The IT Help Desk: Delivering Outstanding Tech Service 24/7!

Last January, our IT Department introduced a new IT Help Desk service managed by Unity BPO, a healthcare support and technology company. Since then, VNSNY staff are experiencing consistently faster response times and improved service in addressing their IT-related issues. Employees across the organization, even with many working remotely, report the revamped IT Help Desk is handling everything from user permissions to passwords with stellar, 24/7 service that hasn’t slowed down—even in the midst of a pandemic.

Frontline’s Roving Reporter recently spoke with a few staff members about how the updated IT Help Desk is making their job easier. Here’s what they said:

“Way to Go!”

Lily McAniff — IT Vendor Relationship Specialist, IT Finance and Business Operations

“I had a great experience with the IT Help Desk handling my question about Direct Access. I opened a ticket via the self-service portal at night, around 8 pm, and the very next morning I received an email and voicemail suggesting I call back to the IT Help Desk. I called and the response time was immediate—the person on the phone answered all my questions right away! I was very happy to have my question answered so fast and have a person actually walk me through the process. Way to go!”

“Working Hard”

Krishna Medipally — Manager, IT Business Partnerships, IT Enterprise Services

“My team and I have been using the new IT Help Desk platform to support VNSNY CHOICE users. Our experience has been positive so far. Unity BPO has been working hard to support VNSNY, though it is not easy to take over from another IT Help Desk vendor. The ServiceNow platform is clean, straightforward and not bogged down with cluttered text that can be overwhelming and cause information to be missed. This makes it easier for our own staff who work on tickets.”

“Courteous Throughout”

Winston Blanco — Registered Nurse, CHHA

“I wasn’t able to access the web or the VNSNY Intranet with my account. The IT Help Desk stayed with me the whole time and did everything they could until it became clear that, due to technical issues with my tablet, they weren’t able to resolve the issue. My representative remained courteous throughout, and constantly updated me on what was going on.”

“Super Helpful!”

Sam Jackson — Business Manager, Research Center

“I recently had to onboard a new contingent worker. After creating his online profile, the IT Help Desk confirmed the worker’s log-in information without my having to request it, which I greatly appreciated. When the worker attempted their first log-in, however, these provided credentials didn’t seem to work—and we had very limited time to troubleshoot. We called the IT Help Desk together and explained the situation, and the IT Help Desk professional was immediately able to reset the credentials and lead the worker through their initial login over the phone, and also set up his multi-factor authentication. The IT Help Desk got all of this done for us in less than five minutes, which was super helpful— we didn’t have to wait on hold either!”

“A Big Thank You”

Pavel Chibisov — Director, Business Intelligence and Analytic Data Systems

“The Business Intelligence and Analytics [BIA] department is utilizing the IT Help Desk not only to resolve issues, request hardware and install software, but also to establish a robust workflow to provide secure access to Enterprise reports and dashboards. I would like to give a big thank you to Bryan Campbell of VNSNY IT Service Support, who worked with our team to design and implement a comprehensive process for submitting service requests through the VNSNY self service portal for BIA users. This process eliminates the need for emails or phone calls and streamlines user permission procedures!”

“Short Hold Times”

Jessica Miro — Manager, CHOICE Assessment Unit

“On the occasions I’ve called the IT Help Desk over the past few months, the technicians usually couldn’t resolve the issue right away, but after escalating the situation they’ve usually fixed the problem within 48 hours. All of the IT Help Desk staff have been friendly, even as things get frustrating when they’re unable to immediately resolve the problem. I also find that smaller issues such as password resets are handled timely, and I appreciate the short hold times to get a technician on the line.”

“Connected to a Knowledgeable Agent”

Vipul Khamar — System Analyst/Programmer Manager, IT Enterprise Services

“I recently ran into an issue using Homecare Homebase [HCHB] where I was unable to run a process that exports files to a VNSNY network drive. I tried various things before turning to the IT Help Desk for assistance. Given the complexity of the issue, I decided that calling would be the best approach versus submitting a ticket via the service desk portal. My wait time was minimal and I was connected to a knowledgeable agent who methodically tried various things on my laptop to pinpoint the problem. Once we narrowed down the issue, he was able to provide a solution that allowed me to run my HCHB process. Proof that even IT users need the IT Help Desk!”

“Very Professional, Knowledgeable, and Patient”

Rachel Lelia-Schwartz — Provider Compliance Specialist, Compliance

“Throughout the past several months of working remotely, I’ve found the new IT Help Desk staff to be very professional, knowledgeable and patient while assisting me with my laptop and phone problems. The wait time on phone calls has been minimal, and in more than one instance, the technicians made follow-up calls to be sure my problems were resolved!”

“I Was Able to Access My Phone and PC”

Emilio Rosado – Manager, Patient Administrative Service, CORE CHHA

“I was on leave for three months. Upon my return, I found that my phone was turned off and I was unable to access my PC. A ticket was placed with the IT Help Desk, and the next day I received a call to obtain more information about the issue. I was informed that it is standard procedure to deactivate phone and PC access when an employee is on leave, and that these restrictions would now be lifted. I was able to access to my phone and PC the next business day!”