Applications Analyst/ Epic Clin Doc and Stork - South Shore Health

Job Description Summary

The Applications Analyst, specific to Clinical Doc/Stork, plays a crucial role in supporting and maintaining the hospital's information systems. This position is responsible for providing technical assistance to end-users, troubleshooting application-related issues, and ensuring the seamless operation of critical healthcare applications. The successful candidate will possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills, along with a deep understanding of healthcare information systems.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

Reviews and understands system operations and specifications in business and clinical applications and utilizes the specifications as applicable to make recommendations on use.
   a - Develops the preparation of 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.
   b - Performs in-depth analysis of end user department workflows, data collection, reports details and other technical issues associated with healthcare related application software as they relate to system design and build decisions.  Involves complex qualitative and quantitative analysis on data and information collected as part of application requirement gathering.  Understands and translates the business functionality into application system configuration and workflow validations.
   c - Gathers business requirements, designs applications, and documents detailed specifications and prototypes.
   d - Analyzes design alternatives and makes appropriate design decisions.  Designs, validates and confirms new or changed functionality with the Epic environment that meets customer specifications.
   e - Ensures the availability and efficiency of application processing, documentation and maintenance.
   f - Accesses data from existing systems and produces formatted reports using multiple data sources, with minimal assistance.
   g - Works with Epic and other healthcare related applications along with the user community to ensure the applications meet the organizations’ needs. Advises senior analysts and/or managers of potential problems, requirements for expanded services and status of current systems on an ongoing basis.
   h - Proactively completes assigned software application deployment(s), management, and testing tasks.
   i - Builds, tests, and debugs Epic and other related software applications(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 Meaningful Use requirements.

Assists application and technical teams in the on-going management of user requests, issues, clinical application problems, and delivery of information management systems solutions such as software enhancements or issue resolution.

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

Manages small projects according to department standards with guidance.  Completes project and department deliverables as directed by IT leadership.  Assists in the planning and completion of projects on time and as designed.  Promptly notifies managers of problems, unexpected tasks and missed targets.

Provides guidance and mentoring for clinical customers.

Technology and Learning
   a - 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.
   b - Embraces technological advances that allow us to communicate information effectively and efficiently based on role.
   c - Understands relationships between system processes/programs, system parameters, files and data relationships for assigned products.  Demonstrated knowledge of clinical documentation and orders databases, data conversion models, workflows, master files, category lists, synonyms and preference lists.
   d - 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.
   e - Proficient knowledge of web-based technologies, processes, and analytics.
   f - Ability to deliver IT solutions through the entire systems development lifecycle (requirements, design, build, test, deploy, and support).
   g - Ability to employ software quality assurance and testing concepts, techniques, industry best practices, tools and standards.
   h - Ability to employ systems analysis concepts, techniques, industry best practices, tools and standards.
   i - 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.
   j - 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.

Job Requirements:
Minimum Education - Preferred
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.

Work Experience:

• Progressive healthcare industry experience 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 support service experiences a plus.

• Project management experience, both leading and participating on project teams, from initiation through successful implementation and acceptance of application changes.

• Experience with clinical hospital software and/or hardware technology, or implementing clinical systems applications.

• Healthcare operations background desirable, such as billing, scheduling, access services, health information management or other support functions.

• Demonstrated technical administrative experience with clinical software applications,

• Experience supporting Epic clinical systems, with design, build and validate experience preferred.

• Proficient knowledge of and ability to employ systems analysis concepts, software quality assurance and testing concepts, techniques, industry best practices, tools and standards.

Additional Knowledge, 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.  

• Proven project management experience, both leading and participating on project teams, from initiation through successful implementation and acceptance of application changes.

• Analytical and technical skills necessary to apply computer technology to resolve clinical problems and/or increase operational efficiency of data processing systems.  Ability to analyze the functionality of systems and their fit with specifications.