Researcher Uses Epic to Expose Water Contamination

The researcher credited with helping expose water contamination in Flint, Michigan, used Epic to determine that blood lead levels in children nearly doubled after the city started using Flint River as its water source.

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, pediatric residency program director at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, conducted an analysis of blood lead levels documented in Epic after hearing reports that Flint’s water had elevated levels of lead.

Using Epic’s Cogito enterprise intelligence suite, Hanna-Attisha analyzed blood lead levels in children before and after Flint switched its water supply. She found that levels had increased from 2.4% to 4.9% in the city as a whole, and in some neighborhoods, the levels had nearly tripled.

“Without such awesome reporting abilities, this would never have been possible. It would not have been possible pre-Epic,” Hanna-Attisha said. “We never could have done our research as quickly as we did without Epic and the support of Dr. Roebuck (Hurley’s Chief Medical Information Officer).”

Read more about Dr. Hanna-Attisha’s work in Flint at the Wisconsin State Journal.