This newsletter includes updates on e-Consent expiration date pause, medication reconciliation rollback, and a comparison of PACU vs. nerve block acuity levels. It also features new tip sheets for wound classification, blood orders, and mobile workflows, plus information on the new Epic Education SharePoint site.
This is the October 2026 issue of the OpTime/Anesthesia Newsletter for Wellstar Health System. It is intended for perioperative and anesthesia staff who use Epic OpTime/Anesthesia systems. The newsletter provides updates on system changes, new tip sheets, and educational resources.
The e-Consent expiration date field has been temporarily removed due to an issue with the 30-day calculation. Epic is researching the problem, and the field will remain blank until a fix is validated and reinstated.
The medication reconciliation functionality for outpatient ambulatory staff has been reverted to the pre-upgrade version due to issues with outside medication updates. The rollback started on October 6, 2026. Staff are instructed to use the pre-upgrade workflow and report issues to the Wellstar IT Physician ServiceDesk.
A detailed comparison explains the difference between PACU acuity levels and nerve block acuity levels. PACU acuity tracks physiological recovery from anesthesia using the Modified Aldrete Score. Pain block acuity tracks complexity and safety risks of regional nerve blocks or neuraxial infusions, such as dermatome levels and motor blockade. Both can differ in the same patient.
New tip sheets are featured for October: Wound Class for Intra-Op Procedures, Blood Orders for Intra-Op Nurses, Postprocedure Handoff on Mobile for Anesthesia, Preprocedure Details on Mobile for Anesthesia, and Procedure Notes on Mobile for Anesthesia. These support accurate documentation and efficient patient care.
Epic Education is now available on a new SharePoint site with a refreshed user experience and an Epic Tip Sheet Finder. Staff are directed to update bookmarks. The newsletter also provides contacts for Epic access requests, the Perioperative Communications Dashboard, and the CyberStar Program for peer recognition.