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Currents At our July 3 communications meeting Al Nesmith, director, Safety, Security and Volunteer Services, introduced Rob Fowler of Channel 2.  Among other things, Fowler mentioned that predictions are for hurricane activity to be above normal for this hurricane season. Highlights of their presentation are outlined below. All managers should be familiar with the policies that address weather emergencies and staffing including: Medical Center Staffing During Emergencies and Disasters Policy # A-42; Medical Center Weather Emergency Plan Policy # A-64; and Medical Center Human Resources Hazardous Weather and Emergencies Policy # 13. These policies should be communicated to all employees and listings of “designated employees,” in accordance with the policies, should be updated. Everyone’s careful attention is needed to ensure a high level of preparedness.  Thank you for your cooperation. W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center Disaster plans presented with arrival of hurricane season  Hurricane season has begun and Al Nesmith, director of Safety, Security and Volunteer Services, and special guest Rob Fowler, Channel 2 meteorologist, gave updates on the Medical Center's disaster preparedness to the Medical Center management team. Speaking at the July 3 communications meeting, Nesmith emphasized the continued need for employees to make their own child and adult care provisions outside the Medical Center. Arrangements for care of dependents at MUSC will occur only after other options have been tried, for example, when shelters are full. “Child care is not automatic,” Nesmith said. “We need to keep our numbers down because of limited space and personnel.” The situation regarding pet care is the same. “The message is, we have limited pet care,” Nesmith said, pointing out that there are 11 establishments in the area that offer pet care in case of a major storm or hurricane. He distributed a list of pet care locations, showing: A Fresh & Fancy Kennel, West Ashley; All Good Dogs, James Island; Animal Hospital of North Charleston, North Charleston; Animal World, West Columbia; Charleston Pet Resort, West Ashley; College Park Boarding Kennel, Ladson; Dixie Kennels, Hollywood; Dog-Gone Purrfect, Mount Pleasant; Fur Do’s & Doze, Mount Pleasant; Mr. B’s Doggie B&B Retreat, Bonneau; Woof ‘N Whinney, Moncks Corner. The Medical Center has had to limit pet care because of concerns about liability. “We’re trying to limit our exposure,” Nesmith said. Rutledge Tower garage is the area designated for pets. Contact the John Ancrum SPCA for more shelter information for the safety of your pets at 747-4849. Nesmith urged administrators and managers to make sure cabinets are stocked with emergency provisions, such as functioning flashlights. Contact Doug Coker, manager, Equipment Distribution Center, at 792-3986 if you need assistance. Employees designated to be on-site during an emergency are asked to bring their own supplies to the hospital for their personal needs for three to four days, including food and sleeping bags, since beds are in limited supply. The disaster preparedness office preparation checklist includes reminders to: Unplug, cover computer(s) and move away from windows; Unplug all electrical appliances; Secure windows; Turn off lights; and Lock door(s) Designated employees assigned to serve during a weather emergency should receive a checklist of items to bring to the hospital, including a three- to four-day supply of: Medications; Water (2-3 gallons); Easy opening canned foods; Bread; Crackers; Peanut butter and jelly; Comfortable work clothing; Comfortable shoes; Personal hygiene items and toiletries; Flashlight with batteries and bulbs; Sleeping bag, pillow and sheets; Battery operated radio; and Employee identification. Nesmith also distributed automobile placards for employees who are designated to be part of the A or B team. The A Team (primary response team) is on duty during the weather emergency. The B Team is the relief team brought in after the storm has subsided. Rob Fowler complimented the management team on the Medical Center's level of preparedness. “It sounds like you all are prepared, as you always are,” he said. He emphasized that the best time to make emergency preparations is before the disaster strikes. “Make sure you take care of your family plan first. Do it now,” he said. “Get ready.” In order to provide the most accurate and up-to-date storm information, Channel 2 is in the process of building a facility, to be completed in a year, that is designed to withstand a category 5 hurricane, Fowler said. Channel 2 uses doppler radar with the First Alert Street Watch weather tracking computer that shows when and where severe weather will strike. Updated predictions of hurricane activity this season show levels above normal.  University Risk Management wins award, net savings to hospital On behalf of the University Risk Management (URM) team, Al Nes-mith, director of Safety, Security and Volunteer Services, recently accepted the SC Occupational and Safety Award from the SC Chamber of Commerce.  According to Wayne Brannan, director of URM, the commendation of excellence was awarded to MUSC because of low rates of lost workdays due to injury or illness.  “URM’s rates are significantly below the national average,” Brannan said. “It is a remarkable accomplishment.” Brannan cited several reasons for URM’s success: Support from senior management Financial support for risk management from the hospital University risk management activities Interdisciplinary approach URM conducts numerous initiatives to assist the hospital in the areas of workers compensation, Employee Health Services, Occupational Safety and Health, Radiation Safety, and Insurance Programs. Several hospital committees, including EOC, Injuries Task Force, and Bloodborne Pathogens, have been able to reduce lost days injuries and illness rates and incident rates for the past few years. URM also has reduced actual Workers Compensation claims over a three-year period by 57 percent, according to Brannan. The reduction in rates along with the reduction in claims, has created a savings for the hospital of $992,819 over the course of a three-year period. Environment of Care/Infection Control scan card available on MUSC intranet Access to the scan card is now available on the MUSC Intranet to assist departments with Continuous Survey Readiness for Environment of Care and Infection Control, according to Mary Allen, RN., coordinator, Environment of Care, Safety, Security and Volunteer Services. The 73 questions on the EOC/IC checklist outline many areas of concern that are frequently targeted by regulatory inspectors. The objective is to educate our employees as to these compliance issues, stimulate units to conduct proactive area assessments and promote corrective actions that will serve to ensure compliance with state and federal safety standards. To gain access to the scan card, go to the MUSC Intranet: 1. On MUSC Intranet, go to Toolboxes, Forms, Continued survey readiness, EOC checklist or  2. Go To My Computer, N drive, CSR, Scan cards, EOC scan card. Anyone needing access to N drive should contact Mary Hughes.  3. Use the printer icon function just above the EOC page. Using the file pull down menu to print will not yield an acceptable copy.  4. Assign one staff member per unit each month to avoid duplications. The electronic scan equipment is sensitive. Use only the original EOC scan page. No copies or faxes. If you make an error, do not erase. Start over with a fresh sheet. Please use a dark pencil or black pen to fill in the bubble on the scan card. List your cost center on both pages. Submit scan cards to Vonda Chaplin, Outcomes Management, Rm 248 North Tower by the 25th of each month. Late forms will be added to data for the following month.  Contact Mary Allen at 792-5176 if you need assistance with EOC corrective actions or Mary Hughes, Outcomes Management for scan card access. The checklist has been changed to an electronic format to improve analysis. Data tabulation will be performed by Outcomes Management for discussion at CSR meetings.