Pulse Heart Institute at MultiCare Health System
At Pulse Heart Institute, part of MultiCare Health System, cardiovascular care is delivered across a diverse and growing network of hospitals, clinics, and outpatient facilities. As the organization expanded, so did the volume and complexity of cardiology data—echocardiography, cath and structural heart, vascular, nuclear, CT, and electrocardiograms (ECGs).
MultiCare had already made significant progress toward an enterprise imaging strategy, but one critical gap remained: ECGs were not fully integrated into the cardiovascular information system (CVIS), and access to complete cardiology data was still limited by system fragmentation and workflow barriers.
At the same time, physicians’ access to this data was inconsistent. While cardiologists had pathways to view studies, many referring physicians, emergency clinicians, and care teams relied heavily on the EHR, specifically Epic Systems, where ECGs and imaging were often represented as static documents or incomplete records.
MultiCare recognized that solving these challenges required more than centralizing data. It required integrating cardiology workflows directly into the clinical systems physicians already use every day.
Completing the CVIS Vision
With the deployment of PICOM365, MultiCare took a strategic step forward, bringing ECGs into the same unified CVIS platform as all other cardiology modalities.
Rather than treating ECGs as separate or secondary, they were fully integrated alongside imaging, measurements, and structured reports. This created a single, cohesive cardiology environment where all data could be accessed through a unified workflow.
For clinicians, this meant no longer piecing together fragmented information. ECGs, Holter, echocardiograms, vascular, SPECT and PET, CT, cath data, and reports were now part of a single longitudinal cardiac record—accessible within one system and aligned across encounters.
Extending Access Through Epic Integration
While unifying cardiology data within PICOM365 was a major advancement, the true impact came from extending that access into Epic Systems.
By integrating PICOM365 with Epic, MultiCare ensured that cardiology data was not confined to specialists or departmental systems. Instead, it became broadly accessible across the enterprise.
Physicians working within Epic, whether in cardiology, emergency medicine, primary care, or inpatient settings—could now seamlessly access:
- Diagnostic-quality ECG waveforms
- Cardiology imaging studies
- Structured reports
All without leaving their native EHR workflow.
This integration eliminated the need to log into separate systems or rely on scanned PDFs. Instead of static documents, clinicians could interact with live, high-fidelity clinical data, supporting better interpretation and decision-making.
Real-World Impact: Expanding Physician Access
The expansion of access through Epic transformed how care teams across MultiCare engage with cardiology data.
In the emergency department, physicians evaluating acute cases could immediately view prior ECGs and imaging directly within Epic. This reduced delays, improved diagnostic accuracy, and supported faster treatment decisions during critical moments.
For referring physicians and primary care providers, access to cardiology data became significantly more intuitive. Rather than requesting records or navigating multiple systems, they could review comprehensive cardiac histories within the EHR—improving continuity of care and strengthening collaboration with cardiology.
Cardiologists themselves benefited from a more connected ecosystem. While they continued to work within the full capabilities of the CVIS, they could also rely on Epic integration to ensure that their findings, reports, and diagnostic data were visible and actionable across the broader care team.
The result was a democratization of cardiology data—making the right information available to the right clinician at the right time.
Clinical Transformation Through a Unified Platform
With ECGs fully integrated into the CVIS and accessible through Epic, MultiCare achieved a new level of clinical alignment.
A patient presenting with a cardiac condition could now be evaluated with a complete, longitudinal view:
- ECG waveforms compared alongside imaging studies
- Historical data available regardless of where it was acquired
- Reports and measurements aligned across modalities
This unified view improved diagnostic confidence, reduced variability in interpretation, and enabled more informed clinical decisions across the care continuum.
Operational and IT Advantages
From an operational perspective, integrating ECGs into the CVIS and extending access through Epic simplified the entire cardiology ecosystem.
MultiCare was able to consolidate previously fragmented systems into a single platform, reducing infrastructure complexity and streamlining support. Device integration became more efficient, and workflows were standardized across facilities.
At the same time, Epic integration reduced the burden on clinicians by embedding access directly into existing workflows—minimizing training requirements and improving adoption.
For IT teams, this meant greater control, improved data governance, and a scalable architecture capable of supporting continued growth.
Data Integrity and Governance at Enterprise Scale
By managing ECGs and cardiology data within PICOM365 and surfacing them through Epic, MultiCare strengthened its approach to data integrity.
ECGs were no longer stored as static or duplicated records. Instead, they were preserved as high-fidelity clinical data, complete with structured metadata and accurate timestamps.
This ensured consistency across the enterprise, improved compliance, and enhanced the reliability of the patient record—critical for both clinical care and regulatory requirements.
A Foundation for the Future of Cardiology
With all cardiology data unified in PICOM365 and accessible through Epic, MultiCare has established a foundation for future innovation.
This integrated environment supports:
- Advanced analytics across cardiology modalities
- AI-driven insights leveraging longitudinal datasets
- Scalable workflows for system growth and expansion
Most importantly, it aligns technology with clinical practice—ensuring that data is not only stored, but truly usable at the point of care.
Conclusion: Expanding Access, Improving Care
For Pulse Heart Institute and MultiCare Health System, the integration of ECG into the CVIS, and its extension into Epic Systems, represents a significant advancement in how cardiology data is managed and accessed.
What was once fragmented is now unified.
What was once siloed is now enterprise wide.
What was once difficult to access is now embedded directly into physician workflows.
By ensuring that all cardiology data lives in one system and is accessible wherever care is delivered, MultiCare has created a more connected, efficient, and clinically powerful environment.
The outcome is clear:
expanded physician access, stronger clinical decisions, and better care for every patient across the system.
“Consolidating ECG into our enterprise CVIS with PICOM365 simplified everything—fewer systems to manage, standardized workflows, and a much more scalable architecture. The real value, though, is how that integration extends into Epic Systems. We’re not just managing data better. We’re making it accessible to every physician who needs it.”
“We’ve moved from fragmented cardiology data to a true ‘one patient, one record’ model. With PICOM365 and Epic integration, every ECG and imaging study is exactly where our clinicians expect it—instantly accessible and clinically actionable.”
James Witt, Director of Technology
