Trending in ITReview Your Update Companions Starting Tomorrow, July 23 Specimen Scanning Successfully Launches at HMB Tech Tuesdays GE CPN/CPN Connect Passwords Changing Specimen Scanning Printer Troubleshooting
Launch Alerts- Solarity Fax and Scanning Automation Successfully Launched for HIM
- Rover Zebra Smartphone Upgrade
- New Imaging Platform to Integrate with Epic
- IV Pump Integration with Epic: HMH Launch, Sept. 27
Epic UpdatesDocument COVID-19 Vaccination History in Epic for Patient Safety, Better Reporting New COVID-19 Order Set Changes - New Phlebotomy Collection Filter
- HMSJ Department References Officially Change to HMB
For All Epic Users
Review Your Update Companions Starting Tomorrow, July 23
Next Epic Update, Aug. 15Starting tomorrow, Friday, July 23, you can review your Update Companion to learn how the next Epic Update impacts your role. The Update is Sunday, Aug. 15, and includes new features and enhancements. To view your Companion, press F1 while you're logged into Epic to access the Learning Home, or click the links in tomorrow's Epic Update email. Note: Preparing is easier for you – you no longer have to acknowledge your review, but be sure you review your Companion so you are prepared on Aug.
15. Here are a few of the changes coming with the Update.
Secure Chat ImprovementsBlock receipt of messages in one-on-one communications by changing your status to Unavailable.New sign-in and opt-in groups will make it easier to
communicate with others in your department or hospital.With sign-in groups, when you use the Sign In activity at the beginning of your shift to assign yourself to patients, you’re automatically added to appropriate groups based on your role and location.You can also join an opt-in group at the beginning of your shift and use it to communicate about
patients with others in your organization.
Depending on your work environment, you can set your Chat Settings preference to either show Secure Chat message details or hide them. For example, if you're in a high-traffic area where patients can see your screen, you might want to turn off message details. However, if you're in a closed office setting, it's probably safe to make message details visible. If you don’t set an end time for your
availability status, it will no longer expire. You must manually update your availability status if you don't add an end time.You can auto-forward messages to a group or an individual.
For more information, visit it.houstonmethodist.org/epicupdate.
For Everyone
Specimen Scanning Successfully Launches at HMB Specimen Scanning successfully launched at HMB on Tuesday, July 20, with 217 wireless lab label printers installed and 627 specimens scanned in just the first two days. “We are very happy to start our implementation of specimen bar code scanning," said Becky Chalupa, HMB chief nursing officer. "We feel this will have a positive impact on patient safety.”
This new tool reduces the risk of specimen labeling errors, improving patient safety. Increased accuracy helps reduce lab processing turnaround times, so providers can make patient care decisions sooner than previously possible. The final launch is HMWB on Tuesday, Aug. 17, completing a year-long systemwide rollout.
For more information, visit it.houstonmethodist.org/specimenscanning.
For All Inpatient Obstetricians, OB Clinical Staff and
L&D Directors and Managers
GE CPN/CPN Connect Passwords Changing
Effective Monday, Aug. 2IP obstetricians and OB clinical staff:
On Monday, Aug. 2, passwords for GE CPN and associated applications are being updated to align with your Epic/Windows passwords. This will help improve security and ID/password consistency. Starting Aug. 2, use your Epic/Windows password for your GE CPN/CPN Connect password. After the Aug. 2 update, your CPN password won’t work. Airstrip won’t be impacted – continue using your current HM
login/password.
L&D directors and managers:
Please share this information with impacted providers and clinical staff.
For Specimen Scanning Users
Specimen Scanning Printer Troubleshooting When you're printing lab labels for specimen scanning, make sure the following items print clearly, 1) patient’s first and last name, 2) MRN/DOB and 3) specimen collection date and time. If they don’t, the lab may reject the specimen. If these items don't print clearly, turn the printer off and try these tips: Pause and turn it back on. If this doesn’t help, try the next tip. Open the
lid, reseat the labels, close the printer lid and turn it back on. This will realign how the labels feed into the printer. Open the lid, clean the printer head with alcohol prep, close the lid and turn it back on.
If the labels still aren’t printing clearly or in alignment, contact the IT Help Desk. Be sure to include the printer name. For more information, tip sheets and easy-to-follow Quick Start Guides, visit it.houstonmethodist.org/specimenscanning.
