2025-08-29

On Other Channels...

Below is a digest of new blog posts across all the Connect Care clinician blog channels in the last week. For more info on the blogs, click here. 

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2025-08-28

Between the Charts: CMIO Newsletter for Prescribers - Issue 20 Now Available

Our monthly newsletter for prescribers, called "Between the Charts", summarizes key news items, Epic system updates, efficiency tips and extras that will help prescribers optimize their Connect Care user experience, all in two pages. The next issue is now out, available at the below link! This issue includes information on:

  • Fall Upgrade (September 11) - updates, transparent lockdown, and downtime
  • Upcoming Connect Care changes (also September 11):
    • Delivery of summative documents (inpatient notes)
    • Discharge planning tools
  • Upcoming changes from IT (beginning September):
    • Internet security certificate update (action may be needed for personal devices)
    • Switch to Microsoft 365 web apps for shared AHS computers
  • Central Zone Associate Chief Medical Information Officer announcement
  • September Optimization (a.k.a. Thrive) classes
  • Ketorolac Injection/Oral Ibuprofen Drug Stewardship initiative and related Connect Care changes
  • "Collateral Visit Provided" referral request rejection reason
  • Holter monitor orders for rural patients
  • Viewing diagnostic images with Provincial Enterprise Imaging (PEI)/Xero Viewer
  • Printing from Connect Care using a BYOD device
  • And more!

The previous issues can still be accessed, via the archive in the Connect Care Manual. 

If you have any feedback on this issue or have a suggestion for content you'd like included in a future issue, please send us an email. 

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2025-08-27

Upcoming Change for Users of Shared AHS Computers - Microsoft 365 Web Apps

In 2025, approximately 80% of physicians, staff, and volunteers at AHS and affiliate organizations are transitioning to Microsoft 365 (M365) web apps for improved security and cost-efficiency. IT is in the final stages of this transition, and prescribers affected by this will begin transitioning in early September, expecting to be completed by November 2025.

Does This Affect You?

There are three prescriber types in relation to the switch to M365 web apps, each with different use cases and impacts. All prescriber types will continue to access AHS Microsoft files using their AHS credentials.

  • "Independent" prescribers (use personal- or professional-licensed Microsoft apps on a personal device): No change, no action needed
  • "Deskless" prescribers (use AHS shared computer): Will be switching to M365 web apps, see summary of changes below
  • "Desked" prescribers (use assigned/dedicated AHS computer): No change, welcome to learn about and use M365 web apps

For "Deskless" Prescribers Switching to M365 Web Apps
  • Prescribers who use only shared computers will switch to using the web versions of Excel, PowerPoint, and Word for creating and editing files. 
  • Will only be able to view and print documents using the desktop versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
  • The web apps function differently than the desktop versions, especially for tasks like opening, editing, and downloading files. 
  • Emails will be sent to your AHS or affiliate mailbox 1 week and 1 day prior to the change with detailed information and supporting resources.
  • We recommend investing time in learning to use the M365 web apps. They are fast, integrated with the cloud, and secure.
For more information on the switch to M365 web apps, see:
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2025-08-26

Announcement: Central Zone Associate Chief Medical Information Officer, Dr. Hannes Conradie

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Hannes Conradie has joined the Chief Medical Information Office team as the new Associate Chief Medical Information Officer (aCMIO) for the Central Zone.

Hannes is a family physician with a strong background in hospitalist medicine, palliative care, addictions, and Medical Assistance in Dying. Hannes received his medical education at the University of Pretoria in South Africa in 1992 and came to Canada a couple years later, spending his first Canadian winter in Newfoundland. After serving the communities in Newfoundland, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia for nearly 20 years combined, Hannes has called Red Deer and the Red Deer Regional Hospital home for the past 12 years, having found the work culture and camaraderie among the physicians there rather unique. Since 2015, Hannes has been the Lead Physician for the Red Deer Hospitalist Group, and since 2017 has been a Connect Care Medical Informatics Lead for the Central Zone.

Outside the professional sphere, Hannes enjoys camping in the mountains with his wife and dogs, as well as hiking, golfing, and spending time with close friends.

As he moves into the aCMIO role, Hannes is excited to help lead the next phase in Central Zone’s Connect Care journey, particularly in improving user experience for prescribers and exploring the use of interactive AI functionality within Connect Care.

Please join us in welcoming Hannes to our team! We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to Dr. Aaron Pink for his service in the role of aCMIO Central Zone for the past year and half. Thankfully, he is not leaving us and we will continue to benefit from his expertise in his ongoing role as a Provincial Medical Informatics Lead (PMIL).

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2025-08-22

On Other Channels...

Below is a digest of new blog posts across all the Connect Care clinician blog channels in the last 2 weeks. For more info on the blogs, click here. 

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2025-08-21

All User Bulletin - Lab Results Automatically Resent Without Changes

All-user-bulletins highlight stumbling blocks that all physicians need to be aware of when using the Connect Care clinical information system.

Lab Results Automatically Resent Without Changes 

In the process of cleaning up old panels in Connect Care, 460,000 stale lab orders (older than 1 year) were recently deleted. This, however, triggered 909 labs being automatically re-resulted to the orderer. There was no change to these results, and the affected orderers have not been contacted by Lab directly.

If prescribers have any questions about a re-resulted lab, please call the AHS Service Desk at 1-877-311-4300.

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2025-08-08

On Other Channels...

Below is a digest of new blog posts across all the Connect Care clinician blog channels in the last week. For more info on the blogs, click here. 

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Best Practice Review - Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Connect Care Printing

AHS IT provides best effort support for BYOD/personal laptops such as Macbooks or Microsoft Surface devices. There are two ways for BYOD users to print documents from Connect Care; however, only one is supported and recommended by AHS IT:

  • Virtual Local Printing (VLP) - This method requires the user to select a printer for each print job. It is the only method supported by AHS IT for printing from Connect Care on BYOD devices.
  • Server-Side Printing - This method requires mapping a particular device to a printer; once mapped, print jobs from that device would automatically route to a pre-mapped printer. Server-side printing from Connect Care on BYOD devices is not supported by AHS IT.

Why isn’t BYOD server-side printing supported?

Server-side printing requires workstations to stay in the same unit and have unique names. As neither of these conditions is guaranteed for BYOD devices, multiple users with the same default BYOD device name could potentially print to the same printer, regardless of their department location. This creates a major risk for privacy breaches.

How to get printing support for your BYOD device

If you need help setting up Virtual Local Printing, see the below tip sheet or call the AHS Service Desk at 1-877-311-4300. Please do not request server-side printing for BYOD devices. 

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2025-08-01

On Other Channels...

Below is a digest of new blog posts across all the Connect Care clinician blog channels in the last three weeks. For more info on the blogs, click here. 

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