We recently asked you to participate in our Associate Engagement Survey, offering an opportunity to share your story. Across our system, 84 percent of our people took the time to respond, and we are grateful for your incredible input, ideas and recommendations. Sharing your unique experience ensures we obtain valuable feedback to act upon the survey results and achieve Centura Health’s 2025 aspirations.

Your direct supervisor will begin sharing results with you soon, and together, you and your team will partner to build action plans that will elevate the Centura Health experience for all our incredible people.

We are committed to using the results of these surveys to celebrate our strengths and support you in living out your mission. Your recommendations are important, unique, powerful and critical to Centura’s growth. Thank you for all you bring to our shared ministry.

On Sunday, April 11, Information Technology (IT) will upgrade Epic to the August/November 2020 version to ensure our incredible caregivers are up-to-date with the most optimized Epic functionality.

Epic will be unavailable for approximately two hours while IT applies the upgrade to a new version starting at 11:30 p.m. (2330 MST) (0030 CT) Saturday, April 10.

What do you need to do?
Please be aware that in order to ready Epic for the upgrade, IT will put the production environment into a Transparent Lockdown beginning Thursday, April 8, at 5 p.m. (1700 MT) (1800 CT). Certain customization tools, including the application of filters to Chart Review, modifying NoteWriter macros, modifying SmartPhrases, etc., will not be available during this time.

There will be a dedicated remote Command Center where Epic Upgrade troubleshooting tickets can be submitted. The Command Center will open on Sunday, April 11, at 1:30 a.m. (0130 MT) (0230 CT)  and remain open until Tuesday, April 13. If you or an end user need assistance with an upgrade related issue, please call the Service Center at 303-643-4200 and they will be able to provide direction.

IT will have a dedicated Epic Command Center Support Issue request available in the Self Service Hub for end users to report any issues they may encounter with the Epic Upgrade.



How to submit an Epic Upgrade Command Center Support Issue:
1.    Launch the Self Service Hub.
2.    Enter Upgrade in the Search field at the top.
3.    Select the Epic Upgrade Command Center Support Issue request.
4.    Enter the required fields.
5.    Click Submit.

Epic and Non-Epic Critical Application Downtimes

To ensure Microsoft Patches are deployed less than 30 days from receipt and to maximize our data security, the Epic Production and Non-Epic Critical
Application monthly maintenance windows were moved to the third Sunday of each month.

Important Information Regarding Maintenance Window Activities:

On Sunday, April 18, Information Technology (IT) will perform monthly maintenance on Epic, resulting in planned downtimes from Sunday, April 18 at 11:30 p.m. until Monday, April 19 at 1:00 a.m. (2330 until 0100 MT, 0030 until 0200 CT), lasting approximately one and a half hours. Epic will be down and unavailable during this planned downtime.

We will also perform maintenance on the following non-Epic critical applications and services, which will be unavailable from Sunday, April 18 from 11:30 p.m. until Monday, April 19 at 2:00 a.m. (2330 until 0200 MT, 0030 until 0300 CT), lasting approximately two and a half hours.  Please view the list of impacted applications or services and their related workarounds.

Non-Epic critical applications or services impacted and their workaround:

Non-Epic Critical Applications
Application	Workaround
3M 360 Encompass	There is no workaround for this application.
Alaris Interoperability	Use the Alaris IV Pump Integration Downtime Recovery Checklist.
Ascom Vital Sign Alerts (St. Francis NICU)	Ascom will not provide vital sign alerts to Cisco phones and requires the downtime procedures to be initiated. Additional staffing may be needed.
Avasure Virtual Telesitters	Avasure Virtual Telesitters will be unavailable. Initiate downtime procedures including in-person sitting coverage.
Myla Software/Virtuo Blood Culture Instruments	Culture orders will not interface from Epic to Myla during this time. Please follow downtime and manual procedures, as necessary.
Natus Neuroworks	Please initiate downtime procedures.
Nurse Call Systems (All)	Nurse Call systems will not send alerts to phones. Nurse Call alerts will alarm at the main console. Downtime procedures should be in place and the nurse call console should be monitored while the system is down.
OBIX	OBIX will be unavailable. Downtime procedures including in-person monitoring should be initiated which may require increased staff.
Point of Care lab tests uploading to Epic	Point of Care lab results will not upload to Epic during the full maintenance window. POC tests completed during the downtime will upload to Epic once the downtime is complete.
Pyxis	Pyxis stations will automatically be placed on critical override in order to pull medications.
WellSky Transfusion – Blood Bank	WellSky Transfusion (Blood Bank) will not be available.  The labs should initiate downtime procedures if the application is needed during the downtime.
Computer workstation security updates	Following the installation of workstation updates, you will see a 15-minute countdown and then the workstation will automatically restart.

When this will occur:

• Epic: Sunday, April 18 at 11:30 p.m. until Monday, April 19 at 1:00 a.m. (2330 until 0100 MT, 0030 until 0200 CT).
• Non-Epic Critical Applications: Sunday, April 18 at 11:30 p.m. until Monday, April 19 at 2:00 a.m. (2330 until 0200 MT, 0030 until 0300 CT).

