August 27, 1998

I am pleased to report that we scored 99 in the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations survey of our Special Function Laboratory.

At our Aug. 25 communications meeting, Pam Cipriano, Ph.D., R.N., administrator for Clinical Services, thanked everyone involved in preparing for the survey, and gave special recognition to Joyce Foster, Nina Epps and Becky Reynolds of Laboratory Services, and to Vivian Gettys, coordinator for Hospital Clinical Accreditation and Standards.

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

Announcements

• Lisa Montgomery, administrator for financial services, reminded the management team of the importance of completing the HBSI Action Survey, saying this information will be used more extensively than in the past. She said information from HBSI’s report will be loaded into the Trendstar system beginning in October. She also said she and John Cooper, director of finance, will meet with managers to learn what types of reports and information are needed from Trendstar.

Weather Emergency Preparedness Update

• Al Nesmith, director of safety, security and volunteer services, briefed managers, directors and administrators on preparations underway for the possibility of a hurricane striking the Charleston area.
• Pam Cipriano, administrator for clinical services, discussed staffing using “A” and “B” teams of those designated as essential. She asked that managers carefully evaluate staffing needs. She said too large a number of A-team members burdens food and water supplies.
• Cipriano also discussed changes in the pay policy for weather emergency staffing. A-team employees asked to report to work will be paid from the time they start work until they are excused. For example, if they are at the Medical Center for 48 hours, they will be paid for that time. B-team members will not be paid for the time they are not at work, and can evacuate the area if needed. They will be responsible for calling in to find out when they need to report back to work. Those who are not on either the A or B teams have three options during a weather emergency. They can take time without pay, use annual leave or arrange with their managers to make up time lost if possible.
• Nesmith asked that managers identify sleeping areas to be used by employees and report that information to 792-6902.
• Following are various disaster preparedness reminders for your reference for future storms.
• “A” and “B” teams of essential employees who are designated to be available for work during a weather emergency should be assigned by managers. Designated employees should have their supplies, such as emergency food and water, in order. Every employee should have a laminated emergency information card, or “green cards,” that lists the supplies A- and B-team members will need and the phone numbers to call to get information on when to report to work. Managers can request green cards from Patty MacFarland at 792-1319.
• Emergency worker car placards will be required for A- and B-team members so they may park in the high-rise garages at the Medical Center and travel in and out of the city in case roads are blockaded by police. Because the supply of these cards are limited, only A- and B-team members should have them. Managers should call 792-6902 to request cards.
• Weather emergency supply cabinets located in nursing care units should include flashlights, lanterns, florescent lights and extension cords. Call Biomedical Engineering at 792-3984 or 792-7924 to request restocking of the cabinets.
• Nesmith distributed lanterns that include a regular light, a flashing light and a fluorescent tube to managers, directors and administrators after the meeting.
• “Last resort” child and elder care will be located in the occupational and physical therapy areas. Managers need to identify child and elder care needs for their areas and report this to 792-6902.
• “Last resort” pet care for employees who are required to be at the Medical Center during a weather emergency will be available in room 300 of the Clinical Sciences Building. There is a nominal fee for using this service. Pets must be in crates and have documentation showing they are up-to-date on vaccinations. For a brochure listing requirements of the program and a registration form, contact Patty MacFarland at 792-1319.

Department of Medicine Profile

• Rob Merenbloom, assistant dean for clinical operations and vice chairman, Department of Medicine, gave the management team an overview of the Department of Medicine at the Aug. 25 communications meeting.
• Department of Medicine divisions include those that focus on procedures and invasive medicine as well as those with a non-procedural, non-invasive approach. The divisions of MUSC’s Department of Medicine are: Bone and Mineral Metabolism; Cardiology; Endocrinology, Diabetes and Medical Genetics; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics; Hematology/Oncology; Infectious Diseases; Nephrology; Clinical Pharmacology; Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Allergy and Clinical Immunology; and Rheumatology and Immunology.
• Three Department of Medicine divisions appeared in U.S. News and World Reports’ “America’s Best Hospitals” list. Cardiology ranked 35th, Endocrinology ranked 25th and Gastroenterology ranked 24th.
• The administration of the department includes a chairman and directors for each division. Ian Taylor, M.D., has served as chairman of the department for five years. Taylor previously had great success in building the gastroenterology division at Duke University. He reports to the dean of the College of Medicine, Layton McCurdy, M.D.
• MUSC’s Department of Medicine has 573 employees: 185 faculty members, 62 residents, 49 fellows, 36 post-doctorates and 241 support staff members.
• Most of the department’s residents enter the primary care field and a large percentage of care delivered by the department is geriatric. Merenbloom said forty percent of the department’s patients are covered by Medicare. He also noted that the department probably still places too much emphasis on inpatient medicine, but that it is responding to market demands by steadily moving toward an increased emphasis on primary care.
• The department relies on the Medical Center for financial support, a clinical facility in which to practice, nurses and ancillary staff members. While the chairman does not report to the chief executive officer of the Medical Center, he works closely with hospital administration for the mutual benefit of both areas.
• Merenbloom displayed several charts showing the growth of the department in charges and collections, outpatient business and inpatient business. He also noted the large jump in grant awards in fiscal year 1998. This amount has more than doubled since fiscal year 1994 to $21 million.