tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22006960446572329842024-03-23T05:14:17.360-05:00Life After EpicFor the soon-to-be-Ex Epic Employee. Start reading from the <a href="http://firedfromepic.blogspot.com/2011/01/purpose-of-this-blog.html">beginning</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-52316488190174272812021-05-20T11:21:00.002-05:002021-05-20T11:21:47.723-05:00<p> <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif, serif, EmojiFont; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">May 17, 2021 (Madison, WI)</span></strong><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> - </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The legal team consisting of Jason Knutson and Breanne Snapp from Habush Habush & Rottier, and Caitlin Madden and Natalie Gerloff of Hawks Quindel, recently notched another arbitration victory against Verona-based healthcare IT giant Epic Systems. The Arbitrator decided that Epic misclassified the Technical Writer (“TW”) as overtime exempt and ordered payment of back overtime wages. Many similar cases are currently pending.</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"> </p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">Since 2019, TWs have been victorious in individual arbitration hearings across the country. The wins are especially significant given the lengths Epic has gone to avoid paying overtime wages in these cases. Epic fought all the way to the US Supreme Court to force these claims into arbitration and has brought each one through hearing, delaying payment of the overtime owed for years. </p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"> </p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">Attorney Caitlin Madden of Hawks Quindel commented,</p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"> </p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt;">“Here we have arbitrators across the country, telling Epic that they have misclassified these TWs and owe them overtime wages. To achieve these results validates the experience of our clients after years of working through the arbitration system to enforce the objectives of federal law. “</p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"> </p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">The individual cases originated from a class action filed in early 2015 by Jacob Lewis, a former TW. Epic spent the next three years arguing to federal courts that Lewis and his colleagues could not file a case together because they were subject to Epic’s forced arbitration provision. The Lewis case made its way up to the United States Supreme Court and was decided in 2018. A 5-4 majority came down in favor of Epic, deciding that employers can currently deprive their workers of the right to bring disputes collectively in a court of law. Despite the Court’s ruling, many are hopeful that forced arbitration will soon be banned legislatively in the employment and consumer contexts. The FAIR Act, which would bar companies from forcing employees or consumers into arbitration to resolve disputes, passed the House in 2019. </p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"> </p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">While the Supreme Court’s ruling resolved the issue of where and how Epic employees can bring their claims, it did not decide the underlying issue – is Epic legally required to pay its TWs overtime? The analysis begins with the text of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), a statute mandating that all employees be paid overtime, including salaried employees, unless their employer can prove they qualify for an exemption. </p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"> </p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">The primary exemption relied upon by Epic is called the “administrative exemption,” which requires that the employee’s primary job duty be <i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">directly related </i>to the management or general business operations of the employer or the employer’s customers. Examples of work that may qualify for the exemption include tax, finance, accounting, human resources, and advertising. The exemption also requires that an employee have discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance for the employer, such as authority to bind the company or implement management policies.</p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"> </p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">The answer to this underlying legal question would be resolved by trying individual claims in arbitration, a process which began in 2019. Attorney Jason Knutson of Habush Habush & Rottier explained,</p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"> </p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in;">“Epic has continued to do everything it can to deny paying its employees the overtime pay they’ve earned. Rather than just change its pay practice to conform to the law, Epic has tried to hide its conduct by forcing these cases into private arbitration instead of letting them be tried in open court. Fortunately for the employees, the end result has been the right one and they are being awarded the overtime pay they earned all along.”</p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"> </p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">And then the decisions started coming down – arbitrators overwhelmingly sided with Epic employees, awarding overtime, attorney fees and costs, and sometimes additional damages. Because TWs are producing documentation that comes with Epic’s software, arbitrators generally concluded they are not performing work <i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">directly related with the running or servicing of Epic’s or its client’s businesses. </i>One arbitrator explained,</p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"> </i></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt;">“…obvious to the arbitrator is the salient fact that there is no similarity between the work performed by [Claimant] and the…examples of functional areas of work directly related to management or general business operation of the employer or its customers…[Claimant] had virtually no direct contact with any of the end users of Epic’s software but merely posted his deliverables on a website to which customers had access.”</p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"> </p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">Despite these outcomes, Epic continues to litigate every case at a staggering cost, unbeknownst to most of its employees and the public at large. Breanne Snapp of Habush Habush & Rottier commented,</p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"> </p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt;">“Epic has now spent millions and millions of dollars attempting to evade our country’s overtime laws. What makes it all the more unbelievable is that Epic could’ve solved the problem at a fraction of the cost by simply paying these employees overtime. Why they prefer to pay attorneys and arbitrators rather than their own employees is baffling.”</p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"> </p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">While Epic’s conduct may be hard to understand, what’s crystal clear is that the Habush and Hawks Team will never stop fighting for workers’ rights, whether it is in court or arbitration.</p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"> </p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">For more information, contact: </p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Attorney Caitlin Madden</span></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Hawks Quindel S.C.</span></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">cmadden@hq-law.com</span></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">608-257-0040</span></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Attorney Breanne Snapp</span></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Habush Habush & Rottier S.C.®</span></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">bsnapp@habush.com</span></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">608-255-6663</span></span></p><p align="center" class="x_MsoNoSpacing" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif, serif, EmojiFont; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-19927286760495495832020-02-14T12:13:00.001-06:002020-02-14T12:13:43.826-06:00Employees 2, Epic 0Habush Habush & Rottier and Hawks Quindel S.C. have won their second arbitration against Epic. Full details <a href="https://www.habush.com/media-center/epic-systems-ordered-to-pay-another-former-technical-writer-overtime-wages/">here</a>, but I expect a lot more of the same. Everyone who was in the previous class action suit has been pushed to individual arbitration, and this is the second case to complete the process. I'm not sure what the price tag is for a single arbitration case, but I bet Epic's wishing at this point that they could just do a class action suit and get this over with.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-59146871450941201752020-01-06T12:27:00.000-06:002020-01-06T12:27:02.913-06:00Arbitration LOLThat employers can force employees into arbitration instead of class action lawsuits is old news. New news is that the law firms of <a href="https://www.habush.com/media-center/arbitrator-orders-epic-systems-to-pay-its-former-technical-writer-overtime-wages/">Habush Habush & Rottier and Hawks Quindel have won the first arbitration agreement</a>. Epic's gotta pay overtime, at least to the one technical writer in the agreement.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-52501318991612249832018-11-02T18:24:00.000-05:002018-11-02T18:24:01.345-05:00The Fat Lady Hasn't Sung Yet on Epic Systems v LewisI just saw this: <a href="https://www.law360.com/articles/1097517/dems-stake-out-their-turf-with-bill-targeting-epic-systems" target="_blank">Dems Stake Out Their Turf With Bill Targeting Epic Systems</a>. Law360 reports that Representatives from New York and Virginia have introduced a bill (<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/7109" target="_blank">H.R 7109</a>)in Congress that would ban class action waiver provisions and requirements to settle disputes only by arbitration in employment contracts. The Senate is working on a similar bill, according to the article, but doesn't have any information on that.<br />
