Posted: May 25, 2025
In my role as a practice manager, I had the opportunity to help lead our transition from Athena to Epic — a major shift that affected everything from scheduling and billing to clinical documentation and patient experience.
Transitions like this are never easy. But here’s what I learned:
1. Communication is everything.
Change creates anxiety. Staff were nervous about losing their workflow, patients had questions, and providers had limited time to train. The only way to hold it together was to over-communicate with clarity, patience, and empathy.
2. Leadership is about removing roadblocks.
My job became less about managing and more about clearing the path. I worked closely with frontline staff to understand what wasn’t working, then escalated and solved issues quickly to keep morale high and avoid burnout.
3. Training isn’t one-size-fits-all.
We had to go beyond standard training modules and give people hands-on time with workflows that applied to their actual roles. That made the difference between “I don’t get it” and “I’ve got this.”
4. Stay calm. Always.
Things went wrong. They always do in transitions. But when leadership stays grounded and solutions-focused, the team follows your energy. Staying calm created a sense of stability in the storm.