A portion of Central Maine Medical Center is seen Aug. 4 in Lewiston. (Libby Kamrowski Kenny/Staff Photographer)
Central Maine Healthcare plans to lay off 38 workers in its information technology sector as a result of implementing Epic, an electronic medical record platform.
The affected positions were related to legacy systems and overlapping functions, according to a spokesperson for Central Maine Healthcare, which owns Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston and health care facilities across western Maine.
The cuts did not impact direct patient care roles, the spokesperson said.
California nonprofit Prime Healthcare Foundation, which owns 21 hospitals in eight states, acquired Central Maine Healthcare in February. Implementing Epic was part of Prime’s plan to invest $150 million in the health system over the next five years.
Allen Stefanek, CEO of Central Maine Healthcare, said the system is “thoughtfully consolidating” the 38 positions, which he said represent less than 1.5% of the system’s workforce. “These steps are part of our broader commitment to improve quality, expand access, and ensure these hospitals remain strong and sustainable for the communities we serve,” he said.
Stefanek, a longtime Prime executive, replaced former Central Maine Healthcare CEO Steve Littleson the day after the acquisition. There was no announcement about the leadership change.
Epic is a cloud-based software platform that creates an electronic medical record for each patient. It offers telehealth options and a patient portal, but its biggest selling points for hospitals involve clinician efficiency, especially by integrating artificial intelligence into patient visits and charting.
More than 325 million patients worldwide have an electronic record in Epic.
Along with implementing Epic, Prime Healthcare Foundation said in a letter to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services that initiatives like moving supply chain contracting to a national purchasing organization, insourcing certain services and improving accuracy of health insurance claims would increase Central Maine Healthcare’s net revenue by 5%.
Without those changes, Prime Healthcare Foundation “expects that CMH’s financial position will continue to deteriorate.”
The 38 workers are encouraged to apply for open positions at Central Maine Healthcare, a spokesperson said Tuesday. They did not immediately say how many positions are available.