chealth.org

hugely positive change for

Atlantic Health System to

have all of our hospitals on

Epic.”

Dr. Neier first learned Epic

during provider training for

pediatrics at ambulatory

practices in Morristown in

2015. While the time in-

volved in Epic provider

training can be daunting, Dr.

Neier believes her preexist-

ing computer savvy helped

smooth the process. For pro-

viders yet to go through Ep-

ic training (with or without

computer savvy), it’s all

about overcoming rumors

and fears and keeping in the

mind the bigger picture. She

is a firm believer that with

adequate will and prepara-

tion, Epic is a tool to make

providers’ lives easier.

More than just software

“Many people think of

learning Epic in terms of

learning a new software sys-

tem. While Epic is new soft-

ware, I think the better way

to look at it is how Epic will

change and make easier the

way you currently practice

medicine.” Dr. Neier recom-

mends looking at Epic in

terms of how it can help

mimic or streamline work-

flows as opposed to a com-

plete change. “If you think

about how you can adapt

your workflow to make Epic

part of it, it’s less over-

whelming.”

Looking beyond the Screen

Dr. Neier especially hopes

to dispel the idea that using

Epic means an increased

amount of time spent on the

computer. “A lot of people

assume that once you switch

to Epic you have to be on a

computer the entire time.

It’s just not the case, and I

think that’s the biggest myth

about it. You shouldn’t just

be looking at the computer.

You should still be interact-

ing with your patient and

their families and stopping,

just as you would have with

paper, to take notes. There’s

no reason why that dialog or

process needs to change.”

Though a brand new elec-

tronic health system repre-

sents an enormous change,

Dr. Neier underscores how

much of patient interaction

and care remains the same.

Michelle Neier, MD, Pediatric Oncol-

ogy , Goryeb Children’s Hospital

“Someone said to me short-

ly before go-live, ‘You’ll

just be sitting in your office

looking at your computer.’

I look at it differently. I

explained that, no, I’m not

chained to my computer.

With Epic, so much of the

focus is on the software

aspect. I start my visits the

same way I did before. I

come in the room, I greet

the patient, and I say, ok

hold on a sec, I’m going to

open up Epic so we can

review your meds together.

I care about the patient in

front of me. That’s what

people lose sight of. This is

just a way of capturing the

data. If you use it to capture

data and share information,

then it will be helpful. If

you use it as a looming all-

encompassing technologi-

cal hurdle, of course it will

be harder for you.”

Tips for Training

One way to help understand

how to use Epic before and

even during training is to

ask someone currently us-

ing it if you can watch how

it’s used in action. “It’s

kind of theoretical until you

use the system,” says Dr.

Neier. She also recom-

mends asking about tips

and tricks that are useful to

a particular practice area

and to follow-up on topics

that don’t make sense or

seem especially confusing.

Dr. Neier could think of a

few things she wished she

had known to ask about

while in training.

“There are little things I’ve

learned over time. For exam-

ple, I didn’t know that if you

right-click where it says

‘encounter provider’ you can

just say ‘change provider.’

It’s a small thing, but it real-

ly helps.” Another fear Dr.

Neier was happy to quell

involved opening and clos-

ing charts. “We all had this

fear that if you close or open

a chart incorrectly that the

world will come crashing

down on you. It’s just not

the case. If you open a chart

by accident, it’s ok! Not the

end of the world or even

something to worry about.”

Dr. Neier emphasizes the

need to vocalize and dispel

these kinds of fears and to

remember Epic is a tool to

improve how you care for

your patients. She believes

this is key to successful Epic

training and using the sys-

tem smoothly after go-live.

“Epic will ultimately make

your life easier. The comput-

er won’t explode. You’ll be

alright.”

staff on July 16. Mark

Nolte, Epic Training Man-

ager, gave an animated

walkthrough of what to

expect.

