tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post1489429029581398039..comments2024-03-20T22:05:20.761-05:00Comments on Life After Epic: Consulting Firms that are more worth it than othersUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-76529924580104690812018-05-13T23:35:59.772-05:002018-05-13T23:35:59.772-05:00I worked at sagacious and Nordic and all of the co...I worked at sagacious and Nordic and all of the comments are wrong. Sagacious, 2013-early 2016 was fantastic and hired some of the best ex epic folks out there. Until Accenture started sniffing around and sagacious started hiring 1 yr ex epic or less or fired or 1 yr ex customer staff. Really diluted the pool, and the Accenture purchase destroyed everything sagacious stood for and built. I don't know Nordic 2015 or earlier, but Nordic 2016+ has been amazing and one of the few outfits that still cares about you as a person, your goals and tries to help you get there. I've never been remotely pushed towards a project, coerced or made to feel like they were after the bottom line. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-60129701040540542952018-02-28T14:29:27.925-06:002018-02-28T14:29:27.925-06:00How can I find blogs on Epic credentialing and wha...How can I find blogs on Epic credentialing and what companies are good for that type of role.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17882427674592142887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-3367208976215301432017-11-17T06:27:46.625-06:002017-11-17T06:27:46.625-06:00Thanks for the tips.
IT Solutions ProviderThanks for the tips.<br /><a href="javascript:void(0);" rel="nofollow">IT Solutions Provider</a>Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03288523635497075916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-54620537488440602892017-03-13T09:56:38.804-05:002017-03-13T09:56:38.804-05:00Does anyone have good experiences working with spe...Does anyone have good experiences working with specific firms for hourly go-live support contracts?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-24153894119420874232017-02-07T05:54:35.609-06:002017-02-07T05:54:35.609-06:00Any people who just recently entered the consultin...Any people who just recently entered the consulting market out there ready to comment on their experiences? Would love to hear thoughts on best firms, rates, how competitive it is, best way to break in... anything really! It sounds like it changes yearly and there's not much on late 2016/early 2017 out there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-8888053183279133372017-01-23T10:53:15.972-06:002017-01-23T10:53:15.972-06:00Depending on what role or app you're on, you s...Depending on what role or app you're on, you should expect 80-100 for three years of Epic experience. 100 is likely pushing it...more in the 80/90 range.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-73327522458389178022017-01-18T16:29:31.572-06:002017-01-18T16:29:31.572-06:00I've seen consultants pulling in $100/hr, and ...I've seen consultants pulling in $100/hr, and consultants with the same firm at the same customer site bringing in $50/hr. It varies wildly. <br /><br />As for which firms are still good--I don't know. I rely on the kindness of strangers to answer that. TheAdministratorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02524692634914987190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-84767166533771347272017-01-18T16:16:46.536-06:002017-01-18T16:16:46.536-06:00What are the hourly rates these days for ex-Epic p...What are the hourly rates these days for ex-Epic people with 3+ years on analyst contracts? Want to make sure I'm being fairly compensated. Saw the $100-115 range on here but that was three years ago -- does that still apply?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-198282392736063182017-01-18T16:08:34.009-06:002017-01-18T16:08:34.009-06:00which are the better firms these days? So many of ...which are the better firms these days? So many of these posts/recommendations seem to be out of date according to more recent posters.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-63378923111256333942016-11-04T11:02:52.115-05:002016-11-04T11:02:52.115-05:00I discovered recently that I was extremely underpa...I discovered recently that I was extremely underpaid as a consultant. It was about $50/hr, and all the ancillaries (paid room/board/transportation) made my effective pay about $60-70/hr. <br /><br />As for the mortgage, I started off in a hotel. It was a contract-to-hire gig, as I mentioned, and I needed to find an actual place to live. I had been turning in the hotel receipts, so I knew what that was costing--turns out four weeks in a hotel is more expensive than a month in a bona fide house. I said to my consulting pimp: "This is my house payment. It's cheaper than the hotel. Reimburse please." They did without a fuss. TheAdministratorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02524692634914987190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-1226919586364751562016-11-04T10:21:49.882-05:002016-11-04T10:21:49.882-05:00@TheAdministrator, thanks for sharing your experie...@TheAdministrator, thanks for sharing your experience and take with us :-)<br /><br />I find it interesting that you only took a 20% pay cut to go FTE. Mind if I ask how much you were getting as a consultant? After my first consulting contract where I was getting $100/hour take home, I got approached about being an FTE with a salary from $100K to $120K. I decided to stay in consulting and have generally enjoyed the freedom and flexibility. However, I may look to go FTE at some point when I get tired of constantly moving/changing projects. <br /><br />Brilliant idea about getting your mortgage paid off :-) I've thought about that myself but wasn't sure how to present the expense to the customer. Did you essentially lease it to yourself on a week-to-week or monthly basis? Did the customer know you owned it? I'd be very curious as to how this was arranged.