Trending in ITSecurity Matters - America’s Hospitals – Newest Target for Cyberattacks
Physician Connect - August Issue of Physician Connect
Clinical News Launch Alerts- HMH Pharmacy Inventory Management Launches Monday, Oct. 25
Epic Updates- Epic Update: Sunday, Oct. 2
- Designating Proxy Access to Biological Parents for Minor Children
- Register Now for Rescheduled IV Pump Integration
Training Starting Sept. 13
For Everyone
Helping Parents and Caregivers Access COVID-19 Test Results for Children or Loved Ones
New Tools Available to Designate MyChart Proxy Access With the current surge, more parents and caregivers are seeking COVID-19 tests for their children or loved ones. Due to HIPAA regulations, these results are only shared through MyChart, as with any other health records. To help parents or legal guardians access these results, several options are available to provide third-party “proxy” access. Note: parents, guardians or caregivers must have their own active HM MyChart accounts to request and view their children’s or loved ones' records. - A Request Proxy Access button is available from the MyChart home page, which links to an electronic Proxy Application form. This form can be completed online and directly submitted to HIM. These forms are processed daily.
- Proxy access details for parents are included on the After Visit Summaries (AVS) for minor children, including directions to request access.
- Patients receive a text message and email following a COVID-19 test with a reminder that test results are available through MyChart.
- A flyer with proxy access instructions is available in some COVID-19 testing locations.
- SPG/PCG front desk staff and practice managers can designate proxy access for biological parents who have completed a printed Proxy Application form.
For Everyone
Live Chat with HR Hub
7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday
Did you know you can Live Chat with HR Hub, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Log in to MARS, click either the Benefit Details, Payroll & Compensation or the Personal Details tile and click the Live Chat button on the bottom right of your screen. You’ll quickly be connected to an HR specialist who can help answer your questions relating to benefits, payroll or other HR topics.
You can even request an email transcription of your chat session. For more information, contact HR Hub at hrhub@houstonmethodist.org or 832.667.6211.
For All Providers, Inpatient and ED Nursing and Staff
New Law Outlines Visitation Guidelines for Hospitalized Patients There's a new state law allowing hospitalized patients to have at least one healthy visitor (18 years or older), except in emergency departments. To align with these new guidelines, we’ve updated our Visitor Policy. Important Note: If the attending physician deems it unsafe, they can restrict a COVID-19 or other infectious hospitalized patient from having visitors (e.g., the in-person visit could lead to infectious disease
transmission, posing a serious community health risk). For these cases, click here and follow the appropriate workflow for your role.
For Everyone
America’s Hospitals – Prime Target for Cyberattacks
In the past six months nearly half of all U.S. hospitals have disconnected their networks, either proactively or as a direct result of ransomware attacks. Some hospitals have been forced to cancel surgeries or divert ambulances after losing access to their IT systems. The Wall Street Journal reported that a group of cybercriminals, with ties to Russian government security, are focused on extorting U.S. hospitals. This particular group accounted for one-third of U.S. ransomware attacks in 2020 and in the last year has collected at least $100 million in ransom. The good news for HM is our cybersecurity training is working. We are becoming more alert to suspicious emails, but as part of our defense strategy we must always remember to report these emails. Opening a suspicious
email won’t cause harm but ignoring it may. Here are a few ways to report suspicious emails: - Desktop/laptop (preferred method): Click Report Phish – PhishAlarm button on the Outlook toolbar.
- Mobile: Tap the three dots by the sender’s name and tap the Report Phish icon.
- Webmail/Office 365: Select the email. In the preview pane, click the three dots. Scroll down and click Report Phish.
- Apps Center: The Report Phish button isn’t available, so forward the email to spamspotting@houstonmethodist.org
For All Providers
Physician ConnectClick here for the August issue of Physician Connect.
For All ED Nurses
New ED Workflow for Disaster Visitation Restriction Documentation
Effective TodayTo align with the new law that allows hospitalized patients to have at least one visitor, unless the patient’s provider deems it unsafe, there’s a new ED workflow for Disaster Visitation Restriction documentation. This includes new: - Columns added to the To Be Admitted and Boarders tabs on the ED Track Board.
- BPAs.
- Daily update documentation.
To find out more,
review the ED – Disaster Visitation Restriction Documentation tip sheet.
For All Vocera Users
Vocera Badge Tips
What Those Badge Sounds Mean
If you wear a Vocera badge, here are some tips to make sure your hands-free communications tool works for you. Remember to stay HIPAA-safe because all Vocera communications are on speaker. As needed, answer calls with, “Hi, you’re on speaker and I’m in a patient room.”
When your badge beeps or chirps: - You’re off-network. Login with your Vocera badge.
- Your badge is on Do Not Disturb. Change to Active status.
