Hey there! Virtualize Health, is an educational channel that helps healthcare professionals who feel underpaid and undervalued transition into EHR roles. These EHR roles are in high demand in the healthcare industry, and I don't see it slowing down anytime soon.
Epic is an Electronic Health Records (EHR) software company based out of Verona, Wisconsin. They are the #1 EHR company in the United States, meaning that majority of hospitals and outpatient medical facilities already use them. As the elder population continues to grow, the expansion of hospitals and healthcare organizations will also continue to grow.
Healthcare Organizations are looking to hire Epic Analysts and Trainers who have a passion for improving patient care through technology. Still confused on how you can utilize your years of healthcare experience to fill these roles?
Sign up for our upcoming EHR analyst course: forms.fillout.com/t/a1EcV3Xt3rus
Thank you Gabriel, I’ve been in an admin role for quite sometime and want to further my knowledge of Epic. Your videos are so helpful and although I haven’t been considered yet. I’m hopeful my determination and your videos will continue to help me not give up.
What's funny is I was just watching your interview with Health IT Playground and just sent a request to your Teams community. I've been working in Clinical Informatics for 3 years now, I have Cogito certifications, self-taught SQL basics, I love Epic and I love data. Looking forward to hear how you transitioned from Epic analyst to Data Engineer.
The Sphinx can be a real pain. Just keep your head up; you’ll bounce back stronger! I actually failed my first attempt as well. You just need to apply to other companies.
Thanks I will ! I found a role that sounds perfect , but I’m hesitant to apply . I will work on finishing my analytics certificate. I’m not giving up !
I currently work for a health plan that will be implementing epic tapestry for health plans within the next two years. I was selected as one of the wave one team members to be a part of the implementation and get epic certified. so I will be starting my training in Wisconsin at the end of October so this was helpful and just trying to get some more information and know what to expect.
That's fantastic news! Being part of the wave one team is a significant opportunity. Training in Wisconsin sounds exciting-be sure to soak in all the knowledge and experiences!
New subscriber here! Thanks for sharing informative videos. When i have the time i will watch all of them. Just curious do you have a healthcare background? Did you finish your health informatics program? I am a registered nurse with extensive experience in the ED for 3 yrs and currently in ambulatory surgery for less than 2 yrs in nyc. Im currently pursuing MS applied health informatics. I am really confused with being a health data analyst or a health data scientist. Can someone be a health data scientist without first becoming a health data analyst? Could you share some insights on what would be the best in my situation? I have always wanted to work for Epic because the two health systems where i used to work and where im currently working now uses epic system but im quite confuse about the path i really want to take
Hey there! No problem, happy to help. Yes, I had about 4 years of healthcare experience as a patient service rep for a radiology department. Yes, I finished my program December 2023. That's awesome! I think you could work as a health data scientist without becoming a health data analyst but it would be much more difficult to land the job. Working as a health data analyst should prepare for any data science job, specially if you don't have any tech/data experience. You could look for Epic report writer jobs to start off your journey. They use SQL and the work is similar to health data analysts. I hope this help and good luck on your degree!
Thanks for the motivational videos. Any pointers on how to find Epic Analyst roles with 0 experience? As most of the job openings already expect you to have EPIC certification
Hey there, Thank you for watching! Yes, you should look for job posts where they specify that they will certify within a certain amount of time. Like this job post below from GW MFA in Washington, DC: "Current Epic certification(s) for relevant applications. New hires and transfers have no more than 45 days from completion of MFA-sponsored Epic training to complete any required Epic certifications. Analysts must remain current on Epic Certifications, badges, trainings, and other credentials."
Thank you for your videos! Finding them very informative as someone considering a career in health informatics (with very different background in psych/education). Just a quick heads up, you have a small typo in the doc. Should be Pennsylvania (currently pennsilvania on the doc). Thank you!
The google data analytics course was such a good suggestion for those without a CS or IT background. From other research, a lot of data analyst roles require a combination of Excel, SQL w/ Python, and Tableau. Then some other soft skills with ticketing systems. I believe including project spreadsheets of what your daily work helps standout and reassure employers that you can do the work.
Hey Gabril, I finally found a video that i have been looking for. I am working as a scheduling clerk, but has deep passion for transitioning my career into Epic Analyst. Could you please help me in advising the best decision. Do you have a particular telegram group or whatsapp group where I can learn in detail?
Hey Femy, Thank you for watching the videos. That’s awesome! Yes, I have a community that you can join. Just follow the link below: teams.live.com/l/community/FBAbgH535jBmPS0hQc
My company does use this platform thankfully. Is it mainly to verify if you should have access? Will my company have to pay for me to use this? They are ok w/ me trying on my own but not sponsoring me at this time.
Hey there! You can roam around the Epic’s userweb at no costs. The company will just need to pay for your virtual/in person classes, which come with the official exam and projects.
Very informative video, how do you get accredited from an outsider perspective I am currently in Telecom looking to make an immediate shift with no funds to get to Verona.
