Applies To: DVMAX v8.7 and higher

Purpose: This document reviews the setup steps necessary for configuring staff records for use with the internal messenger system.

NOTE: All active staff records will automatically be made available for internal messaging during the upgrade process. New clinics with a datafile created in v8.7 or higher will have all staff configured to be available for messaging. The steps below outline how to make changes to the configuration. 

Staff Setup

The following steps must be performed by someone logged in with a user name that has access to the Patient Codes setup area. These steps outline how to make staff available or unavailable to receive messages in the  internal messenger.

• From the Section pull-down, choose Patient Codes
• In the Search For pull-down, choose Staff
• Click All Records
• Double-click on a staff record to be edited
• Check, or un-check, the Use Messenger box 
• Click OK to close the staff record

Messenger staff can be configured to have a default color associated the messages they send

• From the Section pull-down, choose Patient Codes
• In the Search For pull-down, choose Staff
• Click All Records
• Double-click on a staff record to be edited
• At the bottom of the screen, choose a color from the drop down
• Click OK to close the staff record

Best Practice Recommendation

We have found that hospitals are most successful with the Internal Messenger feature when they create staff records for each workstation in the hospital. With the exception of sending messages and tasks to a specific provider, in most instances, users will want to send a message to a specific location in the hospital. A message about the client who is coming to the front desk to pay, can be sent to all Front Desk computers instead of to a specific person who may, or may not, end up checking out that client. A message about a prescription refill can be sent to the pharmacy computer, or a message about the patient in surgery can be sent to the surgery workstation. This ensures that the workstation will get the notification and is not dependent on a specific person receiving the notification. 

The exception will be when creating tasks or sending messages to a particular provider. In most instances, you would still want to send these to a specific provider instead of a workstation location.  

To Create New Workstation Staff Records

• From the Section pull-down, choose Patient Codes
• In the Search For pull-down, choose Staff
• Click Add New
• Enter in a Staff Code (Example: Pharm)
• Enter a Staff Name and Staff List Name - These can be the same (Example: Pharmacy)
  •  The Staff List Name is the name used in the Messenger window.
• You can leave the Department as the hospital name
• Antech Barcode Name and License # are not needed
• Sort order does not apply to the order of the staff in the Messenger window. Staff in the Messenger window are displayed in alphabetical order based on first name. If you are adding new staff for workstation locations, it is recommended to use a large sort order number. This will keep the workstation location "staff" at the bottom of the staff list when invoicing.
• Check off Use Messenger
• Staff Client Records - this is display only area. No changes are needed here.
• Color - If desired, choose a color from the pull-down list. This color will be the color of the text box around sent messages from this staff record. If the default of black is left, the messages text will display black with no colored box around the text.
  • In the examples below, Amy Blanchard has a color of green and Pharmacy has the default of black.