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Changing your electronic health record (EHR) system is one of the most significant technology decisions a healthcare organization can make. But while most teams are laser-focused on the EHR transition itself, they may miss a critical opportunity: reevaluating their broader tech stack.

At Luma, we’ve seen firsthand how organizations like University Hospitals took a comprehensive approach to their EHR migration. Stacy Porter, who previously served as the VP of Digital Transformation at University Hospitals in Cleveland, says: “When you’re implementing a new EHR, it’s not just an opportunity — it’s an obligation to look at your entire digital portfolio.”

Here’s why evaluating your IT landscape during an EHR transition can unlock long-term value and how Luma can be an invaluable partner in the process.

1. Consolidate and Simplify Your Digital Portfolio

An EHR change often reveals redundancies and inefficiencies. Before University Hospitals switched to Epic, according to Porter, they completed a capability mapping exercise to compare their existing digital tools — including platforms like Salesforce, Conversa, and RevSpring — against Epic’s capabilities. This allowed them to make informed decisions about what to keep, what to replace, and where gaps existed.

Rather than defaulting to piecemeal solutions like Twilio for patient reminder texts, Porter asked: “Is there a vendor that can consolidate these functions and provide additional value?” Enter Luma Health. By selecting a partner like Luma, they reduced their vendor sprawl and ensured seamless interoperability with Epic from day one.

“When you’re implementing a new EHR, it’s not just an opportunity — it’s an obligation to look at your entire digital portfolio.”

Stacy Porter, former VP of Digital Transformation at University Hospitals

2. Co-Design for Long-Term Success

When evaluating vendors during an EHR transition, consider how co-designing can prevent future headaches. Porter emphasized this strategic approach: “We co-designed with Luma, so when we turned on both Epic and Luma, everything worked by design — no overlap, no retrofit.”

By collaborating with Luma early in the process, University Hospitals avoided unnecessary IT buildout later. This streamlined implementation and reduced the burden on their IT team, with Luma handling most configurations and only needing operational input.

3. Minimize Change Fatigue

For both patients and staff, transitioning to a new EHR means significant change. University Hospitals took a “rip off the Band-Aid” approach to minimize disruption. “Change once, change deep,” Porter said. Rather than subjecting patients and staff to waves of adjustments, they implemented Epic and Luma Health simultaneously.

This reduced the need for multiple rounds of training and communications, ultimately leading to smoother adoption and fewer frustrations.

4. Communicate Effectively

One of the most critical factors in a successful transition is proactive communication. Porter highlighted the importance of clear, consistent messaging to both patients, staff, and providers about what’s changing and why. Now imagine repeating that process three, six, or nine months later when introducing another solution — it’s a scenario best avoided.

By implementing Luma alongside Epic, University Hospitals ensured that everyone was aligned and informed upfront, reducing confusion and frustration.

5. Choose the Right Partners

Not all vendors are equipped to navigate the complexities of an EHR transition. Aditya Bansod, Luma’s co-founder, advises organizations to think holistically: “Every EHR conversation is part of a larger IT conversation. Use this as a moment to clean up your tech stack. Luma can be part of that.”

By choosing a partner like Luma, healthcare organizations can consolidate disparate tools, bring legacy systems into the future, and maximize their EHR investment.

EHR conversions take a lot of consideration from all fronts, and these five reasons make it clear: an EHR migration isn’t just a system switch — it’s a strategic opportunity to modernize and streamline your entire digital infrastructure. Here’s a quick recap to guide your planning:

An EHR migration is not just a software upgrade — it’s a pivotal moment to evaluate and optimize your entire digital strategy. With the right planning, stakeholder engagement, and vendor support, your organization can turn this period of change into a long-term advantage.

At Luma Health, we’re here to help you make the most of your EHR investment. Let’s reimagine what’s possible together.

