Reference Data

Admin

Reference data consists of the lookup tables that power dropdowns, validation rules, and categorization across the entire the platform platform. When a user selects an airport for travel, chooses a specialty for a caregiver, or assigns a hotel for an event, they are selecting from reference data.

🔒Requires permission: Admin.Hotels.Edit

Navigate to Admin > Reference Data to manage all lookup tables.

What Is Reference Data?

Reference data is the set of standardized values that ensure consistency across the platform. Instead of free-typing "RN - ICU" every time a specialty is needed, users select from a curated list maintained by administrators.

Why Reference Data Matters

• Consistency -- everyone uses the same names and codes, eliminating discrepancies in reports and searches.
• Data integrity -- validation against reference data catches typos and invalid entries before they enter the system.
• Reporting accuracy -- aggregated reports (fill rates, travel costs, specialty breakdowns) depend on standardized reference values.
• Efficiency -- dropdown selection is faster and less error-prone than free-text entry.

Reference Data Categories

Airports

Airports are used in travel coordination for booking flights and tracking arrivals and departures.

Field	Description	Required
Airport Code	The 3-letter IATA airport code (e.g., ORD, LAX, JFK).	Yes
Airport Name	The full name of the airport (e.g., O'Hare International Airport).	Yes
City	The city where the airport is located.	Yes
State	The state or region (for US airports).	Yes
Country	The country code (defaults to US).	Yes
Active	Whether the airport is available for selection in travel booking.	Yes

Managing Airports

1. Navigate to Admin > Reference Data > Airports.
2. The list shows all airports in the system, sortable by code, name, city, or state.
3. Add: Click Add Airport, fill in the fields, and click Save.
4. Edit: Click on an airport row to edit its details.
5. Deactivate: Toggle the Active switch to remove the airport from dropdowns without deleting historical data.

tip

When adding airports, use the official IATA code. This ensures compatibility with travel booking systems and avoids confusion when coordinating with airlines.

Hotels

Hotels are used for lodging assignments during events. Each hotel can be associated with specific events or made available globally.

Field	Description	Required
Hotel Name	The official name of the hotel property.	Yes
Address	The full street address.	Yes
City	The city where the hotel is located.	Yes
State	The state or region.	Yes
Zip Code	The postal code.	Yes
Phone	The hotel's main phone number.	No
Contact Name	The name of the primary contact at the hotel (e.g., group sales coordinator).	No
Contact Email	The email address for the primary hotel contact.	No
Notes	Free-text notes about the property (e.g., shuttle availability, parking details, pet policy).	No
Active	Whether the hotel is available for selection.	Yes

Managing Hotels

1. Navigate to Admin > Reference Data > Hotels.
2. Add: Click Add Hotel and complete the form.
3. Edit: Click on a hotel row to update its details.
4. Deactivate: Toggle the Active switch. Deactivated hotels remain in historical records but are not available for new bookings.

Associating Hotels with Events

Hotels can be linked to specific events to pre-populate the hotel dropdown when Travel Coordinators are booking lodging:

1. Open the hotel's detail page.
2. Under the Event Associations section, click Add Event.
3. Select the event(s) from the dropdown.
4. Click Save.

When a Travel Coordinator books lodging for an event, the hotel dropdown shows event-associated hotels first, followed by all other active hotels.

Specialties

Specialties represent the clinical disciplines and job categories used for caregiver classification and shift requirement planning.

Field	Description	Required
Specialty Code	A short code for the specialty (e.g., RN-ICU, RN-ED, CNA, RT).	Yes
Specialty Name	The full name (e.g., Registered Nurse - Intensive Care Unit).	Yes
Category	The high-level grouping (e.g., Nursing, Allied Health, Support Staff).	Yes
Description	A detailed description of the specialty's scope of practice.	No
Active	Whether the specialty is available for selection.	Yes

Managing Specialties

1. Navigate to Admin > Reference Data > Specialties.
2. The list is grouped by Category for easy browsing.
3. Add: Click Add Specialty, fill in the fields, and click Save.
4. Edit: Click on a specialty row to update it.
5. Deactivate: Toggle the Active switch.

caution

Deactivating a specialty does not remove it from existing caregiver profiles or shift requirements. It only prevents the specialty from being selected for new entries. Before deactivating, review how many active caregivers and assignments use the specialty.

Certifications

Certifications are the professional licenses and credentials that caregivers may hold. They are used in caregiver profiles, survey responses, and compliance verification.

Field	Description	Required
Certification Name	The name of the certification (e.g., BLS, ACLS, PALS, RN License).	Yes
Abbreviation	The standard abbreviation (e.g., BLS, ACLS).	Yes
Issuing Body	The organization that issues the certification (e.g., American Heart Association, State Board of Nursing).	No
Expiry Tracking	Whether the system tracks expiration dates for this certification.	Yes
Description	Additional details about the certification requirements.	No
Active	Whether the certification is available for selection.	Yes

Managing Certifications

1. Navigate to Admin > Reference Data > Certifications.
2. Add: Click Add Certification and fill in the form.
3. Edit: Click on a certification row to update it.
4. Deactivate: Toggle the Active switch.

