As healthcare organizations expand across regions and care settings, clinical application support becomes harder to standardize. Differences in workflows, specialties and operating hours place sustained pressure on traditional service desk models, especially in complex Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Electronic Medical Records (EMR)-driven environments.

A leading U.S. nonprofit health system operating across 100+ hospitals and multiple states faced these obstacles. The system supports millions of patient encounters annually with a workforce of 150,000+ associates.

These challenges were magnified by a fragmented support model spanning Cerner, eClinicalWorks and Allscripts. The organization required a more scalable and responsive clinical service desk that could

HCLTech partnered with the client to transform the service desk into a dedicated, clinician-aligned support model.

The client’s support environment was impacted by complexity on multiple fronts. Support was spread across three EHR platforms, with knowledge concentrated within existing personnel and limited availability of clinically trained resources. This made it harder to scale operations consistently and resolve issues at the point of contact.

At the same time, high call abandonment and knowledge gaps were affecting accessibility and resolution performance, creating delays for clinicians who depended on rapid support during time-sensitive workflows. The organization needed a model that could

Fragmented support across specialties and locations led to inconsistent clinician experiences, delayed issue resolution, variability in support outcomes and higher repeat interactions. All of this impacted clinical productivity and care delivery continuity.

The client defined the objective at an operational level rather than as a technology refresh. The intent was to create a service desk model that could operate consistently across the enterprise, while better reflecting the realities of clinical workflows and expectations.

The objectives were to:

HCLTech established a clinician-aligned service desk, delivering persona-based L1.5/L2 support by:

The Clinical Service Desk delivers support across key clinical applications, including Cerner, eClinicalWorks (eCW) and Allscripts, facilitating consistent support across diverse clinical environments.

The transformation was executed through a phased approach to minimize delivery risk, while steadily building operational maturity. The operating model was designed for flexibility as well as scale. The transition began with non-call maintenance activities and gradually expanded to full clinical service desk support, enabling all work to be transitioned offshore within six months. This created a stable foundation for a 24×7 support model while maintaining continuity during the shift.

HCLTech put together a cross-trained support team spanning Cerner, eClinicalWorks and Allscripts, reducing reliance on siloed expertise and enabling more efficient resource deployment. Tacit operational knowledge was progressively converted into knowledge bases and workflow guides, helping standardize issue handling and improve consistency in resolution.

The project translated into measurable improvements in how clinical support was delivered and experienced. Continuous coverage and clinician-aware staffing improved accessibility, while structured knowledge practices strengthened resolution outcomes.

The delivery model was 100% offshore supported, providing 24x7 English voice and non-voice tier 1 coverage. The engagement currently operates with a 33% reduction in clinical service desk Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) against the peak team size.

This enabled HCLTech to move from ramp-up and stabilization to a leaner, more scalable steady-state operating model.

The engagement demonstrates how service desk transformation in healthcare isn't just about handling calls more efficiently. It's also about reducing friction in the moments that matter most: