epic

How It Started

The origin story of my time at Epic is simple: a brochure promising a Disney World-looking campus and a chance to start fresh somewhere I knew absolutely no one.

I packed up my life and moved to Madison, Wisconsin, drawn by the idea of working in themed buildings where the child inside me could stay alive a little longer. But the real reason I chose Epic ran deeper than aesthetics: I wanted to push myself outside of my comfort zone.

Day One

Coming in, I had zero healthcare experience (unless you count owning a bottle of Advil).

When I arrived, I joined a starting class of over 100 recent graduates as part of Epic’s October 2023 cohort. In an office of over 10,000 employees, it felt like stepping into a small city, full of people who, like me, were figuring it out one day at a time.

It felt like college 2.0 syllabus week, going out with peers on a Monday night, and making new friends every day.

I Have No Idea What I'm Doing

I started as an Application Coordinator, which in Epic terms basically meant “project manager meets software analyst but I have no idea what I'm doing.” Every day was about balancing client needs, technical complexities, and just figuring it out.

Over time, I led major initiatives, including:

Kicking off a 26-site hospital system implementation, leading a team of technical analysts and coordinating directly with vendors and client executives.
Leading a team of analysts in building, testing, troubleshooting, and going live on software modules at two organizations in upstate New York.
Owning the relationship with five healthcare organizations during go-lives, making sure frontline users felt supported and confident.
Building training programs for physicians, including 20+ customized sessions that bridged the gap between software and real-world workflows.
Mentoring 10 new hires, helping them prep for certifications, navigate early projects, and build momentum.

We had all the formal project management tools - timelines, stakeholder meetings, executive reports - but what mattered most was simple: solve problems, make people’s lives easier, and keep moving forward.

What Epic Taught Me

What I’ll remember most about Epic isn’t just the projects, it’s the people. The culture is rooted in helping people help people. Whether it was troubleshooting system issues for someone that isn't on the same project as you or flying across the country to support physicians during a go-live, the belief was always the same: we’re in this together.

I had the chance to travel over 100 times to cities like New York, Boston, Houston, and even work in Northern Ireland, supporting healthcare systems across the globe.

Epic taught me how to manage complex projects with real human stakes, lead with empathy, and embrace discomfort as a path to growth.

Oh, and I got matching tattoos with my manager and co-worker.