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To Medical Center employees:

The upcoming Oct. 11 MUSC Board of Trustees meeting will mark the “beginning of the end” of the evaluation and assessment process for determining the location for a new hospital facility. During the past year, the team of NBBJ (architects) and Kurt Salmon (health care strategists) has worked extensively with MUSC leaders to examine alternatives. After considering these alternatives, the board is expected to reach a decision either during the upcoming meeting or at the Dec. 13 board meeting. The process is moving forward as planned and the future holds many exciting challenges. 

On another matter, the training program for the management team and designated “first impressions” employees continues on track. Our goals, which are aligned with our customer service priority, are to enhance patient and employee satisfaction. As we move forward, our plan is to “step up” to transfer the classroom instruction to workplace behaviors. A training program progress report and work plan for the future will soon be disseminated.

Finally, as outlined below, the month of October is the annual enrollment for health benefits.  Unfortunately, in keeping with a national trend, rates are increasing due to the increase cost of health care.  However, we continue to have a very solid and highly competitive plan in which MUHA contributes approximately 70 – 80 percent of the cost, depending upon the plan selected.

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

Blood donations surge to new high

Blood donations collected at the MUSC American Red Cross donor sites reached an all-time high, as a result of the MUSC/MUHA Blood Donor Team Contest, according to officials, who made the announcement at the Oct. 1 communications meeting.

During the first quarter of the competition (July 1 – Sept. 30), donations doubled compared to the same period last year. Annie Lovering, who headed the effort on behalf of the American Red Cross, noted that MUSC had 60 first-time donors and 496 presenting donors in the MUSC donor room compared to 37 first-time donors and 247 presenting donors in the same time period in 2001.

Donna McClellan, director of Laboratory Services, introduced Lovering saying, “Hopefully we’re creating a culture that encourages regular donations. I want to thank all of you and remind you that we’re asking you do it again.”

McClellan also thanked Lovering for coordinating the competition, which resulted in two winning teams: the Laboratory Lifesavers, captained by Jill Midgett, manager of Diagnostic Microbiology and Immunology, which was the first team to donate 25 units, and the Cannon Street Blood Clots, captained by Diane Leyh, of Business Development and Marketing Services, which donated the most units. The Laboratory Lifesavers team members received potted plants from Hyams Nursery; the Cannon Street Blood Clots team members received tickets to the SC Aquarium.

Lovering thanked all 28 teams for their strong effort and encouraged others to join. “It’s not too late,” Lovering said. “Each quarter marks the beginning of a new competition.” The second quarter is Oct. 1 – Dec. 31.  Forming a team requires that 25 members sign up and a team captain be designated. Team captains are responsible for turning in sign-up sheets. Donors must give at either the Red Cross Donor Room 279 MUH or at the horseshoe bloodmobile.

The donor room is open every Tuesday from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. and every Wednesday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Call 792-0219 to make an appointment. Gifts will be awarded to first-time donors, quarterly winning teams and to yearly winning teams. All donors receive a free yogurt ticket with a free topping from the little café outside the MUSC cafeteria. All new donors receive a key chain and will have their names posted monthly on a bulletin board outside the cafeteria. 

“Attempted donations by team members still count,” Lovering said. Donors can donate blood no more often than every eight weeks.  One way to help ensure your donation goes smoothly is to be well hydrated. Start pushing non-caffeinated and non-alcoholic fluids ideally 24 hours before giving blood, then have a full meal within two hours of donating blood.

October is annual open enrollment, some rate increases indicated
The annual open enrollment period to make changes to employee benefits package continues to the end of October. 

According to Janet Browning, manager of Benefits and Records for Medical Center Human Resources, if you are enrolled in the plan of your choice you do not have to do anything. She also indicated that due to increases in the cost of health care, insurance rates will rise, though MUHA has made a concerted effort to minimize the impact on its employees.  “MUHA has a highly competitive plan and contributes about 70 – 80 percent of the cost, depending upon the plan selected,” Browning said.

Browning also indicated that those who want to continue using the Money Plu$ daycare spending account and/or the Out-of-Pocket Medical Spending account must reapply on an annual basis during October.

One significant change to the benefits program is the option to increase the maximum coverage level for Optional Life Insurance from $300,000 to $400,000, effective in January 2003. Medical evidence of good health is required if employees choose to increase life insurance regardless of the level.

Here’s what you can do during the 2002 annual enrollment:
q Change from one health plan another (SHP Economy to Standard, Standard to Economy, SHP to an HMO,HMO to an SHP or HMO to another HMO).

