What are the benefits to participating in NYP’s Community Connect program?
The Epic system you’ll use is the same used across NewYork-Presbyterian, Weill Cornell Medicine, and ColumbiaDoctors. It features robust, specialty-specific clinical content developed by our clinical leadership groups (CLGs). The system is typically upgraded twice per year to adopt the latest features and functionality Epic offers. In 2024, Epic recognized our enterprise with their Gold Star 10 rating, the highest level of achievement with adoption of best practices and cutting-edge technology.
What connectivity is offered by the system?
Epic stands out as an "interoperable" electronic health record system, enhancing patient care by securely linking to other instances of Epic at other healthcare organizations, as well as other interoperable electronic health record systems.
Through our Community Connect program, private practices can harness the power of Epic to streamline their daily workflows. Physicians receive real-time updates on key patient information tied to specialty care received at NewYork-Presbyterian hospitals, including:
- Laboratory test results
- Radiology and cardiology study reports
- Progress notes
Our Epic system is rich with over 100 million data elements related to approximately twelve million patient records. It also boasts connections to Quest and LabCorp laboratories, as well as most major retail pharmacies, ensuring comprehensive access to patient information.
Designed with security in mind, this HIPAA-compliant system restricts access to medical professionals who are actively involved in a patient’s care.
Will you interface with other systems or services?
We offer standard interfaces with Quest, LabCorp, and iRhythm. Additional interfaces may be possible; additional fees will apply. Any system or service being considered for integration with Epic will undergo a strict information security assessment in addition to a feasibility analysis by IT stakeholders.
What are the costs for the core Epic system and the additional third-party tools?
Our Community Connect team will review the pricing structure of the core service and any add-on services during your scheduled program overview meeting.
Do I have to participate in TEFCA if I join the Community Connect program?
All members of Community Connect must agree to TEFCA participation terms outlined in their contract. TEFCA is the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement mandated by the 21st Century Cures Act. Its purpose is to enable the secure exchange of electronic health information (EHI) between networks, and to increase access to EHI for patients, providers, and other stakeholders.
Can other providers or practices see my schedule, patient list, or fee schedule?
No. Access to your operational and revenue cycle data is restricted to individuals involved in your practice operations.
Who maintains ownership of patient data and how is the data stored?
When it comes to personal health information, patients hold the keys. Legally speaking, any health-related data recorded by healthcare professionals during treatment is owned by the patient themselves.
This data, gathered throughout a patient’s interactions with their healthcare provider, is tied to the physician and practice delivering care, accessible only to those directly involved in the patient’s treatment journey.
As for where this information resides, it is securely housed in two U.S.-based data centers, one in Reston and the other in Rochester.
In the unlikely event that you choose to no longer participate in our Community Connect program, your patient data will be made available to you in machine-readable (CCD) format.
Are there periods of time when the system won’t be available?
We upgrade the Epic system approximately twice per year, typically in the spring and fall, each requiring a brief downtime. We perform these upgrades overnight on weekends to minimize disruption to ambulatory practices and the hospitals. From time to time, we perform disaster recovery exercises which include a brief period of downtime, also occurring overnight on weekends.
What are the technical requirements to use Epic at my practice?
The technical requirements for implementing Epic at your practice are defined below. You are bound by the terms of your agreement to ensure you have or procure required hardware early in your implementation cycle (months ahead of go-live), and that you ensure ongoing antivirus updates, patching, and other information security requirements are met.
Workstations
| Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 or higher |
| Processor | 12th generation or higher Intel Core processor with a minimum of 4 performance cores @ 4.2 GHz max turbo frequency (or greater) |
| Memory (RAM) | 16 GB |
| Hard Drive | SSD 125 Gb or higher |
| Display | Either of the following: - 23” widescreen for 1920 x 1080 resolution and 32-bit color
- 24” widescreen for 1920 x 1200 resolution and 32-bit color
|
| Network | Gigabit (10/100/1000) Network Interface Card or equivalent |
Additional Hardware
Required
- Workstations
- Displays
- Document Printers
- Document Scanners
Recommended
- Topaz Signature Pads
- Patient Photo Camera
- Specimen Label Printer (required for all sites collecting specimens)
- Apple iOS or Android OS smartphone
Downtown Requirements
A Business Continuity Access (BCA) workstation is required to be designated as the ‘downtime workstation’. This requires an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) and hard-wired USB printer (no ethernet connection). This can be a workstation used for other purposes and does not need to be solely used during downtimes.
NYP does not allow other VPN/Remote Access Connectivity to another network while accessing the EHR.
View the recommended models for the hardware items
Do I need to have an IT staff member or service to manage the technology at my practice?
NYP does not offer technical support for your practice's hardware. If needed, we can provide vendor contact information, but please note that NYP does not endorse or warrant any specific vendor.
What support is offered at go-live?
The Epic Community Connect team will be onsite for up to two weeks from your go-live date to provide at-the-elbow support to every member of your team.
Does the Community Connect team provide ongoing support and services after go-live?
The Epic Community Connect team is here to support you for each stage of your Epic journey. You will continue to receive new hire training and ongoing training, like for system upgrades or to learn efficiency tips, you’ll have access to phone-based support, and have a dedicated client success manager (CSM) when you need additional services or support.
Software Support Hours
The Epic Community Connect support desk is here to help you with Epic questions or issues Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For those needing assistance outside of these hours, dedicated support is available for a fee.
Our team is committed to responding promptly, prioritizing, and resolving all inquiries based on their urgency. Any issues reported after hours will be addressed on the next business day.
What should I expect from an implementation perspective?
The implementation project is, on average, a minimum of 120 days in order for discovery, analysis, payer enrollment, system build, testing, and training to occur. The project commences after a signed contract is in place. Our business and system analysts will work with you and members of your team to ensure the system’s design meets the specifications for your practice, and once the build is completed, they will conduct a day in the life session to demonstrates the various user workflows in the system and how they come together to form a complete patient journey. At go-live, the same analysts who helped build the system for your use will come onsite to your practice to provide dedicated support for up to two weeks.
Why are there training requirements? Is Epic difficult to use?
Every individual that will receive access to the Epic system must complete mandated training that corresponds to the role they perform. Epic is a sophisticated and powerful EHR, and proper use of the system will ensure a more seamless patient journey, a healthier revenue cycle, and happier providers and team members. There are no exceptions made for training, so be prepared to communicate training needs at the beginning of the hiring process for new staff. We also do not waive training requirements for anyone who currently uses Epic at another organization. Our workflows and policies are custom to us, so it is best to attend our training programs and gain exposure to our system before using it live at the practice. Classes are available to our enterprise and our Community Connect practices, as such, classes are offered on a set schedule that must be adhered to.
