A key focus area of advancing our planning and implementation efforts has been the continued maturation of the program’s integrated project plan. Multi-agency teams have started transitioning planning activities into Jira, our enterprise project management tool, enabling greater transparency, consistency, and coordination across workstreams. This shift supports improved tracking of dependencies, clearer ownership, and better alignment between program-level and agency-level efforts. 

In parallel, the multi-agency team has worked to validate and refine near-term critical path priorities. This includes deeper alignment on sequencing, resource planning, and key decision points necessary to maintain momentum toward upcoming milestones. 

Together we are building and maturing our program management to scale and sustain efforts through implementation and beyond. 

Procurement and Contracting Progress

Thank you to everyone who participated in the baseline Organizational Change Management (OCM) assessment survey. Your feedback provided valuable insight into overall program awareness, readiness for change, communication effectiveness, leadership support, and preparedness for adopting new processes and systems. 

The survey results are currently being compiled and analyzed and will be shared with stakeholders soon. These findings will help inform our ongoing change management strategy, identify areas requiring additional support, and establish a baseline to measure progress throughout the HCMACS Program implementation and go-live journey. 

Following a highly productive in-person planning session in Olympia, the HCMACS Program made significant progress advancing scope, schedule, and execution readiness across all workstreams. Teams collaboratively developed and refined the integrated program plan in Jira, our enterprise project management tool, establishing over 40 new milestones and aligning on a forward-looking planning cadence that supports both near-term priorities and longer-term delivery through go-live in March 2028. Key governance decisions were advanced, including refinement of the program governance structure, alignment on workgroup activation timing, and confirmation of tools such as Orion to support structured decision-making and agenda management. In parallel, the team aligned on a comprehensive meeting cadence and operating model to better synchronize program-level and agency-level efforts, ensuring clear ownership, accountability, and coordination as the program scales. 

Operational planning also accelerated across critical domains. Detailed end-user device and infrastructure strategies were advanced, including procurement timelines, deployment wave planning, and coordination across DSHS and DOC processes, with clear actions identified to mitigate approval and procurement risks. Data conversion and scanning strategies were further defined, with agencies evaluating phased approaches to balance cost, timing, and operational impact, while third-party application inventories and integration tiers continue to be validated. Additionally, application scope was confirmed for in-scope facilities, and foundational data collection efforts were launched through Priority 1 workbooks, which will drive key configuration inputs for system build. Together, these efforts reflect a strong transition from planning into execution, with clear next steps, accountable owners, and a continued focus on readiness for upcoming procurement, design, and implementation activities. 

DOC Updates 

The team is reviewing, analyzing, and updating the project scope, budget and timeline following the Legislative budget released on April 1, 2026.  

Equipment Inventory Readiness  

The DOC EHR, facility, and IT teams are working together to assess the current state of equipment and plan for what’s needed to support Epic and DOC Health Services workflows. This includes reviewing hardware, peripherals, policies, procedures, and asset lists which are all being updated and prepared for go-live.   

Staff Engagement  

Council and Workgroup rosters are being refined. Gaps were identified in April with a plan to fill them in May and June.  

Super User planning is moving along. The DOC Implementation Support Network has 30+ volunteers, 70% of them have prior Epic or Super User experience at other agencies. Early volunteers are testing two things: early access to Epic’s UserWeb, and an agency-specific Quick Refence Guide, designed to make self-service access easier. Feedback from this pilot will help roll out UserWeb access more broadly in advance of go-live.  

Project Management Information System Update  

The project team is now in the HCMACS Jira system and is adding tasks and refining the backlog to prepare for upcoming hybrid Sprints starting in May and supporting iterations throughout the project lifecycle.  

OCM Assessment Surveys and Interviews  

30+ DOC staff were sent surveys or interviewed by the HCMACS OCM vendor to support the development of the HCMACS program-wide OCM baseline. This builds on an effort for DOC in May of 2025 where DOC Health Services, Leadership, and IT staff were engaged in surveys and 45 hours of interviews to establish a baseline OCM assessment for DOC. Outcomes from both the HCMACS and DOC assessments shape and will continue to inform our communication and training plans going forward to ensure we are tailoring our approach to meet DOC’s people where they are and how they like to learn and grow.   

Questions?

Reach out to DOC electronic health records. 

DSHS Updates 

Work on the EHR program continues to build momentum across planning, governance, and technical readiness. The team is partnering closely with HCMACS to develop a comprehensive implementation plan for submission to the Legislature and OFM by August 1, 2026, while also aligning internal DSHS project plans and timelines. Budget development for FY27-FY28 is underway, and program schedules are being refined to reflect updated guidance, including ESB 5998. Governance and coordination activities remain active, with ongoing participation in HCMACS PMO sessions, upcoming Executive Steering Committee (ESC) meetings in May, and continued RAID and workgroup forums to track risks, assumptions, issues, and dependencies. Notably, HCMACS Program ESC has approved the inclusion of additional facilities in Wave 1, with the proposal moving for review at the May 5 G1 meeting. If approved, the Technical Services Board will make a final decision in June. 

Operational and technical planning efforts are advancing in parallel. Teams are coordinating Q2 and Q3 Jira project planning and expanding PM tool capabilities, including enhanced scheduling (Gantt), dashboards, and dependency tracking. Readiness work continues through HCMACS-aligned workgroups, including development of billing workflows, third-party contract reviews, and standardization recommendations across DSHS facilities. Infrastructure planning is also underway, including coordination of EHR Wi-Fi and hardware procurement in partnership with BHA IT. In addition, the program is actively defining subject matter experts and decision-makers for upcoming Epic councils and workgroups to support Q3 2026 activities. 

Organizational readiness and workforce planning remain key priorities. Recruitment is in progress for several critical roles, including Epic application analysts, a business intelligence analyst, a training manager, a product owner, a third-party manager, and a physician EHR clinical specialist, with hiring targeted between July and September 2026. The team continues to identify change management and communication needs tied to clinical standardization efforts. Engagement efforts include quarterly workgroups with facility communications, OCM and continuous improvement staff, participation in town halls, and support for HCMACS-led baseline assessments to help shape engagement strategies. 

HCA Updates 

The HCA Project Steering Committee reconvened on April 21 to relaunch project governance. The committee discussed the importance of prioritizing providers that are both interested and operationally prepared to wait approximately 18–24 months for go-live activities. Leadership emphasized the intent to keep Wave 1 participation focused and manageable, with an anticipated range of approximately 5–10 Medicaid, tribal, and behavioral health providers initially participating in governance and adoption activities. Committee members further expressed support for maintaining priority focus on tribal and behavioral health participation while deferring broader expansion discussions until later implementation phases.