UPMC, a Pittsburgh-based healthcare provider, plans to transfer 6 million patient records to Epic Systems by mid-2026. Dr. Johanna Vidal-Phelan, UPMC’s Chief Medical Officer, emphasizes health equity’s importance, aiming to eliminate barriers to wellness. She highlights interoperability challenges and the imperative to convert equity discussions into actionable change. Concerns revolve around immunization rates and bridging gaps in vulnerable communities. Collaborative efforts, including regular leadership meetings, aim to address these issues, emphasizing the necessity of industry-wide commitment to drive real change.
UPMC, headquartered in Pittsburgh, plans to migrate 6 million patient records from nine different Electronic Health Records (EHRs) to Epic Systems by mid-2026. This strategic move aims to equip UPMC clinicians with enhanced data capabilities, fostering improved health equity and higher-quality care. Dr. Johanna Vidal-Phelan, UPMC’s Chief Medical Officer for Quality and Pediatrics in the insurance services division, as well as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, discussed UPMC’s initiatives in promoting health equity within the communities it serves.
Q: How do you define health equity within your role at UPMC?
Dr. Johanna Vidal-Phelan: Health equity, to me, signifies universal access and opportunities to attain optimal wellness. It’s about removing obstacles based on one’s origins, religion, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, ensuring everyone can achieve their full health potential without barriers.
Q: What concerns you the most currently?
JVP: Interoperability remains a significant challenge. From a quality standpoint, I advocate for organizational efficiency and timely access to data to serve our members effectively. UPMC’s transition to Epic across our system is a step towards improving communication among providers, benefiting patients’ experiences. However, ensuring interoperability isn’t just a technical matter—it involves engaging members and communities.
Q: What’s the top challenge you anticipate in 2024?
JVP: As a healthcare leader from the Latino community, I’m eager to translate health equity discussions into impactful actions. While acknowledging the progress in openly discussing issues like structural racism, I’m focused on implementing tangible changes driving health equity in all aspects of our operations. Quality and equity go hand in hand; you can’t have one without the other.
Immunization rates are another concern, particularly in the first two years of life. Overcoming misinformation and rebuilding trust, especially in vulnerable communities, remains crucial.
Q: How do you address entrenched opinions on immunizations?
JVP: Respect and compromise are fundamental. Acknowledging concerns while educating and allowing flexibility in immunization schedules can bridge the gap. Building trust, especially in communities affected by health disparities, is an ongoing process.
Q: Any workflow changes benefiting members and patients?
JVP: Collaborative engagement across teams is pivotal. Establishing regular leadership meetings within my pediatric team has proven beneficial in addressing access barriers and ongoing challenges, fostering a collective effort toward positive outcomes.
Q: Your message to the insurance industry on enhancing health equity?
JVP: Organizations must actively drive action towards health equity, not merely understand its significance. Engaging with communities and actively participating in service delivery are crucial steps toward serving them effectively.
UPMC’s journey toward migrating patient records to Epic Systems symbolizes its commitment to advancing health equity. Dr. Johanna Vidal-Phelan’s leadership underscores the necessity to convert discussions into impactful strategies, particularly regarding interoperability and immunization challenges. The emphasis on collaborative efforts, exemplified by regular leadership meetings, signifies a collective drive toward better outcomes. This quest for equity extends beyond UPMC—a call to the industry to actively engage communities and translate intentions into transformative actions for genuine health equity.