We trust your Q2 is off to a fantastic start! Dive into the Luma Link, brimming with new insights, thrilling updates, and exclusive opportunities crafted just for you:

Luma U Live | Next Session April 16, 12 pm EST

Luma U Live’s monthly sessions with Luma’s training team and subject matter experts give you a forum to ask questions and learn about best practices for getting the most out of Luma. Register here.

Form Builder 2.0 is now live!
This enhancement to Luma’s existing form builder allows users to create or edit things  like intake, scheduling, and scheduling assist forms! With this new upgrade, users can create complex jump logic and custom variables with little to no coding. Form Builder 2.0 empowers you to create your own unique forms without having to rely on the Luma team. This reduces the time it takes to build forms by 50% on average! 

Activities and videos to understand Form Builder 2.0 ‘s conditional logic feature has been added to Forms – Admins in Luma U. This module is beneficial to learn how to create and edit forms and tailor them for the patient experience. The examples provided will help learners quickly understand the criteria and variables involved to excel with jump logic.

Customer Spotlight

An Epic Good Time! In March, we had the pleasure of celebrating our Epic customer cohort and fellow healthcare leaders in Charleston, SC! We’re grateful for our amazing customers who joined us—your collaboration and insights continue to inspire us. Thank you for being part of this journey as we innovate, learn, and grow together!

Stay tuned: This June, we will be bringing together Oracle customers in Denver–we’d love to have you join us, if you are part of an Oracle organization!

Come See Us At:

Digital Health: On Air is a weekly 20-minute virtual session with industry thought leaders! Check it out on the web, YouTube, or Spotify. We have a cool new website where you can easily access all episodes! Up next?

Even power users hit roadblocks. Emily Smythe, EMR & Technology Systems Manager at DENT Neurologic Institute, shares the lessons she learned the hard way – and how you can avoid making the same mistakes.

Mistake #1: Not Closing the Loop in ChatHub

When Emily’s team at DENT Neurologic first launched ChatHub, they didn’t consistently close patient chats. That meant messages went unanswered and patients felt ignored.

Her fix?

Mistake #2: Ignoring Broadcast Delivery Reports

Broadcasts are only effective if they’re received. Emily now cross-checks:

Mistake #3: Underestimating Text Fatigue

Patients don’t want 10 messages before their appointment. The DENT team reduced reminder volume and adjusted messaging tone:

Mistake #4: Assuming It Just Works Out of the Box

“Luma is not a plug-and-play product. It’s a collaboration.”

Emily emphasizes that success requires:

Whether you’re new to Luma or looking to go from good to great, Emily’s experience proves that thoughtful configuration, a spirit of experimentation, and consistent follow-through are key.

If you’re using Luma for appointment reminders, chat, or broadcast messaging, you’re already ahead of the game. But there are a handful of powerful, underutilized features that can take your workflows from functional to fully optimized.

We spoke with power user Emily Smythe, EMR & Technology Systems Manager at DENT Neurologic Institute. She has pushed Luma to its limits and uncovered ways to unlock even more value. Here are four features she swears by — and why you should give them a closer look.

1. Schedule View Filters: The Daily Command Center You Didn’t Know You Had

Luma’s Schedule View isn’t just a calendar. It’s an actionable dashboard that can help your team:

“You can lock in filters for no-shows, pending forms, unpaid copays – then just work from there. It makes daily follow-up so much faster.”

Whether it’s your front desk or your care coordination team, this view keeps everyone focused on the right tasks.

2. Patient-Managed Waitlists: Let Patients Do the Work

Still having your team manually add patients to waitlists? There’s a better way. With Luma, you can allow patients to add themselves to a waitlist during scheduling — and you can control it by:

Emily’s practice enabled self-serve waitlisting for one high-demand provider. Now, instead of receiving dozens of calls asking, “Is there anything sooner?”, the patients are automatically notified when a spot opens.

“This took a ton of pressure off our scheduling team and gave patients more control.”

