DPH IT reports Epic implementation two‑thirds complete; telehealth and multilingual appointment messaging launched

DPH Chief Information Officer Eric Raffin and Epic program director Jeff Scarfia briefed the Health Commission Sept. 6 on the department's Health Information Technology program and Epic electronic health record rollout.

Raffin marked Epic's three‑year local anniversary and said the program is about two‑thirds complete. He reported a 30% vacancy rate on the IT team and said that staffing gaps and pandemic‑era pivots (mass vaccinations, Tenderloin linkage center support and LHH recertification work) have required schedule adjustments. Jeff Scarfia said work completed in Epic waves 1 and 2 positions the department to begin the next phase of rollout.

DPH highlighted digital‑equity efforts: appointment reminders are now delivered by email in all seven San Francisco threshold languages and integrated Epic Video telehealth launched to simplify video visits for patients without requiring usernames, passwords or special downloads. Raffin said future work will expand SMS language support and add e‑signature capability for mobile devices as a prerequisite for bringing behavioral health services into Epic.

The Epic team described expected projects for 2024 and beyond, including Hyperdrive to allow community‑based organizations to connect to Epic with minimal technical overhead and the integration of laboratory services into the Epic Beaker laboratory information system.

Commissioners asked about vacancy impacts on the program schedule; Raffin said some work must be deferred to accommodate higher priorities and that the EHR program remains on track to come in near budgeted projections.

The commission praised the team's progress and requested future budgetary detail and continued reporting on language access and telehealth uptake.