‘Epic’ trademark lawsuit leaves healthcare staffing firm without a name
An “epic” federal trademark lawsuit leaves a California-based healthcare staffing firm without a name and looking for a rebrand as America’s largest EHR vendor emerges victorious.
Epic Systems filed its complaint against Epic Staffing back in October 2024, arguing that the then seven-year-old temporary employment firm was infringing upon its brand name, specifically the EHR company’s right to “Epic Marks.”
Central to the lawsuit was a series of name changes occurring at Epic Staffing, which began to rebrand its various divisions using an “Epic formative” structure—Epic Travel Staffing, Epic Specialty Staffing, Epic Physician Staffing, and Epic Special Education Staffing, just to name a few.
The Wisconsin-based medical technology group argued that, in doing so, the similarly named staffing business was creating confusion in the market, made worse by the fact that the two companies operate in the same space.
Epic Systems, founded in 1979, feared that hospitals and health systems would believe the much younger company was a subsidiary of the true Epic. While Epic Staffing had been in business since 2017, it didn’t begin to adopt the full Epic-formative naming scheme until 2022.
In its legal complaint, Epic Systems had asked a court to order the staffing group to change its name and pay out damages, as the EHR giant argued that its brand had been tarnished by the infringement upon its trademark and the alleged chaos created in the market.
Notably, Epic Staffing does more than supply workers to hospitals. It offers full support to existing staff through supportive technology, allowing some jobs to be outsourced. Some of its operations, including staffing nurses and other clinical talent, are conducted in Wisconsin, where Epic Systems is headquartered.
Legal showdown fizzles
Staring down the legal complaint, Epic Staffing vowed in 2024 to take the case to trial in defense of its right to use the name, which it argued was clearly distinct from the Epic EHR. It called any insinuation that there was confusion in the market, and that Epic Systems was damaged, “baseless.”
Now less than two years later, the case has been settled out of court. Court documents show a formal resolution was filed in May 2026.
In dueling statements sent to multiple media outlets, the two Epics said the decision for the staffing group to rebrand was an “amicable” one.
The timeline for the name change at Epic Staffing isn’t clear. The firm continues to use the naming scheme for all its sub-divisions, with its website advertising a litany of healthcare-based Epic staffing solutions.
It’s also not clear if any damages were paid to Epic Systems, as the full terms of the settlement were not made public.
HealthExec reached out to the company for additional information.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.