Downtime

Downtimes occur when systems are unavailable during two instances:
-
Planned downtimes for maintenance and upgrades.
-
Unscheduled downtimes due to technical issues.
Preparation ahead of any downtime is essential to ensure patient safety and maintain continuity of care when critical systems are unavailable.
Quick Links
Epic Downtime Resources
Epic Downtime Manual
Downtime Order Sets
Learn more.
Epic Downtime Quick Reference Checklist

Epic Downtime CSN Numbers
Contact your administator for more information.

Downtime Calendar
LMS: Saturday to Sunday
Saturday, May 21, 11 p.m. –
Sunday, May 22, 6 a.m.
LMS won’t be available due to maintenance.
QSight: Every Tuesday and Thursday
You may experience intermittent or no access. Follow your department’s standard downtime procedures.
MARS: Fri, May 20 to Sat, May 21
7 p.m. Friday, May 20 to
7 p.m. Saturday, May 21
To prepare, complete any transactions before the downtime.
BRAVO: Sat, May 21 to Sun, May 22
11 a.m. Saturday, May 21 to
9 a.m. Sunday, May 22
The BRAVO option in MARS will be unavailable during this time.
How to Prepare for an Epic Downtime
Before the downtime:
Review and download these resources.
- Epic Downtime Manual
- Epic Downtime Quick Reference Checklist
- Epic Downtime Order Sets
- How to Access Epic Read-Only
Before the downtime begins, save your work and log out of Epic.
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.
During the downtime:
Use Epic Read-Only to view data. Access Epic Read-Only from your desktop or through apps.houstonmethodist.org. If you don’t see the Epic Read-Only icon, click here for instructions on how to add it to your desktop.
Document the following on paper:
- Lab: Use downtime requisitions.
- Pharmacy: Use paper orders.
- Radiology and Cardiology:
- No orders will process to PACS or the transcription system.
- Use paper requisitions and log procedures performed on the downtime documentation form.
- Interpretation of studies will be managed per each department’s defined downtime process.
- Medical devices: Data will not flow into Epic from mobile vital signs machines, dialysis machines, bedside monitors, ventilators and anesthesia carts.
- VICU: 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.
- MultiMon will continue to display bedside monitor and vent data, but new admits will not display the patient name.
- For HM West CTM: Sickbay will not display names of new patients until after the downtime.

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.
How will I know how long a downtime will last?
Frequently, the nature of any unplanned downtime makes estimates of a recovery timetable hard to determine. Communications will be shared with leaders and staff on a regular basis to provide downtime status updates. These messages may come by email, text or phone, depending on the incident’s severity and availability of messaging channels.
You can also subscribe to MASS alerts and receive status notifications for Epic and other applications that are important to you.