  • Active employees must enroll or re-enroll in their Money Plu$ spending accounts during the enrollment period if they plan to participate in the program in 2003. 
  • Active employees participating in the Optional Life program may decrease or increase their coverage in $10,000 increments up to the $400,000 maximum coverage by providing medical evidence of good health.
  • Active employees can enroll in Optional Life coverage by providing medical evidence of good health.
Enrollment and changes made during this enrollment period are effective Jan. 1, 2003. According to Browning, employees cannot add or drop health and dental coverage and/or dependents’ coverage until the next open enrollment period in fall 2003, except for changes made within 31 days of a special eligibility situation.

Regarding health plan options, employees in the Charleston service area will be able to choose from four health plans: State Health Plan (SHP); MUSC Options HMO; Companion HMO; and Cigna HMO.

While October is open enrollment for all employees, changes can also be made during other months of the year if there is a change in family status, such as a result of divorce or death in the family.

Browning encouraged employees to read “The Insurance Advantage,” the newsletter published by the SC Budget and Control Board about the state employee insurance programs. All employees should have received a copy. More copies are available through the MUHA Human Resources Office, room 109 in the  Clinical Science Building.

Browning also encouraged participation in the MUHA annual enrollment fair on Thursday, Oct. 17, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. in room 107 of the MUSC Administration Building. Representatives will be available from SC Retirement, Standard Insurance, the State Health Plan, Cigna, MUSC Pharmacy, MUSC Options, MoneyPlu$, APS Health Care, Companion Healthcare, Marketing Services.
 

STAR Productions Spotlight

STAR Productions, which stands for Survey Teams Always Ready, has launched a multi-media approach to making sure MUSC maintains a high standard of compliance.
‘The Perfect Storm’ —Medication misadventures
‘The Great Escape’ —Medication security

“The Perfect Storm”
 “Medication use has been termed ‘The Perfect Storm,’ by some,” said Maureen Sheakley, medication safety coordinator for the Department of Pharmacy Services.

The reason for the designation is because when a serious error occurs, the erosion of safety nets becomes obvious that allowed the error to occur. “When you’re in the middle of it, however, you cannot see it,” Sheakley said. “Because of this, and other well-publicized studies and newspaper articles, the JCAHO has taken on patient safety as its primary theme, specifically medication safety.

Sheakley presented this as the third installment of three to update the management team on the guidelines for medication use and on the change in standards established by JCAHO. “We look at our own processes to constantly improve and document the way we use medications,” Sheakley said. “There’s a balance that must be gained between patient care and security. That’s something we continue to work on. We protect our patients from untoward events through systems that are set up to succeed.”

The focus of this presentation was on the prescribing and ordering phase. JCAHO has addressed this phase in both specific and general terms. The standards include:

  • TX.3: Medication use processes are organized and systematic throughout the organization
  • TX.3.3: The organization constantly evaluates and improves it processes for medication use
  • TX.3.6: Policies and procedures that support safe medication prescribing or ordering and transcribing are developed and implemented.
The third standard spells out what should be included in an order writing policy. One of the items that has caught the attention of JCAHO in terms of prescribing and ordering medications is the use of RANGE orders. There are inherent interpretation issues surrounding the use of range orders such as “promethazine 12.5 -25 mg PO/IV q 4-6 hrs.” And that’s what’s worrying JCAHO, Sheakley said.

“The litmus test on the survey will be when a JCAHO surveyor asks two nurses about how this order would be interpreted. If they hear two different answers, then there would be a problem in their view,” she said.

“The Great Escape”
“We call medication security, The Great Escape, because the closer medications get to the patient, the less secure they tend to be because our control lessens,” Sheakley said. 
“That’s the nature of what we do and something that we need to be acutely aware of. There is a continual balancing act going on between patient care and medication security. The trick is to cover both in a way that the patient doesn’t suffer.”

Sheakley indicated that medications left at the bedside or near the patient for quick use are less secure and more open to misuse, theft or diversion. 

Ways to raise the level of medication security:
1. Is the medication secured and controlled enough?
2. If anyone has unauthorized access, unsupervised access or uncontrolled access to medications that should not have this access, then it’s probably a problem.

Upcoming special attractions will feature:

  • “Part II”—Interdisciplinary care planning teams. Oct. 15.
  • “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” a mock survey. Oct. 21 – 23.
  • “Top Gun,” which will feature the new documentation system. Oct. 22.
  • “Fatal Attraction,” starring those ever lethal “no-brainers.” Oct. 29.

 
 

Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.