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Currents To Medical Center Employees: Fiscal Year 2000-2001 has been a challenging year for the MUSC Medical Center. As we enter the final month of the year, now is a good time to reflect on some of our accomplishments. Throughout the year, the Medical Center has maintained a very busy work pace with a consistently high patient census. Our outstanding health care professionals and support staff continue to provide excellent care and services. Among other distinctions, we were extremely proud that our Children’s Hospital was selected as one of the top ten children’s hospitals in the nation. We began the year with the implementation of the Medical University Hospital Authority, a new legal entity for the MUSC Medical Center. This new entity is exempt from numerous regulations that apply to other state agencies. Implementation of the Authority was a key goal of the 1998 Clinical Enterprise Strategic Plan. At this early stage, it is clear that the Authority governance model has led to improvements in our management flexibility. Our progress continues with numerous major construction and building renovation projects throughout the Medical Center. We successfully completed a JCAHO accreditation survey and enhanced our compliance program. We gained approval for the purchase of Charleston Memorial Hospital and, through realignment of staff, reduced CMH operational costs. During the year, we remained focused upon cost control throughout the Medical Center and all indications are we have made considerable progress. Your efforts have enabled the Medical Center to move in the right direction with our cost control initiatives. The above lists only some of our accomplishments. The complex nature of our work and the fact that we have had to do “more with less” has certainly made for a hectic year. Our leadership team is committed to making the Medical Center a better place to work as we move forward. I am deeply appreciative for the outstanding work done this year and look forward to the future with optimism. W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center   JCAHO continuous survey readiness self assessment due June 11 In an effort to help departments assess management of human resources, a self-assessment is available on-line that addresses the key HR standards that are scrutinized by JCAHO. Medical Center Human resources manager Janet Browning requested at the May 29 communications meeting that each department complete the “Continuous Survey Readiness Scan Forms” and return them by June 11 to Vonda Chaplin, Outcomes Management, Research and Development, in room 248 North Tower. She said a JCAHO readiness survey team will review the self-assessment to help determine areas of weakness that require attention. Browning summarized the six human resource standards and the five pages of questions that guide the self-asssessment process. Questions include: Is there an up-to-date job description on file that defines the qualifications and performance expectations for all staff members (including temporary, volunteer, and contract staff)? If applicable, are required licenses, registrations, and certifications for all applicable staff verified and on file? During the past month has actual staffing been within 10 percent of planned clinical staffing guidelines (15 percent for nonclinical/support areas) or, for UMA, plus or minus 20 percent? Are all performance evaluations conducted on or around the review date (within 45 days)? Are there opportunities for self development and learning available for all staff (inservices, conferences)? Have all staff members completed an orientation (general and unit)? If applicable, do in-service records document ongoing training in new procedures, techniques, technology, and equipment? Are age specific competencies assessed annually based on the ages of the populations served? If applicable, is staff informed and knowledgeable of the procedure used in order to be excluded from certain aspects of patient care due to cultural or religious beliefs (see Medical Center Policy #C46)?   To print out the Continuous Survey Readiness Scan Form online, do the following:  From desktop, open icon ‘My Computer’ Double click ‘N’ Drive Click ‘Continuous Survey Readiness’ Scan cards-Human Resources.pdf In addition to accessing the HR scan card through the N drive, it can be accessed through the Medical Center Intranet at: <http://www.musc.edu/medcenter/formsToolbox/FSFormsMgt.html>. If you have questions regarding the survey process, contact Browning at 792-1208.  Customer Service Performance Standards to be implemented The Medical Center customer service performance standards are finalized and require implementation on the following schedule, according to Joan Herbert, administrator, Department of Psychiatry, and chair of Quality Council, who spoke to managers and administrators at May 29 communications meeting: Updated planning stage documents for CN, CNC, and CNL who signed as of April 2001 will not be required until the next scheduled evaluation date. All staff with evaluation dates that fall between June 1 – Dec. 31, 2001, need to have an updated planning stage document for the next evaluation. Customer service will be added. All staff with evaluation dates after Dec. 31, 2001 (except CN, CNC, and CNL) will require an updated planning stage document by Dec. 31. The revised performance evaluation document has been piloted in Clinical Services. The new document will soon be issued for Medical Center-wide use.  “We want to keep customer service in front of everyone throughout the year,” Herbert said, emphasizing the need for sustained effort. She said oversight and coordination will be provided by the Quality Management Office, including brief regular education and discussion activities to help train the trainer.   For more information, contact Herbert at 792-6970. Safety Fair to spotlight new safety devices June 6 Come to the Third Annual Safety Fair on Wednesday, June 6, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. under the portico of the Administration/Library building and learn to work smart and work safe. A key focus this year will be information and demonstrations of safety devices to reduce or prevent occupational injuries.    “This fair will be bigger and better than ever,” said Mary Allen, coordinator, Environment of Care, Safety, Security and Volunteer Services. The fair is being coordinated by: Hospital Safety, Security and Volunteer Services MUSC Occupational Safety and Health Programs Infection Control Product Evaluation The fair is a collaborative effort that includes booths sponsored by numerous MUSC departments and product representatives with displays, hands-on demonstrations and door prizes. A variety of food vendors will also be available during breakfast and lunch hours. Employee Health Services will be present to give employee TB/PPD skin tests or update TB symptom sheets. For more information, contact Mary Allen at 792-5176. Children’s Hospital invites you to Operation Paint-Fest Come to Operation Paint-Fest and help in making Children’s Hospital more beautiful on Wednesday, June 6, outside MUSC in the horseshoe from 10 a.m.- noon and 2 - 4 p.m. Operation Paint-Fest is a nationally sponsored program, co-sponsored by Pfizer Pediatric Health and the Foundation for Hospital Art, to provide hope and comfort to pediatric patients. It is an event where MUSC Children’s Hospital staff, volunteers, patients, and their families as well as Pfizer and the Foundation for Hospital Art representative are joining together to create beautiful paintings of tropical fish, sailboats and butterflies. Carol Dobos, director, Children Services, invites employees, patients and their families to participate. For more information, contact Dobos at 792-9848. Cardiac Scoring offered to MUSC employees  MUSC employees had an opportunity to receive a heart risk assessment on May 30, during a special heart health promotion sponsored by the Heart Center, Radiology and Marketing Services, announced Lynne Barber, Marketing Service manager. The assessment is available to all employees by visiting MUSChealth.com. The website assessment is made possible through an educational grant from AstraZeneca. Heart risk assessment helps predict an individual’s risk of heart attack or other coronary event. Those who indicate high risk are recommended for cardiac scoring, a process that uses an ultrafast CT scan to quantify calcium deposits in the coronary artery. High calcium deposits are an excellent indicator of coronary artery disease. Cardiac scoring is a simple screening that takes only a few minutes to complete. The patient, in street clothes, lies on a table that slides through a scanning device that looks like a large donut. The scanner records information into a computer, and the entire process is completed in about two minutes.  For employees interested in cardiac scoring, contact MUSC Health Connection at 792-1414 or conduct your own heart health risk assessment on-line by going to MUSChealth.com.