Ask IS-HS Suggestion Box

Question:

We recently had communication about adding personal MS Team links to our email signatures so that people can chat or call us. I am not a fan of this as I think it opens up too many ways for our employees to be distracted as we are already inundated with emails and calls as it as. Giving email recipients the ability to quickly Teams chat or call us seems like overkill when we already provide extensions. One of the most valuable things we have as employees is our attention. Our attention already gets sucked up with work as well as the the normal flood of Teams chatting occurs in different departments in IS. We don't need to add to that by giving people the ability to quickly chat us on a whim through a link in our email signature. Is it cool that this feature is available to us? Sure. Does that mean we have to use it? No.

Answer:

So can we make adding this to our signatures optional?  

I checked with our Leadership to discuss how to best reply and the sentiment was to make this optional as we are all in the learning mode on remote work and the use of collaboration Tools like Teams. Before anyone opts out please consider the following: many are learning how to work effectively remotely or hybrid where some are "at the office", WFO and others are remote or WFH. Things are changing fast so let's be open to new ways of working while we figure it out, especially collaborating virtually. In consultation with Bert Chancellor, whose Team is actively deploying Teams for the entire organization; he reminded me there are tips sheets, training materials and other resources to help us get familiar with the tools. Those can be found in the OWL Team courses or I'm sure Bert would enjoy your use of Teams and send him a direct Team message.

This Ask IS got me thinking big picture, so I really appreciate the question. Effective communication will always be our challenge and opportunity to serve each other. Thinking back we could insert various technologies in the place of Teams…Telephone, cell, text, email, snail mail, and even putting up signs around our cubes letting people know we were not to be disturbed as we were focused on certain tasks and let people know when to come back. My opinion on this latest tool, it is a different kind of technology where  if we take some time to learn how to use it we can communicate and collaborate more effectively; all within the mission, culture and guidelines being developed. I did a little Googling looking for a communication maturity framework and found the one below. It's a useful framework to think about communications. I looked mostly at the collaboration column to see where we might be and can see ourselves up and down the model but making good progress. Really appreciate the question, let's get better together. If you are interested in being part of a focus group, please contact Bert directly.

Question:

Is there a way we could have some alternatives to Risk Management healthcare? This would be beneficial if we live a substantial distance away from the Medical Centers.  One example would be Medi-Share https://www.getmedishare.com/ This option may help increase the range of Telecommuting and prospects for hiring distance from the campuses.

Answer:

Our HR Team is evaluating options to provide health care within plan for this scenario. I do not have a timeline but will continue to work with HR on this and will share this idea

Question:

Is it possible to work remotely out of state?  If there are hurdles to this arrangement can they be overcome by having an easy transition to a contractor status? If someone is transitioned to a contractor will they be targeted in the goal for reduction of contractors?

Answer:

It is not our practice at this time to support remote work out of the state of CA. It is understood that life circumstances may make it necessary for someone to move to another state but would like to continue to support the LLUH Mission. It has happened in the past and we've tried to find solutions that enables people to continue to support the Mission but not as an employee of LLUH. If you find yourself in that situation then please get with your Manager to discuss your situation and we'll consider all options.

Question:

I'm a member of the management staff and have to say that I'm disappointed with the way the telecommuting policy was developed. We have staff that have not set foot on campus for 6 months and are asking them to submit their telecommuting agreements as hybrid even though they are clearly fully remote. All this to avoid reimbursing them for travel on campus. The policy should have referred staff to their department head to inquire about reimbursement. I've not had issues with staff paying for their travel before this policy came in. 

Answer:

I was part of the Team that worked on the telecommuting policy; I was surprised to learn the many factors that must be considered to have an effective policy. We did our best to ensure that when working remote it is a positive experience for all involved. I'm not sure I completely understand the question/comment so I'll offer this to clarify - If an employee is scheduled to telecommute 5 days of the week with an approved telecommuting agreement and they are requested to come to the office then they are eligible for travel expense reimbursement. I may have missed the point so feel free to reach out to me directly or use Ask IS.  The policy is new so I am counting on everyone as we encounter issues that don't seem to have good answers and help develop them. We are early into the formalized mechanics of remote work and I'm proud of everyone's flexibility while we learn and evolve. I especially want to recognize and appreciate your focus on continuing to support the Mission regardless of what we may encounter!

