The Guthrie County Hospital Board of Directors will meet tomorrow night to consider switching to Epic brand healthcare software and numerous employees are opposing the change.

Health Information Management Department Supervisor Lynn Pennock, who would work closely with the software, has written a letter to the Board stating concerns her and others share about the change. According to Pennock, the change will initially cost $1.7 million with close to $300,000 in annual fees, while still paying about $100,000 to their current software company, Healthland Centriq.

Hospital administration is counting on being reimbursed $1.4 million of the initial purchase cost, but Pennock says that reimbursement isn’t likely according to the Iowa Hospital Association and American Hospital Association, because the hospital has already once received meaningful use funds to change vendors.

Pennock adds that many hospitals around the country that have switched to Epic have since posted major revenue losses. She says spending unnecessary amounts on the new software would be a disservice to taxpayers and employees, and would like to see the funds spent to upgrade hospital infrastructure and facilities, or give more regular pay increases to employees.

Pennock is asking the Board to perform a cost-benefit analysis before approving the switch to Epic, or to vote against it.

You can read Pennock’s full letter attached to this story.

In response to employee complaints about the possible software change, Hospital CEO Patrick Peters tells Raccoon Valley Radio that the major benefit of switching to Epic is long-term sustainability and allowing patient’s records to be accessible anywhere. He adds that Epic would also help the Hospital stay up to date on maintaining federally mandated data, including readmission rates and infection data.

Peters adds that the $1.4 million government reimbursement is not guaranteed and the Board would be taking an educated risk if they approve the change, because he says there is a precedent of other rural hospitals being reimbursed meaningful use dollars, though he could not name any specifically.

Peters says whether or not the Board approves the transition to Epic Thursday night, it’s a good thing for the Hospital. If the Board rejects the proposal he says then they can make upgrades to their current software system to make it better for patients and providers.

Peters tells Raccoon Valley Radio that he has heard much negative feedback from employees about the proposed switch, but says “anytime change happens in a large organization it really does impact folks, because they’re taken out of their comfort zone. Their job responsibilities could change and many people do not like change.”

The meeting takes place at 6 p.m. Thursday night in the Hospital’s Todd/Neff Conference Room.