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May 25, 1999

Recently, the Legislative Audit Council submitted its audit report concerning MUSC and UMA to the General Assembly. The audit took place during a period of six months beginning last June. The purpose of the audit was to examine the relationship of MUSC and UMA, among other things.

In particular, the audit focused on discretionary funds. These are non-state funds from the UMA private practice plan. State law authorizes MUSC to spend these non-state funds in accordance with policy established by the MUSC board of trustees.

The MUSC Medical Center is very grateful to have access to some discretionary funds to meet certain needs. We believe we have used these funds in a responsible manner to fulfill our mission. However, we understand we should take advantage of appropriate LAC recommendations to ensure accountability.

On another matter, the Senate recently passed the authority bill. We hope the House of Representatives will agree with various amendments made by the Senate to enable the bill to be passed by the end of the legislative session on June 3. We will keep you informed of the bill's progress.

W. Stuart Smith, Vice President for Clinical Operations, Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center

Trendstar Overview

• Lisa Montgomery, administrator for Financial Services, Rachel Herbert, director of Health Information Services, and John Cooper, director of Finance, presented an overview of Trendstar, which is decision support software that will help individual departments evaluate their budgets over long periods of time.
• Herbert will oversee Trendstar. Sue Pletcher, director of Patient Access Services, will assume responsibility for Health Information Services.

Announcements

Safety Fair

• Mary Santanna, product evaluation coordinator for Support Services, invited staff to attend a safety fair, which will be held June 2 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the portico area of the Administration Building. Because June is National Safety Month, the fair will focus on safety awareness in the workplace. The fair will feature safety and personal protection device vendors, free TB screenings, prize drawings and food vendors. For more information, call 792-3981.

Research Poster Day

• Lynne Nemeth, director of Outcomes Management, Research and Development, reviewed the following posters presented at the Clinical Services and College of Nursing Research Poster Day, which was held May 12 in the Children's Hospital lobby. Congratulations to all presenters.
• Leo Albano, Michael Seland and Terry Lewis. Cost-Effectiveness and Functional Outcomes in a Structured Work Reconditioning Program.
• Todd Smith. Development of Mean Control Charts to Monitor Air Medical Program Timeliness: A Total Quality Management Tool.
• John C. Cate IV, Margaret Walker, Marilyn M. Jenkins, Juanita A. Epps, Joyce A. Foster and Donna McClellan. An Academic Medical Center's Approach to Laboratory Medicine Revenue Enhancement Through Improved Customer Service.
• Donna F. Jacobs, Kevin Walker, Debra Frei-Lahr, Sally E. Self, Juanita A. Epps and John C. Cate IV. A Performance Improvement Approach for Development of a Molecular Testing Algorithm for Therapeutic Monitoring of the Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Patient.
• Dawn Nichols, John Cate IV, Sally Self, John Metcalf, Donna Jacobs, Kevin Walker, Joette Kizer and Juanita Epps. A Performance Improvement Approach to Develop a Molecular and Immunohistological Testing Algorithm for Detection of HER-2/NEU Amplification in Breast Carcinoma.
• Marie L. Lobo, Carol Dobos, Bonnie Muntz-Pope, Amy Ethridge, Stephen Haines and Brian Cuddy. Community Based Intervention: Prevention of Neurological Injuries in Young Children: Think First for Kids.
• Lynn Hadley and Sandra Oberman. Play to Grow: An Early Intervention and Family Support Group.
• Jill Evans and Harriet Allen. Pediatric Burn Course: Review of Multidisciplinary Educational Offering.
• Marie L. Lobo, Kelly Havig-Lipke, Michelle Macias, Ingrid Pearson, Laura Dobbins, Beth Cady and Sandra Oberman. Reach Out and Read-Charleston: Baseline.
• Carol Dobos, Marilyn Schaffner, Pat McConnell and Dora Bradley. Factors Influencing the Decision to Accept and Continue Registered Nurse Employment.
• Amanda Grimsley and Betsy McCutcheon. Uniting Hands and Aluminum Cans for Burn Recovery.
• Vicki Marsi. Developing a Center: A Model for Patient-Friendly Care.
• N. Collop, C. Bannister, K. Egbert, C. Franklin, I Harley, H Holland, R. Kvestad, T Pyles and G. Sylvestri. Institution of a Nutrition Protocol in a University Medical Intensive Care Unit.
• Susan Beason, Jodie Denemark, Lynn Hadley, Stephanie Lamy and Karen Rankine. BEAR (Baby Child Education Awareness and Resource Program).
• Rikki Moye, Tricia Kirkley, Yvette Duncan and Pat Petrucci. A Comparative Analysis Evaluating Self-Reported Education Levels in Nephrology Patients.
• David Soper, Shirley Brown and J. Peter Van Dorsten. Safety and Cost Effectiveness of Managing Patients at Risk for Immediate Preterm Delivery in a Minimum Care Unit.
• Lucia Griffin. Chronic Hepatitis Support Group Critical Pathway.
• Pamela H. Shepp, Penelope Chase and Elaine Rawls. Pancreatitis Partners: A Sharing and Educational Support Group.
• Bateman, Brescia, Catoe, Hennesey, Huff, Kurrent, Monroe, Peterson and Wilbur. Improving Palliative and End-of-Life Care at MUSC.
• Jill Gibson and Marie Lobo. Comparison of Upper and Lower Extremity Blood Pressures in Infants and Young Children.
• M. Bunke, L. Hildebrand, D. Ferrara, M. Budisavljevic, M. Baillie, L. Uber and P.R. Rajagopalan. Comparison of Patients With and Without Status Changes After Re-evaluation for Renal Transplant.
• Kelly Mayo and Nancy Osguthorpe. Enhancing Critical Thinking: Student Service-Learning in a Community-Based Faculty Practice.
• Katherine B. Taylor, G. Mark Baillie, Lynn A. Uber, Kristen A. Scholz, Elena D. Webster, Allyson M. Hart, Linda A. Gordon, Katherine L. Turrisi and Pam F. Cipriano. Transplant Discharge Enhancement Program.
• Sylvia Odom. Promoting Your Program: How to Maximize Exposure to Your Program.
• Katherine B.Taylor, Katherine L. Turrisi and Kristen A. Scholz. Utilization of a Transplant Outpatient Unit in Kidney Transplant Recipients.
• Sylvia Odom. University Healthcare Consortium Heart Transplant Case Study. q Judy Grant. Living With a Pacemaker.
• Carol L. Jaskunas and Gale Horinbein. Social Work Services at the Medical University of South Carolina.
• Lynne Nemeth and Carol Dobos. So You Want to Prepare a Poster: Tips for First-Time Presenters.
• Pam Fogle and B.S. Ribner. Acinetobacter Anitratus Outbreak in a Burn Unit.
• B. Rhoton, K. Hiott, M.R. Hughes and B.S. Ribner. Decreasing the Rate of Peritonitis in Pediatric Peritoneal Dialysis Patients.
• Margaret Wheat and Donna Padgette. Oacis Pharmacy Orders Beta Implementation Project: PMOM-Physician Medication Order Management.

Y2K Message

• Read MUSC's Y2K readiness statement at http://www.musc.edu/y2k/readines.html.