Bridging the gap
Have you ever wondered how to get a group from across multiple UF Health departments together to review important paperwork? What about quickly looking up an employee who helped you with a project to extend a word of thanks? Or have you wished there was one place where you can access the applications you need to complete your day-to-day work duties alongside the latest news from around the organization?
Wonder and wish no more. We’re happy to introduce a fantastic tool that connects each of us to what matters at UF Health — our integrated intranet, the UF Health Bridge.
Bridge.UFHealth.org is the brainchild of our employees. After years of research and back-end development, the UF Health IT and Communications Web Services team built this tool from the ground up, using input from faculty and staff and adopting industry best practices. The Bridge is an innovative Web portal that combines functionality and flair. Major functions such as group collaboration, a resources library, dynamic internal websites and systemwide communications are all features of the Bridge, with social elements woven throughout the site.
Beginning Monday, Jan. 12, all UF Health faculty and staff computers will default to the Bridge. For UF Health Shands staff, finding the links and applications you’ve been using on the ShandsConnect portal will be easy on this new site.
A full list of applications for clinical, administrative, research and educational activities can be found by clicking “Applications” from the main menu bar. Other department-specific areas, such as UF Health Managed Care, can be quickly accessed by using the search bar at the top right of the Bridge home page.
Directories such as CHRIS — labeled as Shands Phonebook (GNV) — and UF’s directory are found at the top left of the Bridge home page.
Look for detailed instructions and how-to guides in upcoming Shands News articles, as well as live demonstrations throughout the UF Health campus this spring.
How do I find…?
Here are the top five most-clicked areas on ShandsConnect and instructions for how to find them on the Bridge after the transition to bridge.UFHealth.org in mid-January:
- UF Health Shands Supply Chain Services
From the home page, hover over “Services” in the main menu bar. A menu will pop up; click “Supply Chain Services” (under the “Services” column). You’ll be redirected to the department’s intranet page, where you will find listings, forms and contact information.
- UF Health Shands Nursing and Patient Services
From the home page, hover over “Care” in the main menu bar. A menu will pop up; click “Nursing” (under the “Clinical Care Services” column). You’ll be redirected to the department’s intranet page, where you will find all the familiar areas from the original portal page: Irene’s Insights, council pages and policies.
- UF Health Shands Patient and Family Resources
From the home page, hover over “Care” in the main menu bar. A menu will pop up; click “Patient and Family Resources” (the last link under the “Clinical Care Services” column). You’ll be redirected to the department’s intranet page, where you will find content, including policies, utilization management, training and more.
- UF Health Shands Pharmacy Services
From the home page, click “Care” in the main menu bar. You’ll be redirected to a full list of resources. Under the “Clinical Care Services” column, click “Pharmacy Services.” You will be redirected to the department’s intranet page.
- UF Health Shands Human Resources
From the home page, hover over “Services” in the main menu bar. A menu will pop up; click “HR Gainesville – Shands.” You’ll be redirected to an intranet page, where you will find employee relations information, forms, policies, employee and manager self-service and more.
Other popular areas from ShandsConnect include applications, Managed Care and the CHRIS directory search.