A real‑world look at how NGHS is reducing manual Epic testing
Ever wonder what it actually looks like to keep Epic upgrades clean without burning out your team?In this Solution Showcase, Northeast Georgia Health System’s Chief Digital and Information Officer, Chris Paravate explains how continual automated testing helps reduce manual testing, improve upgrade confidence, and give IT teams time back. Chris talks with SureTest’s Chief Revenue Officer, Phillip Furukawa, and Bill Russell of This Week Health in this podcast.
Key Highlights
NGHS Environment & Challenge
- NGHS operates 5 hospitals, 1,000+ beds, and 100+ ambulatory locations
- Fully Epic-based environment (Epic + Workday)
- Manual testing created bottlenecks during Epic upgrades and ongoing change cycles
- Quarterly Epic upgrades/updates (especially AI features) increased pressure to upgrade faster without increasing risk
Why Testing Automation Became Critical
- Manual testing required extensive staff time and repeated effort
- Upgrade cycles risked introducing defects into production
- Leadership wanted clean upgrades with no disruption to clinical operations
Implementation of SureTest
- Automation captured real end‑user Epic workflows
- Scripts are run continuously, not just during upgrades
- Testing frequency increased while human involvement dropped dramatically
- SureTest worked alongside NGHS teams in a collaborative, at‑the‑elbow model
Measurable Results
- 98% reduction in human testing time
- 86% confidence score from internal testing teams
- Zero Severity 1 or 2 incidents across the last six Epic upgrades
- Regression incidents dropped from 161 → 155 → 45
- Equivalent of 7–10 FTEs reallocated from testing to strategic initiatives
- Nearly 500 automated scripts now in place
Takeaways
- Automated testing enables:
- Faster upgrade cycles
- Reduced operational risk
- Improved staff satisfaction
- More time for innovation and optimization
- Testing automation is now a permanent, non‑negotiable part of NGHS’s IT portfolio