
This shared guidance is intended to help the DOM HR and Comms teams respond consistently to change requests to the DOM directory and bio pages.
Quick links to topics
Contact Information
Change phone number
Change business address
Change business address
Remove a specific office room number
Hide email address
Degree Information
Change degree from MBBS to MD
Add a degree or professional credential
Remove a degree
Change degree order
Unpublished or Missing People
Add or remove person from division faculty or APP/NP list
Person missing from People Paragraph
Returning employee unpublished on website
Name Changes
Show preferred name
Change name capitalization
Update legal name
Headshot Questions
Schedule a new headshot
Use a headshot taken outside DOM
Getting headshots for remote employees
Miscellaneous
Contact Information
Change phone number
Example: from an academic office phone number to a clinic phone number
Response
Explain that the DOM site is for the academic audience (not patients), so changing this might mean that professional contacts won’t be able to easily reach the employee. Confirm which number to list and defer to individual preference.
If requester is a UWMF-employed APP, employee must submit a request through UW Health Service Now. We cannot change their phone number separate from what is displayed in the UW Health directory. Directions: https://uconnect.wisc.edu/help/u-connect-help/directory-feature-faq/#UWMF
Responder
HR Business Partner (HRBP)
Update method
- In ‘Personal Information’ section in HRS, update Business phone number.
- Will take 1-2 days after update to show up in DOM Directory.
Change business email address
Example: from wisc.edu address to uwhealth.org address
Response
Explain that the DOM site is for the academic audience (not patients), so changing this might mean that professional contacts won’t be able to easily reach the employee. This is particularly a concern with change from wisc.edu to uwhealth.org address, less so with change from wisc.edu to medicine.wisc.edu. Confirm which address to list and defer to individual preference.
Responder
HR Business Partner (HRBP)
Update method
In MyUW, use ‘Business Email Admin’ tool to update Business email address. Will take 1-2 days after update to show up in DOM Directory.
Change business address
Example: from an academic office to the clinic or another location
Response
We generally can accommodate requests as long as the info is verifiable, and a Building Code exists in HRS for the location. Explain that the DOM directory is for the academic audience (not patients), so changing this might mean that professional contacts won’t be able to easily reach the employee. Confirm which address to list and defer to individual preference.
Responder
HR Business Partner (HRBP)
Update Method
- In ‘Personal Information’ section in HRS, update Business address. Will take 1-2 days after update to show up in DOM directory.
- IF new address is in a different building, also review the Location field in Job Data for employee’s position. Use Add/Update Position Info in HRS to update that Location to match the building code for their new address.
Remove a specific office room number
Response
Explain that we can make this change and display a Mail Code instead. Confirm which they want listed (room number or mail code) and defer to individual preference.
Responder
HR Business Partner (HRBP)
Update Method
- Identify the Mail Code that corresponds to the current room number.
- In the ‘Personal Information’ section in HRS, update the Business address.
- Will take 1-2 days after update to show up in DOM directory.
Hide email address
Response
If not clearly stated in the request, follow up to ask why the employee seeks to have the email address removed. Explain that we will only remove it if there is a safety issue.
IF there is a safety issue/emergency, the Comms team can manually suppress email addresses on the front end of the website, but it will still appear in the campus directory. DoIT /Cybersecurity would need to remove it from the campus directory and this may take time.
In those cases, HR should work with the individual and OHR Workforce Relations to evaluate the request before asking DoIT to remove their information from the directory. In urgent situations where removal from the directory is of the utmost importance, HR or the employee should contact UWPD to file a report and then contact the DoIT Help Desk to request removal. DoIT will need the employee’s name, NetID and whether UWPD has been contacted. DoIT can escalate the ticket to Cybersecurity and they will contact the requestor directly to follow up.
If the situation is NOT a safety issue/emergency, encourage the employee to consider alternatives, such as listing a different business email address or working with the DOM Help Desk for help with managing emails.
Responder
HR Business Partner (HRBP), and cc: Comms team
Update Method
- IF business email address needs to be removed due to safety/emergency issue:
- Comms team will manually suppress on DOM website right away
- HRBP will work with employee and facilitate communications as needed with:
- OHR Workforce Relations
- UWPD
- DoIT Help Desk and Cybersecurity to remove it from campus directory.
