Dive Brief:
- Mayo Clinic announced this week that it would be abandoning its three current EHR systems in favor of a new contract with EHR giant Epic, which will now be the healthcare icon's sole EHR provider and strategic partner, according to a Mayo press release.
- The plan is to deploy a single, integrated Epic EHR and revenue cycle management system at Mayo's main campus. Jilted in the deal are GE and Cerner, who were the providers of Mayo's current systems.
- "With our staff working together on a common system, we will be able to accelerate innovation, enhance services and provide a better experience for our patients," said Dawn Milliner, MD, Mayo's chief medical information officer, in the release. The current schedule will see the project team assembled by April of this year, with the actual system being built between then and 2016, and a final implementation target of 2017.
Dive Insight:
If this were any other press release from almost any other provider and vendor, it would not be news. But the words "Mayo" and "Epic" make this an important milestone in an incredibly competitive race.
First, it's a game changer for the Mayo Clinic, as it will completely overhaul its existing system from scratch. Moreover, it's a bodyblow to Cerner, who we predicted had a good shot at swiping the top spot in the EHR biz from Epic earlier this year. We'll be the first to admit this is a big win for Epic, and while it's not big enough to put Cerner down for the count, it's a good way for Epic to start the year (and not so good for Cerner).