On April 8, 2026, Azalea Health Regional VP of Sales Shawn Frazier and VP of Solutions Engineering Jose Valero joined Eastern Plains Healthcare Consortium (EPHC) President and CEO Zachary D’Argonne for an EPHC Knowledge Network monthly presentation titled EHR Evaluation, Implementation, Support & Accountability, A Customer View.
The presentation featured DeWitt Hospital and Nursing Home CEO Brian Miller and Dallas County Medical Center CEO David Mantz for a conversation focused on helping rural healthcare organizations evaluate electronic medical record (EMR) systems and prepare for a successful implementation.
Brian and David discussed practical lessons learned from selecting, implementing, and optimizing EMRs. The session was intended for rural hospitals, including organizations evaluating technology investments through the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program and other initiatives.
In the discussion, Brian and David emphasized the importance of taking a data-driven approach to vendor selection, involving leadership and frontline staff throughout the process, and looking at an EMR migration as an ongoing organizational commitment instead of a one-time technology purchase.
Brian and David also shared their experiences with comparing solutions, preparing staff, and continuing to invest in training and reporting capabilities after go-live.
The webinar concluded with a Q&A on topics that included vendor accountability, customer support, analytics, ongoing optimization, and strategies for building productive vendor partnerships.
About the presentation, EPHC) President and CEO Zachary D’Argonne, said, “The value of EPHC’s Knowledge Network is that it puts real rural hospital leaders in front of each other to share what they’ve actually learned. Brian and David brought exactly that kind of honest, in-the-trenches perspective on evaluating and implementing an EHR, and I’m proud EPHC could create the space for that conversation.”
Note: EPHC in no way endorses any individual EHR vendor, including Azalea Health.
About EPHC
The Eastern Plains Healthcare Consortium (EPHC) was founded to unite independent hospitals across Colorado’s eastern plains. Its mission is to address the unique challenges rural healthcare faces — from financial pressures to resource shortages — while ensuring quality care for the communities it serves. By collaborating, sharing resources, and advocating for supportive policies, EPHC strengthens rural hospitals and empowers them to thrive in today’s healthcare environment. www.easternplainshealth.org
About DeWitt Hospital & Nursing Home
DeWitt Hospital & Nursing Home is a nonprofit rural healthcare organization serving DeWitt and surrounding communities in southeast Arkansas. The organization operates a rural emergency hospital (REH), a 60-bed Medicare- and Medicaid-certified skilled nursing facility, rural health clinics, home health services, and ambulance services. It provides a broad continuum of inpatient, outpatient, emergency, long-term, and primary care close to home for residents across the region. www.dewitthealth.org
About Dallas County Medical Center
Dallas County Hospital opened May 4, 1958, in Fordyce, Arkansas. In October 1999, it became a critical access hospital (CAH). Today, it employs roughly 130 full- and part-time staff who offer a range of services to the community, including in-patient acute care, swing bed, 24-hour ER services, in-house laboratory, radiology, respiratory, physical therapy, rural health clinics, wound clinic and out-patient clinics for cardiology and orthopedics. www.dallascountymedicalcenter.com
About Azalea Health
Azalea Health is changing the way health IT platforms connect community-based healthcare providers and patients across the lifecycle of care. Offering a 100% cloud-based integrated solution, Azalea delivers electronic health records and revenue cycle management designed for ambulatory and rural clinics and rural hospitals. Quick to deploy and intuitive to use, Azalea solutions ensure better care coordination and communication that enable better outcomes and a meaningful competitive advantage. www.azaleahealth.com