GE PACS Downtime Procedures
(PACS is down, RIS is up, Interfaces up)

FRONT DESK

BEFORE DOWNTIME	DURING – STAT	DURING – OTHER EXAMS	AFTER DOWNTIME
§ Reschedule outpatients if requested to reduce the number of patients seen during downtime.	§ Follow usual procedures.  RIS is up.	§ Follow usual procedures.  RIS is up.	§

Technologists

BEFORE DOWNTIME	DURING – STAT	DURING – OTHER EXAMS	AFTER DOWNTIME
§ Send all exams to PACS prior to PACS going down. § Make Radiologists aware of any cases that need to be read before the downtime.	§ Do not send images to PACS until you receive the all clear from IT. § You may send PACS images to AW or other post processing workstations for urgent viewing. § Notify the Radiologist of exams to be read. § Assist the Radiologists with viewing exams on modality workstations and/or QA stations.	§ Do not send images to PACS until you receive the all clear from IT.	§ Send images to GE PACS. § Merge the unspecified exams in GE PACS. § Make sure all completed exams in RIS have Image Icons.

ULTRASOUND SONOGRAPHERS

BEFORE DOWNTIME	DURING – STAT	DURING – OTHER EXAMS	AFTER DOWNTIME
§ Send all images to GE PACS that need to go prior to downtime.	§ Send images to McKesson PACS.  Images will queue on the interface for later transmission to GE PACS.	§ Send images to McKesson PACS.  Images will queue on the interface for later transmission to GE PACS.	§ Make sure all exams done during downtime have imagers in PACS. § Make sure all completed exams in RIS have Image Icons.

RADIOLOGIST

BEFORE DOWNTIME	DURING – STAT	DURING – OTHER EXAMS	AFTER DOWNTIME
§ Dictate STAT exams and get preliminary reports out prior to start of downtime. § Be as up-to-date as possible dictating exams on the worklist before the downtime.	§ Use post processing workstations or QA workstations to view stat exams, or view them in the modality.  § Use the “Completed no images” worklist.  Reports can be generated in RIS as usual.	§ US – read images from McKesson. § Create reports in RIS as usual.	§ Normal workflow.

TRANSCRIPTION

BEFORE DOWNTIME	DURING – STAT	DURING – OTHER EXAMS	AFTER DOWNTIME
§ Continue as usual		§	§ Transcription Lead will monitor the Completed no Images worklist to double check that everything is read following downtime.

CPOE

BEFORE DOWNTIME	DURING – STAT	DURING – OTHER EXAMS	AFTER DOWNTIME
§ Continue as usual	.	.	.

SCHEDULING

BEFORE DOWNTIME	DURING – STAT	DURING – OTHER EXAMS	AFTER DOWNTIME
§ Assist rescheduling patients as requested.	§ Follow usual procedures.  RIS is up.	§ Follow usual procedures.  RIS is up.	§

FILE ROOM

BEFORE DOWNTIME	DURING – STAT	DURING – OTHER EXAMS	AFTER DOWNTIME
§ Perform all PACS related functions prior to downtime.		§	§ Assist fixing exceptions and unspecified images.

UWRADIT

BEFORE DOWNTIME

AFTER DOWNTIME

§ Complete testing. § Determine expected scope of user impact. § Create workaround plan to maintain maximum functionality during the downtime. § Determine backout plan. § Secure all support resources and confirm the will be available during and AFTER the downtime. § Post downtime information posters in key areas. § If possible and indicated, attend Faculty and ROC meetings and communicate the plan. § File with Change Control no later than the Tuesday before the downtime.  § Find out who will be on duty. Communicate with the on duty radiologists and technologists (or lead) in person.  Make sure they know what functions will and will not be working in PACS.  Remind them of the workaround options.  Show them this document on the web site. § Send out downtime notification 3 days and 1 day prior to downtime.  Include ER, ICU and relevant clinics. § Communicate downtime problem reporting procedures – pager to use, 8-4890, etc. § Contact Mind and ORCA leads and have notification placed in those apps that PACS will be down, if this affects the web. § Notify functioning radiology modalities the system is going down just prior to the downtime.

§ Do not release support resources until you are sure everything is working. § Check that all systems and interfaces are running. § Assure that RIS and PACS are communicating ENM messages. § If at home, use client VPNs to see if you can run PACS from all reading rooms.  § Work with several key users to assure they can get in and perform normal functions before you assume everything is working.  Have them check the system’s functional status and report any problems immediately. § Allow several minutes, up to an hour (if possible) before declaring normal operating status. § Release support resources. § Notify Mind and ORCA to remove their notification. § Text page UWRADIT group. § Email downtime notification list that system is operational. § Be available via pager until the beginning of the next business day.