CIO Podcast – Episode 66: Epic Gold Star Level 10 with Sergio Melgar

For the 66th episode of the CIO podcast hosted by Healthcare IT Today, we are talking to Sergio Melgar, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at UMass Memorial Health (UMMH) about his organization’s recent achievement of Epic Gold Star Level 10! First, we get into why Melgar decided to go for this incredible achievement. Then we discuss how UMMH reacted to his goal of achieving Epic Gold Star Level 10 and how they react now that they have it. Next, we get into the achievement itself as Melgar shares what the hardest part was to becoming Epic Gold Star Level 10. We then transition that into asking if Melgar achieved this in-house or by partnering with other organizations and how he made that decision. Next, we talk about the effects of being Epic Gold Star Level 10 on the doctors, nurses, and patients around him. Then we talk about what’s next for Melgar in terms of Epic usage and making the most of his EHR. Lastly, Melgar shares advice for new CIOs or anyone who would like to become a CIO.

Here’s a look at the questions and topics we discuss in this episode:

• Why did you decide to make it a goal to become Epic Gold Star Level 10?
• What was your organization’s initial reaction to working on this effort and what’s been their response now?
• What was the hardest part of becoming Epic Gold Star Level 10?
• What organizations did you work with to achieve this recognition or did you decide to do this all in-house? What went into that decision?
• How do you see doctors, nurses, and patients being impacted by this effort?
• What’s next when it comes to usage of Epic and making the most of your EHR?
• What piece of advice would give a new CIO or someone who would like to be a CIO?

Now, without further ado, we’re excited to share with you the next episode of the CIO Podcast by Healthcare IT Today.