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Epic EHR and Community Connect advisory

Protect independence, strengthen performance and maximize the value of your Epic EHR investment

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Hospitals & health systems Healthcare

Epic sits at the center of some of the most important decisions a healthcare organization makes. We believe that when Epic falls short, it’s not the system’s fault; it’s because the decisions around it aren’t fully aligned. RSM’s healthcare team works with organizations at the moments when those decisions carry the most weight: when complexity is high, cross-team alignment is critical and the path forward is unclear.

We treat Epic not as a technology implementation, but as the organization’s operating model—one that determines how care is delivered, operations are run and decisions are made. Our role is to bring clarity and alignment at those moments, connecting clinical, operational, financial and data perspectives so that early decisions lead to outcomes that hold up long after go-live.

What we deliver:

  • Clarity for complex, high-stakes decisions, helping leadership teams move forward with confidence
  • Alignment across clinical, operational, financial and IT teams, bringing the organization together around the decisions that matter most
  • Real-world guidance grounded in Epic delivery experience, shaped by what actually works, not theory or generic playbooks
  • Coordination across systems, partners and internal teams, so that Epic, vendors and operations move together, not in silos

Our Epic credentials

Our team brings more than 20 years of hands-on Epic experience and includes former clinical providers and former Epic employees. We support health systems of all sizes across the full Epic lifecycle, from Epic and Community Connect strategy through implementation, optimization, internal audit and analytics.

20+ years

of hands-on Epic experience

Independent

Not tied to Epic delivery mandates, staffing quotas or outsourcing models

Full lifecycle

from Epic strategy and Community Connect through optimization, audit and AI

Full-lifecycle Epic consulting

Everything we do across the Epic lifecycle, from implementation and activation through optimization, modernization and long-term growth, is grounded in decades of hands-on Epic experience.

Explore RSM’s full EHR advisory services

Epic Community Connect advisory

Community Connect enables community hospitals, rural and critical access facilities, physician and specialty practices, and affiliated organizations to access and use Epic through a host organization’s existing Epic platform, while maintaining their independence. Adopting Community Connect is one of the most important operational, financial, and strategic decisions an organization can make.

RSM helps organizations approach the adoption decision differently. We bring clinical, operational, financial, governance and technical perspectives together before contracts are signed and workflows become locked in, so your decision is grounded in fit, not just geography or speed.

And because we are independent, not tied to Epic delivery mandates, staffing quotas or outsourcing models, our only agenda is protecting your organization’s performance, autonomy and long-term value.

The challenges of adopting Epic Community Connect

Community Connect can lower the cost and complexity of accessing Epic, but the path is rarely simple. Organizations weighing or adopting Community Connect consistently navigate many of the same pressures:

Choosing the right Community Connect host

The challenge

The wrong Epic Community Connect host decision can lock organizations into workflows, governance and strategic constraints that do not fit how they operate. 

How RSM helps

We help you compare host options against your strategy, operating model and long-term goals so you choose the right organization, not just the fastest path. 

Protecting independence and autonomy

The challenge

Community Connect should expand access to Epic without reducing the governance, configuration control and operational flexibility that keep organizations independent.

How RSM helps

We define decision rights, escalation paths and operating structures early so independence and implementation readiness are protected before contracts are finalized.

Maintaining revenue continuity through transition

The challenge

Without a disciplined transition plan, accounts receivable runoff, payer timing and cash protection can quickly become go-live risks.

How RSM helps

We build an Epic Community Connect transition plan that protects cash, manages legacy accounts receivable, aligns payer timing and preserves operational continuity through go-live.

Evaluating Community Connect workflow fit versus host defaults

The challenge

A host's standard workflows may not reflect the clinical, revenue cycle and operational realities that make each organization work. 

How RSM helps

We help shape Epic Community Connect around your workflows, contracts, reimbursement models and operating realities instead of forcing you into host defaults.

Assessing cost and capacity constraints

The challenge

Community Connect can reduce the technology burden, but it still demands Epic experience, staff capacity and backfill that many organizations do not have.

How RSM helps

We bring the structure, resources and hands-on support needed to keep work moving while your team maintains day-to-day operations.

Retaining long-term flexibility

The challenge

The contracts, build decisions and governance structures made today can define data access, analytics and strategic options for years.

How RSM helps

We stay with you from implementation and go-live through stabilization, optimization and long-term transformation, helping ensure today's Community Connect decisions support tomorrow's goals.

Related insights

Connect with the RSM EHR consulting team

Every EHR journey is different, but the need for trusted stewardship remains the same. Whether you are implementing, optimizing, governing or transforming your EHR environment, RSM helps you align technology, operations and people to support lasting success. Our goal is not to simply support the work—it is to become an extension of your team, walk the journey alongside you and build relationships that endure long after the engagement ends.

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