The following categories reflect the types of questions you will likely encounter. These are drawn from past experiences and are designed to test both your technical depth and your professional judgment.

Technical and Domain Expertise

This category tests your specific knowledge of healthcare systems and your ability to manage them.

• What is your experience with Epic build and configuration?
• How do you manage the testing process for a new clinical interface?
• Describe your experience with Epic's Chronicles database or Reporting Workbench.
• How do you ensure HIPAA compliance when troubleshooting data issues?
• What is the most complex technical problem you’ve solved in a healthcare environment?

Behavioral and Stakeholder Management

These questions assess how you work with others and handle the pressures of a hospital environment.

• Tell me about a time you had a disagreement with a clinician regarding a system change. How did you resolve it?
• Describe a situation where you had to explain a technical limitation to a frustrated user.
• How do you handle multiple high-priority tasks with conflicting deadlines?
• Give an example of a time you went above and beyond to support a clinical team.

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

Epic Ecosystem and Application Analysis

This is the core of the Software Engineer role at Lee Health. We need to know that you understand the architecture of our primary electronic health record (EHR) system and can manage its complexity.

Be ready to go over:

• Module Configuration – Your experience with specific modules like ClinDoc, Beaker, or ASAP.
• Data Integrity – How you ensure that clinical data remains consistent and accurate across different interfaces.
• System Upgrades – Your approach to testing and implementing new versions of software in a live environment.
• Advanced concepts – Interoperability standards (HL7/FHIR), custom reporting logic, and integrated third-party applications.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Describe a time you had to configure a complex workflow in Epic to meet a specific clinical requirement."
• "How do you handle a situation where a software update breaks a critical clinical interface?"

Clinical Workflow Integration

Technical solutions are only effective if they work for our clinicians. This area evaluates your ability to understand the "why" behind the technical "how."

Be ready to go over:

• User Requirements Gathering – How you extract technical needs from clinical staff who may not speak "tech."
• Workflow Optimization – Identifying bottlenecks in current digital processes and proposing technical improvements.
• Change Management – How you prepare users for system changes and minimize resistance.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk us through how you would shadow a nurse to identify ways to improve their documentation speed."
• "How do you prioritize competing requests from different clinical departments?"

Key Responsibilities

As a Software Engineer or Advanced Application Analyst, your primary responsibility is the lifecycle management of our clinical applications. You will spend your days analyzing complex system issues, designing configuration changes, and collaborating with clinical leads to ensure the software supports the highest standard of patient care. You are the bridge between the technical infrastructure of Lee Health and the frontline medical staff.

You will drive initiatives related to system optimization, such as reducing the number of clicks required for a physician to place an order or improving the speed of laboratory result reporting. Your role involves a significant amount of documentation and testing; every change must be rigorously validated before it touches a patient record. You will also participate in on-call rotations to support our 24/7 hospital operations, ensuring that critical systems are always available.

Collaboration is a daily requirement. You will work closely with Project Managers to keep implementations on schedule and with IT Security to ensure all software meets HIPAA and other regulatory standards. Your success is measured by the stability of the applications you manage and the satisfaction of the clinicians who use them.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

A competitive candidate for the Software Engineer position at Lee Health combines deep technical specialization with a strong understanding of healthcare operations.

• Technical Skills – Proficiency in Epic software is often mandatory, with a strong preference for candidates who already hold current certifications in relevant modules. Knowledge of SQL for data analysis and an understanding of healthcare-specific protocols like HL7 are highly valued.
• Experience Level – Most Advanced Application Analyst roles require 3–5 years of experience in a healthcare IT environment. We look for a track record of successful system implementations or upgrades.
• Soft Skills – Excellent verbal and written communication skills are essential. You must be able to present technical concepts to non-technical audiences and remain calm under pressure during system outages.

Must-have skills:

• Epic Certification in the relevant module (e.g., ClinDoc, Beaker).
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting capabilities.
• Experience working within a structured SDLC or project management framework.

Nice-to-have skills:

• Experience with SQL or other data querying tools.
• Previous experience in a hospital or clinical setting.
• Knowledge of ITIL processes for service management.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How difficult are the interviews at Lee Health? The difficulty is generally rated as average, but the rigor comes from the specificity of the role. You aren't just being tested on general coding; you are being tested on your specific knowledge of healthcare workflows and Epic configuration.

Q: What is the typical timeline from the first interview to an offer? The process can be lengthy, sometimes taking several weeks to a few months. This is often due to the need to coordinate schedules between busy clinical leaders and the IT department.

Q: Is there a specific culture I should be aware of? Lee Health is a patient-first organization. Successful candidates are those who show they understand that their technical work has a direct impact on the person in the hospital bed.

Q: Does Lee Health offer remote or hybrid work for Software Engineers? While some roles may offer hybrid flexibility, many positions require a presence on-site at our Fort Myers or Cape Coral facilities to better collaborate with clinical staff.

Other General Tips

• Understand the Clinical Context: Before your interview, research the specific department you will be supporting (e.g., Oncology, Pediatrics, Laboratory). Knowing their unique challenges will set you apart.
• Showcase Your Certifications: If you have Epic certifications, be ready to discuss the specific projects where you applied that knowledge. Certifications are a key differentiator here.
• Prepare for Behavioral Questions: Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to answer behavioral questions, ensuring you highlight the positive impact on patient care or staff efficiency.