324 Supporting the supporters: Informaticist role transitions and workforce implications of EHR change

Objectives/Goals: We aimed to explore informaticist experiences, lessons learned, and recommendations arising from their experiences during the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) transition from its homegrown electronic health record (EHR) to a commercially developed system. Methods/Study Population: We conducted semi-structured Microsoft Teams interviews with 16 informaticists from five VA facilities and a regional office, representing roles that included nurse informaticists, program analysts, change management managers as well as chief roles in health informatics, medical informatics, nursing informatics, and quality, safety, and value. Interviews explored role transitions, staffing impacts, and lessons learned during the Oracle Cerner EHR implementation. Transcripts underwent matrix-based rapid qualitative analysis, with ongoing thematic analysis guided by Nicholson’s role transition framework. Results/Anticipated Results: Informaticists underwent major role transitions during EHR implementation. Pre-transition, their roles were largely technical, centering on updating and maintaining the EHR and providing as-needed user support. During the transition, informaticists became advocates, change leads, and trainers for frontline clinicians, performing relational and educational rather than technical work. Post-transition, roles shifted once again, encompassing frontline support, workflow education, and help ticket triage. With little external guidance, informaticists engaged in adaptive role innovation and identity redefinition throughout the transition, often experiencing role overload. Discussion/Significance of Impact: Findings highlight the need to better prepare and support workforce members whose evolving roles are central to others’ adaptation. Implementation planning must account for the education and training needs of these intermediary roles, not just their functional contributions.