St. Luke’s University Health Network is marking a decade since launching its Epic electronic health record system, crediting the technology with transforming patient care and improving connectivity across its system.
The network first implemented Epic on Jan. 9, 2016, rolling out 18 inpatient modules across six campuses. Today, St. Luke’s operates 42 Epic modules systemwide, supporting clinical care, operations and data sharing.
Officials said the system has helped improve care quality and coordination, contributing to St. Luke’s being ranked No. 1 in quality, safety and patient experience by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“This milestone reflects more than a decade of technology rollout—it represents our commitment to using digital innovation to support our clinicians and continuously improve care for our patients,” said Chad Brisendine, chief information officer at St. Luke’s. “By investing early in Epic, cloud infrastructure, interoperability, and now artificial intelligence, we’ve built a foundation that helps our teams deliver safer, smarter, and more connected care every day.”
The network has trained more than 41,000 employees and providers through over 121,000 Epic training sessions, preparing staff to operate in a fully digital environment.
St. Luke’s also expanded its data-sharing capabilities significantly. Officials said the system exchanged just over 1 million patient records with other health care organizations in 2016. That number has grown to 13 million outgoing records annually and more than 22 million incoming records.
Patients have increasingly used the MyChart portal to manage their care, with nearly 1 million users scheduling appointments, accessing test results and participating in virtual visits. Over the past decade, patients have completed more than 5 million electronic check-ins and viewed more than 37 million test results.
The network said its use of Epic’s artificial intelligence tools has improved patient outcomes and clinician efficiency. Officials reported reductions in septic shock cases and ICU transfers, along with improvements in survival rates and compliance with federal care standards.
“St. Luke’s exemplifies how technology can help clinicians provide high-quality, patient-centered care,” said Rob Klootwyk, director of interoperability at Epic. “Through MyChart, St. Luke’s has made it simpler for patients to stay informed, engaged, and confident in their care. Through Care Everywhere, they’ve helped ensure that when patients travel across town or across the country, their medical history travels with them—reducing uncertainty and inefficiency and ultimately improving health outcomes.”
St. Luke’s said it continues to invest in digital innovation and remains among the nation’s most advanced health systems, consistently earning top recognition for its use of technology in patient care.
