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Rising
Epic Systems: The healthcare software giant — already Dane County’s largest private employer — sets its sights on what would be the largest contract in its history. Epic partners with IBM to bid on the overhaul of electronic medical records for the U.S. Defense Department, a 10-year, $11 billion deal that would cover nine million members — including six million veterans. Epic officials say its current customer base — the company handles half the patient records in the country — best prepares it to handle the agency’s demands. Meanwhile, another report indicates that although some health care providers, including the Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic, have yet to come on board with Epic’s software, the company is focusing on other areas in an effort to continue its staggering growth. Those include additional tech partnerships — like the one with IBM — along with consulting efforts, targeting smaller providers and expanding internationally.
Mixed
Propane: Gov. Scott Walker announces the opening of a new propane terminal in western Wisconsin he says will help ensure a safe, reliable supply of the fuel. The terminal, located in Hixton in Jackson County, has the capacity to store 360,000 gallons of propane, as well as load six trucks per hour while offloading six rail cars every four and a half hours. It’s expected to bring about 15 million gallons of propane into the state per year, helping offset the state’s share of more than 300 million gallons lost in the upper Midwest due to the repurposing of the Cochin fuel pipeline that stretches from near Detroit into western Canada. In light of the propane shortage that affected many Wisconsin households last winter, however, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin calls for more detailed plans from the federal government to address future concerns. In a letter to Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, Baldwin, D-Madison, and Minnesota Sen. Al Franken ask federal officials to finalize a coordinated emergency response plan, along with criteria for triggering such a response and distributing guidance to state and local governments.
Falling
Pierce Manufacturing: The Oshkosh Corp. subsidiary announces a recall of 135 fire trucks due to potential problems with their wheels. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Pierce Arrow trucks in model years 2011 and 2012 could see a part of their TAK-4 front suspensions fail; the administration received reports of wheels falling off trucks that were responding to emergency calls in Portland, Ore., and Edmund., Okla., while Pierce informed the NHTSA another wheel failed in a Milwaukee case. Pierce is set to inspect the recalled trucks and replace any defective suspensions.
