The countdown is over, and I’m so thankful to everyone who made our Epic inpatient go-live successful.

We knew the beginning would feel bumpy. We are encouraged knowing that our go-live was one of the smoothest we have had in the health system (many other hospitals went live before us, so our teams have had lots of practice). Every day we get a little closer to these new workflows and routines feeling more natural. In fact, just this morning, the lab reported that they only had one label printing misalignment yesterday, which was a challenge right after we went live.

We have plenty of people here to support you, and we are still trying to coordinate that support so that it best serves your needs. Each unit and role has specific workflows, so it can take time to find the right expert for your answer. Eventually, you will BE that expert. Until then, I hope you are patient with yourselves and each other and escalate any major concerns or questions to 23-EPIC.

I’ve already heard a few stories about how Epic helps us provide better care for our patients by making your work more straightforward:

• One nurse let us know that she can see the whole care team clearly in the system. Do you remember how challenging that was just a week ago?
• The work of our transporters significantly changed with Epic. Not only can they receive and accept jobs more quickly, but they can also see information about the patient ahead of time that helps them prepare—for example, what language the patient speaks.
• Before Epic, the transporters had to go to the ED to get handwritten medication orders, bring the medication order to the pharmacy to fill it, and then travel back to the ED with the medication. With Epic, the team is more connected, and transporters can see the orders directly. This eases their workflow by allowing them to go directly to the pharmacy, reducing transport time.
• Pharmacy and nursing communication greatly improved with Epic, allowing nurses to get missing medications more efficiently.

We will discover many more benefits on our journey with Epic. I’m grateful for your persistence, patience, and creativity as we make this transition.

You can see more photos and videos of our teams on Epic this week on Instagram.

I want to share two brief stories of employees who are role models for me and for so many of our colleagues. I’m so thankful for their compassion for our patients.

The photo above is of Derek Mohammed. One MSBI employee witnessed this transporter going above and beyond to calm a patient who was afraid of elevators. Here is what she said:

“I recently observed Mr. Derek Mohammed interact with an elderly female patient who had severe anxiety about elevators. She was having an anxiety attack. He was calm, very professional, and re-assured the patient several times that she would be safe with him. I wanted to let you know that he is always friendly to other staff members; however, this was exceptional bedside manner and service.”

This is Marguerite Adeba, PCA. A few weeks ago, I got on an elevator and saw her trying to erase graffiti from one of the social distancing signs. She told me that she did not want patients to see it and think less of our hospital. Though removing graffiti was not her official responsibility, she could not leave the elevator without doing something about it. We may not always think a small detail like this has an impact on the patient experience, but it certainly does. And it has an impact on us as well. I was inspired to see how thoughtful Marguerite was ensuring our environment is both safe and welcoming for our patients. Thank you!

There’s not much certainty in the world right now, but I can say this with 100% confidence: we are going live on Epic in 16 days. I hope you are as excited as I am.

For our patients, Epic will provide a more seamless experience.

For our staff, Epic will enhance communication and help coordinate care across our system. It will cut down on inefficient paperwork and make workflows simpler and more consistent.

One thing I love about this process is that we’ve had teams of experts collaborating with us all along the way. Our MSBI IT team has been setting up new equipment to get us ready while our informatics team has put a lot of thought into how migrating to EPIC impacts our work. Our champions, Diana Raymond, RN, and Andrew Yu, MD, have been helping with education, answering all sorts of questions, and addressing each and every concern. Many of our nursing, physician, and support staff leads have spent hours working through the details. And, the MSHS IT Project Management Office has been providing clear guidance along the way; they’ve helped other system hospitals migrate to EPIC and their experience is invaluable.

I want to thank all of you ahead of our Go-Live. I know the switch will be a big adjustment at first. It may feel like you are learning to walk again. We are here for you. In fact, many extra support staff will be on site 24/7 through the entire transition and for many weeks after to ensure you have the help you need in real time. It will be hard work. And we know from our colleagues at other systems hospitals that have made this transition that it will be worth it.

Most of you have already signed up for and completed EPIC training. If you haven’t yet signed up for training there isn’t much time left. Many roles require several rounds of training, so please sign up as soon as you can. Go to PEAK to learn more or ask your manager.

Click below to see a few photos of our tabling event last week, and click here to see many of our Epic leads do the wave!

I want to honor our night shift employees this week. The work they do inspires me and so many in our MSBI family.

The night staff pays special attention to the needs of our patients who can become lonely or agitated at night. One patient on 10 Silver during the COVID-19 surge praised Steven Pyram, RN, (see photo below) for sitting with her at night when she had tremors, describing it as her scariest moment in the hospital. She said Steven was attentive and kept her calm. This is just one example of how our night shift employees regularly go above and beyond. 

Richard Spatafora, RN, worked as a night time supervisor and is now a part of our nursing education team. He eloquently explained the agility and teamwork he saw when working with our night staff.

“With less support than the daytime shift, the teams on each unit at night are incredibly resourceful and creative. They rely on each other in a distinctive way. There’s a united and cohesive teamwork that keeps me in awe of them,” Richard said (see photo below).

This is so true. Though many of us don’t get to see this magic daily, I want the night shift to know that their work does not go unnoticed.

Richard is an MSBI “boomerang employee,” meaning he came back to MSBI after leaving. He is a graduate of the Phillips School of Nursing at Mount Sinai and then worked 10 years in the MSBI ICU. He left briefly for a job in consulting, but he missed clinical care and direct connection with patients.

He returned earlier this year to help with all of the transition we’ve seen at MSBI in the past few years.

“I missed the heart of this organization, and I felt I could use my strengths to support people through the important work MSBI is doing. My goal is to make every week, every shift, every hour better for our dedicated nurses,” he said.

We are so glad to have him back. 

Click below to see many photos of our stellar night staff team.