UAB Medicine Names Terri Couts Chief Digital Officer
Couts, currently at Sharp HealthCare, will succeed Joan Hicks as UAB Medicine prepares for its next phase of Epic implementation.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in People
UAB Medicine has named Terri Couts senior vice president and chief information and digital officer, effective January 11, 2027. She succeeds Joan Hicks, who plans to retire April 30, 2027, after 28 years with UAB Health System.
Why it matters
The appointment comes as UAB Medicine prepares for the next phase of its $380 million Epic electronic health record implementation. The leadership change places a new executive over enterprise technology, data and digital strategy during a major system transition.
The $380 million Epic budget was approved by the University of Alabama System in September 2024 and covers a transition spanning more than 40 Alabama sites. Couts's start date falls before the February 27, 2027 Epic go-live, but the extraction does not detail how leadership changes may affect that schedule.
The players
Terri Couts
Terri Couts is a healthcare technology executive who previously held EHR leadership roles at NYC Health + Hospitals, the University of Vermont Health Network and Guthrie Clinic before joining Sharp HealthCare.
Joan Hicks
Joan Hicks is a longtime UAB Health System executive who has served 28 years with the organization and is retiring after overseeing its technology and digital strategy.
Janet Hadar
Janet Hadar is the UAB Chief Operating Officer to whom Terri Couts will report in the new role.
The details
Terri Couts, currently senior vice president and chief information and digital officer at Sharp HealthCare in San Diego, will report to UAB Chief Operating Officer Janet Hadar. She will work alongside Joan Hicks through the second wave of the Epic implementation and the subsequent stabilization period.
Timeline
September 2024: University of Alabama System approved the $380 million Epic budget.
Summer 2026: Phased Epic transition began at UAB St. Vincent's.
November 10, 2026: UAB Medicine announced Couts's appointment.
January 11, 2027: Couts assumes the chief digital officer role.
February 27, 2027: Next Epic go-live scheduled at UAB Hospital and other locations.
Market Landscape
UAB Medicine's roughly $380 million Epic transition follows a broader pattern of large academic health systems committing to Epic as their core electronic health record. The Couts appointment places a leader with prior EHR experience at multiple systems over the second wave of that rollout.
For patients and staff across UAB Medicine's Alabama sites, the new digital leadership will guide how records and care systems are rolled out in the coming months. The Epic go-live scheduled for February 27, 2027 will be the next point where these changes reach day-to-day clinical work.
The takeaway
Leadership continuity matters during large technology transitions, and the handoff from Hicks to Couts will be tested during the February 2027 go-live. Readers following UAB's digital build-out should watch how the stabilization period unfolds.
What happens next
Epic go-live at UAB Hospital and other locations is scheduled for February 27, 2027, and Joan Hicks plans to retire April 30, 2027.
Further reading
Explore more Birmingham business people coverage for related leadership news.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Becker's Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.
