What You Should Know
The Switch: Hillsboro Health, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Illinois, is transitioning from legacy systems to the Oracle Health Foundation EHR to standardize clinical operations across its network.The AI: The hospital is deploying the Oracle Health Clinical AI Agent, a generative AI voice tool that automatically drafts structured notes from patient-clinician conversations, drastically reducing "pajama time" for doctors.The Network: By implementing Oracle Health
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Electronic Health Records (EHRs) | Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) | News, Analysis, Insights - HIT Consultant
KLAS: Why Ambulatory Practices Are Ditching Point Solutions for Epic and athenahealth
What You Should Know
The Trend: According to the new 2026 KLAS Research report, ambulatory organizations are increasingly favoring comprehensive suites (all-in-one EHR and Practice Management) over piecemeal "best-of-breed" stacks to reduce complexity and improve data flow.The Leaders: Epic and athenahealth have emerged as the clear market leaders, delivering the most consistent outcomes. Their customers report high satisfaction with the "cohesive package" that supports both clinical and
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Accenture Federal Services Awarded 4.5-Year Contract for VA EHR Modernization
What You Should Know
The Deal: Accenture Federal Services (AFS) has won a pivotal 4.5-year contract to support the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program.The Mission: The project aims to replace aging legacy systems with a single, integrated Oracle Health platform, creating a seamless "lifetime health record" that follows a soldier from active duty into veteran status.The Strategy: Accenture will be serving as the "program management
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The “Platform” Squeeze: Epic Releases Native AI Charting, Putting Venture-Backed Scribes on Notice
What You Should Know
The Launch: Epic has officially released AI Charting, a native feature that listens to patient visits and automatically drafts notes and orders. This is part of a broader suite called Art (for clinicians), Penny (for revenue cycle), and Emmie (for patients).The Integration: Unlike third-party tools that require separate logins or data bridges, Epic’s AI is "built-in." It draws context from the entire medical record to draft notes and allows clinicians to format them via
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2026 Best in KLAS Awards: The Full List of Software & Services Winners
What You Should Know
The Report: Today, KLAS Research released its 2026 Best in KLAS reports, and the message from the data is clear: The market rewards vendors that use technology to restore the human connection, not complicate it.The Dynasty: Epic has won "Overall Health System Suite" for the 16th consecutive year, winning 11 individual segments. athenahealth secured "Overall Independent Physician Practice Suite" for the third year in a row.The Services: Chartis (IT Services), Optimum
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HHS Launches 9 Pilots to Solve the Behavioral Health Data Crisis
What You Should Know
The Launch: HHS Secretary Kennedy has announced nine nationwide pilot programs across 9 states to test new data standards that bridge the gap between physical and behavioral healthcare.The Tech: The pilots will test the USCDI+ Behavioral Health dataset and FHIR® implementation guides in real-world settings, specifically addressing complex privacy rules like 42 C.F.R. Part 2.The Timeline: Funded by a $20M+ SAMHSA investment, these pilots will run through the end of 2026.
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Contract Alert: ICE Allocates $100M for New Detention Healthcare EHR
What You Should Know
The Opportunity: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued a new requirement to procure a comprehensive Electronic Health Record (EHR) system for its Immigration Health Service Corps (IHSC).The Scope: The contract, estimated between $50M and $100M, calls for an "integrated, multi-module correctional EHR" that covers everything from dental care to claims management.The Timeline: Vendors should prepare quickly; the solicitation is expected to drop by April
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Oracle Health Clinical AI Agent Adds Automated Order Creation Features
What You Should Know
The Upgrade: The Oracle Health Clinical AI Agent has expanded beyond simple note-taking. It now uses ambient listening to automatically draft clinical orders—including prescriptions, labs, imaging, and follow-ups—during the patient appointment.The Intelligence: Unlike basic speech-to-text, the system uses "advanced reasoning" and semantic understanding. It analyzes patient history, physician "favorites," and organizational preferences to propose the correct dosage or test
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VA Allocates $1B for EHR Modernization as Part of Record FY26 NRM Spend
What You Should Know
The Record: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced a $4.8B investment for FY 2026—the largest single-year commitment to Non-Recurring Maintenance (NRM) in the agency's history.The Tech Angle: While much of the funding goes to physical repairs, a massive $1B is specifically earmarked for the maintenance and modernization of electronic health record (EHR) systems and facility preparation for future updates.The Breakdown: The spending includes $2.8 billion for
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Oracle May Cut 30k Jobs and Sell Cerner to Fund $156B OpenAI Deal
What You Should Know
The Report: Investment bank TD Cowen claims Oracle is evaluating "multiple paths" to finance its massive AI datacenter build-out, including cutting 20,000 to 30,000 jobs and potentially selling its health tech unit, Cerner, the Register reports.The Cause: The financial pressure stems from Oracle’s $300B contract with OpenAI, which requires an estimated $156B in capital spending for GPUs and infrastructure—a burden that has spooked U.S. debt investors.The Indicators: Risk
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