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Further bulletins as events warrant.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-50535787387617905272018-09-19T17:50:00.001-05:002018-09-19T17:50:25.986-05:00The Supreme Court Case and What It Means to YouOpening act: I've recently been getting a lot of questions about the blacklist (see previous posts <a href="http://firedfromepic.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-blacklist.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://firedfromepic.blogspot.com/2012/04/rumors-of-blacklist.html" target="_blank">here</a>). I have it documented somewhere that if you leave within 90 days after a go-live, you're blacklisted. The current concerns are around when you can leave during implementation. For example, for an 18 month project with Epic involvement, if customer analysts leave during the "direction" phase (fka "design, build, validate", i.e., before the go-live), will they be blacklisted? #askingforafriend<br />
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Headliner: It's been a few months since Epic Systems Corp v Lewis went to the Supreme Court, and I've been conspicuously silent on the outcome. Too many articles were coming out too frequently to read, and the articles seemed pretty evenly split on whether this was a good or bad decision.<br />
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Upon reflection, it's definitely bad. It was this section of a <a href="https://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/05/everyone-needs-the-right-to-sue-their-employer" target="_blank">currentaffairs.org article</a> that convinced me:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Since the employees couldn’t organize beforehand to demand their employers respect their legal rights, they attempted to do so on the back end through class action lawsuits—where they could all go to court and hold the employer’s feet to the fire.<br />
But, according to the Supreme Court, employees banding together to sue employers about their illegal labor practices is not the sort of “concerted activity” the NLRA was meant to protect.</blockquote>
I used to be very vehemently anti-union, but my mind has changed the as I've had more jobs. The job I had that was the most fair, the most protected against abuses, was for a company with over half of its employees belonging to a union. Needless to say, that job wasn't in IT.<br />
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So, this ruling sucks. IT workers need a union.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-46040386134801636662017-12-21T13:11:00.000-06:002018-03-06T13:20:00.070-06:00So you just got Hired at Epic. Now what?I started this blog seven years ago because I had no idea how to manage my life without a job. I couldn't find any resources on the internet, so I documented my own process. I've grown a lot in the last several years, and come across various resources that didn't exist back then. So, in the spirit of the season, a gift:<br />
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You get paid well at Epic for the stage of life that most new hires will be. Expenses in Dane County are low, if you're not a moron. It would be very easy to save a substantial chunk of your income, and with the right lifestyle habits, a person can work at Epic for a few years, maybe consult for a few years, and then have enough to retire for life. <br />
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Enter <a href="http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/" target="_blank">Mr Money Mustache</a>. He advocates frugality and aggressive saving/investing. Live close to where you work. Arrange your life so you don't need a car. ("What about winter?" you're saying. Hold your horses.) Throw parties at home with booze that you bought at Woodman's, rather than hanging out in bars on Capitol Square. <br />
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On <a href="https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_rent/house,condo,apartment_duplex,mobile,townhouse_type/43.009935,-89.532588,42.979488,-89.578722_rect/14_zm/" target="_blank">Zillow</a>, The average rent for a 1 or 2 bedroom dwelling in Verona is around $1000. Average salaries, according to <a href="https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Epic-Systems-Corporation-Wisconsin-Salaries-E35163.htm" target="_blank">Glassdoor</a>, are big, to say the least. Get out of Madison, and move closer to Epic. <br />
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Assuming a salary of $57,000 per year, that's a gross pay of 4800 per month. For single folks in 2018, that puts you in a 22% tax bracket. Married folks are in the 12% tax bracket. I'm going to assume singleness for the math that follows. I don't remember how much insurance cost at Epic, and whatever other stuff came out of pre-tax--someone with current figures can comment below, and I'll update here.<br />
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So, from $4800, subtract $300 for various pre-tax deductions: Insurance (maybe?), 401(k), cafeteria.<br />
From $4500, take off 22%.<br />
From $3500, subtract $1000 for rent. (Get a roommate and split that.)<br />
From $2500, you ought to be able to live comfortably and save a ton. <br />
If you have a car payment, get rid of it. Sell your SUV and buy a used hatchback and snow tires. <br />
Don't eat at restaurants. A single person ought to be able to eat well on less than $400 a month. Learn to cook.<br />
Read<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=case+study+site%3Amrmoneymustache.com&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&ie=&oe=&gws_rd=ssl" target="_blank"> Mr Money Mustache's case studies</a> and get other ideas. The main tips are live close to work and don't spend like a moron. <br />
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It is not difficult to live on $2000 or less, as a childless person in Verona. Invest that money using the tools that MMM recommends. When your investments pay you more than your expenses, then you're retired. Hooray!<br />
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"But my car!" you say. "I need it because it's cold!" Wisconsin winters suck. But I lived in the neighborhood in that Zillow link. The sidewalks between those houses and Epic are well-plowed and well-salted. It's a 15 minute walk to Fomalhaut, then heated and underground anywhere else you want to go. It's a 10 minute drive to the parking garages. Saving 10 minutes a day is not worth $500 in <a href="http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2013/02/01/the-oil-well-you-can-keep-in-your-pants/" target="_blank">car payments</a>, <a href="http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/11/.../how-to-ride-your-bike-all-winter-and-love-it/" target="_blank">gasoline</a>, and <a href="https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/.../the-worlds-most-efficient-air-conditioner/" target="_blank">insurance</a>. <br />
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You can do it. The best way to survive getting fired from Epic is to <a href="https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/.../guest-posting-financial-independence-23-years-later/" target="_blank">not need a job in the first place</a>. <br />
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Update 3/6/18:<br />
You're going to travel while you're at Epic, and Epic is going to pay for everything. Turn a profit on that with a rewards credit card. I use <a href="https://www.referyourchasecard.com/2/G6DE44J1TP" target="_blank">Chase Freedom</a>, and am quite happy with it. It currently offers 1% back on all purchases, with 5% back on certain categories that rotate out every quarter (currently anything with Chase Pay, and internet/cell phone bills). Help me help you by using the referral link above. <br />
Also, the <a href="https://get.qapital.com/rRhX20by4K" target="_blank">Qapital app</a> helps with savings goals. Link your bank account, and create rules to automatically save for whatever goal you want. Rules can be "round up every purchase to the nearest dollar, and deposit the excess into your goal", "save X% of every deposit", or a slew of others. It's a great app. Use the referral link above, and we'll both $5. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-74797749993460550242017-10-12T15:54:00.001-05:002017-10-12T15:54:47.286-05:00Another Reason to Sue Epic? A coworker of mine alerted me to this: <a href="http://www.newswise.com/articles/mayo-clinic-health-information-offered-through-epic-patient-apps" target="_blank">Mayo Clinic Health Information Offered Through Epic Patient Apps</a><br />
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The article is from (late) April of this year, so it's not exactly breaking news. The article states that Mayo Clinic and Epic are partnering to include health education content published/created by Mayo through Epic's MyChart application. <br />
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Because I'm trying not to be a hack, I searched for other articles for confirmation. I found this one on Healthcare IT News: <a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/epic-mayo-clinic-team-integrate-symptom-checker-mychart-patient-portal" target="_blank">http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/epic-mayo-clinic-team-integrate-symptom-checker-mychart-patient-portal</a>. This article suggests that Epic will soon jump into the auto-diagnosis RoboDoc market. (I need a jpg of Robocop in a lab coat, now). <br />
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Being an Old Fart, I remember Microsoft getting in trouble for bundling MS Office software with its OS. Other health content vendors are available--Staywell, Relay Health, among others. If Mayo content gets provided with the software, how is that any different than the Microsoft antitrust lawsuit? If Corel was pissed then, Staywell should be livid now. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-58497494651897503172017-10-11T11:23:00.000-05:002017-10-11T11:23:43.028-05:00Epic at the Supreme CourtIf you're interested, here's the oral arguments from the Epic's Supreme Court case. <br />
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<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/16-285_1qm2.pdf" target="_blank">text (78 page pdf)</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2017/16-285" target="_blank">downloadable audio file</a> <br />
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Habush Habush and Rottier don't expect SCOTUS to make a final decision until winter or spring. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-14836009955689220732017-10-03T16:11:00.004-05:002017-10-17T10:50:29.649-05:00The Blacklist<br />
(burying the lede)<br />
Currently, the Supreme Court is deciding on the legality of Epic's clause in their employment contract that all disputes must be handled by individual arbitration--an action that Epic instituted to prevent all the class action lawsuits that they've been getting over the last few years. Here's a link to an article: <a href="http://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/353487-supreme-court-weighs-rights-of-workers-to-settle-disputes-together" target="_blank">TL;DR: SCOTUS is undecided, but not every justice has weighed in.</a> <br />
