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Currents To Medical Center Employees: One of the Medical Center’s major goals for fiscal year 2003-2004 is to  achieve financial targets necessary for funding the Phase I hospital facility. We are challenged to generate more cash reserves. We need to achieve a 3 percent margin ($16 million) this fiscal year and we need to improve this margin next year. To attain our financial targets we must carefully manage our budget and control costs. At the March 23 communications meeting, John Cooper, Finance director, and Neil Veloso, Budget analyst, discussed our plan to enhance the use of EPSi, our web-based budgetary system. The plan is to take our budget management process to the next level. The EPSi budget system is a tool that enables all managers to keep abreast of their budget status in a timely manner. It will help us to promptly focus on problem areas and to report more accurately. Beginning in April, the Medical Center’s budget office plans to “close out” the previous month’s financial activity within the first week of the current month. Managers will be asked to review their budgets by the 15th of the current month, enter comments into the system to explain variances (negative and positive) and to take any corrective measures needed. The intent is to develop a “cost conscious culture” throughout our organization. Every Medical Center employee has a role in identifying cost-saving opportunities. In the future, we hope to more closely align incentives with financial performance. It is clear that achieving financial strength while providing excellent and compassionate care is the key to success.  Thank you very much. Sincerely, W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center   Web-based software replaces spreadsheets Cumbersome, time-consuming, monthly departmental variance reporting is about to become less cumbersome and less time-consuming with the implementation of an EPSi software module. The Web-based accounting software module replaces the manual Excel spreadsheets department managers have been sent each month. Currently, all department managers must analyze expenses and FTEs on a monthly basis and include a note explaining any variance greater than 5 percent.  Medical Center finance director John Cooper said that managers would no longer have to work with the spreadsheets, write in notes where necessary, and keep a hard copy for their records. As Neil Veloso, Medical Center Budget analyst, demon-strated on-screen how the software works, Cooper explained that notes on variances can be entered and will remain until the reason for the variance changes. “This module of our EPSi software gives the same information and keeps a record of all notes,” Cooper said. “This will mean no more hard copies. The information can be reviewed by senior management at any time.” “This gives us time to review the notes and ask questions before we present to the Board of Trustees,” said Finance and Support Services administrator Lisa Montgomery.  Cooper said that the Web-based system of variance reporting must be done by the 15th of the month. Dress code Marilyn Schaffner, clinical services administrator, announced a dress code change for outer garments of “direct patient care employees.” “Direct patient care employees will wear scrubs or uniforms agreed upon for each work area; including unit-approved shirts and sweatshirts with specific lettering or logo. The scrubs or uniforms will be neat, wrinkle-free, and clean, and only solid-colored, non-flannel pants will be per-mitted. Non-direct patient care employees will wear professional business attire that is clean, neat and conservative.” Schaffner also announced the departure of Mary Anderson, director of Critical Care and Emergency Services, who is leaving April 2 to become director of nursing at East Georgia Regional Medical Center in Statesboro.  Anderson came to Charleston in 1990, joined MUSC in 1991 and became Emergency Services director in 1999. Schaffner noted the following interim responsibilities: Colleen Corish, Clinical Services director, Oncology/Medical/Surgical Services will assume responsibility for 6W, 8E, 2SSU Karen Weaver, Clinical Services director, Surgery, Women and Infants Services will assume responsibility for STNICU, MICU, MSICU, ED and Trauma Services Lynne Nemeth, Care Management, Research, and Evaluation director will assume responsibility for Meducare, HSCs, HOP. Patient rights Quality director Rosemary Ellis said that a new patient rights brochure has been developed with more expanded information on what patients can expect in their care. “It is important that any patient who asks be provided a brochure, which is also posted prominently in each unit,” Ellis said. Joan Herbert, who moderated the meeting, explained that the new brochure came about as a result of a complaint by a patient and that compliance would be measured by asking patients if they have the brochure or have had the rights presented to them. Friday, March 26, 2004 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.