Our scheduled go-live date for Epic implementation is Sunday, May 14, which also happens to be Mother’s Day. I know some of you may be wondering why this date was selected, especially since it requires so many of us to be here on this day. However, finding a suitable date for such a complex implementation – one that fits into the broader effort across Houston Methodist – was no easy task, and I wanted to share some of the background behind the project steering team’s decision.
- Across the system, all of the go-lives are scheduled for Sundays because of lower hospital volumes and reduced clinical activity. Saturdays aren’t possible because the team needs 48 hours to perform preliminary cutover activities.
- The number of available Sundays was limited by the need to avoid multiple weeks of spring break in March, Easter holiday in April and end-of-year school activities in May such as prom and high school/college graduations.
- The date chosen also needed to account for a multi-week PTO blackout, which meant that pushing until later in May would cut into summer vacation time.
- Finally, May 14 was chosen to accommodate three waves of go-lives with an end date of July 1 for the opening of Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital. The schedule factors in two months of training, ample time for command center support and a minimum of three months between go-lives.
It’s important to note that Houston Methodist Sugar Land is not the only hospital going live on May 14; we are being joined by Houston Methodist Willowbrook and Houston Methodist St. John.
I know that giving up your Mother’s Day Sunday is a sacrifice, but it is one that will deliver a great deal of benefit to all of us – as well as our patients – for years to come. I appreciate your support of this important project, and I thank you for your continued commitment to Houston Methodist.