The 2009 Computer Sciences Distinguished Alumni Lecture was delivered on October 15 by Judith Faulkner, Founder and CEO of Epic.
Based in Verona, Epic is a leading developer of health care IT. Currently, EpicCare information management is in use by health care organizations that collectively provide medical care to over 74 million people in the U.S. Faulkner (MS'67, Computer Science) was appointed to the U.S. Health Information Technology Policy Committee in April 2009.
The overflow audience at the lecture was enthralled by the story of Epic's growth from a start-up with two half-time assistants in a basement on University Avenue to a multinational company with over 3.400 employees, at the cutting edge of electronic medical record technologies advocated by national policy makers.
The lecture was marked by extensive interaction with the audience, as Faulkner answered many questions on topics ranging from her best and worst decisions in booting up a successful company, to her perspectives on the key issues in defining national health care policy. The lecture inaugurated the newly renovated Room 1240 Lecture Hall in Computer Sciences, which she characterized as a setting that promotes interaction between speaker and audience.