- In non-emergency situations where employee requests to list a different, non-personal email (e.g., @uwhealth.org instead of @wisc.edu), HRBP can update using ‘Business Email Admin’ tool in MyUW. Will take 1-2 days after update to show up in DOM directory.
Degree Information
Change degree from MBBS to MD
Faculty may request this, since UW Health changes these degrees for their patient-facing website.
Response
Explain that the department has decided to use MBBS, because the DOM website is for the academic audience (not patients) and it is important to list verifiable degrees. Therefore, we are not able to change the degree in the DOM directory.
Responder
HR Business Partner (HRBP) or Comms team, whichever receives initial request
Update Method
N/A
Add a degree or professional credential
Response
If the request is to add an academic degree at the master’s level or higher, ask the employee to provide an updated resume/CV. HR will need to know the type of degree, when it was obtained and the institution from which it was obtained to add it to the directory.
If the request is to add an undergraduate degree or a professional credential, explain that the SMPH HR database that feeds the DOM directory does not support these.
Responder
HR Business Partner (HRBP) and cc: Comms team if employee is a faculty member
Update Method
- HRBP: Add degree and date/institution info in ‘Person Profiles’ section in HRS. Will take 1-2 days after update to show up in DOM Directory. Also put updated resume/CV in ImageNow filing folder.
- Comms team: If employee is a faculty member with an existing bio, add degree information in Education section.
Remove a degree
Response
Explain that the SMPH HR database that feeds the DOM directory displays all academic degrees at the master’s level or higher. Also explain that the DOM website is for the academic audience (not patients) and that it is important to provide complete and verifiable information about academic degrees. Therefore, we are not able to remove the degree in the directory.
Responder
HR Business Partner (HRBP) or Comms team, whichever receives initial request. Typically, no further action will be required beyond the standard response. If the Comms team gets info that indicates an inaccuracy needs to be corrected, loop in HRBP.
Update Method
Typically N/A.
- IF the reason for request is because the employee indicates their information is inaccurate, review their resume/CV and the ‘Person Profiles’ section in HRS and update accordingly. Will take 1-2 days after update to show up in DOM directory.
- If updates are made, notify the Comms team to update degree information in the Education section of the employee’s bio.
Change degree order
Response
Explain that the department directory uses a standardized order when listing academic degrees after a faculty member’s name. That order puts medical/non-medical doctorate degrees first and medical/non-medical graduate degrees second, regardless of other criteria. The degree order is programmed into the HRMed API and displays automatically. This has been determined at the SMPH level and is not a department decision.
Responder
HR Business Partner (HRBP) or Comms team, whichever receives initial request. If the Comms team gets info that indicates an inaccuracy needs to be corrected, loop in HRBP.
Update Method
Typically N/A.
If it appears that a degree type is miscategorized (i.e., doctorate vs. graduate, medical vs. non-medical), HRBP can review ‘Degree Titles’ list in HRMed and submit an HRMed support ticket to have it updated if needed.
Name Changes
Show preferred name
Response
Ask employee to follow the instructions for Update Name in Use (Preferred Name) to make the update through MyUW. This will override their legal name in the HR record as the primary display name. HR can only update their name in HRS if there is an error or if their legal name has changed.
Responder
HR Business Partner (HRBP) or Comms team, whichever receives initial request
Update Method
Employee needs to update on their own through MyUW.
Change name capitalization
Example: Some employees may have a capitalized letter in the middle of their name, such as "MacDonald”
Response
The HR data that feeds the DOM directory doesn’t recognize capitalization changes in the middle of a name. This is done manually in an override field on the website.
Responder
Comms team
Update Method
- Edit the page and open the HR Overrides accordion.
- Update the Directory Name Override field accordingly, with first name, last name and degrees.
- Copy text from the Directory Name field in the HR Import accordion for accuracy, and change last name capitalization accordingly.
- Update the Last Name Override field as well.
Update legal name
Response
Direct employee to their HR Business Partner (HRBP), who will confirm the details of the change with the employee and enter accordingly.
Responder
HR Business Partner (HRBP) or Comms team, whichever receives initial request. Comms team responds by directing employee to their HRBP and cc: the HRBP on the reply. HRBP responds by directly helping with the update process.
Update Method
- HRBP will reach out to the employee to verify their information, including their new name and effective date of change.
