Epic: What If the Real Cost Isn’t Just the Software?

Let’s suppose you’re part of a hospital or health system.
Your leadership is considering an investment in a new EHR—maybe Epic.

There’s a buzz in the boardroom.
Salespeople are smooth. Demos look slick.
The promises sound almost divine: streamlined care, billing alignment, total integration.

But what if the real cost isn’t on the invoice?

What if the most expensive part of the contract
…is the truth you never get to hear?

Behind the Curtain: What Some Can’t Say Aloud

In private conversations, behind closed doors, a few courageous individuals have tried to raise concerns. But many have learned the hard way:

• Speak up, and your reputation may be quietly questioned.
• Doubt the process, and you risk being labeled “non-compliant.”
• Fail a certification exam—maybe multiple times—and you may find yourself out of a job.

Some of the brightest minds in healthcare IT—people with spotless records—have been fired, discredited, or pushed aside.
Not for poor performance. But for asking uncomfortable questions.

“How fair are these exams, really?”
“Is this software worth hundreds of millions?”
“Are we being manipulated by fear of noncompliance?”

The answers? Rarely public.
The silence? Deafening.

The Unspoken Lies That Keep Systems Silent

If you’ve heard these, you’re not alone:

• “No one else offers what Epic does.” (Untrue: VistA has served millions—including the VA and NY’s mental health system—with open-source flexibility.)
• “Only Epic ensures compliance.” (Compliance isn’t a trademark. It’s a policy. And open systems can be customized to meet every requirement.)
• “It’s the industry standard—don’t ask questions.” (Since when did standard mean sacred?)

These myths aren’t just misleading.
They’re manipulative. And they prey on good people’s fear of rocking the boat.

The Real Tragedy: Who Pays the Price?

You know the answer.

It won’t be the software vendor who goes without an MRI machine.
It won’t be the CEO who skips the medicine that didn’t make the procurement cut.
It won’t be the sales rep who decides whether to resuscitate a loved one.

It will be the nurses with clunky screens.
The patients waiting for equipment that never got funded.
The staff let go to make room in the budget.

The lie is that the system will make life better.
But when the contract is signed, many realize—it only made the vendor richer.

So What Can You Do?

Not every battle is won with a sledgehammer.
Some are won with a whisper, a seed, a well-placed question.

• Ask, gently but clearly: “Are we considering open-source options like VistA?”
• Wonder aloud in the right room: “Could vendor lock-in put our finances or independence at risk?”
• Point to the math: “How many nurses’ salaries are equal to one Good Maintenance Discount?”

No accusations.
No rebellion.
Just truth, asked aloud by those brave enough to still care.

Because the Moment of Choice Is Coming

There’s a day when your leadership will ask:

“Should we go with Epic?”

And on that day, your voice may matter more than you think.

Speak not as an attacker.
Speak as a protector—of your patients, your hospital, your conscience.

And ask the one question Epic hopes you’ll never raise:

“Are we about to trade away our independence, our budget, and our integrity—for a piece of software and a promise we can’t verify?”

🧠 Want to Learn More?

You’re not alone.
We’ve gathered documentation, case studies, financial comparisons, and technical alternatives here:
👉 smfree.org/avoidepic

Explore. Reflect. Share discreetly.
Because sometimes freedom starts with simply asking the question no one else will ask.