Central Maine Healthcare plans to lay off 38 workers in its information technology sector as a result of implementing Epic, an electronic medical record platform.

The affected positions were related to legacy computer systems and overlapping functions, said a spokesperson for Central Maine Healthcare, which owns Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston and health care facilities across western Maine.

The cuts did not impact direct patient care roles, the spokesperson said.

Prime Healthcare Foundation, a California-based nonprofit that owns 21 hospitals in eight states, acquired Central Maine Healthcare in February. Implementing Epic was part of Prime’s plan to invest $150 million in the health system over the next five years.

Allen Stefanek, CEO of Central Maine Healthcare, said the system is “thoughtfully consolidating” the 38 positions, which he said represent less than 1.5% of the system’s workforce. “These steps are part of our broader commitment to improve quality, expand access, and ensure these hospitals remain strong and sustainable for the communities we serve,” he said.

Epic is a cloud-based software platform that creates an electronic medical record for each patient. It offers telehealth options and a patient portal, but its biggest selling points for hospitals involve clinician efficiency, especially by integrating artificial intelligence into patient visits and charting. More than 325 million patients worldwide have an electronic record in Epic.

Along with implementing Epic, Prime Healthcare Foundation leaders said in a letter to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services that initiatives like moving supply chain contracting to a national purchasing organization, insourcing certain services and improving accuracy of health insurance claims would increase Central Maine Healthcare’s net revenue by 5%.

Without those changes, the letter said, Prime Healthcare Foundation “expects that CMH’s financial position will continue to deteriorate.”

The 38 impacted workers are encouraged to apply for open positions at Central Maine Healthcare. There are 239 open positions, but most of them are clinical roles, a spokesperson said Tuesday.

The cuts come one year after Central Maine Healthcare’s information technology environment was breached by an unauthorized party, compromising the data of 145,000 patients. Mark Reece, Prime Healthcare Foundation spokesperson, said cybersecurity is now a top priority.

“Following last year’s incident, a comprehensive assessment was conducted, and enhanced safeguards were implemented immediately,” Reece said. “Today, our systems reflect the scale, expertise, and resources of a national health system, with ongoing investments to ensure patient information remains secure.”

“Importantly, none of the staffing changes impact cybersecurity functions,” he said.