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Currents To Medical Center employees: Plans are being made for a Medical Center managers’ retreat in January 2003.  The purpose of the retreat will be to assess our past performance, discuss challenges facing the health care industry, and review our strategic plan and priorities. At a minimum, our priorities will continue to include: planning for a new hospital facility while completing ongoing renovation; continuous JCAHO readiness and preparation for next year’s survey; patient safety; improving our financial performance; addressing our bed shortage; customer service; and employee retention.  Additional details concerning the retreat will be disseminated soon. As indicated below, Nancy Sifford of University Risk Management updated the management team concerning the on-line ACCORD form for reporting workers’ compensation injuries.  It is important that the ACCORD form be fully completed and filed promptly. We also need to be diligent in our proactive safety practices to reduce injuries in the work place.  Unfortunately the Medical Center has seen an increase in injuries lately.   I am asking everyone to increase safety awareness. Finally, I am pleased to announce that 120,787 “Step Ups” were reported at the end of the first week of the Step Up campaign.  Our goal for  November is 399,750.  The intent is to focus our attention on excellence in customer service interactions with patients, visitors, physicians, students and co-workers.  Stepping up should be fun. Reporting of Step Ups should not be made too burdensome.  Employees are not “required” to meet individual goals, but should be encouraged to be sincere. Everyone is encouraged to use creativity and good judgement in tracking and reporting.  Thank you very much. W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations  and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center ‘Presenting: ‘E.T. – An Extra-Terrestrial Infection Control Saga,’  starring the 2003 JCAHO Mock Survey Results The Nov. 12 communications meeting opened with a scene from the movie “E.T.” and Jodell Johnson, Infection Control coordinator, dressed head to toe in protective gear including a mask, gloves, eye protection and booties. With the recent release of the JCAHO mock survey results, Johnson reminded attendees that infection control policies were in place.  “The public is very aware of our infection control policies,” she said. “People know what we’re supposed to be doing right down to handwashing.” Johnson presented a series of PowerPoint slides showing recent media coverage of infection control in the nation’s hospitals, including articles from People magazine and the Post and Courier. The remainder of the presentation concerned surveillance, prevention, and control of infection according to JCAHO standards. For surveillance, the components are to identify, analyze, prevent, control and report. Johnson then mentioned five specific JCAHO standards including: 1. The Organization uses a process to reduce the risk of endemic and epidemic nosocomial infections in patients and workers. MUSC’s program addresses prevention of central venous line related blood stream infections, ventilator associated pneumonia, surgical site infections, post c-section endometritis, and antibiotic resistant organisms. Case findings provide surveillance data including reports from various sources.  2. The Hospital reports information about infections both internally and to public health agencies. MUSC reports to ICC, MEC, QIC, board of trustees, DHEC, sends quarterly or monthly reports to patient care units, reports surgeon specific SSI rates semi-annually to department chairs and individual surgeons, and coordinates first responder BBP exposure procedures. 3. The Hospital takes action to prevent or reduce risk of nosocomial infections in patients, employees, and visitors. Includes orientation and education of employees, isolation and precautions, maintaining engineering controls, availability of personnel protective equipment, maintaining sterility, convenient handwashing facilities, traffic control in operating areas, product selection, preparation for bioterrorism, cleanliness of environment, and toys cleaned according to new policy. 4. The Hospital takes action to control outbreaks of nosocomial infections when they are identified. 5. The Hospital’s infection control process is designed to lower the risks and to improve the rates of trends of epidemiologically significant infections. Includes support from management and computer-based database systems and at least one program aimed at preventing the transmission of epidemiologically significant infections between patients and staff (e.g. Flu vaccine program). In conclusion, Johnson said, “We all know that we don’t want to cause infection. We’re not in the business to make people sick.” Worker’s Compensation on rise  The Workers’ Compensation ‘First Report of Injury (ACORD) form can be completed on-line.  Nancy Sifford, manager of Workers’ Compensation, elaborated on the importance of accurately filling out the ACORD form for a work-related injury.  This form is essential, she explained, because without it, a worker’s compensation claim cannot be filed. Another potential problem she highlighted was employees receiving bills for services related to an on the job injury because the ACORD is illegible or non-existent. The form must be received before any bill can be paid. These bills must be addressed, because non-payment may affect an employee’s credit report. For more information about the ACORD form, contact Sifford at 792-1775. New Training Center ‘a Go’ Carol McDougall, coordinator of Clinical and Patient Education, announced the opening of the new MUSC Community Training Center in Charleston Memorial Hospital and introduced administrative assistant Molly White and coordinator Jeannie E 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.