Epic Garden Plot Explained: What Healthcare Providers Need to Know

Epic Garden Plot is Epic’s way of finally opening the gates for independent medical groups, startups, and tech-forward providers who’ve long felt locked out of the EHR club.

If you’re building a healthcare product or running a practice and want access to Epic without the enterprise-level setup, this is what you’ve been waiting for.

In this blog, we’re breaking down what Epic Garden Plot is, how it came to be, and why it matters if you’re working on modern, scalable healthcare solutions, starting with the story behind how it all began.

The History Behind Epic Garden Plot

When we talk about Epic Garden Plot, it’s not just a new hosting option—it’s Epic acknowledging a long-overdue shift in healthcare tech.

1️⃣ Epic’s Infrastructure Journey

Epic has traditionally operated within a tightly controlled, centralized infrastructure. Their systems were built for large hospital networks with complex workflows, strict compliance needs, and deep pockets. The model worked—until it didn’t for everyone.

Independent practices, digital health startups, and virtual care platforms increasingly find Epic’s full-scale deployment out of reach. They must either go all in on a full Epic install or look elsewhere. There is no middle ground.

2️⃣ Cloud-Native Demand Changed the Game

As healthcare innovation surged, so did the demand for cloud-native, API-ready, flexible EHR environments. Developers didn’t want to navigate Epic’s traditional barriers. They wanted:

🔸 Scalable environments without huge upfront costs

🔸 Access to Epic’s interoperability tools

🔸 Support for modern development practices (think FHIR APIs, DevOps pipelines, iterative product releases)

Garden Plot emerged as a response to these expectations—a shared, managed Epic instance hosted directly by Epic, designed to give smaller medical groups access to its core features without requiring them to own the infrastructure.

3️⃣ Shifting Toward a Startup-Friendly Ecosystem

Epic’s move with Garden Plot also signals something bigger. The EHR giant is recognizing that health tech startups and smaller medical groups are no longer fringe players. They’re leading innovation in virtual care, at-home diagnostics, behavioral health, and more.

Garden Plot allows them to build on Epic’s foundation, with less red tape, faster go-lives, and pricing that doesn’t break the model. It’s Epic’s way of meeting startups halfway, offering a streamlined path to integration without compromising on data standards or compliance.

In short, Epic saw the writing on the wall. Garden Plot is their answer to a modular, cloud-forward future—one where innovation doesn’t wait for six-month rollout plans.

What Is Epic Garden Plot?

Epic Garden Plot is a fully managed, cloud-based version of Epic explicitly designed for independent medical groups and smaller provider organizations. Its core objective is to provide these practices with access to the same world-class EHR capabilities as large hospital systems, without the heavy lift of infrastructure management or complex custom builds.

This model gives smaller players a leg up by directly integrating into Epic’s broader ecosystem, including interoperability with health systems, access to MyChart, and payer networks, while simplifying the backend technical burden.

Architecture: Epic Garden Plot in the Cloud

Garden Plot is hosted and managed entirely by Epic in its data centers. That means no third-party cloud provider is involved, and practices don’t have to worry about hosting, scaling, or managing hardware.

Here’s what that looks like:

🔸 Shared instance model: Multiple organizations operate within the same environment but with data separation and organizational controls in place.

🔸 Epic-managed upgrades and maintenance: You get new features and security updates on Epic’s schedule, reducing IT overhead.

🔸 Integrated tooling: Practices can still develop and configure workflows, but do so using Epic-approved methods within a shared environment.

This makes it much easier for practices without dedicated IT teams to adopt and maintain Epic without a massive upfront investment.

Garden Plot vs. Traditional Epic: What’s Different?

While traditional Epic installs are known for being heavy, customized, and resource-intensive, Garden Plot takes a different route. Think of it as a lightweight Epic-as-a-Service, purpose-built for speed and accessibility.

Here’s how it compares:

This approach helps independent groups stay nimble while still gaining access to Epic’s tools, like MyChart, Care Everywhere, and payer integrations.

Features of Epic Garden Plot

1️⃣ Cloud-Hosted and Fully Managed

Epic Garden Plot is hosted directly by Epic in their cloud environment. That means you’re not spinning up servers or managing upgrades and patches. Epic handles everything—infrastructure, security, and maintenance.

Why this matters:

🔸 No internal IT burden. You don’t need to hire extra resources just to keep things running.

🔸 It’s faster to get started. Whether you’re a small group practice or a digital health startup, you can be live in weeks, not months.

🔸 Scalability is baked in. You start small and grow over time without needing to re-architect anything.

🔸 This setup is ideal for providers that don’t want the overhead of managing a full Epic implementation but still want access to its power.

2️⃣ Developer-Friendly Ecosystem

Garden Plot was designed with builders in mind. You get:

🔸 Pre-built APIs for accessing patient records, appointments, medications, etc.

🔸 Sandbox environments so your team can test, iterate, and validate integrations before going live.

🔸 Solid documentation that’s made for digital health teams, not just Epic insiders.

The developer tools here speed up prototyping and lower the entry barrier. Plus, data sharing is TEFCA-aligned by default, so you’re already in good shape when it comes to compliance and interoperability. You’re not building things from scratch or chasing down standards—you’re starting with them in place.

3️⃣ Interoperability-Ready

One of the strongest features of Garden Plot is its built-in support for interoperability. This is where many other systems stumble, but Epic’s approach aligns with national exchange efforts like TEFCA.

Here’s what that includes:

🔸 QHIN connectivity: You’re plugged into Qualified Health Information Networks, which means your app or platform can communicate with hospitals, labs, and other providers across the country.

🔸 FHIR-based data access: Supports both push (e.g., subscribe to changes) and pull (e.g., query records as needed).

