Catholic Health Initiatives

Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), which merged with Dignity Health in 2019 to form CommonSpirit Health, is not a commercial EMR/EHR vendor but rather one of the largest nonprofit healthcare systems in the United States operating 142 hospitals and more than 2,200 care sites across 21 states. The organization operates as an enterprise healthcare delivery network that has standardized on Epic Systems as its primary electronic health record platform across its facilities, making it a significant implementer rather than developer of EMR technology.

CommonSpirit Health serves approximately 21 million patients annually with a workforce of over 150,000 employees. The system's EMR strategy centers on Epic implementation for inpatient, ambulatory, emergency, and specialty care settings, creating an integrated care delivery network. The organization has invested heavily in interoperability initiatives, participating in both CommonWell Health Alliance and Carequality frameworks to enable seamless data exchange across its multi-state footprint and with external healthcare providers.

The system serves diverse medical specialties including primary care, cardiology, orthopedics, oncology, women's health, emergency medicine, behavioral health, and surgical services. Its Epic implementation includes MyChart patient portal access, telehealth capabilities expanded significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and advanced analytics through platforms like Epic Cogito and Health Catalyst for population health management and value-based care initiatives.

CommonSpirit Health's technical approach emphasizes enterprise-wide standardization, clinical integration across care settings, and HIPAA-compliant secure data management with HITRUST CSF certification. The organization focuses on MIPS/MACRA quality reporting, care coordination across its network, and social determinants of health initiatives. As a health system operator rather than software vendor, CommonSpirit does not offer its EMR platform for external purchase but represents a significant case study in large-scale Epic deployment and healthcare IT governance across a geographically dispersed nonprofit health system serving vulnerable populations including rural and underserved communities.