In This Week's Issue: 

Trending in IT

Compared to other browsers Microsoft Edge offers: 

• Faster browsing
• Enhanced security and identity protection
• Easier to see your open tabs and organize your web searches

Microsoft Edge will automatically install and appear on your computer and will eventually replace Internet Explorer as the default browser. Be sure to try Edge when you see it installed so you can get familiar with it.

• Record a voice reminder for _______ (include first and last name, limited to three individuals).

You can also record future reminders to send at a certain time or repeat on a schedule you set, as well as urgent reminders.

• Set for a specific time: At 4 p.m. today.
• Set for a future time: 15 minutes from now.
• Set to repeat: Every 30 minutes for the next two hours.
  • Minimum of five minutes, maximum of 24 hours.
• Set an urgent reminder for yourself or others:
  • Record an urgent voice reminder.
  • Record an urgent voice reminder for ________.

Remember to stay HIPAA-safe, because all Vocera communications are on speaker. For more information, review this tip sheet or visit it.houstonmethodist.org/vocera.

Security Matters

For Everyone
Phishing Drills Continue in 2021

Last September, we began rolling out systemwide phishing drills. The drills are fake phishing emails that are helping train everyone on how to respond to a real cyber attack and identify suspicious emails. We’ll be sharing more stats soon. Continue to stay alert and vigilant.  

For more information, including how to respond to a suspicious email, read the latest phishing story from HM’s CIO Quarterly Report.  

Launch Alerts

For HMW/HMCCH Nurses, PCAs, ED Techs, Paramedics and Respiratory Therapists
HMW/HMCCH Specimen Scanning Launching on Tuesday, Jan. 19
Complete Required Training by Tomorrow

Specimen Scanning launches at HMW/HMCCH on Tuesday, Jan. 19 for nurses, PCAs, ED techs, paramedics and respiratory therapists (except in ORs and Radiology). This tool reduces the risk of specimen labeling errors, improving patient safety.

Required training deadline – Friday, Jan. 15

• Required online training has been assigned to end users (Epic Lab Specimen Collection & Barcode Scanning for Clinical Staff, course #1582031).
• Please complete this LMS training by Friday, Jan. 15.

For questions, contact your unit’s super users or the IT Help Desk. For more information, visit it.houstonmethodist.org/specimenscanning.

For HMCL
IT System Maintenance – Keep Your Devices On
HMCL: Tuesday, Jan. 19, 9 p.m. to Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2 a.m.

IT system maintenance will take place for HMCL on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 9 p.m. to Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2 a.m. Everyone will lose connection to most wireless medical devices and business systems/devices for about three minutes during this timeframe, but devices should reconnect automatically. If your devices don’t reconnect following the maintenance, please reboot.

The wireless interruption includes systems and devices like EKG carts, ultrasounds, portable X-rays, glucometers, WOWs, desktops, laptops, printers, cell phones and other wireless devices.

This maintenance excludes Vocera badges, Rover Zebra smartphones, Cisco wireless phones and any devices connected through HM guest Wi-Fi.

To prepare

• Keep your systems and devices turned on and online.
• Save your work often between 9 p.m. on Tuesday and 2 a.m. on Wednesday.

Epic Updates

For All Providers
Automatic Default Setting When Viewing Notes
Effective Now

A default setting automatically controls viewing Chart Central notes in Epic. The default setting:        

• Emphasizes the original note content.
• Gives you access to advanced features:
  • Source details
  • SmartTool specifics
  • Detailed copied information
• Allows you to Hide copied text and Hover for details are defaulted on (checked).
  • Black font indicates new text the author added to the note.
  • Light gray font indicates copied text.
• For details on where the copied text originated, hover over the gray font.
  • A pop-up window will display details.
  • To switch views, simply uncheck to turn off the note you’re viewing.

For All Epic Users
Department Name Required for Epic Login
Effective Tuesday, Jan. 19, 10 a.m.

Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 19, 10 a.m., Epic will require you to enter your department name at login, for all non-shared workstations. This allows floating staff to easily login to their assigned departments. The default is set to the last department entered, so be sure to choose your department if the one onscreen isn’t accurate.

For All Nursing Staff
Documentation Change for COVID-19 EUA Infusion Orders
Effective Tuesday, Jan. 19

To comply with a government mandate, the MAR soon will include a new section, Immunization Info, to document bamlanivimab and remdesivir infusion orders. Texas law requires all hospitals using COVID-19 EUA infusion medications to send this information to the Texas Department of State Health Services Immunization Registry. 

If you are administering these medications, document the Lot Number, Expiration Date, if the vial is available, and Manufacturer (Lilly for bamlanivimab or Gilead for remdesivir).

Planned Downtimes

Reminders

You can see previous issues of IT Matters and more at it.houstonmethodist.org.

For Everyone
Tracking COVID-19 Vaccinations and Proxy Access in MyChart

For DocuSign Users
DocuSign Website Updates

For All Surgeons, Oncologists and Tumor Registrars
V9 Cervix Uteri Staging Form Now Available

For Everyone-Everyone