Expiry Tracking

When Expiry Tracking is enabled for a certification:

• Caregiver profiles require an expiration date when this certification is added.
• The system generates warnings when a certification is within 30 days of expiring.
• Expired certifications are flagged on the caregiver's profile and in assignment validation.

Facilities

Facilities represent the healthcare sites where events take place. Facilities are organized in a three-level hierarchy: Facility > Unit > Specialty.

Field	Description	Required
Facility Name	The name of the healthcare facility (e.g., Memorial General Hospital).	Yes
Address	The full street address.	Yes
City	The city where the facility is located.	Yes
State	The state or region.	Yes
Zip Code	The postal code.	Yes
Phone	The facility's main phone number.	No
Contact Name	The name of the primary contact at the facility.	No
Contact Email	The email address of the primary facility contact.	No
Bed Count	The total number of beds at the facility. Used for capacity planning.	No
Active	Whether the facility is available for selection.	Yes

Managing Facilities

1. Navigate to Admin > Reference Data > Facilities.
2. Add: Click Add Facility and complete the form.
3. Edit: Click on a facility row to update its details.
4. Deactivate: Toggle the Active switch.

Units and Specialty Assignments

Each facility can have multiple Units (e.g., ICU, Emergency Department, Medical/Surgical), and each unit can be associated with one or more Specialties from the specialties reference table.

To manage units for a facility:

1. Open the facility's detail page.
2. Under the Units section, click Add Unit.
3. Enter the unit name and select the specialties that apply.
4. Click Save.

This three-level hierarchy is used when defining shift requirements for events:

Memorial General Hospital (Facility)
  +-- ICU (Unit)
  |     +-- RN-ICU (Specialty)
  |     +-- CNA (Specialty)
  +-- Emergency Department (Unit)
  |     +-- RN-ED (Specialty)
  |     +-- RT (Specialty)
  +-- Medical/Surgical (Unit)
        +-- RN-MedSurg (Specialty)
        +-- CNA (Specialty)

Adding Reference Data in Bulk

For initial setup or large updates, the platform supports CSV import for each reference data category.

Import Steps

1. Navigate to the reference data category (e.g., Airports).
2. Click Import CSV.
3. Download the template CSV for the category. The template includes the required column headers and example rows.
4. Fill in the CSV with your data.
5. Upload the completed CSV.
6. The system validates the data and displays a preview with any errors highlighted.
7. Fix any errors and re-upload, or proceed to import the valid rows.

Common Import Errors

Error	Cause	Solution
Duplicate code	A record with the same code already exists.	Update the existing record instead, or use a different code.
Missing required field	A required column is empty for one or more rows.	Fill in all required fields.
Invalid format	A field does not match the expected format (e.g., airport code is 4 characters instead of 3).	Correct the field value to match the expected format.

Deactivation vs. Deletion

Reference data supports deactivation but not deletion. This is by design:

• Deactivating a record removes it from dropdowns and prevents new selections, but preserves all historical references. Reports and audit logs continue to show the original value.
• Deletion would break historical data integrity. If a hotel used in a past event were deleted, reports for that event would show missing data.

info

If a reference data record was created in error (never used in any event, assignment, or caregiver profile), contact HCSS support for permanent removal from the database. This requires verification that no references exist.

Impact of Reference Data Changes

When you edit a reference data record, the change affects:

What Changes	Impact
Name/Label	Updated everywhere the record is displayed (event details, reports, dropdowns).
Active status	Only affects future selections. Existing records that reference the deactivated item are unchanged.
Code	Codes generally should not be changed after initial creation, as they may be used in integrations and imports.

caution

Renaming a specialty, certification, or facility changes how it appears in all existing records and reports. If the intent is to retire one value and introduce a new one, it is better to deactivate the old record and create a new one.

Best Practices

1. Establish naming conventions -- before adding reference data, agree on naming standards (e.g., "RN-ICU" vs. "Registered Nurse - ICU") and apply them consistently.
2. Audit reference data quarterly -- review each category for stale or unused records. Deactivate entries that are no longer relevant.
3. Use the import template -- for bulk additions, always start with the CSV template to ensure correct column headers and formatting.
4. Limit who can edit reference data -- only Admins should modify reference data, as changes propagate across the entire platform.
5. Document changes -- when deactivating or renaming a record, add a note explaining why. The Audit Log captures the change, but a human-readable note in the record's description helps future administrators.
6. Keep airports current -- IATA occasionally reassigns airport codes. Verify codes against the official IATA database when adding new airports.

Next Steps

• User Management -- manage the users who interact with reference data.
• System Settings -- configure branding and email settings that reference data supports.
• Audit Logs -- review changes to reference data records.