Building Software That Saves Lives

Epic Systems manages the electronic health records for hundreds of millions of people. This makes Faulkner a healthcare heavyweight and one of the most successful female entrepreneurs in history. So why haven’t we ever heard much from her? Stephen Dubner travels to Verona, Wisc., to explore the Faulknerverse.

• SOURCES:
  • Judy Faulkner, C.E.O. and founder of Epic Systems.
  • Seth Howard, executive vice president of research and development at Epic Systems.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Epic Systems (MyChart)," by Acquired (2025).
  • "Federal antitrust lawsuit against Wisconsin-based Epic Systems will move forward," by Joe Schulz (Wisconsin Public Radio, 2025).
  • "Bill Gates meets Willy Wonka: How Epic’s 82-year-old billionaire CEO, Judy Faulkner, built her software factory," by Ashley Capoot (CNBC, 2025).
  • "Epic: The Future of Health Information Technology," by Regina Herzlinger and Brian Walker (Harvard Business School, 2024).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Can A.I. Save Your Life?" by Freakonomics Radio (2026).
  • "How to Fix the Hot Mess of U.S. Healthcare," by Freakonomics Radio (2021).

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