BJC Healthcare

BJC Healthcare is not an EMR/EHR vendor but rather a large integrated healthcare delivery system that operates as an Epic EHR client and implementation. Founded in 1993 through the merger of Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Christian Health Services, BJC Healthcare is one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the United States, serving communities across Missouri and southern Illinois.

BJC operates 14 hospitals and multiple community health locations, with over 28,000 employees and more than 5,000 physicians. The organization implemented Epic Systems as its enterprise-wide EHR platform, which means BJC Healthcare uses Epic's software infrastructure rather than developing or selling its own EMR solution. This Epic implementation supports the entire continuum of care across BJC's network, including acute care, ambulatory clinics, emergency services, surgical centers, and specialty care facilities.

The system's Epic deployment includes comprehensive modules such as Epic Ambulatory (for outpatient care), Epic Inpatient (for hospital care), MyChart (patient portal), Epic Beaker (laboratory), Epic Radiant (radiology), and Epic Willow (pharmacy). BJC participates in Epic's Care Everywhere network and national interoperability frameworks including Carequality and Commonwell Health Alliance, enabling seamless health information exchange with thousands of other healthcare organizations nationwide.

BJC's medical specialties span the full spectrum of healthcare services, with particular strength in complex tertiary and quaternary care. Barnes-Jewish Hospital, BJC's flagship facility, consistently ranks among the nation's top hospitals and includes renowned programs in cardiology, neurology, oncology, orthopedics, and transplantation. St. Louis Children's Hospital, another BJC member, provides comprehensive pediatric specialty care.

The organization's EHR infrastructure supports advanced clinical workflows including computerized physician order entry (CPOE), clinical decision support, population health management, quality reporting for MIPS/MACRA, and comprehensive revenue cycle management. BJC leverages Epic's Cogito and Clarity platforms for analytics and business intelligence, enabling data-driven quality improvement initiatives and operational optimization.

For healthcare organizations researching EMR vendors, it's critical to understand that BJC Healthcare itself is not a vendor but an Epic client. Organizations interested in BJC's EHR approach should investigate Epic Systems directly. However, BJC's implementation serves as a reference case for large integrated delivery networks seeking to understand Epic's capabilities in complex, multi-facility academic health system environments.