Hey there! Honestly, I believe it’s close to impossible to get the certification/accreditation as an outside who is coming from a different industry. A lot of the work requires the understanding of healthcare workflows and it would be hard to know them as an outsider. Although, you could try working for Epic systems’ headquarters first to get your certification and ease your transition. Try looking at their openings for the requirements.
Hey there! You have so much experience! You could probably start applying to Epic systems directly and work as a developer. Have you considered that yet?
Hey there, That’s awesome! You should definitely try to get started on that. There is a lot of value in completing those since you get have hands on experience with the system. Let me know how it goes!
Hey there, Welcome to the channel! Self-study proficiency is an Epic training pathway that does not require you to get sponsored for the certification to learn more about Epic systems. This training is free to Epic end-users who work at a healthcare organization that uses Epic. The difference between that and Certification/Accreditation is that the latter is taught by Epic instructors, which makes it more valuable for healthcare organizations.
I have made the transition from Health Data Analyst (bioinformatics) to Epic Data Analyst. And one of the first things I noticed was the diversity of backgrounds of people working as Epic analysts compared to Health Data Analyst. Health Data Analyst is quite specialized. It's really difficult to be good at that job without some sort of bachelor/master degree that is somewhat related to what you're going to work with and you would definitively need at least some basic coding/programming knowledge. So, generally, the people that work as Data Health Analyst have all similar (health/lab/biology/bio-informatics) backgrounds. As for Epic, some tech-savviness would in theory already suffice and so it doesn't really matter if you have a background in business, engineering, journalism or health. Next thing I notice was the amount of money they're willing to pay. As a health data analyst, for some reason, I always felt under-appreciated/underpaid, which probably has to do with supply and demand. In general these hospitals or research centers only need a few of Health Analyst (even for a pretty big hospital), as for Epic analysts, depending on the size of the hospital (mine has 12k employees, and is considered large in my country) they would need a lot more than a few. On top of that, it also seems like it's not really a hugely desired job. So, they are willing to give more to lure people in. And once you're in and certified, you become pretty hard to replace (which is a good position when asking for raise, working remote and other benefits) in contrast to a Health Data Analyst, which are not necessarily easy to replace, but definitely easier than an Epic analyst. To summarize, I think the Health Data Analyst might possibly be the more satisfying, less stressful, diverse and "free" job, while as an Epic analyst, you're tight to 1 software, so less diversity and freedom, possibly more stressful, but you will feel more appreciated and get better compensation for it (especially in the long term, if you manage to get multiple certifications).
Loved to read such a detailed experience. Thanks for sharing it. I am also actively looking for Epic Analyst roles but haven't found the right direction yet. I am curious to know the reason you said Epic Analyst is more stressful than Health Data Analyst. Thank you
Fellow Radiant Analyst here. Saw some of your vids. Love the information you’re giving to help others in the pursuit of Epic Analysts roles. Building your internal network in an Epic Analyst role is critical because you’ll always know what input you need to get from either operations or other clinical applications teams to help establish proof of concept for build or to identify a solution to a problem. While being an analyst is a very independent role, it’s also highly collaborative. Hope this adds context for anyone looking to get into this. You’re totally right about data analysis. That skill crosses over into pretty much everything. At a high level, companies will always need to extract and analyze data to improve operational efficiency. I wish you all the best in that endeavor. While being an Epic Analyst is rewarding and fascinating, one has to consider that the knowledge you have applies to only one EHR in essentially one industry, which is healthcare. One has to be sponsored by a healthcare organization in order to pursue certification. Pay is great, but that can be relative when considering factors like one’s cost of living. More traditional IT roles where the technical skills learned apply to any industry, may start one off at lower salaries in the beginning, but have a higher pay ceiling over time compared to an Epic Analyst role if we’re just considering full-time employment. In traditional IT, you can also just study for a certification and register to take the exam at a cost without having to be sponsored. With that being said, I believe the skills one gains over time as Epic Analyst would be valued in any industry in a way because even though the technical aspect of what we do for clinical applications aren’t transferable to other industries, the framework on how how our minds structure data and and engage system analysis is. We need more videos like this because Epic Analysts are grossly underrepresented in the IT space. I read a LinkedIn article some time back that called Epic Analysts the unsung heroes of Healthcare IT.
Hey there! You would need to apply for epic analyst position that says you should be certified within a set amount of time. You should focus on certain skills if you want to do well in the interview. I have a video on 3 things to focus on in my channel. Check it out!
Thanks for the content. I'm doing my cogito fundamentals exam on Sunday. Then all the certs caboodle dev . I'm looking forward to learn asap and limitations based on firstnet.
Nice video! I’m having a hard time just trying to get into some epic training classes. Is there a way where I take classes, train and get an epic radiant cert on my own. My hospital and agency are being a pain 😭
Hey there! Unfortunately there isn’t, Epic systems are very particular on who can get their training. You might be able to do the self-study proficiency if you currently work for a healthcare organization that uses Epic. You will need to reach out to your hospital IT Epic manager. Introduce yourself and ask for permission to study Epic proficiencies in your free time
Hey there! You can join the community by following this link: Join 'Our Epic(EHR) Journey' in Microsoft Teams. Use this link to get the app for free and join the community: teams.live.com/l/community/FAAbgH535jBmPS0hQM
Hi There, Thank you so much for sharing insight to help those who are trying to enter the EPIC space. Question, does getting a self- study profictiency help land a position as an EPIC Analyst? if so, can you assist with explaining how do I market myself with the profictiencies to land a role?