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-15398145232251864812016-07-18T23:05:58.851-05:002016-07-18T23:05:58.851-05:00I'm a former Epic employee who has worked as b...I'm a former Epic employee who has worked as both FTE and consultant. (Epic for 4 years, FTE for 7 years, consultant for 4 years.) I've been around a lot of consulting firms as a hiring manager, a consultant, and a coworker. All I can say is that consulting firms are RAPIDLY changing organizations. Firms spring up, get sold, and go out of business at the drop of a hat. Plus, they're not homogeneous. One recruiter could be awesome, and the next one is terrible. Ditto for the consultants they're selling: anywhere from awful to amazing. I've personally worked for Soliant, Modis, Oxford, and Healthcare IT Leaders. They've all been fine, and they all offer the same basic package. The compensation will depend a lot on the contract you're submitted for. Keep in mind that nearly all the firms are fishing in the same contract pond. So, as long as you're a top notch talent, and your compensation is in line with your experience, you should have no problem no matter where you go.<br /><br />Note: there are a few firms that amazingly secure "exclusive" rights to a customer. I have no idea why a customer would do this, but it's easy to see why a recruiting firm would do it. You MUST work with that firm to be considered for the contract.<br /><br />I spent the longest at Oxford, but my favorite contract was with Healthcare IT Leaders. It had very little to do with the firm. I just liked the customer better. One of the reasons I stayed at Oxford longer was because they sent me for two additional training classes on their dime as long as I paid for the travel to Madison myself. I had to sign a contract that said I'd pay back the cost of training if I went elsewhere in less than a year. (In case you're wondering, the classes cost $440/day, e.g. a three-day class costs $1,320.) For me, it was totally worth it. Not all recruiting firms are able to offer this. It's at Epic's discretion whether your firm is a "partner" or not.<br /><br />In addition to the firms I've worked for (Modis, Soliant, Oxford, and Healthcare IT Leaders), I've worked alongside many other consultants from Sagacious, Nordic, and Cumberland (formerly Cipe). There are good and bad consultants from all of them. And, I'll bet if you took a survey, they'd say there are good and bad recruiters at the same firm. But the key is this: I was WORKING with them. That means these are legit companies and they can bring home the contracts. Smaller companies tend to get drown out (and then just go out of business).<br /><br />So, my advice is to send your resume to several of the biggies and wait for the right position to come along.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-15039942710542623872016-01-12T11:03:07.129-06:002016-01-12T11:03:07.129-06:00Sagacious was never good. Ask any former Epic empl...Sagacious was never good. Ask any former Epic employee what their reputation is at Epic and among seasoned Epic professionals. They take everyone who got fired. Nordic used to be great, but they've slid quite a bit since they've gotten so big. There are better firms out there...keep looking.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-78042717814952076362016-01-08T21:09:13.686-06:002016-01-08T21:09:13.686-06:00I am currently interviewing with both Nordic and S...I am currently interviewing with both Nordic and Segacious. The acquisition of Segacious concerns me being a former VCS analyst. The change to big company killed their culture. As for Nordic their hourly sounds great but there is no vacation or sick time and benefits are limited with medical being just as much as exchange rates. Segacious provides stability with their salary only option and the new Accenture acquisition allows them to offer numerous benefits at discounted group rates. Plus their perk package of the 2 trips sounds great (hopefully will last post acquisition). So I'm really struggling between the 2 as far as best fit. I do have a family and stability is nice. But big hourly rate is great too. What are current state thoughts on these two at present.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12903933359940132593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-27210174977947543272015-12-05T06:57:33.202-06:002015-12-05T06:57:33.202-06:00Hi. I currently hold an FTE position, am not an Ep...Hi. I currently hold an FTE position, am not an Epic ex-employee, and am entertaining the thought of being a consultant. I am certified in Beaker, Bridges, and Inpatient. What is the current state of the consulting industry. Have I missed the band wagon? I'm not happy with where I'm at.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-72473339700129295912015-11-25T09:48:52.869-06:002015-11-25T09:48:52.869-06:00This is a fanstic blog. Thank you everyone. I will...This is a fanstic blog. Thank you everyone. I will be entering the Epic consulting market soon, so no lessons learned yet. However, I wanted to share with you every company that I have interacted with, submitted my resume to, or that has simply posted some sort of Epic contract out there: <br /><br />CSI Healthcare IT<br /><br />Sagacious<br /><br />Nordic<br /><br />Bluetree Network<br /><br />Huron<br /><br />Cumberland<br /><br />The Chartis group<br /><br />Soliant<br /><br />HCI Group<br /><br />ObjectWin<br /><br />Innovative congsulting group<br /><br />Stontelberg consulting<br /><br />Accenture<br /><br />Optimum Heal<br /><br />Saam<br /><br />Memorial Health<br /><br />FutureStep<br /><br />Warbird consulting<br /><br />Blueprint resources<br /><br />Direct Consulting associates<br /><br />Orchestrate Healthcare<br /><br />Oxford<br /><br />Parker Healthcare It<br /><br />There are in no order of preference or importance thoiugh it is worth mentioning that Vonlay (now Huron), Nordic, and Bluetree Network seem by far superior. Good luck with the transition. