There is still time to designate up to two text-enabled cell phones and one alternate e-mail address before the test of the HSC Alert system on June 17.
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The UT Health Science Center San Antonio will conduct a test of the HSC Alert system on June 17.

HSC Alert is the text and e-mail notification system for emergencies and campus closures at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio. Faculty, staff, students and medical residents can designate up to two cell phones with text-messaging service and one personal e-mail address to receive HSC Alert messages.

They can also choose to be included in one or more campus groups to receive HSC Alert messages, according to the cities where they work or attend classes.

New databases activated June 1
To improve the HSC Alert system, on June 1 the Health Science Center began using the university’s own databases to retrieve the contact information that employees and students have designated since the beginning of May for HSC Alert messages.

“This is a change from how we had been collecting phone numbers and e-mail addresses in the past for HSC Alert,” explained Mary DeLay, chief of staff and communications. “Instead of going into a separate system required by HSC Alert, employees now can designate this information in new fields created in the Employee Self Service system. This is the system used by Human Resources and Payroll and will allow us to be more efficient in collecting and maintaining phone numbers and e-mail addresses, so the chances of each person receiving emergency notification will be increased.”

How to sign up
If you have not already done so, there is still time to log on to the portal and designate up to two text-enabled cell phones and one alternate e-mail address in HSC Alert before the test June 17:

• Employees can designate their HSC Alert contact information through Employee Self Service;
  
• Students can make their designations through Student Administration;
  
• Students who are also employees should make the exact same designations through both Employee Self Service and Student Administration; and
  
• Medical residents can contact their academic coordinators to make their HSC Alert designations

Improvements in service
There are a number of advantages to using the Health Science Center’s databases. HSC Alert messages now can be sent automatically to all UTHSCSA-issued e-mail addresses, and updates to the system can now be made overnight instead of just several times a year, as had been done in the past.

Selecting campus groups
In addition, faculty, staff and students can now choose to be associated with one or more campus groups to receive HSC Alert messages. This is especially helpful for people who work at or visit more than one campus. Medical residents can designate one or more campuses (cities of Health Science Center campuses) through their academic coordinators.

• Employees, please follow these instructions to designate campus groups.
  
• Students, please follow these directions.

“The most important thing for faculty, staff and students to know is that unless they have re-designated their cell phone numbers and an alternate e-mail address through Employee Self Service or Student Administration since the beginning of May, they will not receive HSC Alert messages through those means,” explained Mary DeLay, chief of staff and communication.

“We encourage everyone to re-designate this important contact information to increase their chances of being notified in case of a campus emergency or closure,” she said.

If you need assistance, please contact the IMS Service Desk at 7-7777.