Creating a Successful EHR Implementation Team

As you assess your organizational readiness and plan your approach, you might realize your organization does not have enough resources or in-house expertise to successfully adopt and implement an electronic health record (EHR). You may require additional staff to assist with training, to work out process issues, or to deal with any unexpected technical glitches during EHR implementation. In these cases, some organizations do find it helpful to hire new staff members or engage consultants with experience in Health IT.

New EHR implementation team members don’t always have to come from outside your organization. Consider training existing staff members to take on new roles during EHR implementation.

Whether you decide to hire full-time employees or part-time employees, engage consultants, or train existing staff members to take on new roles, remember there is no one-size-fits-all approach to staffing, so be sure to carefully plan your EHR implementation and do what’s best for your organization.

Your Local Regional Extension Center Can Help

Your local Regional Extension Center (REC) can help you as you plan for EHR implementation. RECs are located in every region of the country to help health care providers select, implement, and become adept and meaningful users of EHRs. Contact your local REC to find out if you are eligible for free or reduced-price EHR implementation support.

For More Information

For more information about EHR implementation and Health IT workforce issues, see the following resources.