Upgrading to MedicatOne:

Moving to a new EHR can feel like stepping into a renovation that’s still in progress. The layout looks different. Your “light switches” (aka workflows) aren’t where they used to be. And even if the new kitchen is gorgeous, not everyone is thrilled on day one.

We discussed this and more during our webinar on upgrading to MedicatOne – with candid insights from leaders at Appalachian State University, the University of North Alabama, the University of Utah, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

If your clinic is considering the shift from our legacy software (or another EHR) to MedicatOne, here’s what you can expect to learn from this article: why campuses made the move, how they managed change, what features made an immediate difference, and what they’d do differently next time.

By the way: If you missed the live webinar, you can catch the replay below:

Why Campus Clinics Made the Move to MedicatOne

The reasons varied, but they all connected back to one goal: a smoother experience for staff and students.

Legacy limitations and IT headaches

At Appalachian State, Executive Director Beth Booth shared that persistent IT issues with the RDP environment were creating near-daily disruptions. That pressure made the decision clearer: moving to a web-based platform wasn’t just a preference; it was operationally necessary.

A unified student experience across care centers

At the University of Utah Counseling Center, Scott McAward described a different starting point: their center wasn’t using Medicat at all yet. They were coming from another EHR and went straight into MedicatOne. The driver wasn’t just technology—it was strategy. Their campus leadership wanted a more unified system across health and wellness, including a consistent portal experience for students.

Contract timing and financial practicality

At UIUC, Administrative Nurse Becca Reed explained that contract timing forced a broader EHR evaluation. After weighing options, MedicatOne emerged as the best fit, —and the team also valued their existing relationship with Medicat.

“If counseling is switching, we’re switching together!”

At the University of North Alabama, Sheena Burgreen shared how one clinic’s push for change became a cross-campus shift. Their counseling center needed a new system, like MedicatOne, and that sparked a joint decision: upgrade counseling to MedicatOne and move their student health clinic to MedicatOne through a single, coordinated effort.

Change Management: Treat It Like a Renovation, Not an Update

Nearly every panelist named the same top concern: change. Not because teams doubted the value of MedicatOne, butbecause they worried about workflow disruption, training fatigue, and uncertainty about how their workflows could be moved over to the new platform..

One of the most helpful metaphors in the webinar was this:
Moving to MedicatOne is like walking back into your house after a renovation.
It’s still your house (same database), but things have shifted. And until your team adjusts, small differences can feel bigger than they actually are.

What worked best across campuses

While each school handled change differently, these approaches came up repeatedly:

• Build a “super user” team across clinics and roles. Beth emphasized that having representatives from each department (nursing, providers, front desk, billing) helped staff feel supported and reduced bottlenecks.
• Start with leadership alignment, then build buy-in. Scott shared that leadership buy-in mattered early—especially when staff were entrenched in prior workflows. Interestingly, he noted staff adapted faster than leadership expected once they experienced MedicatOne’s user-friendly, web-based interface.
• Communicate early and often—even when things are still evolving. Becca’s team went live while elements were still changing. Her biggest takeaway? Assign someone to focus on communication, so updates don’t get lost while builders are heads-down configuring the system.
• Set expectations properly: this isn’t “just an upgrade.” Sheena and Beth both said their teams initially underestimated how much front-end build work was needed. Once they understood the upfront work necessary to get maximum value out of the upgrade, the transition felt more manageable (and worthwhile).

What Went Better Than Expected

Even with nerves about change, the panelists shared surprising wins, especially in areas that directly impacted daily workflow.

Front desk and scheduling adoption was fast

Beth noted that front desk staff picked up the scheduling and check-in process in a matter of days. For many clinics, that’s a big deal—because operational friction tends to show up first at the front door.

Staff used the transition to improve workflows

Becca shared a great example: their flu workflow in Medicat’s legacy platform was still paper-based. Moving to MedicatOne gave them the chance to digitize it with a “note favorite” that less tech-comfortable nurses could easily use. The result: smoother adoption than expected.

“It worked how you thought it should work!”

Sheena pointed out something that sounds simple but matters in high-volume clinic environments: staff found the interface intuitive. When they needed to print, attach, or send a secure message, the right action button was where they expected it to be. That reduces training time and frustration.

The MedicatOne Features Teams Love Most

Once clinics settled in, a few standout features consistently improved staff efficiency and student experience.

1. Secure messaging (especially for counseling)

Scott called secure messaging the biggest positive change. It allowed their team to eliminate most email communication with students and reduced the need to copy/paste content into charts—an immediate time saver with clear privacy benefits.

2. Posting lab results directly to the portal

Beth highlighted the ability to review and publish lab results to the portal (with control over manual vs. auto publishing). That shift reduced administrative workload and made it easier for clinicians to keep students informed of their health status without a bunch of extra steps.

3. ePrescribing workflows

Sheena shared that for their medical providers, using Rcopia (especially for medications not stocked in-clinic) was a game-changer. It streamlined prescribing workflows and improved the day-to-day provider experience.

4. Single sign-on

Becca’s team loved single sign-on, which she highlighted as a small feature with a big impact. When providers move between exam rooms and offices all day, fewer logins mean less wasted time.

5. Multiple tabs in one view

Becca also shared that providers appreciated being able to work across multiple tabs within MedicatOne. For example, providers can pull up lab results while they’re documenting a clinical note in another tab, and also have this week’s calendar pulled up. This makes documentation and administrative work quicker and easier.

Lessons Learned: Advice for Clinics Upgrading Next

If you’re preparing for a MedicatOne upgrade, the panelists shared guidance that boils down to a few practical things to consider.

1. Choose your timing carefully

Panelists repeatedly warned against going live mid-semester. Summer rollouts were strongly preferred.

2. Build your questions list early (and keep it running)

Becca recommended maintaining a weekly list of questions, so onboarding sessions stay productive and focused.

3. Clean up Legacy before you migrate

Beth’s advice: if you want to “clean house,” do it before the move. It makes building in MedicatOne easier and prevents carrying forward cluttered workflows.

4. Give your team grace—and make space for feedback

Sheena noted that staff buy-in improved when people felt they had a say. Teams were more likely to propose solutions, not just complaints, when they felt ownership of the process.

Key Takeaways

Upgrading to MedicatOne is a meaningful shift for campus clinics, not a minor update.

These clinic leaders emphasized that when teams plan for front-end build time, build strong super-user support, and select the right go-live window, MedicatOne can significantly improve day-to-day efficiency and the student experience.

If you’re considering the move, start early, ask more questions than you think you need to, and treat implementation as a chance to improve, not just replicate, your workflows.

Interested in seeing what the upgrade to MedicatOne would look like for your campus? Connect with our team.