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Lede:<br />
I met a person who was actually affected by the heretofore-existed-only-in-threats-and-rumors Epic Blacklist. He was employed as an implementation analyst at a customer site (never an Epic employee) who was involved in various go-lives at that organization. We'll call him Ray. <br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blacklist-Season-04-James-Spader/dp/B071GW8XTC/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1507052828&sr=8-1&keywords=blacklist+season+4+dvd&linkCode=li3&tag=epiconymous-20&linkId=ddda98a9feeb8559f074a12d574b8c25" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B071GW8XTC&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=epiconymous-20" width="226" /></a></div>
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After working with this customer and finishing a major go-live, Ray decided to leave the organization for some legitimate life reason, probably family related. His employer was cool with this, and it was an amicable separation. Ray wasn't fired, is what I'm saying. The employer liked him, was sorry to see him go, but was supportive of his future endeavors. </div>
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Ray got a job with an Epic-preferred consulting agency, and the agency asked Epic about his eligibility. Depending on which consulting firm agent asked which Epic employee, the firm received various answers as to when they could hire Ray--right now, a few months from now, or a calendar year after the hospital's go-live. The consulting firm found a placement for Ray at a new organization, but when it came time to actually get him working, the new org said it would cost them their "Good Install" to hire him. Ray ended up doing non-epic work until a year had elapsed. </div>
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It's real, people. And Epic enforces it by reaching into its customers' pocket books. Ray spoke to his consulting firm during all this, and the firm said that Epic set up Good Install/Good Maintenance as a way to have control over who gets to work on Epic products, without hairy legal issues. In effect, an Epic Client can hire whoever they want, but Epic might charge extra for the privilege of hiring certain people. </div>
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update: </div>
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A reader posted this on another page here:</div>
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How does leaving during an active implementation and/or go-live as a consultant/contractor affect your future job prospects? Can you be blacklisted for leaving a client abruptly? Not to pursue another client, but to take a long break.</blockquote>
Based on an N of 1, the blacklist is time-limited. If you leave during an active implementation, odds are good that you WILL get blacklisted. But the blacklist will probably only last a year. If your break is a year, then you shouldn't have any major consequences. If your break is a couple of months, you'll need to find some non-Epic work to do, or an Epic customer who doesn't mind pissing Judy off. Sutter Health comes to mind. <br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=epiconymous-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B071GW8XTC" style="border-image: none; border: currentColor; margin: 0px;" width="1" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-1258430969657585952017-03-24T10:56:00.000-05:002017-03-24T10:56:29.285-05:00Talking Union<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A person can learn a lot from folk songs. Email <a href="mailto:unionizeepic@gmail.com" target="_blank">unionizeepic@gmail.com</a> if you're interested. From the man himself, when I asked if there are any current organization activities going on:</div>
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I don't know of anything actively going on. I know a small handful interested in actively pursuing it, but I talk to people about it often and am surprised by the level of passive support. However, we haven't taken any action yet. I'm hoping to get something going in January [2017--I'm not prompt. Don't sue me--Admin].<div>
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Please post this email if you write about unionizing at all. I'm hoping to get things going after the new year or so.</div>
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If you know anyone still at Epic interested send them my way, please. Especially, if they would be interested in organizing and/or recruiting.</div>
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There you have it. Go forth and organize. Every movement starts somewhere, and listening to the soundtrack of the labor movement isn't a bad way to prepare. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-77597403839860959582017-03-10T14:08:00.002-06:002017-03-10T14:08:14.536-06:00A Book Review (of sorts)I just finished reading <a href="http://amzn.to/2nfubU6" target="_blank">Procrastinate on Purpose, by Rory Vaden</a>. In an effort to organize my thoughts and determine how to apply the lessons to healthcare IT, here's this post. <br />
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The main points of the book are "work double-time part-time now, in order to have full-time free time later"; and the Focus Funnel (<a href="http://roryvaden.com/blog/the-focus-funnel/" target="_blank">source</a>):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQUiS6lisCrHmRcOU9A9WFz7ISYehgyMSgDCYkpYkkj-mUne5m68RP62TweqhcaF1iuZXSpfWGBUgICsfRVCundndzTGzXAmG8zEbgEYQE-FqgYbg20eSNXrcT799AMaOGuBBQMJAW4l1/s1600/Focus-Funnel-from-Procrastinate-on-Purpose-by-Rory-Vaden1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQUiS6lisCrHmRcOU9A9WFz7ISYehgyMSgDCYkpYkkj-mUne5m68RP62TweqhcaF1iuZXSpfWGBUgICsfRVCundndzTGzXAmG8zEbgEYQE-FqgYbg20eSNXrcT799AMaOGuBBQMJAW4l1/s320/Focus-Funnel-from-Procrastinate-on-Purpose-by-Rory-Vaden1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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The focus funnel goes hand-in-hand with the <a href="http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/10/23/eisenhower-decision-matrix/comment-page-1/" target="_blank">Eisenhower Decision Matrix</a> (ugent vs important--"what is urgent is seldom important, and what is important is seldom urgent"). Vaden adds a Z-axis to the decision matrix for Significance. If Urgent asks "how soon does this matter," and Important asks "How much does this matter," then Significance asks "How long will this matter."<br />
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The Focus Funnel then asks the user to eliminate those tasks of no significance, automate any repeatable tasks, and delegate tasks that don't require the user's particular set of skills. If the task makes it through to the bottom of the funnel, then a decision needs to be made: Is this task the most significant thing I should be working on <em>right now</em>? If yes, do it. If not, put it back at the top of the funnel. <br />
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I grok at a visceral level how effective this is for those in control of their own task list. What I don't understand is how to apply it to my situation, where my workload is partially at my own discretion, but primarily driven by management--and the managers historically don't appreciate automation or delegation, and never eliminate anything. Healthcare IT is also plagued by IT-style busywork, compliance CYA, and patient care criticality. In addition to my actual work, I have to track it for data-driven bean counters, wrap it up in red tape to protect from malpractice suits, and do it all right now because lives are at stake. <br />
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I can apply Vaden's method to those tasks where I'm in full control, but I have limited empowerment to delegate. Let's say I'm assigned a task that can be done by anyone on the team, including fresh new hires. By assigning that work to me, it takes away time that I can spend on tasks where I have unique expertise. <br />
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Automating is similarly difficult. A task that costs an hour a day, every day, may require 40 hours to automate a permanent fix. The daily maintenance is urgent, as most things in health care IT are, so it still has to be performed alongside the permanent fix. <br />
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Eliminating tasks is easy. Managers have even less time than the grunts, so unless the managers are specifically measuring a task, eliminating the pointless stuff will most likely go completely unnoticed. (That only works if the task is truly without benefit.) Managers have limited insight into how one actually prioritizes, so the Concentrate/Procrastinate portion of the funnel is entirely up to me. <br />
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The problem then, is with the middle portion of the funnel--that takes a team. And I can't control my team. Without buy-in from the entire team and from management, delegation is unworkable. Without informed prioritization, getting permission to spend time on automation is difficult, but not impossible--I guess this is where the "work double time part time" comes in--if one 80-hour week saves an hour a day forever, that's an extra 250 hours a year that were just freed for more significant things. It also makes me look awesome in the eyes of management. <br />
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I encouraged my immediate supervisor to read it, and he might. Maybe change will happen from middle management outward. In the meantime, I work on the things that I can control, and prioritize based on a task's significance to <em>my</em> workload. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-28134372226829925162017-01-18T13:56:00.001-06:002017-01-18T13:56:46.217-06:00Supreme Court, Epic, and ArbitrationOver the last few weeks, I've seen a <span id="goog_694608573"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/" target="_blank">bunch<span id="goog_694608574"></span></a> of <a href="http://host.madison.com/wsj/business/epic-systems-employee-case-to-be-heard-u-s-supreme/article_587a845f-c3e0-5900-b36f-97283169f698.html" target="_blank">articles</a> <a href="http://host.madison.com/ct/business/technology/things-to-know-about-the-new-epic-lawsuit/article_5e5976ad-b3fd-5e5a-a6e8-164b64ec9768.html" target="_blank">popping</a> up about all the lawsuits that Epic is involved in. Read the links, they say it better than I could, but in summary:<br />
