Epic Systems CEO Judy Faulkner as the Mad Hatter
Judypalooza — otherwise known as the annual Epic Systems Users Group Meeting — is underway in Verona, Wisconsin. Given that the electronic health records vendor doesn’t issue press releases, we have to rely on social media and other reports for news coming out of that mythical love fest with the theme of “An Adventure In Wonderland” this year.
No, seriously. This is the UGM website:
Epic CEO Judy Faulkner reportedly came out for the opening session dressed as the Mad Hatter from “Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland.”
The conference is expected to draw about 18,000 people to “Epic Intergalactic Headquarters” in Verona, a Madison suburb with a population of 10,619. The main auditorium, called Deep Space, seats 11,400. (Pro tip for out-of-staters: Pick up a six pack of New Glarus beer before you leave Wisconsin. It’s only sold in America’s Dairyland.)
What we know so far is that we should expect a forthcoming update to Epic‘s core EHR to include native telemedicine support. We also hear via the Wisconsin State Journal that the EHR vendor will offer free site licenses and support to federally qualified health centers.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Also, the facilities seem very nice.
I'm a big fan of #UGM2016 's food and bathrooms.
— Katie D. McMillan, MPH (@KatieDMcMillan) September 21, 2016
From iMedicalApps, we learned that Epic has updated its MyChart patient portal and mobile app as well. Among the new features are alerts about the health of family members, plus the ability to sync with Apple’s Health app.
People have wondered about MyChart integration ever since Apple launched its personal health record in 2014.
Photo: Twitter user Robbie Freeman, RN