Julie Sarinelli, Nurse Man-

ager, Epic Clinical Cham-

pion, Judy Wall, Director,

Epic Clinical IT, Denise

Fochesto, Chief Nursing

Officer, Business Director

and Jodi Morris, Principle

Trainer, ClinDoc, helped

field a range of questions

from attendees. The Epic

Site Coordinators were

also on hand to help distill

key information to bring

back to their respective

sites.

The event also offered the

Don’t for to check out the latest issue

of the Epic ClinDoc Bulletin available

monthly on the Epic Compass page.

chance to raise concerns

and discuss how to com-

municate important infor-

mation about training to

staff. The result was a live-

ly discussion that included

both laughter and serious

discussion of what is at

stake to make Epic training

run smoothly.

The late attendance policy

was a particularly hot topic.

Doors will be closed at the

start time of each class, un-

derscoring the need for staff

to properly plan to be on

time. Another hot topic was

understanding how Super

Users experienced in one

role can provide support in

other areas.

Epic Training is Coming!

3

Jodi Morris, Epic Credentialed Trainer, answers questions

Continued from Page 1

Epic Training Timeline for Chilton,

Overlook, Home Care and Hospice

Mark Nolte, Epic Training Manager, previewing the Epic Course Catalog

“Once you know Epic, when you see another user’s screen

you can help someone navigate to what they need,” ex-

plained Jodi Morris. “For instance, an inpatient nurse will

use a system list like an ED nurse would use a Snapboard.”

Though training is requires time, it is also an exciting op-

portunity to strengthen the skillset of all staff who take Ep-

ic training. “Though Epic training is a required commit-

ment you don’t have to see it as a burdensome one” said

Denise Fochesto. “It’s critical to realize that knowing how

to use our new system will not only make your life easier,

it will also improve how you do your job and care for your

patients.”

4

Testing the build of At-

lantic’s Epic system is

critical to ensuring that it

operates as it was de-

signed to before the sys-

tem goes live. The Epic

Testing team kicked off

the Testing Phase of the

project in May and hasn’t

stopped testing Atlantic

Health’s Epic system and

related interfaces since!

There are multiple kinds

of testing that must be

conducted to ensure the

system is ready. One such

type of testing is User Ac-

ceptance testing (UAT).

This testing is designed to

give end users the chance

to review and validate

workflows in Epic. The

process is also a chance to

uncover, track and resolve

any issues, and requires

an extensive amount of

time from the Design

team and Subject Matter

Experts (SMEs). The

team held their UAT kick

-off at 475 South street on

May 30 and continued

UAT through early June.

During UAT there are

two types of testing, Inte-

grated and Application

testing. Integrated testing

validates end user work-

flows from start to finish

over multiple applica-

tions. Application testing

validates workflows with-

in one application area.

Integrated Testing will

have its kickoff on June

26. Application testing is

underway and scheduled

for completion at the end

of July. Testing will con-

tinue through the summer

until the Training phase

of the Epic project in Fall

2017.

According to Heather

Ramadoss, Epic Testing

Manger, and several

members of the testing

team, the process was

largely productive and

successful. “Once you

enter vital signs, it’s pret-

ty easy,” said Cynthia

Wertman, Unit Nurse Ed-

ucator, Mother Baby

Unit, Morristown Medi-

cal Center, referring to

her experience in UAT.

The progress was thanks

in large part to the hard

work and efforts of the

team. “Everyone worked

so hard to make sure the

process was successful,”

said Heather. “There is

really a concerted effort

to resolve all issues and

continue to make great

progress in ensuring our

system is ready.”

EPIC USER ACCEPTANCE TESTING

A SUCCESS

Members of the Epic end users conducting User Acceptance Testing at 465 and

475 South Street.

A classroom at the New Epic Training Center

There are many aspects that contribute to a

healthcare system’s ability to ensure it is ready for

a large scale implementation. Awareness, desire to

change, knowledge of new processes and the abil-

ity to apply new skills are all good indicators of

readiness. What is critical is that all staff recog-

nize the need for system-wide operational owner-

ship of Epic and are supportive of its adoption.