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-22633137318088853902015-11-04T10:27:37.978-06:002015-11-04T10:27:37.978-06:00I work for Nordic now and I generally like it. Yes...I work for Nordic now and I generally like it. Yes, the health insurance options aren't great (you might want to shop your state's exchange), but they do offer free (and good) dental and vision. They are solid and definitely have a personal touch, and most of their leadership and practice directors are former Epic, but keep in mind they are still a consulting firm, and if they can't find you work, you should look for someone who can. This is not the industry to be in if you're loyal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-52864798961780758342015-09-28T17:04:21.500-05:002015-09-28T17:04:21.500-05:00Work at Nordic is slowing down, quality of employm...Work at Nordic is slowing down, quality of employment is not great. Expect to work for practice directors who aren't invested in finding you work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-80888455794032917862015-08-14T21:20:18.069-05:002015-08-14T21:20:18.069-05:00I strongly disagree . I went to work for Sagaciou...I strongly disagree . I went to work for Sagacious and it is a lifestyle . I never imagined a company making there employee's best interest their first priority. My salary is amazing /well over six figures. Sagacious is my homeSkylerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02748732535804760688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-30566557983651573882015-07-31T16:49:02.779-05:002015-07-31T16:49:02.779-05:00It should also be noted that rumor on the street i...It should also be noted that rumor on the street is that Sagacious is on probation with Epic for violating non-compete rules and, thus, none of their consultants can access the Userweb or attend training. However, Sagacious is apparently not telling consultants that during the recruiting process and allowing them to find out after the fact that they work for a firm that is obviously not in Epic's good graces or won't allow them to do their job as effectively as any other consultant. Shady is right!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-50094308730498838952015-07-26T13:59:14.190-05:002015-07-26T13:59:14.190-05:00Stay away from Sagacious!! Shady people leadership...Stay away from Sagacious!! Shady people leadership that doesn't back their employees with difficult clients. They pay once a month which stinks. Loved Nordic but they make sure the ex epic consultants get jobs first before other consultants. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-43266045053678025212015-02-17T21:34:39.808-06:002015-02-17T21:34:39.808-06:00Today's Nordic is not the same Nordic from two...Today's Nordic is not the same Nordic from two years ago. Being invested in has changed the company culture. It no longer feels like it's about the consultant anymore but about the bottom line. I would tread carefully with them also.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-30028834698610077572014-12-12T14:17:02.416-06:002014-12-12T14:17:02.416-06:00It's helpful for sure. Thank you!!It's helpful for sure. Thank you!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-72469240148208362932014-12-11T16:23:33.460-06:002014-12-11T16:23:33.460-06:00I consulted briefly (~1 year), and it was a contra...I consulted briefly (~1 year), and it was a contract-to-hire gig.<br /><br />Consulting pros:<br />You'll get the highest paycheck from consulting. <br />Your hours are topped at 40, except in rare circumstances (major project go-lives). <br />If you don't like your current placement, you don't have to stay and there's no bad mark on your resume. <br />Consulting cons:<br />You'll travel every week. Depending on where you live and where your client is, you could be in planes and airports for a good chunk of your weekend, non-billable time. That can eat into the work-life balance unless you live locally to your client. <br />No job security. Contracts can be cancelled and you can be let go at a moment's notice. You never know when it won't get renewed. <br />No insurance/crappy insurance. Bluntly, Obamacare failed. If your consulting company offers insurance, it's likely going to be awkward to use (networks that don't apply to your home location, or work location, or both) and have expensive premiums and out of pocket expenses. <br />Family: you won't see it if you're traveling all the time. <br /><br />FTE pros: <br />Job security: it's a long, hard process to fire someone, typically. You have a reasonable expectation that you'll still be employed this time next month. <br />Insurance: Much better than what's available on public markets, and your employer will cover more of it than a consulting firm. <br />FTE Cons:<br />You'll be the go-to people for after hours support. They won't pay contractors for that. <br />Work-life balance. It's a crapshoot. Depending on the organization, it'll either be great or terrible. <br />The pay is a lot less than consulting. When I switched from consulting to FTE, I took a 20% pay cut (which was a cut from 225% what I made at epic, but still). My consulting firm was paying my mortgage for me in lieu of putting me in a hotel. I had to start making those payments again, and it wasn't fun. <br /><br />Hope that helps.TheAdministratorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02524692634914987190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-71898613768418968582014-12-11T15:59:27.473-06:002014-12-11T15:59:27.473-06:00Sorry, I haven't been following completely, bu...Sorry, I haven't been following completely, but I thought you were a consultant for a while?<br /><br />How do you like FTE work? What are the pros and cons of it compared to consulting? Work-life balance? Pay? <br /><br />Just interested in hearing more so that I know all the options out there. <br /><br />Thanks for the quick response!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com