An Epic Conflict of Interest: Part 2

In a previous piece, I discussed Epic Systems Corporation CEO Judy Faulkner’s efforts to prevent the implementation of semantic interoperability in the healthcare information technology (HIT) industry. This piece discusses how her stance on interoperability favors unions.

Thus far, neither Faulkner nor Epic has had to pay any kind of serious political or commercial price for past blunders in implementing Epic’s HIT system for clients. Perhaps part of the reason has to do with a de facto alliance between Epic and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)...

...we are left to wonder whether patient care and best practices are being sacrificed on the altar of favoritism, cronyism and special deals. If it matters to you what kind of care patients are receiving and how HIT systems contribute to the quality of patient care, then Faulkner’s willingness to prioritize political back-scratching above quality HIT practices ought to raise alarms...