Medical Enterprise Service Desk improves service and efficiency

Published Oct. 24, 2013
Air Force Surgeon General Public Affairs

FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- As most Air Force military treatment facilities transition information management, information technology (IM/IT) support to the Medical Enterprise Service Desk (MESD), what does this mean for the future of medical IM/IT?

Speculating the answer to this question has caused some anxiety for systems officers, 4A0s and their customers alike. This transition is a paradigm shift in IT support and also begs questions like: Will my service level be the same or better? (Yes) Is this yet another layer I must go through to get computer problems fixed? (No) Are there cost savings? (Yes)

However, the real question that we must face and answer is: "Can we afford not to consolidate our helpdesks?" The answer to this is no!

IT Helpdesk consolidation is not a new philosophy to civilian corporations, healthcare facilities or the armed forces. Consolidated helpdesks improve standardization and response times across an enterprise, and with new remote technologies and consolidated network structures, it makes sense fiscally.

USAFE began managing a consolidated helpdesk for their MTFs in 2004 and PACAF has used a consolidated helpdesk since 2006. Numerous senior leaders in line of the Air Force and healthcare have already supported this transition, and the Army has used a consolidated medical helpdesk for the past seven years.

The MESD, collocated with the Air Force's Enterprise Service Desk (ESD), is the AFMS' solution for providing initial service desk management in line with the "One AF, One Network" construct and to meet the unique IT intensive demands of our medical mission. Before the MESD, there was no standardized approach to track IM/IT workload across the AFMS enterprise, and some MTFs were not tracking this at all.

Under this process, every call is logged into the same single incident management system used by the AF Enterprise Service Desk. From the end user to any second tier or third tier organization such as Communications Focal Points, Network Ops Centers (I-NOSCs), Program Management Offices, etc., each change will be annotated on the same ticket using the same system. This allows for complete lifecycle control for each ticket and enables the enterprise to make effective business decisions by providing relevant information about its IT environment.

The MESD is not designed to eliminate MTF systems flights, but to work in tandem to relieve already overtasked staffs. Local MTF technicians will now be able to focus on improving AHLTA performance, CCRI preparations, risk management, touch-labor and data analysis that strengthen healthcare business decisions.

Since the MESD opened its doors on July 15, 2011, 61 MTFs, USAFE, PACAF and AFMOA have consolidated their helpdesk services into the MESD. With a staff of 71, the MESD is a 24/7 operation which allows provider support during weekends and after hours. Calls are usually answered within eight seconds, 70 percent of tickets are resolved within 30 minutes, and 85 percent of those that cannot are usually closed within 24 hours.

Anything that can't be done remotely is immediately routed to your local systems shop or Tier 2 or Tier 3 support. This "one stop shop" provides a standard level of trained and certified technicians that has already returned time back to the MTF systems staffs.

In a time of budget and manpower constraints we find ourselves searching to do more with less. To overcome these challenges, we must think outside of the box, harness technology to the fullest, and embrace innovation. For more information regarding the MESD, you can contact the MESD directly for service dial the world-wide DSN at 510-435-7337 and select Option 4.

USAF. (U.S. Air Force Graphic by Rosario "Charo" Gutierrez)