MD Anderson blames EHR costs for 56.6% drop in income

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston saw a significant drop in adjusted income in the seven-month period that ended March 31, which it blames on a costly Epic EHR implementation.

MD Anderson recorded adjusted income of $122.9 million in the seven-month period, a 56.6 percent decrease from the same period the year prior.

The UT System said the drop in MD Anderson's income was primarily attributable to the combination of an increase in expenses and a decrease in patient revenues as a result of the implementation of an Epic EHR.

MD Anderson spent more on salaries and wages and saw consulting expenses increase due to the Epic EHR project.

Although the EHR implementation took a hit on MD Anderson's finances, the UT System said it had anticipated a material impact on revenues and expenses as a result of the project.

"The post implementation strategy will focus on clinical productivity and operational efficiencies to return to normalized operations by year end," the system said.

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