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October 23, 2026

Takeaways from the most recent news in the technology and policies shaping healthcare.

Health IT

Epic Gives Each Customer a Dedicated 'BFF' Staffer

By Healthcare Technology News ·

Epic is formalizing a customer-relationship model it calls the "BFF," assigning each client organization one dedicated staff member who stays engaged long after the initial software go-live, founder and CEO Judy Faulkner said in an Oct. 19 blog post.

The role grew out of practice rather than strategy. During implementations, Faulkner said, customers often formed a close bond with one person on their Epic team. Rather than letting that relationship end when the project wrapped, Epic decided to keep that staffer assigned to the account as an ongoing point of contact.

The move is a window into how Epic, the dominant electronic health record vendor used by most large U.S. hospitals, defends its market position. Switching EHRs is expensive and disruptive, so retention hinges on service and trust as much as technology. A named, continuous human contact is a low-cost way to deepen loyalty and speed issue resolution as health systems lean harder on Epic for new features, including AI tools.

Sources

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Health IT

Epic Opens Its Platform Wider to AI and Outside Developers

Epic used its Open@Epic developer conference to open its platform wider to outside AI and apps while reminding developers that the resulting traffic runs on hospitals' infrastructure.

Why it matters: As the dominant EHR vendor, Epic's decision to open its platform shapes how and where clinical AI gets deployed across most U.S. hospitals.

Health IT

After AI Go-Live, Who Owns Monitoring? Often No One

Health systems scrutinize AI before go-live, but post-deployment monitoring responsibilities often remain undefined, leaving no clear owner when models drift.

Why it matters: Unmonitored AI models can quietly degrade in clinical settings, putting patient safety at risk when no one is accountable for watching performance after launch.

Health IT

What AI-Native EHRs Mean for Healthcare Leaders

Healthcare Dive outlines how leaders should evaluate whether AI in electronic health records is truly native or merely bolted on.

Why it matters: As AI becomes standard in EHRs, integration quality will determine whether it improves care or adds clinical risk and noise.