Question:

Not sure if this is best done as a ServiceNow ticket. But on the LLUH One Portal website, is it possible to have the Applications Bar at the top of the site always be visible instead of having to click "Explore Applications" every time? It is only visible for like five seconds and then collapses to where you have to click "Explore Applications". I think it would be a value-add for all of our employees to have the menu just always be visible as these are applications that most employees use multiple times during the workday.

Answer:

The OnePortal is supported by the WebCenter; they responded:  

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the usability of the Explore Applications area on One Portal.

We have heard this feedback from a handful of people, it seems you can’t please all the people all the time.

We are planning a new design to be rolled out closer towards the end of the year and this feedback will play a part in the new design. Until then I’m afraid I’ll have to beg forgiveness for your annoyance.

Thanks again for sharing your feedback, we appreciate knowing how One Portal is working for people.

Question:

Is ASK-IS still alive?

Answer:

Yes, and thank you for your patience. 

Question:

When will the Timesheet portal RECALL functionality be working again.  Once you have submitted a timesheet there is no way to recall it for corrections.  This used to work.

Answer:

We are able to recall up to 4 weeks or 30 days.  Anything needing correction farther back must go to RC who will do a manual correction or work with the Business Process Management Team to do it

Question:

Any update on the NEW parking lot between Burger King and the Shared Services 197 building?

Answer:

There has only been information sent to all on the work that is being done on the parking lot behind Camping World; no new information has been given on the lot behind Burger King.

Question:

Has the IS service area, or individual departments within IS, ever had an "Employee of the Month" type recognition program? I feel that employee engagement and morale has dropped over the last year due to the intensity of our workload, and having this type of recognition may be helpful.

It could be open to everyone for nominations, and it would give us an opportunity to really recognize and build each other up.

Answer:

We used to have a "Geek of the Week" where anyone could be recognized and they would be given a pocket protector as a simple and fun way to celebrate the accomplishment. I really support recognizing good work, need some ideas on who we can do it meaningfully and keep it going.

Question:

I saw that pavement in the parking lot was removed over a month ago but nothing else has been done.  Is it going to be finished anytime soon.  What about the new lot promised.  It's still dirt. 

Answer:

The project for the parking lot behind Camping World (Lot 195) continues. The city of San Bernardino had a requirement to put in a drain system for the water run-off. This system was backordered but is expected to be installed in the next couple of weeks. Completion of the parking lot is expected end of July first of August.  As for the lot behind Burger King, we were told by the Parking Department the project was placed on hold; no further update.

Question:

I see that COVID cases are increasing and that our governor is issuing stay at home orders in counties that are seeing high numbers of COVID cases. Can those of us who can work from home be 100% remote during this time? By staying home, we can make sure that we are staying safe and keeping our essential workers safe as well.

And:

Question:

With all of the stories in the news about COVID cases likely increasing, would it be possible for more of the IS staff to be 100% remote? By letting us stay home any risk we might encounter is limited, and we can help make sure we lighten the load on healthcare workers and resources.

Response:

Where possible your manager along with project managers are carefully determining when we need to be in the office to be effective. Everyone's safety is always the number one concern so anyone who needs to be in the office in order to support the essential care we provide the community needs to continue to be diligent about wearing a mask at all times, social distancing, and hand hygiene. Everyone be safe, we all hear many stories where the exposure is happening at home gatherings.

Question:

There are still people that are not wearing their mask in the office. As well, there are risks and concerns that there may be silent spreaders and another wave after this thanksgiving holiday. What is being done to ensure that employees are safe at work? Is there any plan to go back to 100% remote until the uptick/wave of COVID decreases?

Response:

We need to follow the guidelines which means wearing a mask. It's ok to remind our colleagues as we can all use gentle reminders from time to time.

Question:

Has there been any final decisions made regarding teams that will be full-time remote?

Response:

I am separating this response from the current Covid related challenges we are working through. A Work from Home (WFH) model is being discussed but not finalized. I/S has had variations of telecommuting in place for years and that won't change. As I've discussed; some jobs are not eligible, some individuals don't prefer it and although we've made a lot of progress being able to support it technically, we still have some work to do in order to be effective for everyone. It's definitely a priority to finalize for the organization. 

Question:

Can we have a jeans week instead of just a jeans day during this time of COVID where many of us only come into the office once a week?

Response:

I think it is a great idea that we'll keep in place while we work through the current surge.