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Epic got sued a while back over lack of overtime pay. Epic settled, and then changed its employment agreement to require arbitration rather than lawsuits. Epic got sued again, lost, appealed, and the court of appeals said that forcing employees into arbitration was Not Good. Due to variances in different courts (7th Circuit vs 5th Circuit), people have asked the Supreme Court to give its opinion. <br />
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Epic: With the Patient at the Heart*<br />
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In other news, I thought this was pretty cool: <a href="http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/health-med-fit/flint-doctor-used-epic-systems-records-to-expose-lead-crisis/article_ef462592-f27b-5ed0-a2ff-33232902ab74.html" target="_blank">Flint Doctor uses Epic to Expose Lead Crisis</a>. It's almost a year old, but this is the good stuff that Epic should be doing (and getting credit for) all the time. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*and the Employee in the Lower GI Tract</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-76949740612967435212016-12-20T11:00:00.000-06:002016-12-20T11:00:11.953-06:00Merry Christmas! (You're welcome)The <a href="http://www.icd10illustrated.com/collections/all" target="_blank">ICD-10 and Meaningful Use Illustrated books</a> are still great Christmas gifts. I thought I saw an email that the books were now available at your <a href="http://amzn.to/2hdzrYH" target="_blank">favorite retail website</a>, but I must have been mistaken. <br />
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Here's a list (about a year out of date) of Epic's customers. It's alphabetical--if you want to sort it, copy it into excel. Pipe delimited for convenience. <br />
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Name | State | Country<br />Access Community Health Network | Illinois | US<br />Admiraal De Ruyter Ziekenhuis | | Netherlands<br />AdvantageCare Physicians | New York | US<br />Adventist Health West | Oregon | US<br />Akron Children's | Ohio | US<br />Alberta Health Services | | Canada<br />All Children's Hospital | Florida | US<br />Allegheny Health Network | Pennsylvania | US<br />Allina Health System | Minnesota | US<br />Altru Health System | North Dakota | US<br />AMC - Vumc | | Netherlands<br />Amphia Ziekenhuis | | Netherlands<br />AnMed Health | South Carolina | US<br />Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago | Illinois | US<br />Anne Arundel Medical Center | Maryland | US<br />Asante Health System | Oregon | US<br />Ascension Health | Indiana | US<br />Ascension Health - Providence Healthcare Network | Texas | US<br />Aspirus | Wisconsin | US<br />Atlantic Health | New Jersey | US<br />Atrius Health | Massachusetts | US<br />Aurora Health Care | Wisconsin | US<br />Austin Regional Clinic | Texas | US<br />Banner – University Medical Center | Arizona | US<br />Baptist Health | Arkansas | US<br />Baptist Health System (AL) | Alabama | US<br />Baptist Healthcare System | Kentucky | US<br />Baptist Memorial Health Care | Tennessee | US<br />Bassett Healthcare | New York | US<br />Bayhealth Medical Center | Delaware | US<br />Baylor College of Medicine | Texas | US<br />Baylor Scott & White Health | Texas | US<br />Beacon Medical Services | Colorado | US<br />Beaumont Health | Michigan | US<br />Bend Memorial Clinic | Oregon | US<br />BJC HealthCare & Washington University | Missouri | US<br />Bon Secours Health System | Maryland | US<br />Chesapeake Regional Medical Center | Virginia | US<br />Boston Children's Hospital | Massachusetts | US<br />Boston Medical Center | Massachusetts | US<br />Bronson Healthcare Group | Michigan | US<br />Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center | New York | US<br />Buffalo Medical Group | New York | US<br />Cambridge Health Alliance | Massachusetts | US<br />Cambridge University Hospitals NHS | | <br />Care New England | Rhode Island | US<br />Carilion Clinic | Virginia | US<br />Carle | Illinois | US<br />Carolinas HealthCare System | North Carolina | US<br />CaroMont Health | North Carolina | US<br />Catholic Health Initiatives National | Colorado | US<br />Alegent Creighton Health | Nebraska | US<br />Franciscan Health System | Washington | US<br />St Luke's Health System (TX) | Texas | US<br />Catholic Health Services of Long Island | New York | US<br />Cedars-Sinai Health System | California | US<br />CentraCare | Minnesota | US<br />Centura Health | Colorado | US<br />Cheyenne Regional Medical Center | Wyoming | US<br />Children's Health System of Texas | Texas | US<br />Children's Healthcare of Atlanta | Georgia | US<br />Children's Hospital & Medical Center, Omaha | Nebraska | US<br />Children's Hospital Colorado | Colorado | US<br />Children's Hospital Eastern Ontario | | Canada<br />Children's Hospital of Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | US<br />Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters | Virginia | US<br />Children's Hospital of Wisconsin | Wisconsin | US<br />CIGNA Medical Group of Arizona | Arizona | US<br />Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center | Ohio | US<br />Cleveland Clinic | Ohio | US<br />Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi | | <br />Community Health Network | Indiana | US<br />Community Healthcare | Indiana | US<br />Community Medical Centers | California | US<br />Cone Health | North Carolina | US<br />Conemaugh Health System | Pennsylvania | US<br />Confluence Health | Washington | US<br />Connecticut Children's Medical Center | Connecticut | US<br />Contra Costa Health Services | California | US<br />Cooper University Health Care | New Jersey | US<br />Cottage Health System | California | US<br />Covenant HealthCare | Michigan | US<br />CVS Health | Rhode Island | US<br />Dartmouth-Hitchcock | New Hampshire | US<br />Dayton Children's Hospital | Ohio | US<br />Deaconess Health System | Indiana | US<br />Denmark Capital Region & Region Zealand | | Denmark<br />Denver Health | Colorado | US<br />Dreyer Medical Clinic | Illinois | US<br />Driscoll Children's Hospital | Texas | US<br />Dubai Health Authority | | <br />Duke University Health System | North Carolina | US<br />Dutch Demo System | | Netherlands<br />East Boston Neighborhood Health Center | Massachusetts | US<br />Edward Hospital & Health Services / DuPage Medical Group | Illinois | US<br />El Camino Hospital | California | US<br />Elliot Health System | New Hampshire | US<br />Erlanger Health System | Tennessee | US<br />Eskenazi Health | Indiana | US<br />Essentia Health | Minnesota | US<br />Everett Clinic, The | Washington | US<br />Fairview Health Services | Minnesota | US<br />Florida Hospital | Florida | US<br />Foundation System | | US<br />Franciscan Alliance, Inc. | Indiana | US<br />Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, Inc. | Louisiana | US<br />Froedtert Health, Inc. | Wisconsin | US<br />Geisinger System Services | Pennsylvania | US<br />Geisinger Affiliates | Pennsylvania | US<br />Genesis Healthcare System | Ohio | US<br />Glens Falls Hospital | New York | US<br />Grady Health System | Georgia | US<br />Greater Baltimore Medical Center | Maryland | US<br />Greater Hudson Valley Health System, Inc. | New York | US<br />Greenville Health System | South Carolina | US<br />Self Regional Healthcare | South Carolina | US<br />Group Health Centre | | Canada<br />Group Health Cooperative | Washington | US<br />Group Health Cooperative - South Central Wisconsin | Wisconsin | US<br />Gundersen Health System | Wisconsin | US<br />GW University Medical Faculty Associates | District of Columbia | US<br />Hackensack University Medical Center | New Jersey | US<br />Hamilton Health Sciences & St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton | | Canada<br />Harris Health System | Texas | US<br />Hartford HealthCare | Connecticut | US<br />Hattiesburg Clinic and Forrest County General Hospital | Mississippi | US<br />Hawaii Pacific Health | Hawaii | US<br />HCA National | Tennessee | US<br />HCA Central and West Texas | Texas | US<br />HCA Mountain | Utah | US<br />Health Ventures of Central Iowa | Iowa | US<br />HealthEast Care System | Minnesota | US<br />HealthPartners | Minnesota | US<br />Park Nicollet Health Services | Minnesota | US<br />Heart of Texas Community Health Center | Texas | US<br />Hennepin County Medical Center | Minnesota | US<br />Henry Ford Health System | Michigan | US<br />HonorHealth | Arizona | US<br />Hospital for Special Surgery | New York | US<br />Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) Division - Eastern Wisconsin | Wisconsin | US<br />Houston Methodist | Texas | US<br />Hurley Medical Center | Michigan | US<br />Indiana University Health Arnett | Indiana | US<br />Infirmary Health System | Alabama | US<br />Inova Health System | Virginia | US<br />Valley Health | Virginia | US<br />Institute for Family Health | New York | US<br />INTEGRIS Health | Oklahoma | US<br />John Muir Health | California | US<br />Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare | | <br />Johns Hopkins Medicine | Maryland | US<br />JPS Health Network | Texas | US<br />JurongHealth | | Singapore<br />Kadlec Health System | Washington | US<br />Kaiser Permanente - National | California | US<br />Kaiser Permanente - Colorado | Colorado | US<br />Kaiser Permanente - Georgia | Georgia | US<br />Kaiser Permanente - Hawaii | Hawaii | US<br />Kaiser Permanente - Mid-Atlantic | Maryland | US<br />Kaiser Permanente - N Cal | California | US<br />Kaiser Permanente - Northwest | Oregon | US<br />Kaiser Permanente - S Cal | California | US<br />Kelsey-Seybold Clinic | Texas | US<br />Kettering Health Network | Ohio | US<br />King's Daughters Medical Center | Kentucky | US<br />Lahey Health System | Massachusetts | US<br />Lakeland Healthcare | Michigan | US<br />Lancaster General Health | Pennsylvania | US<br />Lee Memorial Health System | Florida | US<br />Legacy Health | Oregon | US<br />Lehigh Valley Health Network | Pennsylvania | US<br />Leon Medical Center | Florida | US<br />Lexington County Health Services | South Carolina | US<br />Lifespan | Rhode Island | US<br />Loma Linda University Medical Center | California | US<br />Louisiana State University | Louisiana | US<br />Loyola Medicine | Illinois | US<br />LSPQ | | Canada<br />MaineHealth | Maine | US<br />Maricopa Integrated Health System | Arizona | US<br />Martin Health System | Florida | US<br />Mayo Clinic | Minnesota | US<br />Medical University Of South Carolina | South Carolina | US<br />Medisch Centrum Leeuwarden | | Netherlands<br />MediSys Health Network | New York | US<br />Memorial Health Services (MemorialCare) | California | US<br />Memorial Health, Inc. | Georgia | US<br />Memorial Healthcare System | Florida | US<br />Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center | New York | US<br />Mercy Health - MO (fka Sisters of Mercy) | Missouri | US<br />Mercy Health - OH (fka Catholic Health Partners) | Ohio | US<br />Summa Health