Due to a substantial increase in phishing attempts against Ballad Health’s email system, all Ballad Health employees will be required to change their network password. Team members will receive a prompt on their device to change their password between today and April 30. The forced password change will affect about 2,000 team members per day through the end of the month. This password change is different from the routine password changes that are scheduled every six months. If you are also due for a maintenance password change, it is recommended that you complete your routine password change in addition to this special one. A guide to creating a strong password 1. First and foremost, your Ballad Health password should NOT be the same as passwords you use for your personal accounts. Starting this week, it is Ballad Health policy to have unique and securely protected passwords that are different from the passwords you use for…

IT is currently deploying the 20H2 update to Windows 10 across all Ballad Health devices. This is a minor but important update, because as of May 9, Windows will no longer provide technical support or fixes for new security risks on the old version of Windows 10. Since protecting our patients and their information is of utmost importance, this update is required. In addition to ensuring continued system security, the update will provide faster login times and increased performance within VDI. However, the first time you log into a new VDI session after the update has been applied, you may notice icons missing from the taskbar along the bottom of your screen. Any icons pinned to your taskbar prior to the update will be unavailable the first time you boot up your VDI on the 20H2 version. Fortunately, it’s very quick and easy to get them back on your own. Search for an application you…

Ballad Health’s rollout of Microsoft Teams as our systemwide communications platform took place March 29. Transitioning away from other platforms, such as Webex and Skype, to a single platform through Microsoft Teams will provide a more satisfying and unified instant messaging and virtual meeting experience for team members, without the need to learn how to use multiple platforms. To help users get accustomed to Microsoft Teams, a series of one-hour training sessions are offered, with classes scheduled through Thursday, April 14. The one-hour training sessions provide team members with beginner-level information on how to get the most out of the chat and meeting functions of MS Teams. You can enroll in these sessions in HealthStream by searching for “Microsoft Teams Chat and Meetings (Level 100)” under the Event Calendar Tab. (NOTE: Classes on Tuesday night, April 5, are canceled.) To help make the most of the new tool, tip sheets and training videos can be…

Ballad Health’s rollout of Microsoft Teams as our systemwide communications platform took place on Tuesday, March 29. Transitioning away from other platforms, such as Webex and Skype, to a single platform through Microsoft Teams will provide a more satisfying and unified instant messaging and virtual meeting experience for team members, without the need to learn how to use multiple platforms. WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Shut down and restart your computer. Log into your Ballad Health account. Go to the bottom left corner and click on the Microsoft squares symbol to display the scrollable menu of programs on your computer. Microsoft Teams should appear just below the Microsoft Store icon. Right-click to see “More” and then click on “Pin to taskbar.” Now Microsoft Teams will be readily accessible from your taskbar with one easy click. While we encourage team members to begin using MS Teams right away, we will have a minimum six-month period after…

To make systemwide communications easier and more efficient, Ballad Health will implement a universal rollout of Microsoft Teams on Tuesday, March 29. While we encourage team members to begin using MS Teams right away, we will have a minimum 6-month period after the release to ensure everyone has ample opportunity to become familiar with the new software before we fully transition to MS Teams from Webex. Skype will be sunsetted on May 31 and will no longer be available for use. Transitioning to a single platform will provide a more satisfying and unified instant messaging and virtual meeting experience for team members, without the need to learn how to use multiple platforms. Microsoft Teams will provide many of the same features available through Cisco Webex and Skype, such as screen sharing. Other features include: Pin important chat conversations. Quickly set up conference calls or call a team member from anywhere with one click. Start a…

In 2020, Ballad Health successfully implemented Epic Phase 1 by installing Epic as Ballad Health’s electronic medical record system (EMR). This implementation connects our patients’ hospital and clinic medical records on one platform. Epic Phase 2 is under way. This will impact these four areas: Three long-term care facilities All six of our retail pharmacies Home Health and Hospice Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services Epic Phase 2 class registration begins On April 4, registration in HealthStream for Epic Phase 2 classes will open, and managers can begin registering their team members. E-learning courses will be assigned (as applicable) and available for team members to start completing as soon as managers have completed their team members’ registration. The E-Learning courses are a prerequisite to the in-person training, and team members will need to complete their assigned E-Learning modules before attending their first in-person class. If Epic Phase 2 managers need any help registering  team members for…

