Role: Healthcare Project Manager
Duration: 06-12 Months
Location: Dallas, TX
A Clinical Project Manager (CPM) in EHR/EMR Implementation in healthcare is responsible for overseeing the deployment, optimization, and management of Electronic Health Records (EHR) or Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems. Their role ensures that clinical workflows are seamlessly integrated, regulatory requirements are met, and healthcare providers can efficiently use the system while improving patient care.
Clinical Project Manager Workflow in EHR/EMR Implementation
Project Initiation & Planning:
- Define project scope, objectives, and goals in collaboration with clinical leadership and IT teams.
- Conduct a needs assessment to evaluate current workflows, system requirements, and gaps in the existing EHR/EMR system.
- Develop a project roadmap, including timelines, milestones, resource allocation, and risk management strategies.
- Ensure compliance with healthcare regulations (HIPAA, HITECH, ONC Certification, Meaningful Use).
- Obtain buy-in from key stakeholders, including physicians, nurses, administrators, and IT teams.
Vendor Selection & System Design
- Collaborate with EHR/EMR vendors (Epic, Cerner, Meditech, Allscripts) to customize workflows.
- Ensure system capabilities align with clinical, operational, and billing needs.
- Define interoperability requirements for integrating EHR with LIS (Laboratory Information System), PACS (Imaging), Pharmacy, Billing, and other third-party applications.
- Establish data migration strategies, ensuring data integrity, validation, and security.
- Work with IT and clinical teams to design role-based access controls (RBAC) for security and compliance.
Workflow Analysis & Optimization
- Conduct workflow analysis to identify inefficiencies in patient documentation, order entry, medication management, and care coordination.
- Work with clinicians and nurses to design optimized workflows that improve efficiency and reduce burnout.
- Ensure EHR/EMR supports clinical decision support (CDS), alerts, and evidence-based care guidelines.
- Develop templates, order sets, and charting shortcuts to streamline clinician documentation.
System Configuration & Testing
- Oversee EHR/EMR system configuration to align with clinical workflows and regulatory requirements.
- Conduct User Acceptance Testing (UAT) with clinical end-users to validate system performance.
- Perform interoperability testing with third-party applications (HL7, FHIR interfaces).
- Ensure system supports quality reporting measures (e.g., MACRA, MIPS, HEDIS, CMS reporting).
Training & Change Management
- Develop training programs tailored to different user roles (physicians, nurses, billing staff, administrators).
- Conduct hands-on training sessions, webinars, and e-learning modules.
- Provide ongoing support and a helpdesk for troubleshooting post-implementation issues.
- Address change resistance and facilitate adoption by communicating benefits and gathering feedback.
Go-Live & Implementation Support
- Oversee go-live planning, ensuring minimal disruption to patient care.
- Deploy at-the-elbow support teams to assist clinicians during go-live.
- Monitor system performance, error logs, and user feedback in real time.
- Ensure contingency plans are in place for downtime procedures and disaster recovery.
Post-Implementation Optimization & Monitoring
- Conduct post-go-live evaluations to measure system performance and user satisfaction.
- Work with IT and clinical teams to optimize workflows and address issues.
- Ensure continuous updates, patches, and upgrades to maintain compliance and security.
- Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as chart completion rates, medication reconciliation accuracy, and patient throughput.
- Support advanced analytics, predictive modelling, and population health initiatives using EHR data.
Compliance, Reporting & Continuous Improvement
- Ensure adherence to CMS, Joint Commission, and federal/state healthcare regulations.
- Implement quality improvement initiatives based on clinical data insights.
- Work with data teams to generate reports for regulatory bodies, hospital leadership, and insurers.
- Lead efforts in usability enhancements, physician burnout reduction, and workflow automation.
Technical & Project Management tools experience is a plus
- ServiceNow Project Management module...not just ITSM
- Microsoft Project
- JIRA
- Microsoft SharePoint
- SmartSheets
- Others...
Relevant certifications that supplement lack of a bachelor's or advanced degrees:
- Project Management Institute (PMI) certifications there are many in terms of Project and Program management with the most common being a Project Management Professional (PMP
- Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) certification
Specific Inpatient and Outpatient EHR systems to look for:
- Oracle Health (FKA Cerner)
- EPIC
- Meditech
- Altera (FKA Allscripts)
- Athena