MUSCMedical LinksCharleston LinksArchivesMedical EducatorSpeakers BureauSeminars and EventsResearch StudiesResearch GrantsGrantlandCommunity HappeningsCampus News

Return to Main Menu

Currents

To MUSC Employees:
At the recent MUSC Board of Trustees meeting, John Sutusky, Ph.D., was appointed as MUSC vice president for finance and administration. Since July 2000, he has served in an interim capacity.

Dr. Sutusky brings with him a wealth of experience in higher education administration spanning 28 years. He joined MUSC in 1995 as director of planning. Prior to employment with MUSC, he served as associate commissioner of the State Commission on Higher Education. We look forward to his continued support and to a strong working relationship. 

Our board also approved a cooperative agreement with Roper Hospital for a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) to be located at 30 Bee Street.  Roper is financing the scanner and MUSC will pay appropriate fees for its use. We are pleased to forge this working relationship with Roper and the availability of the scanner will be of great value to our patient care, education and research mission.

Finally, the purchase of Charleston Memorial Hospital was approved by our Board of Trustees, as previously communicated in this newsletter. 

Thank you very much for your hard work.

W. Stuart Smith
Vice President for Clinical Operations and 
Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center
 

Public Safety steps up campus security 

In the wake of the Jan. 18 daytime attack of a MUSC student at the Hagood Parking lot, security at that area has been stepped up by MUSC's Department of Public Safety, according to Paul Moss, manager of medical center security, who addressed MUSC administrators and managers at its Feb. 20 meeting.

Perimeter security has been improved all over campus. “Most perimeter doors are now locked after hours,” he said. In addition, the MUSC Department of Public Safety has circulated surveys to help identify areas that need improved lighting, additional emergency call boxes, and added security personnel. Surveys are still available through The Catalyst and the MUSC Web site. 

City of Charleston Police Chief Reuben M. Greenberg addressed the audience regarding the assault case as well as campus safety. He emphasized that in relative terms the MUSC campus is “pretty close to 100 percent safe.”  He added, “but no place is completely safe.” Greenberg urged individuals to use common sense and caution. He said, “if you have to ask yourself if you should call security, you should call security.”

Detective Holly Connelly, who is in charge of the assault investigation, also spoke to the issue. She said that the perpetrator of the assault has not been identified. She encouraged individuals to make use of MUSC buses or to contact campus security for a ride. 

Anyone with information about the assault incident should contact 792-4196 or the Silent Watch section on Public Safety’s Homepage <http://www.musc.edu/publicsafety/silentw.htm> to provide an anonymous tip.

The truth of the matter is, you're very safe here, Moss said.  He and his staff are available to give presentations regarding safety to any department or unit.  Call 792-4831 or 796-6902 to set up a presentation.

MUSC streamlines annual staff education/competency requirements
A Medical Center multidisciplinary task force has streamlined annual staff education/competency requirements for 2001 based on a review of regulatory standards and organizational needs.

A handout with the revised staff education/competency requirements was summarized by Vivian Gettys, JCAHO program manager.  Gettys emphasized that the annual review of department specific skills need only to include low volume/high risk or problem prone areas. Training is required for all new equipment, products or procedures implemented during the year. 

Training resources and organizational contacts were provided in the handout.

New JCAHO standards on patient safety/error reduction 
Lois Kerr, a consultant with Wilson, Cunningham, Kerr Associates, presented the new Joint Commission patient safety and error reduction standards that are effective July 1. Requirements for establishing ongoing patient safety/error reduction programs will be added in the following standards areas:
Leadership—Hospital leaders are to create an environment that encourages error identification and remedial steps to reduce the likelihood of future, recurrent errors.  Such an environment includes minimization of individual blame or retribution for those involved in an error or in reporting an error.

Improving Organizational Performance—Hospitals are to implement a program for proactive assessment of high-risk activities related to patient safety and to undertake appropriate improvements.

Management of Information—Hospitals are to aggregate patient safety-related data and information to identify risk to patients; apply knowledge-based information to reduce these risks; and effectively communicate among all caregivers and others involved in patient safety issues to guide and improve professional and organizational performance.

Other Functions—Hospitals are to place appropriate emphasis on patient safety in areas such as patient rights, education of patients and their families, continuity