Return to Main Menu

Currents Recently, the bill to make technical amendments to the Medical University Hospital Authority Act was ratified and signed into law by the governor. The amendments were needed to clarify some confusing language and to add language needed to strengthen the act. Specific language was included to ensure for proper routing of funds used for our disproportionate share for hospitals federal program match. These funds now will be routed through the Department of Health and Human Services to the Authority. This new language should help safeguard the funds in the future. Appropriate language, as recommended by bond counsel, was added to ensure for the Authority's ability to issue bonds and incur debt. The act was clarified to make the Authority exempt from the state's permanent improvement plan process and leasing regulations. As amended, the act calls for the Authority to adopt an “expenditure of public funds policy” (similar to the university's existing policy) to ensure funds are expended for a “public purpose.” Language was modified to hold the MUSC board of trustees, officers and employees to the same ethical standards that apply to other state agencies, rather than different (and potentially confusing) standards.  As amended, the act now excludes UMA from being covered by the state Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). While UMA leadership is committed to public disclosure of information, legal counsel has advised that UMA's not-for-profit 501(c)(3) status, as approved by the IRS, could be jeopardized if UMA is covered by the FOIA. W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center Compliance Training sessions for staff to take place Reece Smith, compliance officer, announced that she sent an e-mail to managers and directors on April 25 that included a copy of a presentation for staff compliance training and outlined 27 compliance training sessions that will take place during the next six weeks. She will send out updates when additional sessions are scheduled. Managers and directors should contact Smith with early morning, night or weekend times that would be best to accommodate their staffs, if daytime training sessions will not work. Authority Paid Time Off Policy Betts Ellis, administrator for Integrated Services, reviewed the communication plan for the Authority Paid Time Off (PTO) Policy. Brochures that outline the PTO policy, the grievance procedure and frequently asked questions were distributed to managers and directors to share with their staff members.  Managers will schedule departmental meetings to review the new policies.  “Currents” will continue to address questions about the new policies. The west amphitheater and the auditorium in the Basic Science Building have been reserved in a number of one-hour blocks over the next two months for managers and directors to hold departmental meetings. Please contact Jane Smith in Integrated Services at smithjan@musc.edu if you would like to reserve a time.  Ellis reviewed the “10 percent token” concept, also known as “tentok.” Following the Authority conversion, current Medical Center employees will have 10 percent (up to a maximum of 24 hours) of their accrued sick leave hours set aside from their new Extended Sick Leave accounts.  Employees can use this “tentok” time only for personal sick leave purposes. Employees may use “tentok” before taking PTO for personal sick leave.