On our March 31 IS Open Forum, Tabitha Lieberman, SVP of Clinical & Revenue Cycle Applications, and I shared the many ways Information Services is supporting the needs of the system through this unprecedented COVID-19 response.
IS responds with agility
During the past couple of weeks, Information Services has been supporting and enabling preparation and response related to COVID-19 across a number of areas: EHR, patient facing tools, triage tent and bed management, data and analytics, technology and system infrastructure.
We’ve maintained very close coordination with system operations, stood up an IS Command Center and we have put in place rapid build, deploy and supply processes across work streams such as Lab Testing, Screening and User access. We have mobilized across all areas to ensure adequate performance and security, support new data and analytics requirements, and we have worked to enable work-from-home for non-clinical caregivers across the system. We are set to continue with this support, as well as managing the impact that these efforts are having on our existing projects and resources.
See the slide of critical IS work supporting COVID-19 response.
Modern Workplace now more important than ever
In this edition of IS Update, we share how SharePoint Online and the IS self-service training offering on SharePoint design helped our organizational communications team build the COVID-19 update site that has been so critical for providing real-time updates and resources during this crisis.
Additionally, Microsoft Teams has proven itself as a reliable, easy-to-use collaboration tool during this period of remote work, as virtual meetings have expanded exponentially.
In mid-March, our Modern Workplace team had the chance to do an at-the-elbow tutorial of Teams with Rod Hochman, MD, our president and CEO. A few weeks later, when a quick solution was needed for Rod, Erik Wexler, executive vice president and chief executive, Southern California, Debra A. Canales, executive vice president and chief administrative officer, and Dougal Hewitt, executive vice president and chief mission officer, to provide a virtual St. Joseph Day Service, they turned to Teams.
Using Teams, IS was able to support these C-level execs and our Mission directors in sharing a St. Joseph Day blessing and words of encouragement on this important day for the heritage of our ministries. Using the same “live events” approach we use for IS Open Forum, Teams was the only solution able to be stood up to host this timely virtual blessing for 10,000 caregivers, with presenters in both Renton and Irvine.
Answering the call to get personally involved 
There will be many calls at your regional and ministry level to support response needs in the coming weeks. Keep looking in the system COVID-19 updates that go out several times a week. Depending on location, volunteer needs have included the production of personal protective equipment, the recent call to update our skills in SuccessFactors (for those of us that may have clinical licenses or past frontline caregiver experience, and could support the “clinical surge” we may need), and support of our Mission outreach to the most vulnerable in our communities during this time.
I, personally, have helped with several of these campaigns, and found a previously-unknown talent cutting plastic sheets for faceshields the other week in Renton. We also had a large group of IS caregivers assist telehealth carts for the PSJH Telehealth Service line. Last week, alone, IS helped assemble 44 carts for deployment, and this week is on track to help build 100 for use across our ministries.
Stay engaged and stay safe
As I said on last week’s IS Open Forum, this is a critical time to stay engaged with our system communications, newsletters, and COVID-19 updates. The recommendations from our system and local governments are critical for keeping you and your families as safe as possible.
I continue to be humbled and impressed by this the IS organization’s level of talent and resourcefulness. Thank you for all you do, personally, and in demonstrating our technology leadership during this crisis. Stay healthy and safe, and we’ll talk on our May 5 IS Open Forum.
-B.J.