Hi Natasha, Absolutely! Getting your Epic Self-Study Proficiency shows hiring managers that you are someone that loves learning (majority of the work is learning). It also gives you an advantage since you get hands on experience with building during the projects portion of the proficiency.
I haven't gotten deep into it yet, but I sure do wish I could get training whenever I wanted instead of having to wait for the hospital to send me to Verona. I'd be curious to your thoughts on practicing with like an open source or free EHR of some kind to help prepare for some of the concepts of working with Epic.
That's my next focus for this channel. I want to create some trainings using free EHRs to help prepare people for Epic analyst jobs. I'm still working on that but hopefully will be coming out mid 2025.
Can you please make a career path. I have a year and half more to complete my bachelor in IT software dev. But I would like to work in the healthcare IT field. God bless
Hi, I have a life science and biomedical background. I do not have any background in IT, coding and data science. Does being an epic analyst require me to do coding and work with computer programming?
Hey Brandon, That's awesome man! No, working as an Epic analyst does not require you to code or do computer programming. However, you should be familiar with IT concepts such as Secure Shell Protocol (SSH) to transfer data from your local network > Epic's network. This can be learned on the job though and it's not that complicated once you do it once or twice.
@@virtualizehealth Hi! Thanks for clarifying! But from what I understand it requires build experience and database management? Does that mean I would have to pick up skills such as data analysis? Would the role eventually need me to learn python/R/SQL?
No problem! Yes, the non-entry level positions already expect you to have build and data management experience. It depends on the Epic application. If you get hired for clarity/caboodle/cogito Epic analyst role then you would need to learn SQL and Python. If I’m correct, those are the only ones in which you need to understand coding. You are not required to learn programming for the rest of the applications. Although, if you get a hired for the bridges application, you would probably need to understand HL7, FHIR, etc.
The average salary for an Epic analyst is between $65,000 - $120,000 per year. As a consultant I think you can make between $50 - $110 per hour. It was much higher during the pandemic.
@ourepicjourney why was that ? Was it the same role lol? I ask because I'm wondering if all epic analyst roles require the test or certain epic analyst roles . I'm hearing different things like some hospitals dont require it and then some do but it's not a pass fail thing in determining rather your hired .....so idk 😆 🤣
@@d.w.4319 Haha sorry, let me give you a little more detail. I failed the SPHINX test for the first organization that gave me the opportunity to interview for the position. I was pretty much told that I wouldn't be a good fit because I failed the exam. I almost quit my journey then because I thought I wasn't good enough, but I decided to still apply for other organizations. Several job applications later I was given the opportunity to get Epic accredited without having to take the Sphinx test. Not all organizations require candidates to take the test. In my opinion they give out these exams to discourage people and use it as a metric to assess whether or not you will be able to pass the certification exams/projects, since they are difficult for some people. I was able to pass the exams/projects with ease so I think the exam is flawed. I just wish some organizations would stop using it since it doesn't measure actual intelligence.
Hey Kay, Of course! Here are both links that I used for the video: - www.emrsystems.net/epic-ehr-software/ - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-s9gAzNUvyxA.htmlsi=d09qQEDLPsdXhka5
Laid off now but I was working as Clinical Admin coordinator using Epic at a healthcare company. I just requested an account for the Epic Web User. And suggestions on which route to take? Been really trying to to break into the IT side
Hey Troy, Sorry to hear about the layoff. I would go to my Epic (EHR) Applications playlist and find which video best describes your old position. I would then find the exact Epic application and search for jobs using that keyword. For example, you could search for Cadence Epic analyst job posts. Then, I would read each of the job descriptions and look for the following keywords: "Credentialed in Epic module or applications within 3 months of hire." or "Certification and/or experience in Epic **application** a plus" or "Applicable Epic application certification (e.g. Inpatient, Ambulatory, etc.) required or must complete certification within 6 months of hire." If the job post has anything stating the above, the healthcare org is willing to pay for your certification. Hope this helps! Please feel free to join my community where I post these type of jobs posts: teams.live.com/l/community/FAAgBPCi_5_AThEjgU
@@TroyTV5 You should just be able to copy the link and past it to the address bar but I think I had some issues with redirecting it to my old community. I created a new link to fix the issue. Please try again: teams.live.com/l/community/FAAbgH535jBmPS0hQE
Yooooooo. I am soooooo happy I found your channel. I’ve been a patient care coordinator and clinical admin coordinator and been trying to transition into Healthcare IT…..
@@virtualizehealth thanks for understanding. It makes it hard to digest your info. I’ve stopped watching several of your videos due to the music. I know it’s good info the music just makes it hard to finish watching.