System | Ohio | US<br />Mercy Health Services (MD) | Maryland | US<br />Mercy Health System - WI | Wisconsin | US<br />Mercy Medical Center | Iowa | US<br />Meriter Health Services | Wisconsin | US<br />Methodist Health System | Texas | US<br />Methodist Hospitals | Indiana | US<br />Metro Health - MI | Michigan | US<br />MetroHealth - OH | Ohio | US<br />Momentum Health | Oklahoma | US<br />Monroe Clinic | Wisconsin | US<br />Montefiore Medical Center | New York | US<br />Mount Auburn Hospital | Massachusetts | US<br />Mount Sinai Health System | New York | US<br />Mt Sinai - FL | Florida | US<br />MultiCare Health System | Washington | US<br />Nationwide Children's Hospital | Ohio | US<br />Nebraska Medicine | Nebraska | US<br />Nederlands fundamentsysteem | | Netherlands<br />Nemours | Florida | US<br />New Hanover Regional Medical Center | North Carolina | US<br />New York City Health and Hospitals Corp | New York | US<br />North Memorial Health Care | Minnesota | US<br />North Oaks Health System | Louisiana | US<br />NorthShore University HealthSystem | Illinois | US<br />Northwest Community Hospital | Illinois | US<br />Northwestern Memorial Healthcare | Illinois | US<br />Cadence Health | Illinois | US<br />Norton Healthcare | Kentucky | US<br />Novant Health | North Carolina | US<br />NYU Langone Medical Center | New York | US<br />Oakwood Healthcare | Michigan | US<br />OCHIN | Oregon | US<br />Ochsner Health System | Louisiana | US<br />St. Tammany Parish Hospital | Louisiana | US<br />OhioHealth | Ohio | US<br />Oregon Health & Science University | Oregon | US<br />OSF HealthCare | Illinois | US<br />Overlake Hospital Medical Center | Washington | US<br />Owensboro Health | Kentucky | US<br />Pacific Medical Center | Washington | US<br />Palos Community Hospital | Illinois | US<br />Parkland | Texas | US<br />Parkview Health | Indiana | US<br />Partners HealthCare System | Massachusetts | US<br />PeaceHealth | Washington | US<br />Peninsula Regional Medical Center | Maryland | US<br />Piedmont Healthcare | Georgia | US<br />PinnacleHealth | Pennsylvania | US<br />Premier Health | Ohio | US<br />Presbyterian Healthcare Services | New Mexico | US<br />Presence Health | Illinois | US<br />Prime Healthcare | California | US<br />ProHealth | Wisconsin | US<br />ProMedica Health System | Ohio | US<br />Providence Health and Services | Washington | US<br />Providence Alaska | Alaska | US<br />Providence EMFI | Washington | US<br />Providence Oregon/California | Washington | US<br />Providence Washington | Washington | US<br />Swedish Medical Center | Washington | US<br />Queen's Health Systems, The | Hawaii | US<br />Radboudumc | | Netherlands<br />Rady Children's | California | US<br />Reading Health System | Pennsylvania | US<br />Reliant Medical Group, Inc. | Massachusetts | US<br />Renown Healthcare | Nevada | US<br />RiverBend Medical Group | Massachusetts | US<br />Riverside Health System | Virginia | US<br />Riverside Medical Center | Illinois | US<br />Riverside Medical Clinic | California | US<br />Rochester Regional Health System | New York | US<br />Rockford Health System | Illinois | US<br />Royal Children's Hospital | | Australia<br />Rush University Medical Center | Illinois | US<br />Saint Francis Care | Connecticut | US<br />Saint Francis Health System | Oklahoma | US<br />Saint Francis Healthcare System | Missouri | US<br />Saint Luke's Health System (MO) | Missouri | US<br />Salem Hospital Regional Health System | Oregon | US<br />Salem Clinic | Oregon | US<br />Samaritan Health Services | Oregon | US<br />Sanford Health | South Dakota | US<br />Sansum Clinic | California | US<br />Santa Clara Valley Medical Center | California | US<br />SCL Health | Colorado | US<br />Scripps Health | California | US<br />Seattle Children's Hospital | Washington | US<br />Sechaba Medical Solutions | | South Africa<br />CHEIRON-GEN HEALTH | | South Africa<br />Select Medical | Pennsylvania | US<br />Sentara Healthcare | Virginia | US<br />Singing River Health System | Mississippi | US<br />Sint Lucas Andreas Ziekenhuis | | Netherlands<br />SLUCare / SSM-SLUH | Missouri | US<br />South Dakota State Lab | South Dakota | US<br />Southcoast Health System | Massachusetts | US<br />Spaarne Gasthuis | | Netherlands<br />Sparrow Health System | Michigan | US<br />Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System | South Carolina | US<br />Spectrum Health | Michigan | US<br />SSM Health | Missouri | US<br />SSM Health Care of Wisconsin | Wisconsin | US<br />St Anthony's Medical Center | Missouri | US<br />St Elizabeth Healthcare | Kentucky | US<br />St Jansdal Ziekenhuis | | Netherlands<br />St Joseph's Hospital Health Center | New York | US<br />St Luke's Health System (Idaho) | Idaho | US<br />St Luke's University Health Network | Pennsylvania | US<br />Stanford Children's Health | California | US<br />Stanford Health Care | California | US<br />Stormont-Vail HealthCare | Kansas | US<br />SUNY Upstate Medical University | New York | US<br />Sutter Health | California | US<br />SwedishAmerican Health System | Illinois | US<br />Tampa General Hospital | Florida | US<br />University of South Florida | Florida | US<br />TempleHealth | Pennsylvania | US<br />Texas Children's Hospital | Texas | US<br />Texas Health Resources | Texas | US<br />Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children | Texas | US<br />The Christ Hospital | Ohio | US<br />The Guthrie Clinic | Pennsylvania | US<br />The Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center | Ohio | US<br />The Portland Clinic | Oregon | US<br />The University of Vermont Medical Center | Vermont | US<br />ThedaCare | Wisconsin | US<br />Bellin Health | Wisconsin | US<br />Thomas Jefferson University Health System | Pennsylvania | US<br />TriHealth | Ohio | US<br />Trinity Mother Frances | Texas | US<br />Tucson Medical Center | Arizona | US<br />UC Health | Ohio | US<br />UCLA Medical Center | California | US<br />UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland | California | US<br />UCSF Medical Center | California | US<br />UMass Memorial Health Care | Massachusetts | US<br />UNC Health Care | North Carolina | US<br />United States Coast Guard | District of Columbia | US<br />UnityPoint Health | Iowa | US<br />University Health (BRF) | Louisiana | US<br />University Health Care System | Georgia | US<br />University Hospital | New Jersey | US<br />University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences | Arkansas | US<br />University of California Davis | California | US<br />University of California San Diego | California | US<br />University of Chicago Hospitals | Illinois | US<br />University of Colorado Health | Colorado | US<br />University of Florida | Florida | US<br />University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics | Iowa | US<br />University of Kansas Hospital | Kansas | US<br />University of Maryland Medical System | Maryland | US<br />University of Miami | Florida | US<br />University of Michigan | Michigan | US<br />University of Mississippi Medical Center | Mississippi | US<br />University of Pennsylvania Health System | Pennsylvania | US<br />University of Pittsburgh Medical Center | Pennsylvania | US<br />University of Rochester Medical Center | New York | US<br />University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center | Texas | US<br />University of Texas Medical Branch | Texas | US<br />University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center | Texas | US<br />University of Utah Hospitals & Clinics | Utah | US<br />University of Virginia Medical Center | Virginia | US<br />UT Medicine San Antonio | Texas | US<br />UW Health | Wisconsin | US<br />UW Medicine | Washington | US<br />Valley Medical Center | Washington | US<br />Vancouver Clinic | Washington | US<br />Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Tennessee | US<br />Vidant Health | North Carolina | US<br />Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center | North Carolina | US<br />WakeMed Health and Hospitals | North Carolina | US<br />Washington Hospital Health System | California | US<br />Weill Cornell Physician Organization | New York | US<br />Wellmont Health System | Tennessee | US<br />WellSpan Health | Pennsylvania | US<br />WellStar | Georgia | US<br />West Virginia University Healthcare | West Virginia | US<br />Wheaton Franciscan | Wisconsin | US<br />Wisconsin State Lab | Wisconsin | US<br />Wolcott, Wood & Taylor (UIC) | Illinois | US<br />Women's College Hospital | | Canada<br />Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic | Washington | US<br />Yale New Haven Health System and Yale University | Connecticut | US<br />Yuma | Arizona | US<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-38802947433237024392016-12-09T11:28:00.000-06:002016-12-09T11:28:37.973-06:00New Lawsuit Filed Against Epic, and more!A <a href="http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime-and-courts/epic-systems-sued-again-for-overtime-wage-issues/article_8d8bb549-c641-5ed3-9383-90e8988c3ee2.html" target="_blank">new lawsuit</a> was filed against Epic this week, and it's pretty much <a href="http://host.madison.com/ct/business/technology/things-to-know-about-the-new-epic-lawsuit/article_5e5976ad-b3fd-5e5a-a6e8-164b64ec9768.html" target="_blank">Nordgren v Epic, version 2</a>. The only change is the time frame for the class: QAers who worked at Epic after Epic implemented its arbitration-only rule. As ever, Epic could not be reached for comment, which at this point deserves to be a <a href="http://firedfromepic.blogspot.com/2014/10/epics-principles-part-10.html" target="_blank">14th Principle: Never talk to the press</a> (Epic does this one really well).<br />
<br /><br />
Other news: I've been asked a few times about including a bona fide forum on this site, and I'm having trouble making a decision. Some feel it would be helpful, but I'm worried about maintaining anonymity. Leave a comment, and let me know how you feel about it. When I get enough meaningful feedback, I'll install a forum (or not). <br />
<br /><br />
This is from an email I received about a year ago, concerning the job prospects for someone leaving the Developer role at Epic:<br />
<br /><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
On job opportunities - This is from a developer perspective, naturally, though some parts may apply to QAers too.</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
a) Your skills are useless outside of Epic. Unless you are one of the privileged few to be working on mobile apps or Web stuff, your skills will not transfer at all. Cache is not used as much as it used to be, Wikipedia is wrong. Wall Street doesn't use it in any significant amount, and even if there is a hedge fund or two that still does, you ain't getting that job without a PhD, a half decade of experience, and contacts within the industry. And VB6 is a goddamn joke, don't even list it on your resume if you can help it. The sooner you get used to this, the sooner you can work around it.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
