Return to Main Menu

Currents At our March 21 communications meeting, Lisa Montgomery, administrator for Financial Services, gave an update on our financial status, including our progress in reducing the number of full-time equivalent positions (FTEs) per adjusted occupied bed. This is a commonly used benchmark that takes into consideration both inpatient and outpatient activity. (We also include shared services positions in our calculation.) According to the Association of Academic Medical Centers (AAMC), most cost-effective medical centers average 5.5 to 6.5 FTEs per adjusted occupied bed. Ms. Montgomery reported that we currently operate at 6.16 FTEs. In recent years, we have made a lot of progress in improving productivity while providing excellent care. During the pre-change management days in the mid-’90s, we had slightly over 9 FTEs per adjusted occupied bed. Immediately following change management, we reduced that figure to 7.31, with a goal of continued reduction. We will continue to carefully control hiring while ensuring appropriate “mission critical” staffing.  Our efforts to reassign Charleston Memorial Hospital (CMH) employees to the Medical Center have met with some success, and we will continue to reassign CMH employees to suitable roles. But clearly, FTE-related cost savings opportunities are very limited, and we must explore all opportunities, aside from staffing, to reduce costs while providing excellent care. I want to thank everyone for a job well done. W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center Medical Center nearly on target with cash projections Lisa Montgomery said as of February, the Medical Center was nearly on target with cash projections. Deloitte and Touche consultants are close to the midpoint of achieving $25 million in accelerated cash flow. The Medical Center is working to mitigate losses at Charleston Memorial Hospital, which ultimately affect the Medical Center’s bottom line. Through February, CMH had a $5.8 million loss. As of February, the average number of FTEs for the year was 3,910. The average number of FTEs per adjusted occupied bed was 6.16—down from 6.55 in fiscal year 1999. The 6.16 figure is below budget and the lowest in the Medical Center’s recent history. In comparison, the median figure for 94 hospitals in the AAMC was 6.50 in fiscal year 1998. Discount prescription program changes Paul Bush, Pharm.D., director of Pharmacy Services, and Bobby Bradham, R.Ph., manager of Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Services, reviewed the following changes to the discount prescription program, which assists the underserved population.  The changes will take effect April 3. The discount prescription program will be available only at the McClennan-Banks Pharmacy and the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center Pharmacy (for medications directly related to cancer treatment). The Commun-I-Care and Prescription Assistance Program will be available at McClennan- Banks. The minimum co-pay will increase from $2 to $5. The maximum discount will decrease from 90 percent to 60 percent. As a result of the changes, projected savings in fiscal year 2000 will total more than $570 thousand, and will total more than $2.2 million for fiscal year 2001. Approximately 8 percent of the business from the Clinical Science Building Pharmacy and 38 percent of the business from the Rutledge Tower Pharmacy will move to the McClennan-Banks Pharmacy. Staff will be reassigned accordingly.