An Epic upgrade is scheduled for Wednesday, March 9, beginning in the early hours of the morning. Here’s a quick FAQ list to tell you what you need to know. Who is affected? All Ballad Health Epic users. What is expected? On Wednesday, March 9, beginning at 12:01 a.m., Epic users will experience a scheduled Epic downtime due to Ballad Health applying the Nov. 21 version of Epic. IT analysts will place a freeze on non-emergency changes in Epic beginning Friday, March 4, through Thursday, March 10. In preparation for the upgrade the IT Clinical Informatics team will offer virtual training sessions and provide tip sheets prior to the upgrade, as applicable. The IT Clinical Informatics team will also perform facility rounding to ensure team members impacted by the upgrade is prepared for the upgrade and associated downtime. The Clinical Informatics team members will continue their rounding late Tuesday, March 8, and resume normal rounding…

In 2020, Ballad Health successfully implemented Epic Phase 1 by installing Epic as Ballad Health’s electronic medical record system (EMR). This implementation connects the patients’ hospital and clinics medical records on one platform. Ballad Health’s IT personnel completed the Epic Phase 1 install in two major launches, and both went extremely well, even during a pandemic. Ballad Health has now embarked on Phase 2 of our Epic implementation journey. What is Epic Phase 2? The Epic Phase 2 implementation involves transitioning some additional departments to the Epic EMR, while updating existing Epic capabilities in other departments. The below list Includes the departments that the Epic Phase 2 project will impact: Four long-term care facilities All six of our retail pharmacies Home Health and Hospice Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services The go-live date for these services to implement Epic is Aug. 1, 2022. As we approach the Aug. 1 go-live date, Ballad Health’s IT department will…

If you’ve visited balladhealth.org over the last few days, you’ve probably noticed something is different. Our public-facing website had undergone a redesign to make it easier to navigate for both patients and team members, with a cleaner, more streamlined look. Everything you’re used to seeing is still there, but some of it has a new look or has moved to a different location. One important change is the location of the team member and physician log-in portal – which has moved to the bottom of the main page of balladhealth.org. To find the team member and doctor portals, scroll to the bottom of the main page to the footer and you’ll see a section called “About Ballad Health.” Look under that heading and you’ll find “Doctors & Team Members.” Click on that to go to the log-in page, which works the same way it normally works; all passwords are the same as they were. The…

Ballad Health will implement an upgrade to its Epic system on Wednesday, Dec. 15, starting at 12:01 a.m., requiring a downtime of three to four hours. During this period, Epic’s August 2021 version will be applied, and when the upgrade is complete, Epic Secure Chat will go live. The upgrade will also include implementation of Epic’s Transfer Center module. Downtime details Starting at 12:01 a.m., on Wednesday, Dec. 15, Epic will be placed into a Level 3 – Read Only Downtime. This will last until about 3-4 a.m. Teams should follow operational downtime procedures. About Epic Secure Chat Secure Chat is a secure method of sending and receiving text messages, allowing providers to communicate easily and confidentially when caring for patients. Secure Chat will be accessible to all Ballad Health clinical users, including physicians, nurses, case managers, bed planners and unit secretaries, providing additional flexibility in how the system can be used. Click here to…

Smishing is a type of cyberscam that involves sending texts while impersonating a reputable person or company in order to gain personal information from the victim, such as passwords, credit card numbers or bank information. Often, this fraudulent activity has two stages. In the first, the attacker impersonates someone and convinces the victim to reveal personal information. In the second, once they have enough information, the attacker will impersonate the victim in order to propagate the scam and get to other people. This often starts with the attacker sending a message to prompt some sort of change or request information: “Mary, It looks like there was some suspicious activity on your work laptop. We need to resolve this immediately. Reply ASAP. – John” The attacker is usually trying to build trust with the victim, sometimes by impersonating a supervisor or higher-level manager. As the attacker gains a stronger connection, they can gain more information, making…

Phishing is a dangerous online method hackers use to access valuable private information, and it starts with an email. Knowing how to identify and avoid phishing emails is one of the major things you can do to protect yourself, Ballad Health and our patients. Fortunately, there are some warning signs that can help you spot phishing emails. Here are some things you can do to stay safe online during November for Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Check the “from” address. If it’s misspelled or from an unrecognized, unexpected source, it might be fake. This can be a very small error, such as “…@balladhaelth.org” instead of “…@balladhealth.org.” Watch for “too good to be true” messages. Phishing emails often promise rewards or free money or services. Be wary of urgent messages. Think before you click. Phishing messages often try to make you take immediate action to click on a dangerous link. Check links before you click. You can hover over…