April 30, 2026
Across the OCHIN network, members share a common goal: delivering high-quality care to the communities they serve. But the path to get there is not always linear.
Today’s community health organizations must navigate operational complexity, evolving technology and growing patient needs, all while working in an uncertain landscape. Even with strong systems in place, it can be difficult to see what is working, what gaps remain and what to prioritize next.
That’s where the OCHIN RISES program comes in, offering a tailored pathway to help members optimize their Epic electronic health record platform.
Bringing clarity to complexity
Launched in 2023, OCHIN RISES (Resources for Improving Services, Excellence, and Success) serves as both a starting point and a roadmap to help members maximize the value of their OCHIN investment. The program brings together OCHIN’s comprehensive portfolio of Epic-integrated tools, consultative services and network best practices into a single, centralized view, helping members understand what they are already using and where new opportunities exist to strengthen performance.
At the center of the program is the Trail Map, a tiered framework that guides organizations through achievement levels one through 10. Each level reflects progress across people, process and technology, giving teams a practical way to prioritize improvements and move forward with intention.
“OCHIN RISES is a program to help our members reach the peak of their potential,” said Laura Hecht, program architect. “It answers that question of ‘you don’t know what you don’t know,’ and then helps you focus on what will make the biggest impact.”
Each participating member begins with a baseline review and progresses through the framework at a pace that aligns with their priorities, resources and goals.
Want to learn more?
OCHIN members: Contact us to find out how enrolling in OCHIN RISES can help maximize your investment.
Not a member yet? Discover the benefits of joining our network.
Turning insight into action
For many community care organizations, the first value of OCHIN RISES is visibility.
Lakewood Health System, based in rural Minnesota, serves their community through a critical access hospital, rural clinics and specialty care services. Like many OCHIN members, the organization is focused on strengthening how it uses existing tools and workflows to better support staff, care teams and patients. For them, OCHIN RISES became a way to better understand what was already in place and find areas to improve efficiency and patient outcomes.
That visibility greatly reduced reliance on service tickets and helped Lakewood move more quickly from questions to action, supporting progress across areas such as patient safety data, management of high-risk obstetrics patients and improvements in billing and coding workflows. Direct conversations and guidance helped clarify next steps and reduce delays, making it easier to keep working forward.
“As you work through it, you uncover things you didn’t even realize you were missing,” said Jim Roeder, vice president of IT at Lakewood Health System. “Along the way, we discovered several helpful OCHIN tools that we’re now pushing forward to make our organization more efficient.”
Rather than introducing large-scale change all at once, OCHIN RISES emphasizes steady, intentional progress. Members can identify high-impact opportunities, implement improvements and track progress over time. For organizations like Lakewood, that approach helps create a clearer connection between day-to-day work and long-term goals.
“I think it’s definitely improved our patient care,” Roeder said. “We have more insights now. We know where to go to look at things and where we can improve.”
A structured approach rooted in partnership
The OCHIN RISES framework provides direction, but the experience itself is shaped through collaboration. The program team works closely with OCHIN account managers and members to review progress, confirm achievements and connect organizations with the right resources at the right time. These regular touchpoints help members stay focused and move forward with confidence.
“I try to be a connector,” Hecht said. “It’s about helping members understand what is available and how to take the next step.”
As members begin to see measurable progress, momentum builds. Engagement grows, and new opportunities appear.
“Seeing our members make meaningful improvements and getting excited about their progress is what makes this work so rewarding,” Hecht said.
Recognizing member achievement
As participation in OCHIN RISES continues to grow, so does the impact across the network. Participating members are strengthening workflows, increasing adoption of key tools and aligning teams around shared priorities. The result is measurable progress toward operational, clinical and financial excellence.
This year, OCHIN is proud to recognize the following member organizations that reached configuration Levels 8, 9 and 10 in the OCHIN RISES program:
Level 10: Pinnacle Performer
- Callen-Lorde Community Health Center
- Lakewood Health System
- Sixteenth Street Community health Centers
Level 9: Summit Leader
- Community Health of Central Washington
- Gritman Medical Center
- La Pine Community Health Center
- Lynn Community Health Center
- Lyon-Martin Community Health Services
- Neighborhood Health Center (NHC)
- Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health (NOAH)
- Primary Health Care
- Western North Carolina Community Health Center
Level 8: Summit Achiever
- Community Health Center of Fort Dodge
- Kintegra Health
- Quality of Life Health Services
- Santa Rosa Community Health
- St. Vincent de Paul Village Family Health Center
- TrueCare
These organizations show what is possible through sustained engagement and a commitment to continuous improvement. At Lakewood Health System, the work reflects an effort to maximize the organization’s investment, Roeder said.
“We want to use the tools available to drive our goals and support our mission,” he said.
“The number of members we’re impacting through OCHIN RISES is impressive,” said Cally Johnson, vice president of innovation and improvement at OCHIN. “Even more important is the impact the program is having on our members who are using the Trail Map to drive outcomes and better serve their communities. We’re so proud of their work.”
Building toward what comes next
OCHIN RISES is part of the broader Own Your OCHIN initiative, which helps members find opportunities for growth and improvement. Where Own Your OCHIN highlights areas of opportunity, OCHIN RISES provides the structure to act—connecting strategy to execution.
As the program continues to evolve, it will introduce new best practices, expanded specialty content and deeper connections to performance metrics. What stays constant is its focus on helping members move forward with clarity, purpose and confidence.
Members attending the 2026 OCHIN Learning Forum in New Orleans, May 11-14, will also have opportunities to learn more about how Own Your OCHIN and OCHIN RISES support data-driven improvement through dedicated sessions and on-site engagement with OCHIN teams.
Want to learn more?
OCHIN members: Contact us to find out how enrolling in OCHIN RISES can help maximize your investment.
Not a member yet? Discover the benefits of joining our network.