🔸 It reduces friction when integrating with external systems—whether that’s a payer, a remote patient monitoring tool, or another EHR.

If nationwide data exchange is part of your roadmap (and it probably should be), Garden Plot already has the infrastructure in place.

Related Read: TEFCA FHIR Roadmap: What It Means for Healthcare Interoperability?

4️⃣ Modular Access to Epic Features

You don’t need the full Epic package. Garden Plot gives you modular access, so you only use (and pay for) the pieces you need.

Examples:

🔸 Want just patient demographics and appointments? Done.

🔸 Need medication history and lab results? Add those modules.

This flexibility is key for digital health platforms building custom workflows or niche care experiences. You avoid the bloat and only focus on what’s relevant to your use case.

It’s a smarter way to adopt Epic, especially for companies that don’t need everything.

5️⃣ Security and Compliance

Garden Plot is built to meet the gold standards in healthcare security:

🔸 HIPAA and HITECH compliant from the ground up

🔸 Aligned with TEFCA for secure, trusted data exchange

You also get:

🔸 Consent management tools for patient data sharing

🔸 Audit trails to track who accessed what and when

🔸 Role-based permissions to control access internally

This setup ensures that providers stay in compliance without having to cobble together custom solutions. It’s especially useful for digital health companies that need to prove compliance to payers, partners, or regulators.

Benefits of Epic Garden Plot for Healthcare Providers

Epic Garden Plot isn’t just another hosting option—it’s a strategic move for independent medical groups looking to scale without the heavy lift of traditional EHR deployments. Here’s how providers benefit from this setup:

✅ Faster Deployment

With Epic Garden Plot, you’re up and running quicker. Since it’s a hosted environment, you avoid the delays of setting up on-prem servers or managing complex infrastructure. Go-live timelines shrink, letting your team focus on care instead of configuration.

✅ Lower Total Cost of Ownership

Forget large upfront investments. Garden Plot eliminates the need for maintaining your own servers, data centers, and dedicated IT staff. Epic handles the heavy lifting, saving providers both time and operational costs.

✅ FHIR-First Integration

Interoperability isn’t a bonus—it’s baked in. Garden Plot offers ready-made APIs using the latest FHIR (R4) standards, making it easier to connect with other systems, apps, and care networks. For digital health teams, that means less time wrangling data and more time delivering value.

Related Read: FHIR Versions: The Past, The Present & The Future

✅ Built for Startups and Scale-Ups

Whether you’re a lean clinic or a fast-growing health tech startup, Garden Plot offers a scalable foundation. It’s purpose-built for small to mid-sized organizations that need enterprise-level tools without the enterprise-level overhead.

✅ Security & Compliance

You get Epic’s battle-tested security framework right out of the box. That includes HIPAA compliance, encrypted data handling, and industry-standard access controls—no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to healthcare-grade security.

Limitations and Considerations of Epic Garden Plot

While Epic Garden Plot opens doors for independent practices to join Epic’s shared environment, there are trade-offs to consider before you commit.

❌ Limited Customizability

Garden Plot offers a standardized version of Epic, which means you can’t tweak every corner the way large health systems do with their whole Epic instance. For practices with unique workflows or niche specialties, this could be a bottleneck.

❌ Vendor Lock-In

Since Garden Plot is a hosted Epic-only environment, switching vendors or migrating to another EHR isn’t straightforward. You’re tied to Epic’s ecosystem—not just for the software, but also for hosting and updates.

❌ Selective Module Access

Not every Epic module is part of the Garden Plot package, like Epic Wisdom, just like the Apple ecosystem. If your care delivery model depends on a specific Epic feature, such as advanced telehealth tools or custom population health dashboards, it’s essential to confirm availability upfront.

Related Read: Epic Wisdom Explained: Features, Benefits, and Why It’s the Future of Dental EHR

❌ Integration Challenges

Connecting a Garden Plot to third-party billing platforms, analytics tools, or custom apps may not be a plug-and-play process. You’ll likely need external integration expertise, especially if you’re relying on tools outside the Epic App Orchard.

Why Work with Mindbowser?

Independent medical groups entering the Epic Garden Plot ecosystem need more than just EHR access—they need speed, compliance, and healthcare-savvy execution. That’s where we come in.

Seamless Integration with Epic Garden Plot

We simplify data interoperability by making your systems speak the same language Epic Garden Plot understands.

🔸 Extract and transform data into FHIR R4 format—fully compatible with Garden Plot.

🔸 Convert legacy formats, such as HL7, CCDA, and DICOM, into structured, API-ready FHIR resources.

Add-on Services for Extended Capabilities

Integration is just the start. We help you unlock real value from your data and workflows.

🔸 Billing module connections, standardized claims data, and automated revenue cycle tasks.

🔸 Custom workflow tools are designed specifically for startup and midsize providers.

Advanced Analytics & Visualization

Turn your Garden Plot data into actionable insights—without reinventing the wheel.

🔸 Use plug-and-play connectors with Tableau, PowerBI, and Amazon QuickSight.

🔸 Get pre-configured dashboards to track care outcomes, operational KPIs, and utilization trends.

Compliance, Speed, and Scalability

Every layer is designed for healthcare’s demands—HIPAA-ready, cloud-native, and future-proof.

🔸 Built on AWS infrastructure with privacy and security baked in.
🔸 Use our reusable components and templates to speed up development and minimize costs.

Professional Services and Collaborative Deployment

From kickoff to go-live, we’ve got your back.

🔸 Hands-on help for implementation, QA, and compliance reviews.

🔸 Access to reference architectures and quick-start kits that make Epic Garden Plot onboarding faster and smoother.