Cerner wins government EHR contract in Epic's home state of Wisconsin
Verona, Wisconsin-based Epic Systems apparently passed on bidding for work in its own backyard, giving its main rival a $33 million contract for the digital health information system planned by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
EHR giant Cerner, with headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, landed the contract for the 10-year project. Cerner’s was one of five bids for the work, which did not include a bid from Epic, according to Madison.com.
“Epic chose not to participate in the Wisconsin Department of Health Services selection process given the smaller size and scope of this particular project," Epic spokeswoman Meghan Roh said in a statement. "Over 90 percent of Wisconsinites have a record in Epic and we look forward to our continued partnership with health systems across the Badger State.”
Cerner is also working on developing the Veterans Affairs EHR – a project it was awarded without competitive bid, having earlier won the contract for the Department of Defense EHR.
While Epic bid on the DoD modernization deal it did not have the opportunity to try for the VA work.
The new initiative in Wisconsin calls for creating digital health information systems at seven mental health facilities that are now largely paper-based and boosted by some facility-specific software applications.
Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services operates three centers, two psychiatric hospitals, and two secure treatment centers for people living with developmental disabilities and mental health challenges.
This article was updated on July 6 to add the statement from Epic.
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