VCUHS Support Polices for Workstations

 

GOLD

Provides support for the VCUHS network data drop, hardware, approved software applications as well as top priority response levels.  

 

 

 

ü      Must be hospital approved models.

ü      Must be using the hospital image that has not been altered unless specifically approved. 

ü      Must be in a clinical area or used to support a clinical application.

 

SILVER

Provides support for the VCUHS network data drop, hardware, approved software applications and receives secondary response levels.                        

 

 

 

ü      Must be hospital approved models 

ü      Must be using the hospital image that has not been altered unless specifically approved.  

ü      Must be in an administrative or other approved area that supports clinical functions

 

BRONZE

Will only insure VCUHS data drop is active. Any other work will be billed at the Standard Hourly  rate. 

 

 

 

ü      Any parts required for repair will be billable and no spares provided. 

ü      Copy of signed purchase requisition will be required at time of service.        

ü      Can only provide best effort support for IBM compatible computers.

ü      User is responsible for providing valid licensed software to be reinstalled including OS.   

ü      Must be located behind the VCUHS VCUsecurenet firewall with VCUHS Anti-virus, or VCU server based virus software, Radia Client, or method to quickly install O/S and application patches. 

 

VCUHS Support Polices for Printers

 

 

GOLD

Provides full support on the approved VCUHS network printers with top priority response levels. 

 

 

 

ü      Must be approved make & model as well as follow the warranty guidelines of operation.

ü      Must be used by a supported clinical application.

 

SILVER

Provides full support on approved VCHUS networked or locally attached printers (must be  attached to a Gold or Silver device). Provides limited support for those printers under a separate manufacturers maintenance agreement.

 

 

 

ü      Must be approved make & model as well as follow the warranty guidelines of operation.

ü      Can be networked or locally attached to a clinical or administrative computer. 

 

BRONZE

Insures that VCHUS data drop is active if on the network. If attached to a Gold or Silver system we will offer a second opinion printer hardware is broken and needs service.  Installation is first time out of the box install.

 

 

 

ü      Can only provide best effort support billed at the standard rate.

ü      Copy of signed purchase requisition will be required at time of service.         

ü      If printer is on the network it must follow the hospital-naming convention.  

 

NOTES:

When purchasing new equipment the VCUHS standard equipment pricing is competitive with others and gives support for the life cycle (Manufacturers Warranty plus one year) of the equipment.  Non-standard or Bronze systems will not have access to clinical applications and there will be a charge for VCUHS Anti-Virus or Radia Client if required.

Please call Help Desk 8-6447 to have unsupported systems on the VCUHS network labeled Bronze so we can identify the owner or responsible party for the equipment.    In knowing whom to contact it may prevent us from disabling service without notice.

Information Systems like other hospital departments is trying to contain cost.  This has been made very difficult because of several large projects taking place throughout the hospital to replace or upgrade current applications and hardware.  The hospitals dependence on computers has more than tripled in four years from 1250 devices to close to 4000 and increasing daily. We have many people working to keep systems up and running while also devoting time to the several development projects.

 

The Gold, Silver, Bronze plan being introduced and described below was developed with several issues in mind.

    1. Deliver standard equipment with standard images or software loads.
    2. Support only that standard equipment with a standard image or software load.
    3. The locally attached personal equipment will have limited support and any cost for the hardware repair will be the departments.
    4. Provide a solution for those users caught between the University and the Hospital systems that cannot get service. We have now made arrangements to provide best effort Time and Material service.   
    5. Invest in training for the Help Desk and give them field experience to provide better first line phone support.
    6. Focus attention on support of patient care systems and applications.
    7. Investing in programs that help us monitor and do some repair remotely.
    8. Saves on the spare equipment we need to have on hand. 

 

In order to control the head count of our staff we have set standards on the hardware we can support.  This allows us to swap out equipment with like replacements in the case of failure getting you back on line faster.  We also build tested images or software loads that have our approved software installed.  This helps insure we work out any software bugs before installing your equipment.  In order to protect your systems and all the others on our network from virus and worm attacks it is necessary for any system both supported and unsupported by Information Systems to have the VCUHS anti-virus, or VCU server based virus software, Radia Client installed or a method to install O/S application patches.  Because of recent events we have found this change is needed in order to protect the patient care systems. We can remotely install the latest virus definitions as soon as they become available and any critical patches needed for the operating system.  While we have limitations as to what we can support, the Bronze support level does offer the departments some flexibility as to what they can order for non-clinical needs.

 

 

Maintained by: Amy Herrmann, Information Systems
Revised: July 29, 2004