Help Desk ProjectFORSYTH AREA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

System Scope

Current Problem

Forsyth Area Medical Hospital is a 19,000 square foot facility which has 200 beds. As they continue to add more services and departments they need more space. The hospital systems are being upgraded to support the expansion of the hospital. They are adding a new on-site building and an off-site location over the next year for the help desk. The outdated system can no longer handle the traffic of a fully operational help desk system. FAMH needs a new help desk system to handle the heavier traffic, to increase the security of patients’ information and records, and to improve help desk technicians job performance.

Current system

Novell network

Database written in-house, non-expandable

No wireless

New System

► Database: Tickets, Reports, Scheduling

► Website: FAQ’s, E-mail support, employee forum

► HIPPA Compliant

System Scope (cont’d)

Expected Occupational Benefits

The main work-related benefits of an updated help desk system will be improving employee, management, and visitors’ satisfaction. There will be better technical support, more efficient help desk operations, quicker software installation and improved overall general support. This will be accomplished through the following upgrades.

Upgrade the network to handle the heavier traffic

New help desk software

New Operating System for network and personal computers

Security controls within the new system that meet HIPAA regulations

Improved database to store fixes, statistics, and reports

Improved security policy for all employees

Secure Wi-Fi for staff and visitors

System Scope (cont’d)

System Abilities

To fulfill the occupational benefits previously listed, FAMH’s help desk system will have the following capabilities:

Trouble ticket database that will help the user collect information needed to help assign the correct priority level to the call or email

Guidelines for user to follow when deciding on the priority level of the call and/or email

Reporting database that stores the date and time of problem, the resolution, how long it took to fix and which tech worked on the call and/or email to be used for different types of reports for management

Guidelines for user to follow on what information needs to be kept for each item

Help desk website that includes the ability to search FAQ’s, an email listed to ask less important questions, and an employee forum to post issues where employees can help each other

Knowledge base database that will be used on the help desk website for FAQs and for issues documentation

Scheduling database with technicians shifts, job functions, help desk operations upkeep, technical support phone assignments, hardware maintenance, and to assign maintenance work to a technician

Security policy for all users with 90-day password resets and vacation password locks

Help desk hardware and software includes security controls that comply with HIPAA regulations

Strict security controls that prevents users from accessing or seeing unnecessary patient records and personal information; they see only enough information to do their job

Employee database that keeps track of what information they access

Solution

► Upgrade the network to handle heavier traffic

► New help desk software

► New Operating System for network and personal computers

► Security controls within the new system that meet HIPAA regulations

► Improved database to store fixes, statistics, and reports

► Improved security policy for all employees

Feasibility Study

1. Operational Feasibility

Forsyth Area Memorial Hospital is upgrading and expanding hospital systems since the hospital has grown and expanded over the years. The current systems can no longer support the hospitals growing infrastructure and therefore upgrading the help desk is not only operationally feasible but absolutely necessary. The help desk will be upgraded in order to support the new systems installed throughout the hospitals departments. The new help desk system will support the employees learning new systems and the growth towards electronic health records. Keeping records secure through HIPPA compliance will be supported through the new systems configuration, hardware and software layers of security and training of employees in proper procedures to maintain security for those documents.

2. Technical Feasibility

Updating the help desk is technically feasible. The resources needed should be available since the upgrade of the hospital systems will be underway. It’s a high priority for the hospital to have good support for its new systems so the technical staff to install the new help desk should made available to accomplish this task. If more resources are needed to complete the project of upgrading the help desk and additional staff are needed to fill needed positions to support the new systems now being installed, employees should be added since costs are not a top priority.

3. Economic Feasibility

The biggest priority for installing the new help desk system is that it supports the new hospital systems. Economics are deemed a low priority since the hospital system is being upgraded. The cost of putting in a new help desk system is very small as compared to the necessity of the system and the cost of the total new hospital system. It would be completely unfeasible to not upgrade the help desk and provide the support needed for the hospital transition.

4. Schedule Feasibility

The hospital systems upgrade will take well under a year. The help desk will be upgraded at the original site to begin the transition. Once implemented at the current location, it will be tested and employees trained before moving the system into the new location.

Database

Event Table

Description Source Trigger Process Response DestinationCreate ticket Call taken by HD tech User call Fill out new ticket escalation to department Specific branch of HDReview ticket Database New entry priority Prioritize ticket updated ticket DatabaseOpen ticket Database Priority Level Attempt to solve problem application of potential solution HD techUpdate ticket HD tech Progress on ticket Log steps taken to attempt to fix updated ticket DatabaseEscalate ticket HD tech Inability to solve problem Refer to SR HD tech updated ticket Database2nd Ticket Escalation SR HD tech Inability to solve problem Refer to IT Dept updated ticket, message sent to IT Database and IT DeptClose ticket HD tech Solution to problem Close ticket closed ticket Database

FDD

FDD

Help Desk

Help Desk Specialists

Manger IT

Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3

Reviews tickets Review tickets

priority Resolve or

escalate to IT

Flow chart

Security Policy

1. Internet Access at Help Desk facilities

Internet access should be completely separate from the Help Desk system. Hospitals provide a guest connection and any internet access for doctors or visitors should be provided by that hospital guest system. The help desk system should be totally separate from the access provided. Doctors or guests would not be allowed on any part of the Help Desk system so that the system is less likely to be compromised. Whatever policies the hospital chooses for their guests would be in place for that connection. A security program such as air-watch should be run to protect the security of the network. Anyone who connects using this network would first have to sign off that the help desk or hospital will not be held responsible if their device is compromised or damaged by the use of said network.

2. Data Base

The data base should be written in house as was the previous version of the data base. Then the old scheduling system that assigned help desk staff would be easily incorporated into that system. Data base layout will be described in the diagrams provided. The database will be isolated on a separate PC from the technicians PC’s and behind a firewall. All data will be encrypted. Information on the data base will available to management to run reports and help desk personnel only as needed and completely unavailable to anyone else to comply with HIPPA requirements.

3. General System

We recommend using Microsoft Server 2012 as the operating system. It has incorporated into its operating system HIPPA compliant security. That includes encryption on network connections and use of TCP/IP protocols. All PC’s in the Help Desk Area should have case locks and access to the Help Desk area should be locked and monitored.

4. Employee Training

All hospital employees should be trained in proper procedures to keep data secure and should sign a statement that they agree to keep patient data secure. A hardware firewall should also be placed between the Help Desk network and the other systems and any network access. All employees should have only the least amount of permissions as needed to complete their work. There should be vacation lock out when employees are out. Passwords must be changed every 90 days.

Proposed Software

Implementation and Testing

► Build system

► Test side by side with old system in current location

► Train Technicians

► Move to new location, retest

► Dismantle old system after new system tests out in new location

Implementation plan

Staffing Help Desk

► Recommend approx. 13 – 15 HD staff post-expansion

► Floater to handle vacations, sick days and projects

► Supervisor for each shift

► Call taker each shift

Questions??

At this time, we would like to answer any questions the panel has about our proposed new system for your hospital.