3. Custom Actions Based on ICD/CPT Codes: Get Ultra-Specific

Custom Actions are often used to trigger messages before an appointment. But Emily is using them in a brilliant post-visit workflow:

For example, if a patient is newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, they receive a resource pack for MS support. If they received a specific infusion, they get drug-specific care instructions.

“You can create an entirely new layer of education and support – all automated. It’s a game-changer.”

4. SMS Masking & Branded Sender Lines: Boost Trust, Get Better Response Rates

Luma offers the ability to mask SMS messages with a local, recognizable phone number. That means patients see a text from your real area code, not a generic 1-800 number.

Pair that with logo branding and patients are far more likely to engage. According to Emily:

“Once we switched to a recognizable local number, our response rates jumped significantly. Patients trust what looks familiar.”

If you haven’t enabled SMS masking, talk to your CSM – it’s one of the simplest ways to increase engagement.

These Features Aren’t Flashy. They’re Effective.

Sometimes the best features aren’t the loudest. These hidden gems help teams work faster, reduce manual tasks, and improve patient experience without needing to overhaul your entire system.

If you’re ready to dig deeper, talk to your Customer Success Manager about turning these on – or better yet, steal a page from Emily’s playbook and start experimenting.

You might just uncover your next big win hiding in plain sight.

When implementing a new technology like Luma, the key to success is flexibility. Many healthcare practices are accustomed to rigid workflows dictated by their EHRs. However, rather than forcing Luma to fit into outdated workflows, it’s essential to rethink processes and embrace automation.

We sat down with Luma power user Emily Smythe from DENT Neurologic Institute, an eClinicalWorks speciality practice who has successfully optimized their practice using Luma–here are her best tips and tricks for getting started:

1. Be Open to Workflow Adjustments

Luma’s automation capabilities can dramatically streamline operations—if you’re willing to adapt. Instead of trying to fit Luma into existing workflows, take a step back and identify opportunities where automation can eliminate manual tasks.

If a workflow you need isn’t immediately visible in Luma, challenge the technology! Ask your CSM or solutions consultant—they can often configure Luma to meet your needs in ways you might not have initially envisioned.

2. Creative Patient Scheduling with Authorization-Based Links

Specialty practices often require prior authorization before scheduling specific procedures like EEGs, EMGs, or imaging. Instead of making manual calls, one practice developed a seamless system:

This innovative approach significantly reduces staff workload and enhances the patient experience by enabling self-scheduling.

3. Leverage Chat Hub for Quick, Efficient Communication

Replacing phone calls with text messaging can vastly improve efficiency. Consider these strategies:

4. Harness the Power of Custom Actions

One of Luma’s most powerful yet underutilized features is Custom Actions. Many users think of them as appointment-based, but they can extend far beyond that. For example:

By expanding the use of Custom Actions, practices can enhance patient engagement and streamline follow-up care.

5. Utilize Broadcast Messaging for Operational Announcements

Luma’s broadcast messaging feature is invaluable for:

Since messaging costs are included, using broadcasts to keep patients informed is an efficient, cost-effective communication method.

6. Work from the Schedule View & Prioritize Forms

Practices can improve efficiency by actively managing appointments through Luma’s schedule view. Additionally, implementing the forms checklist ensures that patients complete necessary forms before their visit, significantly increasing form completion rates and reducing delays.

7. Challenge Yourself to Reduce Calls

A simple yet powerful mindset shift: If it can be a phone call, can it instead be a text? In nearly all cases, the answer is yes. By leveraging Luma’s automation and messaging features, practices can dramatically reduce phone call volume, freeing up staff to focus on higher-priority tasks.

Are you ready to rethink your workflows?

By staying flexible and thinking creatively about workflow automation, healthcare practices can maximize Luma’s potential. The result? Reduced manual work, fewer phone calls, and a better experience for both staff and patients. Whether through smart scheduling, templated messages, custom actions, or broadcast announcements, small adjustments can lead to significant efficiency gains.

Start exploring ways to let Luma do the work for you!