by Cindy A. Abole, Public Relations

With today’s computer news focused on the challenges associated with the Year 2000 (Y2K) computer bug, how are medical institutions like MUSC handling the situation?

“We’ve established a number of initiatives to make a serious assessment and evaluation of the Y2K problem,” said Melissa Forinash, acting CIO of CCIT. “We hope to continue heightening the awareness and provide continuing education regarding this issue within the MUSC community.”

The Year 2000 problem is a programming problem which originates from the early years of the computer industry in the 1950s and 1960s More specifically, it relates to the method computers calculate and recognize two-digit year codes instead of four digits. Hence, the computer’s software and hardware will have difficulties interpreting the year 2000. Unfortunately the problem isn’t limited to computers, but is affected by anything that relies on a microchip for date information (monitoring devices, bar coders, elevators, security alarms, etc.).

In 1997, MUSC’s Center for Computing and Information Technology (CCIT) established a task force to look for solutions relating to the Y2K problem. Their work focused on checking CCIT-developed software for compliance, inventory all major systems for compliance issues, request vendor certification letters, identify hardware and programs that needed to be upgraded, assess potential costs and how to budget for them and identifying scheduling and testing issues.

One way CCIT is handling response from staffs is the creation of a website which provides current information. The site, “What is the ‘Year 2000 Problem’?” was created to describe the nature of the problem, how individuals can test for it, plus other helpful recommendations and information for computer users.

“We didn’t want to make it a static website,” Forinash said. “It happens to be only one small piece of communications users can easily access.”

John Franklin, director of support services, is assisting the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the clinical side of MUSC hospital in establishing a hospital task plan to identify every clinical device that maybe affected by the Y2K problem. Franklin has already identified more than 6,000 pieces of equipment that may be at risk.

Forinash will present a task force status report to the Board of Trustees in mid-August. She will report that more than 50-60 percent of the Y2K hardware and software testing for major systems have been completed.

Attention also focuses on the Division of Finance and Administration and how these groups will handle facility and infrastructure challenges regarding administrative, security, emergency generators and lighting, elevators, etc.

The task force hopes to have everything completed by a target date of June 30, 1999. The group plans to use this early deadline to refine other bugs or problems which may occur before January 1, 2000. It will provide additional time to develop further contingency plans, if needed.

“There’s always alligators out there,” Forinash said. “We want to be sure to get all of them by the new millennium.”

For up-to-date information, check out CCIT's website at <http://www.musc.edu/ccit/wss/ICD/year2000/index.htm>