Switching to a new EHR can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. As one of ProsperityEHR’s early adopters, Charis Counseling recently made the change and shared their experience navigating the transition, managing the new workflows, and preparing their team. Spoiler alert: snacks help, and so does support.
We sat down with Rick and Sheila, leaders at Charis Counseling, to hear firsthand what it’s like to adopt a new platform and what they’ve learned from their go-live experience.
About Charis Counseling: Founded in 2003 by Rick Jass, Lori Thompson, and David Holmes, Charis Counseling has spent more than two decades building a reputation for providing high-quality, professional care in a supportive, faith-informed environment. With a focus on hiring top-tier clinicians and maintaining strong relationships with local doctors, schools, and pastors, the Charis team has built a practice rooted in both excellence and empathy.
Q: You’ve been through a couple transitions now: from paper to QuicDoc, then to Psychease and now to ProsperityEHR. What drove this latest switch?
Rick: For us, ProsperityEHR is the next generation of EHR. We’ve seen how much the field has evolved, and we wanted to be ahead of the curve—especially when it comes to customization and compliance. We were looking for a platform that would support how we work and grow with us. Even though there have been some adjustments, we’re already seeing the benefits in functionality and speed. I was reviewing notes on an iPad while on vacation, and it was so much faster and smoother than what I used to deal with. That alone made the switch worth it.
Q: Change is hard—even when it’s the right move. What helped you and your team get through it?
Rick: Knowing we had a place to go with questions made a big difference. For me personally, having already been through an EHR transition helped—I knew what to expect. But I also reminded my team: any change takes time. There’s a muscle memory that develops with your old system, even if it’s clunky. You know where to click. But once you give it a week or so, that familiarity starts to set in with the new system. And ProsperityEHR is just better. That’s the truth.
Sheila: The intuitiveness of the software helped a lot. One of our therapists jumped in without even doing the training and said, “This is pretty easy to figure out.” That was a good sign.
Q: How did you prepare your team for the switch?
Rick: We framed it as an upgrade, not an overhaul. I told folks: “This is like a big update to Psychease—it’ll be easier than you think.” I wanted to manage expectations and reduce the fear factor.
Sheila: Having the Prosperity team—John and Jenny—support during onboarding was huge. They could answer questions in real time and work through any snags immediately.
Q: Let’s talk morale. What helped keep energy up during go-live?
Rick: John and Jenny sent treats. Ben sent more treats. So, I’d say snacks played a solid role in team morale.
Sheila: It’s the little things! That, and just keeping the vibe light. Training went smoothly, and people started realizing: “Oh, this isn’t so bad.”
Q: Now that you’re live, what’s the team saying?
Rick: The feedback has been positive. One clinician who recently switched said it was intuitive, the buttons were right where she needed them. Another mentioned there was just “less noise” compared to other systems. Things are clearer and more direct. That kind of feedback tells me we’re heading in the right direction.
Q: Any advice for other practices thinking about switching but feeling stuck?
Rick: Don’t let routine keep you from improving. It’s easy to get comfortable with what you know, even if it’s inefficient. Every time we’ve made a tech upgrade, we’ve seen real benefits: faster billing, fewer errors, better revenue flow, improved compliance. The transition may feel big, but the payoff is bigger.
Sheila: Test from all angles, not just from a provider perspective. One lesson we learned was realizing that admins and front desk staff have additional needs and different views in the system.
Q: You’ve clearly been an early adopter throughout your career. What’s your philosophy on that?
Rick: I think staying open to change keeps your business healthy. If you can see where things are going and lean into it, you can avoid a lot of pain later. For us, switching to ProsperityEHR was about positioning ourselves to serve our clients, and our team, better. That’s what it’s always been about.
Want to learn more about how ProsperityEHR helps practices like Charis Counseling simplify their workflows and level up their care? Schedule a demo or discovery call today.