Question:

Why has the Medical center not seen the need to make the parking lot safe from all the holes, broken pavement and obstructions. It seems that with so few people coming in right now it would be a good time to do it and show that there is concern for the safety of the employees. I know money is tight now but if someone gets hurt it will cost a lot more money. 

Response:

Thank you for pointing this out, I drove through the lot this morning to better understand the situation. I took a picture and am following up to see what we can do. Everyone’s safety is important so minimally I’ll see if we can get that spot patched up. Will update with what I learn.

Follow Up:

Additional funding has been approved to repave and improve the 195 lot. That project should get started soon, but I don’t have a start date or timeline yet. 

Question:

With all of California counties back in the purple category as of 11/16, what is the remote plan for IS. Are we staying at 80% or going to 100% remote again?

Any changes in hospital surge plan as well?

Response:

We will continue to balance what it takes to be effective supporting the organization and keeping ourselves safe. I will continue to rely on Our management Team, Program Directors, and Project Managers to manage this. I appreciate everyone's efforts as we work through this.

Question:

Do we know if the employer match portion of the retirement will be restored in 2021?

Response:

I do not know the answer but I can confirm that every effort will be made to minimize the impact of the measures that were taken to mitigate impact of Covid on our performance.

Question:

The idea that areas of IS would possibly WFH permanently was raised, however not revisited or an update given towards those efforts for several months now. How close are we to 100% remote? If it is suggested that we not gather for holidays and only be with those in our bubble, then why are we coming into the office to be exposed to others that are not part of our bubble?

Response:

We are not close to 100% WFH (remote) but have started the process to evaluate the option considering factors such as cost, ability to be effective away from the office, safety considerations, etc. As I replied to a similar question our management Team is doing a great job of balancing our ability to provide our essential services and the safety of the Team. If you find yourself in the office please be sure to wear the mask and practice social distancing.  Everyone's safety is a top priority.

Question:

A few weeks ago we received an email about a Covid vaccine becoming available. Is there any more news concerning the vaccine?

Response:

I don't have a reliable update other than what we are all hearing. I anticipate the information and options will be emerging rapidly as the vaccine becomes available so One Portal should be a good source for all of us to track the latest. 

Question:

Just a suggestion to the organization, but I think LLU would save a lot of money if they would NOT pay employees for a holiday when they call off the day before or after.  I've seen it over and over where numerous coworkers are conveniently out the day before or after a holiday.

Response:

Thank you for your suggestion, there are a few ways to look at this. From a money perspective, the first two days of sick come from our Paid Leave bank; unless you have more than 120 hours in your Sick Leave bank.  

Just as important is the ability for everyone to plan so we can ensure we provide the best service possible.

With that in mind, I'd encourage anyone that wants to have the day off around a holiday to work with their manager, so it can be planned if possible. If we call in sick, then we can put a burden on our Team members and those we serve.

April 9 2019

Question:

Is administration going to outsource clinical engineering "biomed" to GE or any other third party, now or in the future? much like Glendale Adventist did.

Response:

First, let me say that I hear great feedback on the caring service provided by Clinical Engineering. The general approach to sourcing is to maintain and develop a Team that can provide an effective level of service to support the needs of the organization. We have always had a mix of service models in different areas involving third party arrangements; I don’t see that changing in the future. With that said, there is not currently a review of our Clinical Engineering service model.     

Question:

I've heard that the new building (197) won't have a computer lab/command center in it. Is this true?

Response:

Our initial goal was for the Command Center to relocate to the 197 building on the 2^nd Floor. Business needs required us to modify our initial plans; that means we won’t have a Command Center in the 197 building. We are working with Construction and Facilities to bring a Command Center much closer to the 197 building so we have the benefit of proximity and ready access but we don’t currently have a solution.

Question:

Do we have any concrete plans addressing how we will all manage parking for the new IS building?

Response:

We have been in several discussions with the project manager for the construction project of the 197 building. There are plans for a nearby parking lot to ensure we don’t have a parking problem for the tenants of the 197 building.  As soon as we have concrete (maybe asphalt) plans an update will be provided.

Question:

Has there been any thought on keeping folks at MVP given the challenges with parking at the new building?

Response:

I’ve responded to the parking question so please review that answer. However, if the worst case happens and parking is tight I firmly believe that our effectiveness as a Team will be enhanced by our ability to work together on solutions needing significant interactions and will outweigh any lost time looking for a spot to park. If it happens I’ll feel the pain with you as I won’t have any special spot to park and will be motivated with you to address it.

