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Currents To Medical Center Employees: At the March 8 communications meeting George Rivas, safety consultant with Safety Management Services based in Arlington Heights, Illinois, updated the management team on methods now being used by the JCAHO for surveying the Environment of Care (EOC) standards and elements of performance. Rivas urged that when conducting our self assessment, as now required by the standards, that we be cautious not to score ourselves too high on any elements of performance. If we are not fully compliant on a given element of performance we would not be cited for a shortcoming if a plan is developed to achieve the standard.  Work is underway to complete our self assessment by May. Beginning January, 2006, the JCAHO survey team could visit unannounced at any time. In addition to a full survey, they will review our self assessment, validate it through survey, and advise of any necessary measures of success. Rivas pointed out that the JCAHO surveyors’ EOC hot topics include hazardous materials and waste management, testing and maintenance of fire alarm systems, and testing, maintenance and inspection of medical gas and vacuum systems. He also emphasized the JCAHO has added Life Safety Code specialists to its survey team and these individuals are “on a mission” to identify as many life safety code deficiencies as possible.  Finally, Rivas mentioned the JCAHO’s “tracer methodology” that is now a cornerstone of the new survey process. When using the tracer method for patients, a patient or patient chart is followed throughout the organization according to the sequence of care given from point of entry to discharge.  However, the EOC tracer process may involve focusing on a specific element, such as the management of chemotherapeutic drugs. For example, the surveyor will examine the policy for management of the drug and follow the drug from the time it is received in the pharmacy to disposal to ensure it is being managed in accordance with policies and to determine any risk points. Thank you very much. W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center Update presented from Information Management Dave Northrup, director of clinical systems in the Office of the Chief Information Officer, presented an update of the Information Management portion of the Tactical Plan, outlining goals and objectives for work groups in automated systems and internal communication. Automated Systems: Updating the PMSI Practice Partner implementation, Northrup turned the presentation over to Jim Smith who detailed the installation process of the electronic medical records system in clinics. PMSI/Practice Partner features Goal: Paperless outpatient chart. Types of entry functions:  Vitals, problem list, allergies Phone requests documented Meds/prescription (and refill) writer Clinic notes (can be transcribed of entered via templates) Scanning capability (referring or loose documents). Other types of data available:  Lab and radiology results Hospital transcription such as discharge summaries and operative reports Implementation objectives: Enhance patient safety Improve documentation quality Improve coordiantion of care Increase revenue Reduces costs (e.g., medical records storage...) Improve efficiency (refills, chart pulls...) Rollout status Goal: 330 attending physicians on Practice Partner by the end of 2005. For each physician, there are many additional users who are activated (e.g., nurses, COM staff, billing personnel) Approximately 128 physicians are currently using Practice Partner Approximately 47 are in the process (Note: implementation typically begins with nurses). Remaining 155 physicians to be implemented in 2005. Smith said that the Practice Partner rollout would be implemented in “waves,” the first of which is in process with Orthopaedics, Neurology, Pulmonary, Rheumatology and Pediatric Surgery. Wave 2 (Jan.- June): Hematology Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Nephrology, Transplant, Surgery. Wave 3 (Sept.-Nov.): Dermatology, Cardiology, infectious Disease, Urology. Final (December): GCRC, DDC, Ophthalmology, ENT. Northrup said that in a future presentation there would be an update on the work of the Internal Communications subcommittee, co-chaired by Paul Bush and Dave Bennett. Announcements Colleen Corish, director of the Oncology/Medical Surgical areas in Clinical Services said that “with great sadness Karen Johnson will be leaving us March 25. I’d like to thank Karen for all the work she did especially with regard to the development and opening of the Mount Pleasant Radiation Oncology Center.” She announced the interim manager would be Loretta Lighthart. Sue Pletcher announced the appointment of Greg West as the manager of Health Information Services (Medical Record Department) for file maintenance, scanning and release of information. West is from the Charlotte area.