For Everyone
Solarity Fax and Scanning Automation Successfully Launched for HIM Solarity automated faxing and scanning successfully launched for HIM over the past three months. This new tool improves patient safety by making incoming patient information available in Epic sooner. It also provides efficiencies by helping staff handle the nearly 13 million pieces of paper received each year. This is in compliance with HIMSS Stage 7 requirements and reduces the risk of errors inherent in manually scanning and filing the paperwork. Until now, when we received paper medical records, staff manually scanned them into Epic, then filed the paper copies. This was a labor-intensive process that delayed medical records being
viewable in Epic. The new increased efficiency provides an added benefit – staff now have more time to improve the indexing system, making it easier to find documents. Solarity will launch for ambulatory in the fall.
For Rover Users
Rover Zebra Smartphone Quarterly Upgrade
HMSL: Downtime Wednesday, July 28, 1 - 3 a.m.
All Other Hospitals: Downtime Tuesday, Aug. 3, 1 - 8 a.m.
The Rover Zebra smartphone upgrade is Wednesday, July 28, 1 - 3 a.m. at HMSL and Tuesday, Aug. 3. 1 - 8 a.m. for all other hospitals. This quarterly upgrade is a critical preparation for the Aug. 15 Epic Update. How to prepare – phone on, battery charged
Be sure your Zebra smartphone is turned on with the battery charged before your downtime. Otherwise your phone won’t receive the Epic Update and won’t function properly.
Your individual downtime – five to 10 minutes
Your individual downtime will last about five to 10 minutes. You can still use your phone for calls, but use Epic on workstations for documentation. After your individual downtime – pick up where you left off
Rover will drop what you have in progress during your five to 10 minutes of downtime. When you log back in, Rover will prompt you about incomplete work. You then can continue documenting where you left off. After the upgrade
Activate the Rover app. For the End User License Agreement, tap Accept. Then login with your HM user ID and password. What’s new
In addition to updating the Rover app, the upgrade includes a banner at the top of the Rover login screen on your Zebra phone and in Epic on a workstation. For more information and tip sheets, visit it.houstonmethodist.org/rover.
For LifeImage Users
New Imaging Platform to Integrate with Epic
Effective Tuesday, Aug. 3
Training Available Starting the Week of July 26On Tuesday, Aug. 3, HM’s cardiology and radiology imaging library service will change to Ambra Imaging, a cloud-based image management system that integrates with Epic. Required online training will be assigned for current LifeImage users, with courses available in LMS starting next week. With Ambra, you can quickly upload images from patient CDs, external imaging services and non-HM providers. You can also easily share images electronically with referring providers through the Ambra gateway. Eventually, Ambra will replace LifeImage.
For HMH Nurses
IV Pump Integration with Epic:
HMH Launch, Sept. 27
Register for Classroom Training Now
IV pump integration with Epic launches at HMH from Monday, Sept. 27 through Tuesday, Oct. 5. To prepare, nurses have been assigned training in LMS but must register for classroom training as soon as possible to reserve a seat. Classroom training is Aug. 9 to Sept. 24. To register, search LMS for your appropriate Epic IV Pump Integration training course and select a session. Classroom size is limited, and each course is two hours. - Critical Care/ICU Departments – Course ID 1594004
- Emergency Department
– Course ID 158905
- Infusion Therapy – Course ID 1589057
- OB Departments – Course ID 1594003
- All Other Departments – Course ID 1589055
IV pump integration with Epic is easy to use, with fewer buttons to click and automated documentation of infusion start/stop times, allowing you to spend less time documenting. Additional benefits include: - Better patient outcomes and improved safety.
- Reduced need for manual searches and documenting IV medication details.
- More detailed and precise documentation.
- Decreased potential errors when managing complex IV infusions.
For more information or assistance with class registration, contact Connie Lauw (cmlauw@houstonmethodist.org) or Epic Training (epictraining@houstonmethodist.org). For additional
details and benefits, visit it.houstonmethodist.org/ivpump/.
