PDS Course: VistA Foundations

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If you have any questions about this course, please contact us.

The VistA Integrated Hospital Information System is built upon an infrastructure of services that unite and enrich the various applications (Radiology, Laboratory, etc.). When armed with an understanding of the infrastructure foundations of VistA, new developers will write better software, new support staff will provide quicker diagnosis and current Application Coordinators can better function as liaisons.

This three and one-half day course provides a high level overview of the VistA Infrastructure modules. Emphasis is placed on the roles, interactions and the interfaces to these infrastructure modules that form VistA's foundation.

In addition to his lively teaching techniques, Greg uses animated Flash movies, like the ones shown below, to illustrate key concepts. These mini-movies help students quickly grasp the concepts and stay interested in the course. Don't bring your pillow.

Topics covered include:

VistA Architecture
MUMPS Environment
Programmer Conventions
File Manager
Task Manager
Device Manager
Menu Manager
Security Manager
Programmer Tools
RPC Broker
Health Level 7
KIDS (software distribution)
Patching
Diagnosing Problems

Students will have opportunities to explore the infrastructure modules and to view VistA programs that use them through hands-on interaction with a VistA system.

Prerequisites	Logical Orientation - having some programming skill is a plus. Vista Exposure - having seen and used a VistA system. Students are encouraged to install and become familiar with the fundamentals of the VPE programmer environment.
Course Materials	Three-ring binder of lessons will be provided. If conducted virtually, headsets are provided for better audio participation with the instructor and other students. (Students are encouraged to use this headset in our other virtual classes.)
Length	Onsite class: Three and one-half days: Days 1-3: 8am - 4:30pm Day 4: 8am - noon Virtual class: Four full days and may have slightly shifted start and end times to accomodate the spread of times zones of the students.
On-site Facility Requirements	Projector displaying instructor's computer on a screen. Paper Flip Chart A VistA training account, accessible from classroom PCs, where students can do exercises. This account must include recently patched Kernel, Fileman and VPE. To maximize the learning experience, it is highly recommended that VistA clinical applications also be installed in the account as a source of code examples. Each student should have their own PC/terminal and unique access and verify codes to the training account. Students must have access to programmer mode after logging in.
Price	$1125 per student (on-site* or virtual) Purchase Orders accepted. * The class size minimum typically covers the instructor's travel costs, but we reserve the right to quote an additional fee for high travel cost areas, such as New York, San Francisco, etc.
Class Size	Fifteen student minimum. Falling short of the minimum? Contact us for details on hosting an on-site class that permits others to attend to meet class size minimums. You can also set up a virtual class.