b) It's not hopeless, but expect an uphill battle. If you want to stay in Madison, Epic has an iffy reputation among other development shops. I was flat out told in one interview that the <i>only</i> reason I didn't get the job is that Epic's technology and taught skill set is too old to transfer to the new company. I would highly advise you to (a) move out of Madison to an area where Epic doesn't have such an entrenched reputation, (b) consider a technical non-dev position (QA, IT analyst, technical writer, etc) where specific skills in specific languages don't matter as much, or (c) have a damn good Github or personal projects page. The reason I got so many calls back/interviews was because I did a lot of independent work in modern programming languages. Definitely brush up on Java and relational databases, that's what most (local) jobs want to see. If you really are struggling, find a community college and take an intro to Java class to refresh.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
c) Even if you get an offer, don't expect anywhere near Epic salaries. The benefits Epic offers are standard, perfectly mediocre, so you probably won't notice much of a change in those. But it is a shock to go from making 6 figures to accepting a 30-40% pay cut. Thankfully, my new job is in an area I've always loved to work in, so that's personally a tradeoff I don't mind making. But you do need to consider that. Expect most entry-level jobs (which, let's face it, you need to apply for) to offer $60k-$70k. If you're a good negotiator, you can probably swing a $1k-$2k sign-on bonus. Long gone are the days of 5 figure sign-on bonuses like Epic gives.</blockquote>
<br /><br />
<br /><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-15957914554440447652016-07-01T13:27:00.000-05:002016-07-01T13:27:14.247-05:00A Patient-Centric DatabaseI've been thinking a lot lately about patient registries, accountable care networks, and Healthy Planet-type stuff. Personal fact: I'm prone to think up conspiracy-theories and am, at the macro-level, a glass-half-empty person. When you put the two together, it makes this blogger concerned about the future of healthcare.<br />
<br />
<br />
"With the Patient at the Heart" is printed on the back of Epic's business cards, and emblazoned proudly on company vehicles. I've worked at different organizations that had similar slogans about patients being first and foremost and the most important thing. The underlying sentiment with these slogans is that each patient is a unique individual, and each patient deserves personalized care.<br />
<br />
Healthy Planet (and its primary drivers, Obamacare and MU) are active obstacles to that. No longer is Joe Smith a relatively healthy male and a compliant patient with diabetes whose lab tests happen to run slightly abnormal, he's now the 37th entry on the list of patients with an A1C over 7. He's been on that list for a year now, and gets a letter every month saying he needs to come in for a checkup. Mr Smith's doctor is worried, because even though Joe is healthy and doing everything to correctly manage his diabetes, the lab tests run high enough that the doctor gets dinged on his metrics. The doctor is therefore considering dropping Mr Smith as a patient. <br />
<br />
Enter Accountable Care Networks. Now, not only is Medicare tracking all your stats, but your employer is too. And because your employer is paying the hospitals, your employer has a vested interested in your health. The healthier you are, the cheaper it is for your CFO, and those savings can be passed directly to the stockholders. Taken to its logical conclusion, given equal experience, equal qualifications, and identical answers during the interview, it's going to be the younger/skinnier/male candidate who gets the job. Age/Gender Discrimination will morph into Health Discrimination.<br />
<br />
Discuss below. Are my fears irrational? Is your organization re-working existing teams to meet a growing list of reporting needs that must be available in prod yesterday? Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-38148267135601584102016-05-26T14:15:00.003-05:002016-05-26T14:15:49.881-05:00Jacob Lewis v Epic Systems Corporation: Appellate Court DecisionThis just in:<br />
<a href="http://media.ca7.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/rssExec.pl?Submit=Display&Path=Y2016/D05-26/C:15-2997:J:Wood:aut:T:fnOp:N:1760877:S:0" target="_blank">Lewis, J v. Epic Systems Corporation, 7th Circuit Decision</a><br />
<br />
Epic's no-collective-arbitration agreement is illegal.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Epic Systems, a health care software company, required
certain groups of employees to agree to bring any wage-and-hour claims
against the company only through individual arbitration. The agreement
did not permit collective
arbitration or collective action in any other forum. We conclude that
this agreement violates the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), 29
U.S.C. §§ 151, et seq., and is also un-enforceable under the Federal
Arbitration Act (FAA), 9 U.S.C. §§ 1, et seq. <b>We therefore affirm the
district court’s denial of Epic’s motion to compel arbitration. </b>(emphasis mine)</blockquote>
<br />
What this means: Epic cannot stop its employees from availing themselves of the protections afforded by the National Labor Relations Act, including but (I assume) not limited to: <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Section 7 of the NLRA provides that “[e]mployees shall have the right
to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to
bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and
to engage in other concerted activ-ities for the purpose of collective
bargaining or other mutual aid or protection.”</blockquote>
<br />
Congratulations to Mr Lewis and his expert legal team. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-62485926058919464832016-03-22T15:32:00.002-05:002016-03-22T15:32:52.196-05:00Interview-ish article with Judy FaulknerCourtesy of <a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/epic-ceo-judy-faulkner-talks-ehr-interoperability-need-national-patient-id-physician" target="_blank">Healthcare IT News</a>: Epic CEO Judy Faulkner talks EHR Interoperability, Need for a National Patient ID, Physician Productivity<br />
<br />
The comment "Unique patient ID has to happen" intrigued me, because that's patently untrue.<br />
<br />
<br />
Consider:<br />
<ul>
<li>We already have a national ID: Social Security Number. However, that doesn't account for recent immigrants or tourists. </li>
<li>It's possible that every single person living on planet Earth may visit the United States at some point and while visiting may need health care. </li>
<li>You'd need to be able to account for >7,000,000,000 people (and counting). </li>
<li>Tourists may visit the USA multiple times and years apart, and they can't be expected to remember an MRN.</li>
<li>A national ID does no good if the potential exists for one patient to have multiple IDs. Within a single hospital, Patient Merge gets used all the time. If you've ever had to deal with Patient Merge AND Care Everywhere, then you know the problems that arise when a hospital can't match the person to the chart. Multiply that by the entire nation. Or the entire planet. </li>
<li>Biometrics are unique and they can't be forgotten because they don't have to be remembered in the first place. </li>
<li>A national (international?) database of biometric information with bi-directional interfaces to every hospital system will need to be created and maintained. </li>
<li>Remember Obamacare?</li>
</ul>
<br />
That seems a good place to stop. Discuss. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-76084052595005748672015-10-26T17:47:00.000-05:002015-10-26T17:47:15.207-05:00EHRs Suck<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xB_tSFJsjsw/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xB_tSFJsjsw?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
And I think this video summarizes why quite nicely. The youtube comments (surprisingly) are intelligent and worth a cursory glance.<br />
<br />
The video promotes #<a href="http://letdoctorsbedoctors.com/" target="_blank">letdoctorsbedoctors</a>, which in turn promotes <a href="http://landing.athenahealth.com/letdoctorsbedoctors?intcmp=10036447" target="_blank">athenahealth</a>. I glanced at the athenahealth* website, and their demo looks an awful lot like Epic with a sleeker UI. I'm not exactly sure what they're offering, unless it's an "out of the box" version of Epic. Every feature in the demo is available in Epic, but in Epic it requires tons of analysis, build, debugging, and rebuilding. <br />
<br />
Given the similarity to Epic, I'm curious to see how many of athenahealth's employees used to work in a certain cow pasture in Verona.<br />
<br />
EHRs do suck. And with all of the MU regulations, EHRs are never going to get better. The government requires reportable data, and that requires data entry. Unless "exam room stenographer" becomes a new job title, doctors are the only ones able to enter all the data that the government wants. The other option is for the government to get out of the way (aka "deregulation") and let doctors be doctors. <br />
<br />
*I'm assuming that the lower case and lack of spacing is part of their trademark. Unless you're e.e. cummings, you should use proper punctuation and capitalization. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-54364844650833989322015-09-23T13:22:00.000-05:002015-11-04T12:09:51.560-06:00Lawsuit follow-up: Epic's Arbitration Agreement UnenforceableThe <a href="http://firedfromepic.blogspot.com/2015/02/more-class-action-lawsuits-against-epic.html" target="_blank">Technical Writer class action lawsuit</a> appears to be underway. According to <a href="http://www.hq-law.com/news-and-victories/hawks-quindel-defeats-epics-attempt-to-enforce-no-class-arbitration-clause/" target="_blank">Hawks Quindel</a> (co-council with Habush Habush & Rottier), Epic attempted to have the case dismissed, citing their arbitration agreement. The judge called baloney on arbitration, citing labor union laws. Epic's writers will get their day in court. <br />
<br />
This is a solid victory for IT employees, and obvious sign that IT workers need to unionize.<br />
<br />
Update 11/3/15<br />
<br />
A reader graciously submitted the full text of the arbitration agreement, which was too large to publish in the comment fields: <br />
<br />
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<![endif]--> "If Epic is forced to
operate in a more public manner, they might have to start treating their
employees and their customers with a little more trust and respect."
