Downtime
Upcoming IT Downtimes
Click each item to expand for more details.
Thursday, April 9 (6-10 p.m.): Solarity Scan
Solarity Scan, a digital scanning platform used by HIM and front-office staff, will undergo system maintenance. During this maintenance, scanning and utilizing the Batches button will be unavailable.
Thursday, April 9 (7 p.m.) - Friday, April 10 (2 a.m.): Cisco Phone Maintenance (HMCCH, HMCL, HMSL, HMW)
Save your work often during this maintenance time.
No impact expected for active Cisco phone calls in progress. If your Cisco phone disconnects, please hang up and try again. If network drives and icons are missing, please reboot the machine.
Thursday, April 9 (10 p.m.) - Friday, April 10 (2 a.m.): Network Maintenance (systemwide)
The internet systemwide will experience slowness for 10 seconds, up to two times, during the maintenance.
Tuesday, April 14 (10 p.m.) - Wednesday, April 15 (2 a.m.): Network Maintenance (HMCL)
The internet at HMCL will experience slowness for 30 seconds, up to four times, during the maintenance.
Wednesday, April 15 (8-8:05 p.m.): Epic Pause
Epic will experience a brief “system pause” for up to five minutes.
No changes starting at 5 a.m. Some Epic personalization features will be unavailable, and no changes or enhancements can be made through 8:05 p.m. You’ll still be able to work in Epic as usual, but you won’t be able to apply filters in Chart Review, create, edit and share NoteWriter macros, SmartPhrases and SmartLinks or create and edit InBasket QuickActions.
If you’re logged in to Epic during the pause, a pop-up screen will appear, advising you that the pause is taking place. You won’t be able to proceed until the pause is complete. When the pop-up screen disappears, you can resume work where you left off, without any data loss.
Vitals and data will be stored during the pause and will flow into Epic after the pause.
If you attempt to log in to Epic during the pause, you’ll be able to enter your user ID and password, but Epic won’t fully open until the pause is complete.
Wednesday, April 15 (8-8:30 p.m.): GE Muse
GE Muse will be unavailable for system maintenance.
During the maintenance you won’t be able to:
- View studies in Muse.
- Send ECGs, Holters and stress tests to Muse. (Any ECGs performed during downtime will remain on the cart until connectivity is restored. Please follow downtime procedures.)
- Transmit reports (Preliminary and Final) to Epic.
After the maintenance:
- ECG cart connectivity will be restored, and all pending ECGs will be sent to Muse.
Saturday, April 18 (1-8 a.m.): Workday
Workday will be unavailable due to system maintenance.
Thursday, April 23 (10 a.m. - 2 p.m.): Network Maintenance (HMH)
The internet at HMH will experieince a downtime of up to 5 minutes for system maintenance. Impacted applications, include BioButtons, Bighubs and Care.AI carts.
Epic Downtime Resources
Epic Downtime Manual
Downtime Order Sets
Learn more.
Clinical Reference Documents
CRRT Electrolyte Replacement Protocol (V4 09-2023)
Hypoglycemia Algorithm (V2.03172022)
ICU Electrolyte Protocol AGGRESSIVE Magnesium
ICU Electrolyte Protocol NORMAL Magnesium Supplementation
ICUInsulinGoal110-140ALGORITHM1
ICUInsulinGoal110-140ALGORITHM2
ICUInsulinGoal110-140ALGORITHM3
ICUInsulinGoal110-140ALGORITHM4
ICUInsulinGoal110-140ALGORITHM5
ICUInsulinGoal110-140ALGORITHM6
ICUInsulinGoal140-180ALGORITHM1
ICUInsulinGoal140-180ALGORITHM2
ICUInsulinGoal140-180ALGORITHM3
ICUInsulinGoal140-180ALGORITHM4
ICUInsulinGoal140-180ALGORITHM5
ICUInsulinGoal140-180ALGORITHM6
IMUInsulinGoal110-180MEDIUMDOSE
Nurse Driven Indwelling Urethral Catheter Management Protocol (V15 11-03-20)
Patient Record of Bedside Insulin Pump and Blood Glucose (v2023)
Patient Supplied Insulin Pump or CGM Agreement Form
Pressure Injury Prevention Support Surface Decision Guide (V062822)
Tenecteplase for Stroke Dosing Card.pdf
During a downtime:
Use Epic Read-Only to view data. Access Epic Read-Only from your desktop or through access.houstonmethodist.org. If you don’t see the Epic Read-Only icon, click here for instructions on how to add it to your desktop.
- No orders may process to PACS or the transcription system. Interpretation of studies will be managed per each department’s defined downtime process.
- Data may not flow into Epic from mobile vital signs machines, dialysis machines, bedside monitors, ventilators or anesthesia carts.
- Epic Read-Only will not receive Caregility alerts and camera links will not be available. Use the Caregility portal.
- Sickbay risk scores that include lab data will be impacted and the New Admission Queue will not be available.
- Teams Activations
- To locate the on-call provider, refer to the QGenda Houston Methodist System On-Call page.
- STEMI and ELVO: Follow your local downtime process. Use the QGenda Houston Methodist On-Call page.
- Stroke/Telestroke: Locate the on-call prover and call them directly. Review the Telestroke Downtime Process document for the complete process.
Epic Downtime Quick Reference Checklist
Epic Downtime CSN Numbers
Contact your administator for more information.
After the downtime:
Radiology and Cardiology:
- Enter orders in Epic based on the downtime paper requisitions/downtime log.
- Process orders using standard workflows and prepare them for interpretation.
- Downtime studies will be read using the defined interpretation method for each department.
Medical Devices:
- Manually enter all vital sign data captured during the downtime when Epic is back up.
- Any new vital sign data collected after the downtime will automatically integrate with Epic.
Online Downtime Resources
Epic Read-Only
Available on most Epic-enabled workstations and through the Apps Portal. This is a view-only system, so new documentation or orders can’t be added. Data is up to date as of the time when Epic went down. You’ll have limited access to patient data, but can still view active orders and the MAR, print patient labels and arm bands.
BCA Web
Access essential downtime reports from any workstation when you have internet access but Epic and Epic Read-Only are not available. View and print a current census or limited clinical summaries with data for each patient, including active orders, recent results and vitals. Also provides a printable downtime MAR for each patient and a respiratory patient summary.
Reports are automatically updated every 30 minutes for ICU patients and every two hours for non-ICU patients. Department Appointment Reports (including patient schedules for the next four weeks) for outpatient and PCG/SPG clinics are updated daily.
BCA Printing / Downtime Computer
Similar reporting functionality as BCA Web, but available from your unit’s designated downtime computer when internet access is not available. Your unit’s device will also have access to reports for sister units above and below you, in the event their system has issues. Because the computer is hardwired to a designated printer, you can mass print all reports for your unit and distribute patient data to the appropriate clinicians or staff.