• Ascom Vital Sign Alerts (St. Francis NICU): Additional staffing may be needed.
• Avasure Virtual Telesitters: Initiate downtime procedures including in-person sitting coverage.
• Nurse Call Systems (All): Downtime procedures should be in place and the nurse call console should be monitored while the system is down.
• OBIX: Downtime procedures including in-person monitoring should be initiated which may require increased staff.

• Use the Epic SRO icon during the planned Epic downtimes.
• For Alaris Interoperability recovery, use the Alaris IV Pump Integration Downtime Recovery Checklist.
• If Epic SRO becomes unavailable during the downtime windows, use the Epic Down 2 BCA Web option (for Middle Park and Craig Hospital end-users, use the Epic Downtime 3 BCA Web option).

The Information Technology (IT) Service Center is here for you 24/7. We are happy to answer your questions and assist you with any request or need. Our number one goal is to provide you with first call resolution! We strive every day to provide the best customer service and quick resolutions – and over 70% of our calls are resolved on the first call. We have some exciting and new additions to the Service Center that have helped provide our customers with a concierge feel.

Password and Account Resets: Did you know that the most frequently received phone calls are Passwords and Account resets, which do not require a phone call. That’s right! You have the ability to reset your password, change your password, or unlock your account in My Virtual Workplace or by following the steps outlined in this document.

Fun Fact: Did you also know that you can access the Self Service Hub and search for resolutions! This allows you to obtain a resolution without calling the Service Center!

Self Service Hub: You can request hardware, software (including Epic), modify email distribution lists, etc. Most services can be requested through the Self Service Hub, however if you have an urgent or time-sensitive issue, we encourage you to call the Service Center at 303.643.4200.

Self Service Portal Chat: Back in January 2020 the Service Center rolled out the new Portal Chat feature! We understand that our associates are busy and not always close to a phone. This feature provides another method of receiving the same personal connection, when you can’t call Service Center.  

• How to share your Outlook Calendar
• Installing Microsoft Outlook on an IOS Mobile Device
• SharePoint End User Guide
• Microsoft Teams End User Guide

• Urgent Issues: To ensure faster resolution for urgent/ time-sensitive issues, call the Service Center at 303-643-4200 or ext. 84000\
• Non-Urgent Issues: You can utilize our new chat feature or send an email.
  • Self Service Hub Chat
  • Send an email to ServiceCenter@Centura.org

Centura is proud to sponsor the St. John Paul II Foundation’s Converging Roads conference series, taking place both in person and online this coming Saturday, April 10 for the first time in Denver at Risen Christ Parish from 8:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.

The conference theme is Ethical Challenges in Health Care: A Practical Approach and will feature seven presentations from local and national experts, including Natalie Rodden, MD, palliative medicine physician from St. Anthony North Health Campus. Attendees, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and chaplains can receive up to seven hours of continuing education credit! Conference topics include artificial intelligence and the common good, religious liberties, the duty to care when facing personal risk, navigating moral distress and others. Click here to view the full conference agenda.

• In-Person Registration: $69-$149 based on CME/CNE inclusion.
• Online Registration: $39-$119 based on CME/CNE inclusion.

In an exclusive partnership with the Centura Health Foundations, Walden University has generously donated 30, $15,000 scholarships to Centura Health associates who enroll in a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral program and begin classes between June 1 and Sept. 27, 2021. Additionally, Centura Health and the Foundations are offering a potential match of up to 50% of Walden’s gift, bringing the possible total scholarship award amounts up to $22,500, depending on the cost of the degree program.

The scholarship application period is now open and runs until April 30, 2021. If you are interested in applying for the Walden Scholarship, please click here.

With only 30 scholarships available, the application process will be competitive, and a scholarship is not guaranteed to all applicants. This scholarship is limited to new Walden Students. Awards and amounts will be determined by a diverse selection committee comprising Centura Health leadership, board members, foundation representatives and Walden University.

Q/A sessions

To learn more about this incredible opportunity, please join Walden University for a virtual Q & A session. Over 100 of our associates have already signed up for these. The remaining sessions are April 6 and April 21 at 12:00PM and 8:00PM MT on both days. Click here to register!

About Walden University

On a mission for social change, Walden University is a B corporation that meets the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance. With more than 80 degree programs and more than 385 specializations and concentrations, the school offers Centura Health associates a way to build highly transferable skills that can be immediately applied to your current role, as well as provide a pathway for greater career success. To qualify for a scholarship, your selected degree program must meet the hiring needs of Centura Health.

Supported by philanthropy, this unique opportunity would not be possible without the generosity of Walden University, Centura Health and our community of foundation donors who include some of our own incredible caregivers.

By removing the heavy financial burden of higher education, we hope this generous program, designed specifically for our incredible people, will help you live your mission, achieve your career aspirations and build flourishing communities. “I felt it was a great opportunity to earn the credential for a leadership position while working in a clinical position,” Luke Angel, manager of rehabilitation at Mercy Regional Medical Center, shared. “I can complete coursework around my work and life schedule. If I am extremely busy one week, I can adjust my study schedule to accommodate, then just pick a weekend to get caught up.”