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, exactly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
starters, in April Epic filed a copy of its pre-dispute employment arbitration
"agreement" with the Federal court in the J. Lewis v. Epic
technical-writers lawsuit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is, for
the first time as a result of this filing, to my knowledge, the full text of
the agreement is in the public domain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>People should read it and see what rights of access to the courts Epic's
employees have been told they must abandon in order to work at Epic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I've copied (or tried to copy) the full agreement
below for everyone's edification.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This agreement is truly egregious IMHO.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Judy Faulkner, who styles herself as
promoting progressive political principles, ought to be embarrassed to shackle
her employees with these limitations to the rights to remedies through the
courts that Americans take for granted as a birthright.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For hypocrisy and corporate expediency, she should be
expelled from the progressive, enlightened political circles in which she has
traveled so effortlessly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For instance, Faulkner can't possibly reconcile her action
in imposing this agreement on the Epic labor force with Senator Tammy Baldwin's
co-sponsorship of S. 1133 (see also H.R 2087) the Arbitration Fairness Act of 2015
(https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1133/text ).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This bill would make pre-dispute forced
employment arbitration agreements illegal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Senator Baldwin presumably agrees with her bill's finding that "A
series of decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States have interpreted
the [Federal Arbitration] Act so that it now extends to consumer disputes and
employment disputes, contrary to the intent of Congress."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is these misinterpretations that permit
Faulkner to force her employees to "agree" to forced arbitration as a
condition of employment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here is the agreement -- I hope its details are widely
discussed throughout Epic and the broader Madison community:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
MUTUAL ARBITRATION AGREEMENT REGARDING WAGES AND HOURS</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
April 2, 2014</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Agreement to Arbitrate. Epic Systems Corporation
("Epic") and I agree to use binding arbitration, instead of going to
court, for any "covered claims" that arise or have arisen between me
and Epic, its related and affiliated companies, and/or any current or former
employee of Epic or a related or affiliated company. I understand that if I
continue to work at Epic, I will be deemed to have accepted this Agreement.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Covered claims" are any statutory or common law
legal claims, asserted or unasserted, alleging the underpayment or overpayment
of wages, expenses, loans, reimbursements, bonuses, commissions, advances, or
any element of compensation, based on claims of eligibility for overtime,
on-the-clock, off¬the-clock or other uncompensated hours worked claims, timing
or amount of pay at separation, improper deductions of pay or paid-time-off,
fee disputes, travel time claims, meal or rest period claims, overpayment
claims, claims of failure to reimburse or repay loans or advances, claims over
improper or inaccurate pay statements, or any other claimed violation of
wage-and-hour practices or procedures under local, state or federal statutory
or common law.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I understand and agree that arbitration is the only
litigation forum for resolving covered claims, and that both Epic and I are
waiving the right to a trial before a judge or jury in federal or state court
in favor of arbitration.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Arbitrator shall have the authority to award the same
damages and other relief that would have been available in court pursuant to
applicable law. The arbitrator shall follow the rules of law of the state which
is the employee's principal place of work, any applicable Federal law, and the
rules as stated in this Agreement. The arbitrator shall have the authority to
grant any remedy or relief that the arbitrator deems just and equitable and
which is authorized by and consistent with applicable law, including applicable
statutory or other limitations on damages.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Waiver of Class and Collective Claims. I also agree that
covered claims will be arbitrated only on an individual basis, and that both
Epic and I waive the right to participate in or receive money or any other
relief from any class, collective, or representative proceeding. No party may
bring a claim on behalf of other individuals, and any arbitrator hearing my
claim may not: (i) combine more than one individual's claim or claims into a
single case; (ii) participate in or facilitate notification of others of
potential claims; or (iii) arbitrate any form of a class, collective, or
representative proceeding.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At Will Employment Unchanged by this Agreement. Nothing in
this agreement changes or in any manner modifies my relationship with Epic of
employment-at-will.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Claims not Covered by this Agreement. Covered claims under
this agreement do not include claims alleging discrimination, harassment, or
retaliation. Also excluded from this agreement are any claims that cannot be
required to be arbitrated as a matter of law. I also understand that I am not
barred from filing a claim or charge with a governmental administrative agency,
such as the National Labor Relations Board or Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, or from filing a workers' compensation or unemployment compensation
claim with respect to covered claims, though I am giving up the opportunity to
recover monetary amounts from any such governmental agency related claim (e.g.,
NLRB or EEOC) and would instead be able to pursue a claim for monetary amounts
through arbitration. I also understand that if a third party seeks to have Epic
garnish my wages, I may be subject to third-party garnishment proceedings in
court, even though such a dispute concerns my wages.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Right to Representation. Both Epic and I shall have the
right to be represented by an attorney in arbitration. Neither side is entitled
to its attorneys' fees except as provided for by applicable law.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How to File for Arbitration. To file a demand for
arbitration:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The party
desiring to pursue a legal dispute must prepare a written demand setting forth
the claim(s). Epic will pay its own filing fees. If I initiate the arbitration,
I will pay the lesser of the American Arbitration Association's then-current
filing fee (as of this date, $200), or the then-current filing fee applicable
in state court.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
employment dispute resolution rules of the American Arbitration Association
("AAA") effective at the time of my filing will apply. The current
version of the rules can be found on pages 15-31 here:
https://www.adr.org/aaa/ShowProperty?nodeld=/UCM/ADRSTG_004362&revision=latestreleased.
These rules are modified by the terms of this Agreement, including the
following:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Epic will pay the arbitrator's fees and
the arbitration filing and administrative fees, less my initial payment for the
applicable filing fee;</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>b.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Epic and I will each have the opportunity
to "rank" our preference for the appointed arbitrator from a list of
nine proposed arbitrators and the AAA will then appoint the arbitrator;</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>c.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The arbitrator shall have the authority
to issue an award or partial award without conducting a hearing on the grounds
that there is no claim on which relief can be granted or that there is no
genuine issue of material fact to resolve at a hearing, consistent with Rules
12 and 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure ("FRCP");</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>d.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Each party shall be entitled to only one
interrogatory limited to the identification of potential witnesses, in a form
consistent with Rule 33 of the FRCP;</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>e.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Each party shall be entitled to only 25
requests for production of documents, in a form consistent with Rule 34 of the
FRCP;</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>f.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Each party shall be entitled a maximum
of two (2) eight-hour days of depositions of witnesses in a form consistent
with Rule 30 of the FRCP;</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>g.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The arbitrator shall decide all disputes
related to discovery and to the agreed limits on discovery and may allow
additional discovery upon a showing of substantial need by either party or upon
a showing of an inability to pursue or defend certain claims without such
additional discovery;</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>h.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The arbitrator must issue a decision in
writing, setting forth in summary form the reasons for the arbitrator's
determination and the legal basis therefor; and</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>i.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The arbitrator's authority shall be
limited to deciding the case submitted by the parties to the arbitration.