HMH IV Pump Launch Schedule: - Monday, Sept. 27 – ICU, Transplants
- Tuesday, Sept. 28 – Infusion therapy (WT 15 BMT, OP/WP 11)
- Thursday, Sept. 30 –
Med/Surg, Women’s Services (Antepartum, L&D, NICU, OB ED)
- Tuesday, Oct. 5 –
All others (Cath Lab, Endoscopy, ED/ECC, Radiology)
For All Inpatient Nurses
Document COVID-19 Vaccination History in Epic for Patient Safety, Better Reporting
Effective ImmediatelyA new COVID-19 Vaccine section has been added to the Admission Navigator (Triage Navigator in ED) to improve vaccination status documentation and reporting for admitted patients. This will help to improve patient safety. Effective immediately, if a patient has received a COVID-19 vaccine, go into the Immunization activity and update the vaccine history. For more information and instructions, review the Reconciling Immunizations (inpatient) and
the ED-Documenting COVID Vaccine Information (ED) tip sheets.
For Inpatient Ordering Providers, Infection Control
New COVID-19 Order Set Changes
Effective Now Isolation orders in COVID-19 Order Sets have been changed to meet new OSHA standards. Now, only the isolations required for the patient (Airborne and Contact Isolations) will display for the ordering provider. - If the patient already has required isolations, isolation orders won’t display.
- If the patient doesn’t have both required isolations and both are needed, all isolation orders will display.
- If
the patient is missing one of the required isolations, the missing isolation order will display.
Examples: Patient has both required isolations:
Patient needs both required isolation orders:
Patient missing one of the required isolations:
For Inpatient Nurses
New Phlebotomy Collection Filter
Effective Now A new Work List filter now lets you see phlebotomy tasks in Epic on a workstation. When you need to draw these specimens, you can use the new Phlebotomy Collect task in Work List. All nurses will see the Phlebotomy Collect filter, but you don’t need to use it if your hospital doesn’t have phlebotomists.
For All Epic Users and Everyone at HMB
HMSJ Department References Officially Change to HMB
Effective Sunday, Aug. 15On Sunday, Aug. 15, department references to HMSJ, e.g., Epic department name, acronym, workqueue lists, reporting and census logs, and cost centers will change to HMB. This is to align with the official hospital name. Note: because HMB falls alphabetically before HMSJ, look for HMB higher up in places like drop-down boxes, menus and catalogues.
View after Sunday, Aug. 15
Planned Downtimes or MaintenanceIf you experience issues during a planned maintenance, including missing computer icons or shared drives, please be patient and restart your computer. To ensure minimal impact, save your work often, before and during any planned maintenance.
Network Maintenance (systemwide)
Thursday, July 22, 9 p.m. –
Friday, July 23, 1 a.m. You may experience intermittent internet and application access slowness, lasting up to five seconds. This will impact all devices using Wi-Fi, including HM laptops, WOWs and medical equipment connected to wireless.
Network Maintenance (HMWB)
Thursday, July 22, 10 p.m. –
Friday, July 23, 2 a.m. Devices using HM wireless networks will experience a network interruption for up to one hour. When the maintenance is complete devices will automatically reconnect. This will impact all devices using Wi-Fi, including HM laptops, Cisco wireless phones, WOWs and medical equipment connected to wireless and guest access.
Thursday, July 22, 11:55 p.m. –
Friday, July 23, 5 a.m. LaborWorkx won't be available during these time frames. Be sure to print any required items. For questions, contact HR Hub at 832.667.6211 or HRHub@HoustonMethodist.org. Note: Badge Readers will be available, but not Quick Badge and Mobile app.
Network Maintenance (HMW)
Thursday, July 22, 11:59 p.m. –
Friday, July 23, 4 a.m. You may experience intermittent internet and application access slowness, lasting up to five minutes.
Thursday, July 22, 10 p.m. – midnight
Tuesday, July 27, 10 p.m. – midnight Be prepared for intermittent or no access. Follow your department’s standard downtime procedures.
Saturday, July 24, 11 p.m. –
Sunday, July 25, 6 a.m. LMS won't be available due to maintenance.
GE Encompass Asset Tracking (FindIt and ManageIt applications)
Wednesday, July 28, 10 – 11:30 a.m.
Encompass will experience periodic downtimes during this time frame.
Sunday, Aug. 15, 2 – 5 a.m.
During the downtime, access the Epic Read-Only icon on your workstation desktop. Data in Epic Read-Only is current until the downtime begins. You can’t document or enter orders in Epic Read-Only.
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