Question:

Will there be any reorganization or merging of LLU IS Unified Infrastructure Departments?

Response:

DP Harris and I work closely together to leverage any economies of scale that are available to us and we appreciate the uniqueness to support academic and care delivery business needs. A shared challenge is that both academics and care delivery face strong demands to improve our cost structure. If anyone has any suggestions on how we could be more effective we’d love to hear the ideas.

Question:

How can we change the way we provide services, so we can become a revenue generating team?

Response:

When we generate revenue, it helps to reduce IT expenses which directly supports our organization by reducing what they pay for IS services. During the Town Hall, I spoke a lot about a Cost Optimization methodology or approach which essentially is a continual effort to provide the same or better service at a reduced unit cost. I gave a simple example that if the Service Desk could handle more volume of calls without increasing expenses then the service becomes more effective with a lower cost per call or unit cost. Making Cost Optimization part of how we approach every solution will improve the bottom line for the organization and effectively generate revenue.

My assumption is that the spirit of the question is more along the lines of selling services or solutions to outside entities in order to bring in revenue which puts us in the world of “net income” where we could start focusing more on chasing dollars than providing valuable services to the core Mission and business of LLUH. I do believe that there are commercialization opportunities for some of the services and innovative solutions we would create anyway as part of supporting LLUH. We have some limited efforts in this area and we will put additional focus on selected opportunities in the future. If you have suggestions please be sure to share them for consideration.

I still believe the most practical way for IS to generate revenue in a meaningful way is to continually cost optimize as well as realize economies of scale in our shared platforms.

Question:

Will we ever be able to discuss additional remote days to model other healthcare employers in the area? UCLA has 2+

Response:

Some of our roles require physical presence so they don’t qualify for remote work. However, some roles can be performed remotely and we have a process and a policy that guides us on how we manage and support working remotely. The process always starts with a conversation with your manager about the effectiveness of working remote. In what I’ve read about the approach the results are mixed in terms of employee satisfaction and the effectiveness of working remotely. I think we should continue to review and evaluate and learn what makes up a good balance.

Question:

Issues of IS utilizing its resources:

• I noticed a trend of more and more project management for example two project managers running the Epic upgrade and Epic environment management.
• Layers of levels to go through in order to resolve Incidents in a timely manner? I have heard from end users the length of time affecting both patient care and productivity.

Contact Name: Concerned Employee

Contact Phone: X48889

Response:

I don’t see a question but recognize an opinion that some of our service models may have the opportunity to cost optimize. I am sure we have many opportunities to improve and count on the Leadership of all of us to identify them. Some of our activities are complex and require the coordination of many people and teams, which always have better outcomes when we have someone coordinating the efforts.   It is also important to note that at times you may see what appears to be redundant resources, when actually it’s a learning opportunity for one of the individuals, or a resource cannot be fully commit the project and they must “divide and conquer” the assignment.  Still, in most cases, this should not delay the delivery of the project or make it unnecessarily difficult to navigate. 

Additionally, I also hear from our customers that it can take too long to do this or that, especially when it is seemingly simple. It’s up to us to identify specific areas we’ve over-complicated or an old process has outlived its need and bring up the opportunities to improve.  

Mark’s Response posted 4/8/2019

There are two ways to look at this; one way is by the numbers. Our organizational target is to be below 14%:

As you can see we have ups and downs over the years and various factors come into play when determining the cause for someone to leave.

Top performers in any organization tend to be self-motivated and driven on their own accord. Our objective is to provide opportunities to grow, be challenged, develop new skills and even learn through failures. In this way, we develop Leadership skills that benefit everyone going forward. The assumption is everyone is or will be a contributor to the success of the organization. We create opportunities to plan our own growth with IDP's that identify opportunities to grow. We continue to work on clarifying career paths to help each of us plan; we have more work to do in that area.

I accept that few people will work at LLUH their entire careers and for various reasons move to other organizations. The scenario I regret above all others is when someone chooses to leave LLUH to get away, not because there was a better opportunity somewhere else.

We will put more focus on making this a great place to work and grow, always open to suggestions on how to improve.

Thank you for a great question!

Question submitted – 4/1/2019

Question: What is being done to improve retention of our top performers in Information Services? Many have exited our organization and sought opportunities with neighboring institutions. What can we do to be more competitive with those institutions? Understandably we have budgetary limitations at present. Have we considered the potential benefits of offering more remote opportunities to our top performers?