As part of extensive efforts to ensure Atlantic

Health is ready for Epic, the Epic Operational

Readiness program officially launched with the

first of its bi-weekly meetings on May 31. The

group is comprised of hospital leadership from

across the system as well as department managers

and staff working on the Epic implementation.

“Our Epic Operational Readiness team brings to-

gether seven sites via telepresence on a bi-weekly

basis as we plan this exciting phase in our jour-

ney,” says Stephanie Schwartz, President, Chilton

Medical Center. “This team will be key to ensur-

ing Atlantic Health is not just ready for go-live,

but ready to excel as a fully integrated healthcare

system.”

The focus of the meeting is on action-oriented and

direct discussion and decision making to ensure

all sites are ready for go-live. Critical information

is also shared, such as operational risks, project

status, key metrics and assessments as well as

tools for communicating about the project. The

team will provide support and ensure engagement

from all sites to make certain Atlantic Health can

standardize, optimize and transform successfully

when Epic goes live in 2018.

“We are all very excited about the capabilities Ep-

ic has to enhance the patient experience, improve

patient safety and dramatically improve the avail-

ability of patient date to all stakeholders,” says

Alan Lieber, President, Overlook Hospital. “The

Operational Readiness meetings are meant to en-

sure that we coordinate the Epic implementation

so that we optimize these goals, minimize the sur-

prises and support our teams as we go live.”

5

EPIC OPERATIONAL

READINESS PROGRAM

LAUNCHES

From L to R; Julie Sarinelli, Nurse Manager, Epic Clinical Champion, and Epic

Site Coordinators Christine Pearl, Norlene Thomas, Jill Irwin and Jeanne Silva

A new ISS location is being set up to support the Epic Training Center

See below for more photos from the new Epic

Training Center

Please email

EpicCommunications@atlantichealth.org with

questions, comments and ideas for stories!

Debbie Cancilla

Vice President, CIO

Deborah.Cancilla@atlantichealth.org

Ben Bordonaro

Director, ISS

Benjamin.Bordonaro@atlantichealth.org

Kathleen Conn

Epic Communications

Kathleen.Conn@atlantichealth.org

Ronnie Daly, MD

CMIO

MVeronica.Daly@atlantichealth.org

Deb Dente

Director, Revenue Cycle

Debbie.Dente@atlantichealth.org

Denise Fochesto, RN

CNO, Business Director

Denise.Fochesto@atlantichealth.org

Ray Leyba

Director, ISS

Ray.Leyba@atlantichealth.org

CJ Milano

Director, Administration

CJ.Milano@atlantichealth.org

Katie Monfredi

Business Coordinator

Katherine.Monfredi@atlantichealth.org

Mark Nolte

Training Manager

EpicTraining@atlantichealth.org

6

EPIC IMPLEMENTATION TEAM

KEY CONTACTS

Heather Ramadoss,

Testing Manager

Heather.Ramadoss@atlantichealth.org

Julie Sarinelli, RN

Nurse Manager, Epic Clinical Champion

Julie.Sarinelli@atlantichealth.org

Jennifer Scatcherd

Program Manager, Epic Project PMO

Jennifer.Scatcherd@atlantichealth.org

Judy Wall, RN

Director, Epic Clinical IT

Judy.Wall@atlantichealth.org

Site Coordinators

Jill Irwin

Chilton Site Coordinator

Jill.Iriwin@atlantichealth.org

Christine Pearl, RN

Newton/Hackettstown Site Coordinator

Christine.Pearl@atlantichealth.org

Kelly Sansone, RN

Morristown Site Coordinator

Kelly Sansone@atlantichealth.org

Jeanne Silva, RN

Morristown Site Coordinator

Jeanne.Silva@atlantichealth.org

Norlene Thomas, RN

Overlook Site Coordinator

Norlene.Thomas@atlantichealth.org