Applications Analyst / Epic Beaker and Lab Systems

Job Description Summary

Reporting to the Ancillary Applications Manager, the Epic Beaker/Lab Applications Analyst participates in the workflow development, application build, testing, and support of the Epic Beaker and Lab related applications. Analyzes procedures and problems within the various Laboratory systems; reports findings and when applicable recommends options for resolutions. Formulates system scope and objectives. Acts as a liaison with the Laboratory areas of the health system, utilizing the software application, conducting meetings to determine future enhancements, and preparing and maintaining related documentation. Includes collaboration with other Epic and Non-Epic application team members. Provide ongoing support including incident management, coverage of special updates and maintenance events, and participation in on-call coverage. Bachelor's degree in Business, Health Care Administration, Clinical Information Systems, Informatics, Information Technology, or sciences as well as RN, RRT, RPH, ARNP, and PA degrees are preferred but equivalent experience is also strongly desirable. Healthcare clinical or business operations background in areas such as billing, scheduling, access services, health information management or other support functions a plus.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities:

• Reviews and understands system operations and specifications in business and clinical applications and utilizes the specifications as applicable to make recommendations on use.

• Prepares functional and technical software specifications that reflect an in depth understanding of the business and end- user requirements while also considering the IT standards and technical direction.

• Performs in-depth analysis of end user department workflows, data collection, reports details and other technical issues associated with software as they relate to system design and build decisions.

• Analyzes design alternatives and makes appropriate design decisions. Designs, validates and confirms new or changed functionality with the applications environment that meets customer specifications.

• Accesses data from existing systems and produces formatted reports using multiple data sources, with minimal assistance.

• Works with vendors, internal information systems team and the user community to ensure the applications meet the organizations’ needs. Advises supervisors and/or managers of potential problems, requirements for expanded services and status of current systems on an ongoing basis.

• Proactively completes assigned application deployment(s), management, and testing tasks.

• Builds, tests, and debugs application (s) to ensure the system meets end user requirements. Builds complete testing plans to validate system parameters and functionality performs as specified, with minimal guidance.

• Listens to business needs expressed by clients and clearly documents system capabilities and constraints.

• Participates in identified development and production support meetings, reviews, and design sessions, as assigned.

• Writes scope statements, defining size and planning parameters of complex projects or multiple groups of tasks with minimal guidance.

• Provides complete documentation of all tasks and projects; develops and maintains specifications according to department standards.

• Provides system production support including the analysis , prioritization and implementation of requested changes, analysis of new functionality, coordination of software release updates, system testing and interface enhancements.

• Develops report specifications and works closely with report writers to ensure all operational and regulatory reporting needs are met including reports necessary to comply with regulatory requirements.

• Works with all clinical, business and IT constituents in a positive, supportive and collaborative team manner.

Technology and Learning:

• Participates in continued learning and possess a willingness and ability to learn and utilize new technology and procedures that continue to develop in their role and throughout the organization.

• Embraces technological advances that allow us to communicate information effectively and efficiently based on role.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Health Care Administration, Clinical Information Systems, Informatics, Information Technology, or sciences is preferred but equivalent experience is also considered. RN, RRT, RPH, ARNP, PA degrees may be acceptable.

Current Epic Beaker Clinical and Anatomical Pathology certification or proficiency and work experience in assigned application is preferred. Qualified candidates with related experience would be expected to obtain certification or proficiency within approximately 3 months of start date. Training to obtain certification (if needed) will include travel to Wisconsin when classes are available.

Minimum Work Experience:

• Progressive computer application implementation and support experience required preferably in a hospital or major medical center clinical setting, including IT system deployment experience as a clinical analyst, business analyst, or systems analyst with multiple technology implementations preferred. Clinical or Business support service experiences a plus.
  Experience with clinical hospital software and/or hardware technology or implementing clinical or business systems applications.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge and experience with health care information systems or knowledge of processes and workflows common in physician practices across varied specialties combined with advanced computer skills.

• Understanding of current business practices and computing systems, interfaces and hospital and medical group practice standard software including computer systems and methods utilized in structuring and preparing input data for computer applications.

• Analytical and technical skills necessary to apply computer technology to resolve problems and/or increase operational efficiency of data processing systems.

• Ability to analyze the functionality of systems and their fit with specifications. Understands relationships between system processes/programs, system parameters, files and data relationships for assigned products. 

• Ability to research, analyze and thoroughly understand workflows of end users, using this knowledge to configure systems which improve processes, add efficiencies and promote patient safety.

• Ability to use stand flowcharting tools and techniques to create and maintain business process and functional flow charts.

• Proficient knowledge of web-based technologies, processes, and analytics.

• Ability to deliver IT solutions through the entire systems development lifecycle (requirements, design, build, test, deploy, and support).

• Ability to employ software quality assurance and testing concepts, techniques, industry best practices, tools and standards.

• Ability to employ systems analysis concepts, techniques, industry best practices, tools and standards.

• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.

• Excellent skills in dealing with unstructured problems that affect efficiency and effectiveness of customers.

• Basic knowledge of standardized improvement methodologies.

• Excellent written and oral communications skills, especially active listening and writing.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and Power Point required.