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State health agencies and oversight warn enterprise EHR faces elevated risk; $46 million invested so far
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Summary
WATEC oversight and agency leaders described the enterprise EHR initiative as 'elevated risk' owing to procurement delays, schedule pressure and federal funding uncertainty; agencies said roughly $46 million has been invested to secure vendor licenses and readiness work to date.
WATEC oversight staff and agency leaders told the Technology Services Board that the state's enterprise electronic health record initiative, described in materials variously as HC Max / HCMACS, is at elevated risk because of system integrator procurement delays, schedule realignment pressures and uncertain federal funding.
Kira Zamora, WATEC oversight consultant for the program, said leaders must validate the feasibility of recommended technology approaches and then re‑baseline scope, cost and schedule. Agency representatives from the Health Care Authority (HCA), the Department of Corrections (DOC) and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) said that implementing a shared EHR is critical to care coordination and operational efficiency across agencies that currently rely heavily on paper processes.
Carrie, the program director, reported that approximately $46,000,000 has been invested to date, primarily for enterprise licensing with Epic and readiness activities. She and agency directors warned that federal funding (CMS) remains a material uncertainty and that a wave‑based approach focusing first on high‑acuity facilities is the current plan if funding is constrained.
Board members asked whether a proposed transfer of program administration to the University of Washington and a reduced scope would preserve the enterprise approach. Program staff said the governor's proposed budget includes alternative administration and scope reductions that are subject to legislative deliberation; staff emphasized the importance of protecting shared services and data‑sharing goals even if early waves omit certain provider classes.
Agency leaders asked the board for guidance on protecting prior investments and on how to preserve enterprise design while adapting to funding realities. The board did not take formal action at the meeting.