Therefore, no decision by any arbitrator shall serve as precedent in other
arbitrations except in a dispute between the same parties, in which case it
could be used to preclude the same claim from being re-arbitrated.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Settlement. I may settle any dispute with the company at any
time without involvement of the arbitrator.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Modifications and Amendments. I understand and agree that
Epic may change or terminate this agreement after giving me 90 days written or
electronic notice. Any change or termination will not apply to a pending claim.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Savings Clause & Conformity Clause. If any provision of
this agreement is determined to be unenforceable or in conflict with a
mandatory provision of applicable law, it shall be construed to incorporate any
mandatory provision, and/or the unenforceable or conflicting provision shall be
automatically severed and the remainder of the agreement shall not be affected.
Provided, however, that if the Waiver of Class and Collective Claims is found
to be unenforceable, then any claim brought on a class, collective, or
representative action basis must be filed in a court of competent jurisdiction,
and such court shall be the exclusive forum for such claims.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Controlling Law. I agree that this agreement is made
pursuant to and shall be governed under the Federal Arbitration Act.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-3954777416346624392015-09-03T10:59:00.000-05:002015-09-03T10:59:40.977-05:00Interesting Article<a href="https://hbr.org/2015/08/is-overwork-killing-you" target="_blank">Is Overwork Killing You, Harvard Business Review</a><br />
<br />
You should read it. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-22042871311261933452015-08-31T11:14:00.003-05:002015-08-31T11:14:41.442-05:00More Comparisons with AmazonI saw this article on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/i-had-baby-cancer-when-worked-amazon-my-story-julia-cheiffetz" target="_blank">I Had a Baby and Cancer When I Worked at Amazon. This Is My Story</a><br />
<br />
The gist is this: A high-ranking woman at Amazon went on maternity leave, and whilst on maternity leave, was diagnosed and treated for cancer. When she returned to work, 5 months later, the team she managed had all but disbanded, and she was given make-work assignments. She resigned shortly thereafter.<br />
<br />
She referred to another article about Amazon, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/technology/inside-amazon-wrestling-big-ideas-in-a-bruising-workplace.html?_r=1" target="_blank">Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace</a>, which sounds disturbingly like Epic, but the employment abuses are streamlined into bona fide processes.<br />
<br />
Important quotes from the NY Times article: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Some workers who suffered from cancer, miscarriages and other personal
crises said they had been evaluated unfairly or edged out rather than
given time to recover.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
[L]ife inside its corporate offices is largely a mystery. Secrecy is
required; even low-level employees sign a lengthy confidentiality
agreement. </blockquote>
Articles like these, combined with my own experience at Epic, lead me to one conclusion: IT workers need to unionize. <br />
<br />
In other news, UGM started today. Epic customers, expect delayed responses from your TS and IS as they're restaffed as traffic enforcers, tour guides, and concierges. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-27898919942524044572015-07-30T13:17:00.003-05:002015-07-30T13:18:15.637-05:00Cerner gets DoD ContractFull story over on <a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/dod-names-ehr-contract-winner" target="_blank">healthcareitnews.com</a>. Since Judy has all the appearances of a shady businesswoman (see my <a href="http://firedfromepic.blogspot.com/2014/05/epics-principles-part-4.html" target="_blank">previous </a>posts on the <a href="http://firedfromepic.blogspot.com/2014/12/epic-and-non-compete.html" target="_blank">subject</a>), I'm pleased that she did not win the contract. Since there's been so much conflict of interest with other stuff, given Judy's presence on Obama's EHR group, I'm glad that in this situation, Epic gets to be above board.<br />
<br />
Anecdotally, Cerner is garbage, and the DoD has admitted faulty software choices in the past. In 5 years, I expect they'll be transitioning to Epic. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-50891877923655416212015-07-29T14:52:00.002-05:002015-07-29T14:53:16.779-05:00The QA Lawsuit--AftermathSeveral weeks ago, I received this comment on the <a href="http://firedfromepic.blogspot.com/2014/12/epic-and-non-compete.html?showComment=1427026074168#c1942236979013915887" target="_blank">Epic and the Non-Compete</a> post: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
You might want to consider writing a new blog post about this feature of
the story. One thing that was reported in the paper is that Epic is
"encouraging" QAers to donate the money to Access Community Health.
Epic's communications to QAers about the settlement have been very good
at those things Epic does to explain how you can give the money to
Access, or keep it for yourself, but choose carefully. One quickly gets
a sense of what the "careful" choice is.<br />
<br />
What I'm surprised
nobody has mentioned is that Judy's husband, Dr. Gordon Faulkner, is a
physician for Access. I think Access is a worthy cause and have nothing
bad to say about them. They do a lot of good work in the community.
However, something feels very wrong that Epic has settled a court case
over accusations of misdeeds towards its employees, and is exerting
influence over those very same employees to send that settlement money
to the employer of the founder's husband. If this isn't illegal, it at
least feels unethical. And a bit arrogant and ignorant on Judy's part
to think that it wouldn't be noticed.</blockquote>
<a href="http://michellemalkin.com/2013/05/22/the-obama-crony-in-charge-of-your-medical-records/" target="_blank">Conflict of interest</a> is nothing new for Judy, but this takes it to a new low. It reminds me of those mining towns where everyone worked in the mine. The mine would own the housing, run the only store, and pay wages in store credit. It was a more creative form of slavery, and it's one of the reasons why labor unions were necessary. <br />
<br />
<br />
Judy could have picked any charity. Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF, American Red Cross, Madison Ballet, heck, even Planned Parenthood and Organizing for <strike>Obama</strike> America would have been acceptable choices in order to avoid conflicts of interest. Instead, it's "Take the money that you won because I'm not paying you what you deserve, and give it to my husband." <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-26147365737443125212015-03-11T10:43:00.002-05:002015-03-11T10:43:49.660-05:00Work Hard. Have Fun. Make History.I don't know if Judy still tries to compare Epic with Amazon, but the comparison is more accurate than I originally thought.<br />
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Recently, I ran across Amazon's slogan: "Work Hard. Have fun. Make History." It bears a certain resemblance to Epic's slogan: "Do Good. Have Fun. Make Money." I'm not sure whose slogan came first, but I'm curious about who copied whom. <br />
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So I started doing some research. I found <a href="http://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon-warehouse-jobs-push-workers-to-physical-limit/" target="_blank">this article</a> with an image of Amazon's slogan emblazoned in 9000-point font in its <strike>warehouses</strike> fulfillment centers. It didn't give me a date for the slogan, but it did describe working conditions and a management strategy that is all too familiar. <br />
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Since Judy also compares her company to Google and Facebook, here are their slogans:<br />
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<a href="http://www.google.com/about/company/philosophy/" target="_blank">Google</a>: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mottos#Business" target="_blank">Do No Evil</a>. <br />
Facebook: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-facebooks-new-motto-2014-4" target="_blank">Move Fast With Stable Infra</a>. Previously, it was Move Fast, Break Things. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200696044657232984.post-12831289321105259022015-03-02T10:57:00.001-06:002015-03-02T10:57:43.175-06:00More Legal Stuff<a href="http://host.madison.com/wsj/business/technology/biotech/tech-and-biotech-epic-takes-on-indian-it-giant-tata/article_74b6d449-02ba-5bf3-8c70-0d4a51cae195.html" target="_blank">Epic is suing Indian consulting firm, Tata</a>, alleging that the consultants were stealing information from the UserWeb and passing it to an Indian EMR vendor. While Epic is the big fish in the American pond, Tata is bigger still, and their lawyers don't sound like they're willing to be pushed around. <br />
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The discovery process for the lawsuit promises to be interesting--Epic is going to have to prove its allegations (if my armchair-lawyer experience is correct), and their fiercely private stuff will have to get public scrutiny. A linked article from the link above explains how to view legal documents for free, and encourages everyone to read Epic's legal stuff. If Epic is forced to operate in a more public manner, they might have to start treating their employees and their customers with a little more trust and respect.<br />
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I expect Epic will drop the case, unless Judy (in her role as Obama's crony on the Federal Health IT Advisory Panel) is able to get some special confidential privileges. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0