The future of Beebe Healthcare began at 5:08 a.m., Nov. 1.

That’s when they flipped the switch on Epic, a state-of-the-art, single, connected health record that patients can access through MyChart.

Patients can use MyChart to view medical records, link medical records from other health systems, schedule appointments and pay bills.

“This is a huge undertaking, an amazing accomplishment,” said Dr. David Tam, Beebe president and CEO. “This is a transformational day.”

Tam said MyChart centralizes patients’ medical records all in one place, no matter where the person or their records come from.

“They can be from Bayhealth, Jefferson, Penn or Johns Hopkins, anywhere in the country; their information will all be in MyChart,” Tam said.

Tam said the vision for the transition to a patient-centered solution began during the pandemic.

More than 100 people were involved in the planning, design and implementation of Epic, working nights, weekends and holidays over the last three years.

Tam said the formal process of launching the system started back in January.

“We were building the foundation, consolidating legacy systems and integrating third-party systems. It was complicated. It had to be rolled out on thousands of devices. The platform is secure and redundant,” said Mike Makysmow, chief information officer.

Tam said Epic cost Beebe more than $50 million, including training and new equipment. He said the money came from Beebe’s operational budget.

Kathy Tregear, chief nursing officer, was responsible for the design, training and device deployment. She said the 7 a.m. nursing shift Nov. 1 was the first to use Epic operationally.

The Cape Gazette spoke with Tregear and the rest of Beebe’s leadership team about an hour after the start.

Tregear said nobody’s phone was blowing up because of any issues.

But, while the weekend went well, patients experienced delays Nov. 3, the first Monday after going live, as more stress was put on the new system. Beebe issued this statement in response.

“The Epic go-live is going as expected, and the system is working properly. We anticipated Monday to be a big day as more than a thousand patients visit outpatient sites and the hospitals. There have been longer-than-expected waits at Lab Express sites, as Monday mornings are typically one of the busiest times. Our top priority is the safety and quality of care that patients are receiving throughout the organization. We appreciate the community’s support during these first few days as our fully trained teams work diligently to apply their skills to the new system and ensure patients receive quality, timely care. We are already seeing improvements at many locations. Beebe is confident that this is the best path forward for the delivery of healthcare to Sussex County. Once this transition is complete and more patients are signed up and using MyChart’s features, they will experience a more seamless patient experience at all of our care sites.”

Employees in every job in the hospital were trained on Epic – doctors, nurses, technicians, food service workers and housekeepers, according to Tam. He said some of the Beebe staff were already familiar with Epic from previous jobs.

Tregear called Epic a game-changer.

“For our nurses and clinicians, it means more time focused on care and less time spent on paperwork. It enhances the patient experience and strengthens the way we deliver care,” she said in a news release announcing the launch.

Beebe said 190 million patients and 3,700 healthcare systems nationwide use Epic and MyChart.

Dr. Bill Chasanov, chief health systems design officer, said patients will see some immediate changes when checking in for appointments at any of Beebe’s 50 locations in Sussex County.

“You’ll now be checking in on an iPad. It will be more seamless. We’re still refining the processes, so changes will continue,” Chasanov said.

Chasanov said Beebe was the first in the nation to install a pharmacy dispensing system called Pyxis, along with Epic.

Epic will also give Beebe access to improved analytics to help its community outreach teams identify health trends, address gaps in care and proactively manage chronic conditions across Sussex County more effectively, according to the news release.

“Epic is a big part, but not the only part of Beebe’s future,” Tam said. “We’re continuing the legacy of 1916 when the Beebe brothers brought advanced healthcare to Sussex County. We’ve entered the next phase in the same journey.”

For details and to sign up for MyChart, go to beebehealthcare.org/mychart.