What is a Software Engineer at Lee Health?

A Software Engineer at Lee Health—often titled as an Advanced Application Analyst—plays a pivotal role in the intersection of healthcare and technology. You are responsible for the specialized systems that empower our clinicians to provide world-class care to the Southwest Florida community. By maintaining and optimizing critical platforms like Epic ClinDoc or Epic Beaker, you ensure that patient data is accurate, accessible, and secure at the moment of care.

Your work directly impacts patient outcomes and operational efficiency across our entire health system. Whether you are streamlining clinical documentation for nurses or enhancing laboratory results workflows, you are building the digital backbone of a major healthcare provider. This role is not just about writing code or managing databases; it is about solving complex problems that have a real-world impact on human lives every day.

At Lee Health, the engineering and analyst teams operate in a high-stakes environment where precision and reliability are paramount. You will work alongside clinical stakeholders, project managers, and fellow engineers to translate medical requirements into robust technical solutions. This is an opportunity to apply your technical expertise to a mission-driven organization that values innovation in the service of health and wellness.

Common Interview Questions

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.

Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Preparing for an interview at Lee Health requires a dual focus on technical proficiency and clinical empathy. You should approach your preparation by considering how your technical decisions affect the end-user—the doctors, nurses, and technicians who rely on these systems.

Role-Related Knowledge – Interviewers will evaluate your depth of experience with specific healthcare software ecosystems, particularly Epic. You should be prepared to discuss your certification status, your understanding of specific modules, and how you handle complex configuration tasks within a regulated environment.

Problem-Solving Ability – You will be tested on your ability to troubleshoot system errors and optimize workflows. Interviewers look for a structured approach: how you identify the root cause of an issue, how you evaluate potential solutions, and how you implement changes without disrupting active clinical operations.

Collaboration and Communication – Success at Lee Health depends on your ability to bridge the gap between technical teams and non-technical clinical staff. You must demonstrate that you can listen to a clinician’s needs and translate them into technical specifications while managing expectations regarding timelines and system capabilities.

Culture Fit and Mission Alignment – We look for candidates who are passionate about healthcare. You should be ready to discuss why you want to work in a hospital setting and how you align with our values of excellence, compassion, and education.

Interview Process Overview

The interview process at Lee Health is designed to ensure a strong match between your technical skills and the specific needs of our clinical departments. You can expect a process that prioritizes thoroughness and departmental fit, often involving multiple stakeholders from both the IT and clinical sides of the organization.

The journey typically begins with an initial screening, followed by more in-depth conversations with hiring managers and peer panels. Because our roles are highly specialized, the process is focused on verifying your hands-on experience with the specific tools and modules required for the position. We aim for a collaborative evaluation where you have the opportunity to meet the team you will be supporting.

The visual timeline above outlines the standard progression from the initial application to the final offer. Candidates should use this to pace their preparation, noting that the transition between the hiring manager interview and the panel stage is a critical point for deepening your technical research. While the process is rigorous, it is intended to provide a clear picture of the day-to-day realities of the role.

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.

• Be Patient but Persistent: The healthcare hiring process can have administrative delays. Maintain a professional and patient demeanor throughout the waiting periods.
• Ask About the Team Structure: Inquire about how the IT team interacts with clinical "super users." This shows you are thinking about long-term collaboration.

Summary & Next Steps

The Software Engineer (or Advanced Application Analyst) role at Lee Health is a unique opportunity to use your technical skills for a greater purpose. You will be joining a team of dedicated professionals who are committed to using technology to improve healthcare delivery in our community. While the interview process requires patience and specific technical preparation, the reward is a stable, impactful career in one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy.

Focus your preparation on demonstrating your Epic expertise and your ability to work effectively with clinical stakeholders. By showing that you are both a skilled technician and a compassionate problem-solver, you will position yourself as a top candidate for our team.

The salary data provided reflects the competitive compensation packages offered at Lee Health. These ranges are determined by the specific module expertise and the level of seniority required for the role. When discussing compensation, consider the total value of working for a major health system, including benefits and the stability of the healthcare industry. For more insights and to continue your preparation, you can explore additional resources on Dataford. We look forward to seeing how your skills can help us continue to provide exceptional care.