September 3, 1998

In recent Currents newsletters, I have discussed our need to focus upon cost control while maintaining the highest quality of care. At this time, all indications are our expenses will grow more than revenues in FY 1999. We must sharpen our operations improvement tactics to properly control costs and achieve financial success.

Our immediate plan is to revisit all departments’ budgets to ensure resources and needs are aligned as best possible. Lisa Montgomery, administrator for financial services, and John Cooper, director of finance, will be scheduling meetings with all department heads to discuss last year’s performance compared to FY 1999 budget projections by cost center. They also will review directors’ information needs (productivity and volume indicators) and discuss how the Trendstar financial system can better meet directors’ needs. We will continue to provide updates through Currents on the budgetary situation and initiatives to control costs as we move forward.

On another note, I would like to welcome back Dr. C.D. Smith, medical director for quality and associate professor of surgery and pediatrics, from his sabbatical leave. During his sabbatical, Dr. Smith earned a master of science degree from the Center for Evaluative Clinical Sciences at Dartmouth College. His training in this area will further strengthen our quality improvement program.

I wish to also express my deep appreciation to Dr. Jerome Kurent, acting director of the Center for the Study of Aging and associate professor of medicine and neurology, who has served as acting medical director for quality during Dr. Smith’s absence. Dr. Kurent has indicated an interest in continuing to support hospital administration in addressing various issues and we intend to take advantage of his offer.

W. Stuart Smith Interim Vice President for Clinical Operations Interim CEO, MUSC Medical Center

Addressing the Address Situation

• John Runyon, director of university business services, spoke to the management team Sept. 1 on the new address system for campus locations.
• The United States Postal Service has always seen MUSC as one entity with one street address (171 Ashley Ave.) and a zip code unique to MUSC (29425). Mail for departments and people at MUSC comes into one central mail room, where it is sorted and distributed. Because all mail coming in had the same street address, staff sorting the mail had to rely on how well it was identified, such as by a person’s name, department, building and room number, or on their own ability to remember the location of hundreds of departments and thousands of people. Runyon used pediatrics as an example of how difficult that can be: there are more than 60 areas that include the word “pediatrics.”
• In an effort to improve the campus mail system, a new series of addresses was developed using the master plan of the campus. Mail using these addresses, which used “complex” and “suite” numbers could be presorted by the U.S. Postal Service’s computer system. The addresses worked at getting mail to people, but didn’t help people—such as patients, visitors, job applicants, sales reps and overnight delivery service drivers—find actual offices.
• Runyon said a second address system has been developed that promises to help get mail delivered more efficiently and help people find locations. He distributed a list of the new addresses to the management team. Runyon noted that many department names may need to be corrected because he had to use various cryptic notes to compile the list. He asked that managers e-mail him with any corrections to department names.
• The new address format uses P.O. box numbers mapped to specific locations on campus. More than one office can share the same P.O. box. A great improvement, however, is that the actual street location of the department is specified, and room or suite numbers can be included to identify the location of individual offices.
• Example return address on an envelope:
• MUSC Note 1
• Marketing Services Note 2
• 152 Cannon St., Suite 1 Note 3
• P.O. Box 250217 Note 4
• Charleston, S.C. 29425 Note 5
• Note 1: MUSC logo as printed by University Press according to the MUSC Graphics Standards
• Note 2: Mail will be billed based on department names, so care should be taken with the return addresses on envelopes. Runyon said he is working on developing a bar code system to use for billing with the Pitney-Bowes postage system.
• Note 3: The suite number can be assigned by each department. For return addresses on envelopes, the suite number should direct mail to the main mail distribution point for each area. For individual business cards, the suite number can be used to identify individual offices. “Room” can be used instead of “suite.”
• Note 4: This line is reserved for the department’s assigned P.O. box number. The post office computer equipment keys on this line.
• Note 5: The additional four digits previously added to zip codes can no longer be used. These were originally used for billing purposes, but in the new system will cause mail to be kicked out of the post office computer system.
• The new addresses also should be used for interoffice mail. The complete address should be used to ensure mail is delivered promptly.
• Runyon added that letterhead and business cards printed with “complex” addresses can be used until supplies are depleted. All new stationary orders should use the new addresses.