Episode 148: Optimizing Workflow and Team Roles in EHR for Sustainable Clinical Practice
Welcome to another episode of the Sustainable Clinical Medicine Podcast!
In this episode, Dr. Sarah Smith sits down with Dr. Becket Mahnke, a pediatric cardiologist and seasoned Chief Medical Information Officer, to explore the evolving landscape of clinical informatics and practical strategies for making your clinical day more sustainable. Together, they dive into the complexities of electronic health record (EHR) systems—especially Epic—and discuss how thoughtful design, team-based approaches, and data-driven solutions can reduce physician burnout, enhance care efficiency, and foster more meaningful patient interactions.
From leveraging AI-powered ambient dictation and chart summarization tools, to reimagining clinic workflows and setting healthy boundaries for clinicians, this conversation is packed with insights to help you reclaim time for yourself while delivering excellent patient care. Whether you’re an EHR power user, an informatics enthusiast, or simply searching for ways to optimize your workday, you'll find actionable tips and a dose of inspiration in today's episode.
Here are 3 key takeaways from this episode:
- Thoughtful EHR Design: Dr. Becket Mahnke emphasized that EHR systems, especially EPIC, are shaped by user requests—leading to many ways to do the same thing, but also plenty of opportunities to streamline workflows by standardizing processes at the organizational level.
- Teamwork for Efficiency & Wellness: Measuring teamwork (like tracking how many orders are started by team members rather than just physicians) can reveal powerful opportunities for redesigning clinical workflows. Taking a team-based approach relieves cognitive load and enables clinicians to spend more quality time with patients.
- AI & Ambient Documentation: Dr. Becket Mahnke shared how new AI-driven ambient dictation and chart summarization tools are true game changers, letting providers focus on real patient conversations—benefiting not just the clinician, but also the patient experience.
Meet Dr. C. Becket Mahnke:
Dr. C. Becket Mahnke is the Chief Medical Information Officer at Confluence Health and a practicing pediatric cardiologist. He is board‑certified in Clinical Informatics, an Epic‑certified Physician Builder, and serves on Epic's Physician Advisory Council. Under his leadership, Confluence Health has delivered measurable improvements in clinician experience—reducing EHR burden and after‑hours work, increasing patient portal adoption, and earning top‑quartile ARCH Collaborative EHR satisfaction, AMA Joy in Medicine™ Gold, and the WSMA Apple Award. His current focus is pragmatic, sustainable design and AI that protects clinician attention and improves care.
You can find Dr. C. Becket Mahnke on:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/cbecketmahnke
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