When Miriam Tonner, Epic Training Manager at UC San Diego Health, attended the KLAS Arch Collaborative conference in 2022 she wasn’t expecting to discover a solution that would cut the amount of time new providers spend in Epic onboarding training by 50%.
“I was just fascinated by the results of a new, AI-based training technology they were showing,” said Tonner, Epic Training Manager at UC San Diego Health. “We onboard a variety of clinical roles every week, from radiology techs and nurses to physicians.” She explained that this requires a significant investment in training time on the part of her team and the new hires. She continued,” While we love teaching, we’re also always looking for ways to create more bandwidth and improve our training offerings.”
Tonner oversees a seven-person team responsible for 20+ Epic classes per week at UC San Diego Health. The challenge: how to keep up with demand while maintaining high-quality instruction. Her answer came in the form of a product called “Amplifire,” an adaptive, AI-based learning platform that adjusts to each learner’s actual knowledge and confidence level.
Training That Learns With You
Unlike traditional modules, Amplifire customizes training to the individual. Users are asked what they know and how sure they are. The platform then targets content based on knowledge gaps resulting in faster and more relevant onboarding.
“The majority of clinicians that come to UC San Diego Health have experience using Epic. With our traditional Epic training offering, a physician used to spend four hours learning Epic for outpatient care, but Amplifire cuts that time by 50%,” Tonner said. “That means that we are able to give that person time back to see more patients, pursue a hobby, or spend that afternoon with their child at a soccer game.”
The Epic training team at UC San Diego Health went live with Amplifire for provider training in Spring 2023. The tool is now being used for new physicians, interns, residents, and fellows. Tonner’s team is also expanding its use to support training for inpatient nurses starting this Fall.
Collaborating systemwide
Following the success at UC San Diego Health, Tonner spread the word about the new tool at her bi-monthly meeting with other UC Epic Training leaders. These meetings started during the pandemic and have served as a collaborative space to share strategies and explore tools like Amplifire.
With the help of the UCOP-level procurement team, a system-wide Amplifire contract was put in place, making it easier and more affordable for other campuses to adopt the tool. Today, UCSF Health and UCLA Health adopted Amplifire as well.
“We often talk about technology that can help solve problems,” she said. “Amplifire is a game-changer and I hope to spread-the-word about the systemwide product in support of my UC colleagues.
Reconsidering Innovation
While she didn’t win the UC Tech Innovation Award this year, Tonner’s work represents a powerful form of leadership.
“In IT, we’re not always asked to invent,” she said. “We’re asked to implement IT And doing that well—across departments, budgets, and workflows—is its own kind of innovation.”
Tonner continues to track other AI-based tools for future rollout. Her mindset remains simple: stay curious, stay proactive, and share what works.
“Even if it’s just the spirit of a product that I could integrate into our work… Whenever there is something that I feel like is a good fit for my team, then I jump on that.”
With that mindset, Tonner is not just adopting a tried-and-tested tool. She’s tracking problems, investigating solutions, and working collaboratively with both vendors and UC colleagues to ensure success; she’s helping define how innovations emerge and spread across the UC system.
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Epic Training Manager
UC San Diego Health
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Digital Design & Content Intern
UCOP
