Physicians to Have Major Role in WellStar Connect Design and Implementation

WellStar Health System believes physicians’ perspectives, engagement and leadership are essential requirements for a successful Epic EMR implementation.

Given the importance of the physician’s role, Epic’s implementation methodology requires identification of an overall project physician leader or champion as well as additional physician leaders for each Epic application area.

After an extensive search and interview process, WellStar leadership has formally engaged nine physicians to serve as physician champions throughout our 24-month WellStar Connect build and implementation period.

Each of these physicians has made a commitment to dedicate time away from his/her practice every week to work with our team.

These physicians’ responsibilities include actively participating in the build’s decision-making process, organizing additional provider resources, co-leading clinical advisory groups, participating in review and update of relevant by-laws, policies and procedures, coordinating with other project team resources, acting as a liaison between the WellStar Connect Project Team and WellStar hospitals’ medical staff and helping us drive this implementation forward as it relates to physicians. All physician champions will travel to Epic in Verona, Wis. for additional training to facilitate their roles.

Epic Module Physician Champions:
Overall Project: Murphy Townsend, M.D.
OpTime: (OR) Matt Grabowski, M.D.
Stork: (OB/GYN) Paula Greaves, M.D.
Radiant: (Radiology) Brian Kaineg, M.D.
Epic Ambulatory: Tom Gearhard, M.D.
Epic Ambulatory (Pediatrics): Aixa Silvera-Schwartz, M.D.
Cupid: (Cardiology) Micah Tepper, M.D.
ASAP: (ED) Rayan Rouhizad, M.D.
Epic Inpatient: Hindia Tahir, M.D.