William Osler’s workforce prepares for an AI-Supported Future of Care

BRAMPTON, ONT. – William Osler Health System (Osler) has been undergoing one of the multi-site community teaching hospital’s largest clinical transformations yet, as it reshapes clinical practice with the formal launch this month of its state-of-the-art Epic hospital information system (HIS).

Among the critical success factors for the clinician-led initiative, has been helping Osler’s 10,000+ staff, physicians, learners and volunteers feel ready and confident to use AI-supported tools in their day-to-day work.

This is no small feat, given that Osler clinicians are transitioning from using multiple systems and paper-based patient records to a complete digital record housed on one of the most modern health record systems available in the world today.

“We have taken significant steps over the past year to ensure Osler physicians, nurses and allied health professionals are engaged and fully prepared for what Epic will bring to their daily work, including its AI-powered smart features,” said Julie Kwan, chief nursing information officer, William Osler Health System. “We know that introducing new tools into busy clinical environments takes time, support and trust.”

She added, “Our approach has been deliberate and hands-on to ensure we reach teams where they are, help them understand why and what’s changing, and build confidence in the use of these tools to support and improve patient care.”

Excitement across the organization has been building thanks to the involvement of more than 700 clinicians from programs across Osler, actively engaged in redesigning clinical workflows to maximize the benefits of Epic’s digital capabilities and selecting the AI tools they felt would best support the way Osler clinicians work.

“Osler made a conscious decision at the start that Epic needed to be shaped by the people who will use it everyday – our clinicians and healthcare teams. That was how we ensured the system’s digital capabilities and AI tools truly meet the needs of our teams, patients and their families, and communities,” said David Stankiewicz, vice president, digital transformation, chief information and privacy officer.

“Thanks to their leadership, Epic will improve access to information, reduce duplication, strengthen hand-offs between care teams, and give clinicians more time for direct patient care, supporting more connected and efficient care.”

Creating clarity and confidence: Since the beginning of 2026, Osler focused on user readiness and system testing to prepare its workforce and systems for implementation. This included providing Osler clinicians with clear information about how workflows are changing and how AI-supported smart features fit into care delivery, with patient care and physician leaders supporting important conversations at the team level.

“We also worked very closely with professional practice leaders across the organization to host readiness rounds for nurse practitioners, nurses and allied health professionals, to help clinicians understand how their clinical workflows will change, what AI tools will be available to them, and how using these tools will give them more time to spend with the patients in their care”, said Kwan.

With a workforce that are often on their feet, it is important to meet physicians, nurse practitioners and midwives where they are.

This included attending physician meetings, business meetings, physician lounges, and professional staff association meetings, as well as hosting monthly ‘power hours’ to help better understand what they should expect to change, and how to best access the tools available to them.

“We really focused on how AI smart features can help us deliver safe care more efficiently and equitably, while ensuring we’re getting the right care to the right patient at the right time,” said Dr. Michael Miletin, chief medical information officer. “We wanted to set expectations very early around our use of AI so that physicians knew and were comfortable with the tools available to them at go-live and the positive impact that human-led AI will have on their work with patients.”

Role-based training: The next phase involved training and go-live readiness. Physicians, nurses and allied health professionals spent the summer in hands-on, role-based training designed for their specific work, supplemented by simulation labs and guided tools to help build comfort with the system.

Thanks to previously focusing on user readiness, clinicians were already familiar with the changes to their workflows and the benefits of Epic’s digital capabilities and AI-powered smart features.

This allowed them to focus on familiarizing themselves with the tools available and how to maximize them in their day-to-day work. Beyond the formal training sessions, clinicians were able to practice their skills at their convenience on a simulated Epic playground platform.

With Epic’s go-live in October 2026, the William Osler Health System has ensured clinicians are well equipped as they integrate AI tools into the way they work every day, with a continuous focus on patient safety, interprofessional team collaboration and continuity of care.

“We have scheduled physicians with prior Epic experience and familiarity with its AI features on the units and in outpatient clinics to help their peers within each clinical area,” noted Dr. Miletin.

He added, “Physicians, nurses and allied health professionals across the organization are also guided by supports to navigate the system, as well as non-physician Super Users familiar with Epic’s many digital capabilities and AI-powered smart features.”

A dedicated Osler command centre for Epic is also available to troubleshoot issues in real-time.