Across UPMC and every other health care system, clinical workers have been standing bravely on the frontlines of care throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, providing critical patient care to those in need. Those health care heroes have not been alone, though. Standing right behind them have been many other less visible teams, hard at work keeping our systems running without a hitch and ensuring that clinical workers have all the support they need to focus on what they do best.
One of the teams that played a critical role in UPMC’s pandemic response is Information Technology. You might not initially think of IT as a team that was impacted by COVID-19, but the truth is that their work has become even more essential than before.
Because of the diligent work of our people across PC Support, Remote Access, Certify, Enterprise Productivity & Collaboration Services (EPCS), and more, our Information Technology team transitioned seamlessly to working from safe and socially distanced locations without missing a beat. They accelerated the technology that allowed patients to receive care remotely, implemented digital solutions to make our hospitals safer, and quickly established vaccination clinics across our communities.
While this experience is not one our teams could’ve ever predicted, it has been a challenge that they’ve met with excellence. Let’s hear from some of the members of our team about their experience working in IT throughout the COVID-19 pandemic:
Across UPMC and every other health care system, clinical workers have been standing bravely on the frontlines of care throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, providing critical patient care to those in need. Those health care heroes have not been alone, though. Standing right behind them have been many other less visible teams, hard at work keeping our systems running without a hitch and ensuring that clinical workers have all the support they need to focus on what they do best.
One of the teams that played a critical role in UPMC’s pandemic response is Information Technology. You might not initially think of IT as a team that was impacted by COVID-19, but the truth is that their work has become even more essential than before.
Because of the diligent work of our people across PC Support, Remote Access, Certify, EPCS, and more, our Information Technology team transitioned seamlessly to working from safe and socially distanced locations without missing a beat. They accelerated the technology that allowed patients to receive care remotely, implemented digital solutions to make our hospitals safer, and quickly established vaccination clinics across our communities.
While this experience is not one our teams could’ve ever predicted, it has been a challenge that they’ve met with excellence. Let’s hear from some of the members of our team about their experience working in IT throughout the COVID-19 pandemic:
You might not initially think of Information Technology as a team that was impacted by COVID-19, but the truth is that their work has become even more essential than before.
Matt: Implementing IT on the Front Lines
For Matt B., Systems Analyst Intermediate in PC Support, the pandemic brought the importance of their work to light like never before.
“At the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, no one knew what was going to happen, especially regarding work and office shutdowns. However, as the pandemic continued, I realized just how important both my team and my role truly were at this time,” Matt said.
“Our department is responsible for managing IT equipment for the entire UPMC enterprise. My team and I distributed 300+ telemedicine carts for hospitals in all regions, 350+ COVID carts, 2000+ pieces of equipment for users while working from home, and 330+ thermal scanners to hospitals and other ancillary sites when the pandemic was at its highest peak. To top it off, we were affected by the long delays in supply chain and still managed to get this hardware to end users.”
“The pandemic really made me see my role in IT in a whole different way,” Matt shared. “It felt like being on the front line, even if that’s not what the role looks like to others. I took pride in my job and showed up each day during COVID to take part in a new challenge, such as how much hardware we needed to prepare to get out to the hospitals. IT staff played a large role in allowing our frontline workers to respond appropriately and provide needed services across UPMC hospitals, primary care centers, and other ancillary sites. Without the dedication of the IT department, nurses, doctors, and other frontline workers would not have had access to the equipment that has helped keep our community safe.”
Crystal: Seeing IT in Whole New Way
Crystal M., Systems Engineer Intermediate on the EPCS Modern Workplace team, found the pandemic to be an enlightening experience not just for herself, but for the people outside of IT who she serves. According to Crystal, “the Enterprise Productivity & Collaboration Services (EPCS) Modern Workplace team empowers people to create their own digital employee experiences.” Throughout the pandemic, Crystal and her team used the Microsoft 365 technology investments from 2017 onwards to connect people and workflows from anywhere.
“I think the COVID-19 pandemic caused other people to view my role differently,” Crystal said. “I’ve worked in IT for a long time, and I’ve noticed that the people we help seem to really appreciate it now. COVID changed how everyone lived, worked, and learned. I think everyone learned that we can do more when we work together.”
Holly: Exploring Innovative IT Solutions for Practical Problems
Holly S., Systems Analyst Intermediate in Telemedicine, watched her team respond to a demand for their services that was higher than ever – and respond to challenges with innovation and teamwork.
“For the IT Telemedicine team, our primary role was to develop and implement a plan to expand our video service lines to UPMC providers. This plan included increasing the capacity of our video infrastructure to allow clinicians and providers to work remotely and access the necessary applications to conduct a video visit.” Patient-provider telemedicine events increased from 156 telemedicine events per week to over 25,500 per week – which is an increase of 16,346% in 2020. UPMC is now conducting as many video visits in one day as were previously conducted over six months.
Many of the lessons that Holly and her team learned through these changes will be carried forward for years into the future.
“The pandemic necessitated that IT Telemedicine become more innovative and prioritize user needs. Our team realized that while our technical solutions were an important contribution, it was the relationships and teamwork we established with our clinicians and providers that contributed most to our project’s success!” Holly said.
William: Using IT Skills to Support Change
William C., Principal Architect, has experienced many changes during his nearly 34 years at UPMC, from beginning his career as an RN at UPMC Presbyterian to transitioning into the Information Technology field a decade later. For him, the COVID-19 pandemic provided another opportunity to exercise the skills he has developed across his career.
According to William, “our team played roles for Clinical Analytics, patient and staff safety and in developing the Certify Care application for use in vaccinating the public and our staff.” This included tracking and extracting data related to COVID testing and ventilator resources, preparing and deploying the thermal scanners located in hospitals across our footprint, and developing the Employee Self-Screening application for COVID symptoms.
“On December 31, 2020, our team was pulled in and tasked with developing and deploying the Certify Care Portal for use with vaccination scheduling and vaccination,” William shared. “In working with Certify, we were able to deploy it at Southside Clinic on January 19, 2021. The application provided a Patient Portal for clients to schedule vaccinations, and over time was augmented to allow for the selection of specific vaccines, and search by region to get the overall picture of what and where the vaccines were available. By January 19, 2022, Certify had logged over 570,000 vaccinations.”
“As a part of the UPMC Architecture team, I felt we were well-equipped for this time because we have the ability to work both proactively and reactively, not to mention to be flexible when changes in health care and government come about. IT is there as the silent partner, both in providing support as well as being out in front of the evolving landscape of technology and assisting its transitions and changes when it meets health care.”
“I’ve worked in IT for a long time, and I’ve noticed that the people we help seem to really appreciate it now. COVID changed how everyone lived, worked, and learned. I think everyone learned that we can do more when we work together.”
– Crystal M., EPCS Modern Workplace Team
At UPMC, every member of our team gets to play a role in delivering Life Changing Medicine. We’re so thankful for the incredible contributions of our Information Technology teammates, who have continued to do their part in making outstanding care a reality.
Do you want to join in the essential work of UPMC’s IT team? Visit our Careers site to learn more about opportunities that could be the right fit for you.