- Voice or text message you haven’t heard or read. Listen to the message or read the text.
- Low battery. Change the battery.
When your badge beeps when you’re talking to someone, it's call-waiting. - To accept the call: Press the Call button. This places your current call on hold, and it will resume when you complete the incoming call.
- To reject the call: Press the DND button. This sends the call to your voicemail.
For more information, visit it.houstonmethodist.org/vocera.
For Pharmacists, Pharmacy Techs and Buyers
HMH Pharmacy Inventory Management Launches Monday, Oct. 25
Online Training: Through Sept. 10
Virtual Instructor-Led Training: Through Sept. 2 Pharmacy Inventory Management launches at HMH Monday, Oct. 25 for pharmacists, pharmacy techs and buyers, and will continue rolling out systemwide over the next few months. This new system provides efficiencies for drug inventory procurement and management by increasing inventory visibility, accurately charging for high-cost medications and minimizing drug shortages and obsolete stock. It will result in an estimated $5.8 million per year in inventory savings for the organization. Required LMS training – deadline,
Friday, Sept. 10
Required LMS online training (Epic Willow Pharmacy Inventory Training for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Techs – course #1594045) was assigned to pharmacists and pharmacy techs on Aug. 30. Online training takes place Aug. 30 to Sept. 10.
Buyers – required LMS and instructor-led training
Buyers, please complete two trainings, LMS online training (Epic Willow Inventory Rover Training – course #1597021) and one instructor-led. Register now for a virtual instructor-led course in LMS (Epic Willow Pharmacy Inventory Training for Buyers – course #1594022). The remaining class will take place 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 2.
For All Epic Users
Epic Update: Sunday, Oct. 24 The next Epic Update is Sunday, Oct. 24. This Update includes new features and enhancements, including a new Behavioral Health module in Epic, changes to Secure Chat and Epic department name changes for HMB from HMSJ. To learn about the changes for your role, view your Update Companion available in Learning Home (press F1 while in Epic) or visit it.houstonmethodist.org/epicupdate.
For SPG/PCG Front Desk Staff and Practice Managers
Designating Proxy Access to Biological Parents for Minor Children
Effective Immediately To expedite parents’ access to their minor children’s MyChart accounts and recent health/test records, SPG/PCG front desk staff and practice managers can now assign proxy access under select conditions. Proxy access is the ability for MyChart users to view the MyChart accounts and health records of other patients. A Request Proxy Access button is available from the MyChart home page, which links to an electronic Proxy Application form. This form can be
completed online and directly submitted to HIM. These are processed daily. Front desk staff in SPG/PCG clinics and practice managers can assign proxy access only when: - The patient is the biological child of the proxy applicant (the child’s parent).
- The parent-child relationship is validated.
- The parent has an HM MyChart account.
- The parent must completely fill out the printed Proxy Application.
- The Proxy
Application is scanned into the patient’s chart or faxed to HIM (713.394.6475) to be scanned.
Do not assign proxy access if the proxy applicant is not the biological parent (e.g., stepparent, grandparent, aunt/uncle, adult sibling, etc.). The parent can complete an electronic Proxy Application or provide a printed Proxy Application that can be scanned into the patient’s chart or faxed to HIM (713.394.6475) for processing. For more information on assigning proxy access, please review the MyChart Proxy Access Assignment Workflow tip sheet.
For HMH Nurses
Register Now for Rescheduled IV Pump Integration Training Starting Sept. 13
Launch Rescheduled to Start Nov. 1
The HMH launch of IV pump integration with Epic has been rescheduled for Monday, Nov. 1 through Tuesday, Nov. 9. 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 Sept. 13 to Oct. 29. 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. Note: Due to the launch date change, August classes were canceled. If you already registered for one of these sessions, please select a new one in LMS. - 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
Revised IV Pump Launch Schedule: - Monday, Nov. 1 – ICU, Transplants
- Tuesday, Nov. 2 – Infusion therapy (OPC 21, WP 11, WT 15 BMT)
- Thursday, Nov. 4 – Med/Surg, Women’s Services (Antepartum, L&D, NICU, OB ED)
- Tuesday, Nov. 9 – All others (Cath Lab, Endoscopy, ED/ECC, Radiology)
For more information or assistance with class registration,
contact Connie Lauw (cmlauw@houstonmethodist.org) or Epic Training (epictraining@houstonmethodist.org). For additional details, visit it.houstomethodist.org/ivpump.
Planned Downtimes or MaintenancesIf 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.
10 p.m. – midnight Thursday, Sept. 2
10 p.m. – midnight Tuesday, Sept. 7 Be prepared for intermittent or no access. Follow your department’s standard downtime procedures.
11 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4 to
6 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 5 LMS won't be available due to maintenance.
|