From launching new programs to being hit with a lawsuit alleging anticompetitive practices, here are 11 updates on Epic’s operations, software products and partnerships reported by Becker’s Hospital Review in May:
- Epic Systems launched a new initiative called Launchpad. This initiative, according to the company, is designed to help healthcare organizations implement generative AI-assisted workflows.
- Fresno, Calif.-based Community Health System and its affiliate, Physician Network Advantage, have agreed to pay $31.5 million to settle allegations of a kickback scheme involving the promotion of the health system’s Epic EHR system. Community Health System established Physician Network Advantage in 2010 to expand the use of its Epic EHR among physicians in the Fresno area. However, a whistleblower lawsuit unsealed in 2019 alleges the organization offered lavish incentives to physicians in exchange for adopting the EHR.
- During National Nurses Week, Epic released Nursing SmartUser classes, a new educational initiative to improve EHR usability and satisfaction among nurses.
- CureIS Healthcare, a software provider focused on managed care, filed a lawsuit against Epic accusing the company of unfair competition and illegal interference.
- U.S.-based electronic health record giants such as Epic, Oracle Health, Meditech and Altera are facing growing competition from a new wave of regional and international vendors, a May 10 report from Black Book Market Research found. While the major U.S. health IT companies continue to secure global contracts, they are encountering increasing resistance overseas. Health leaders outside the U.S. cited rising anti-American sentiment, trade tariffs and digital protectionism as key reasons they plan to move away from U.S.-based systems in 2025 and beyond.
- Sanford Health, based in Sioux Falls, S.D., was among the first health systems to roll out a new feature in its MyChart patient portal that allows individuals to register directly with the National Donate Life Registry.
- OCHIN Epic added five health centers and two rural hospitals to its network during the first quarter of 2025.
- Cambridge-based OhioHealth Southeastern Medical Center launched an Epic EHR on May 4 as part of a $29.1 million investment in IT upgrades.
- Epic launched a new feature allowing patients to schedule appointments through conversational SMS with the help of an AI assistant.
- Abbott signed an agreement with Epic to integrate data from its Libre continuous glucose monitoring systems directly into the EHR vendor’s platforms.
- Epic continued to lead the EHR market in 2024, achieving its largest net gain on record as 10 major health systems selected the vendor for 108 hospitals — 67 of which came from just two organizations, an April 30 KLAS report found.