- In ‘Personal Information’ section in HRS, update Name fields as needed.
- Will take 1-2 days after update to show up in DOM directory.
Headshot Questions
Schedule a new headshot
Response
Ask employee to schedule a headshot with Clint Thayer.
Responder
HR Business Partner (HRBP) or Comms team, whichever receives initial request
Update Method
Clint will take the headshot, process it, and add it to the bio page. It can take up to 10 days for a headshot to be edited and posted on the website.
Use a headshot taken outside of DOM
Example: Employee would like to use a headshot from another department or job, or a selfie.
Response
For consistency, the department’s headshot standard closely follows UW Health's provider portrait specifications. Subject should be standing with uniform professional lighting using a light grey backdrop. Given these standards, photos from other sources are often not approved and the employee should schedule a headshot.
Responder
Comms team
Update Method
Ask employee to schedule a headshot with Clint Thayer.
Getting headshots for remote employees
Example: Employee works completely remotely outside the region, and it would be difficult for them to get to a photo appointment
Response
If the employee is not visiting Madison in the near future, please ask them to ask them to review UW Health's provider portrait specifications and try to capture an image that best matches them. The most important goal is to get as good of light on your face as possible while reducing back light.
If no professional options exist, stand in front of a window with the camera holder’s back to the window and get the camera close. Use a grey backdrop behind you if possible or ANY constant color.
Email the file to Clint Thayer for review and approval.
Responder
Comms team
Update Method
See response above
Unpublished or Missing People
Add or remove person from division faculty or APP/NP list
Response
First verify with the division contact that the person should be on the list. If yes, determine why they are not already on the list. Possible reasons are:
- Unpublished bio
- Missing division information in HRMed and People Bio
- Not in Department of Medicine and/or HRMed
Responder
HR Business Partner (HRBS) or Comms team, whichever receives initial request
Update Method
The update method differs based on the issues listed above in the response.
- Unpublished bio: If the bio is unpublished, please check this answer [person missing from People Paragraph link] to resolve why the person is unpublished.
- Missing division information: If division information is missing from HRMed, see if HRBS can add the division or an affiliate relationship. If not, Craig can manually add a person to the division list.
- Not in DOM: If the person is not in DOM, comms team should check for an external person or add them if needed. Craig can then manually add the person to the division list.
Person missing from People Paragraph
Example: A person added using a people paragraph or person featured paragraph is no longer displayed, leaving a gray box as a placeholder.
Response
Verify the person should still be displayed. Terminated people have to be manually removed from these pages. If a person hasn’t been terminated, check to see if they’re active in HRMed, and that the information is up to date. For SMPH employees, a missing tag can cause a person to become unpublished on the website.
Responder
Comms team to remove a person. HR Business Partner (HRBP) if HRMed needs updating.
Update method to remove a person
- Edit page
- Open paragraph
- Click on the three dots in the upper right and select Remove
Update method to edit HRMED
- Review person appointment information to verify they have an active appointment.
- If SMPH employee who is matrixed to Dept of Medicine, add their current appointment to the appropriate HR or IITC Department Assignment tag (Medicine HR/Medicine IITC)
Returning employee unpublished on website
Example: A person who left the DOM but came back has an unpublished people bio.
Response
Verify the date the person left. If it’s before January 7, 2025, they are unpublished due to a change in the Vendi cron job. If that’s not the issue, step through other MedHR possibilities.
Responder
Comms team to re-publish a person. HR Business Partner (HRBP) if HRMed needs updating.
Update method to re-publish a person terminated before 1/7/25
- Log into HRMed
- Copy UW ID
- Edit People Bio on website
- Paste in UW ID
- Person should be published the next day, after the cron job runs
Update method if HRMed needs updating
- Review person appointment information to verify they have an active appointment.
- If SMPH employee who is matrixed to Dept of Medicine, add their current appointment to the appropriate HR or IITC Department Assignment tag (Medicine HR/Medicine IITC)
Miscellaneous
Ad Hoc Situations
Unique situations will occasionally arise, and when they do, HRBPs and the Comms team should talk to understand the situation and use best judgment to identify a solution. General principles to consider include:
- The DOM website is intended for the academic audience, not patients
- Wherever possible, we seek to minimize the need for one-off solutions or forced changes that override the normal website/database programming.