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Currents To Medical Center Employees: Under our new status as a hospital authority, the Medical Center is able to set its own performance pay plan. I am very pleased to present to you a plan for Fiscal Year 2001-2002 that is both competitive with the health care industry and fiscally responsible.   To develop the plan, we reviewed past experiences, best practices and solicited comments from managers and a broad-range of employees. Managers who recently shared the proposed plan with their staff reported positive reactions.    In the past, under the state system, we often did not know the details of the new fiscal year pay plan until the “eleventh hour” (around June) of the legislature’s decision-making process. At this point the House of Representatives has proposed a 1.5 percent general increase in July and an average merit increase of 1 percent on the review date. The Senate is expected to address its version of the pay plan soon. Generally, a committee has to resolve the differences between the House and Senate plans.   I feel confident the Medical Center's performance pay plan, as highlighted below, will serve the Medical Center employees' needs well considering our competitive health care environment and our goal of recognizing performance.  I also feel it is important to disseminate this information in advance.   On another matter, at the recent Board of Trustees meeting several presentations were made concerning the Medical Center.  Highlights of the presentations are indicated below.   We are very pleased to welcome Joseph Gerald (Jerry) Reves, M.D., to the MUSC leadership team as the new vice president for medical affairs and dean of the College of Medicine. We look forward to working closely with him as we continue to strengthen the clinical enterprise. Thank you very much. W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center Medical Center (Authority) Employee pay plan announced Grant performance pay for eligible (“regular”) employees based upon the most recent evaluation. 2.5 percent meets; 3.5 percent exceeds; 4.5 percent substantially exceeds Implement on universal date(s) on the Dec. 30, (hourly) and Jan. 1, 2002 (salaried) payrolls. Trial period employees (i.e., initial year following reclassification or promotion) will receive a performance increase based upon the most recent evaluation, just as other employees in “permanent” status, unless a supplemental evaluation is given to change the increase. Probationary employees (i.e., first year “new hires”) with greater than six months satisfactory service but less than one year of service will be eligible for a 1.5 percent increase. Probationary employees who have completed one year of uninterrupted satisfactory service but have not concluded their probationary period (i.e., due to reclassification or promotion) will receive a 2.5 percent performance pay increase. Employees at their pay band maximum will receive the full performance pay increase . . . any amount in excess of the pay band maximum will be given in a lump sum payment. (Employees who are over the pay band maximum due to voluntary or involuntary demotion will not be eligible.) Pay bands will be adjusted 2.5 percent to remain aligned with the market, but pay will not be directly affected (increases will be based upon performance). PTO cash-in of up to 40 hours will be authorized for eligible employees in July or December. Employees may choose either the July or December cash-in date. A balance of 120 PTO hours must be maintained following cash-in. (Details and “cash-in forms” will be issued.) As an alternative to the cash-in, an employee may choose to convert up to 40 hours of PTO to ESL. See the Medical University Hospital Authority Human Resources Compensation Policy #15 for additional information concerning other pay-related mechanisms. See your manager or e-mail Eric Frisch (frische) or Susan Carullo (carullos) with any questions. Board of Trustees Meeting/Medical Center Related Presentations A presentation by Hope Colyer, manager of the Call Referral Center, was well received by the board, who acknowledged the important role the call center plays for the general public as well as referring physicians. John Franklin, director of Support Services, gave an overview of the purchasing-related savings achieved since conversion to the Hospital Authority governance structure in July 2000.  It was reported the purchase of Charleston Memorial Hospital has been cleared by DHEC. We are now engaging in a rigorous process of determining the long-term use of the building. Peter Cotton, M.D., director of the Digestive Disease Center (DDC), gave a dynamic presentation regarding DDC. The board gave approval to purchase an MRI with an imaging capacity twice as strong as our existing equipment. The MRI will be used both for research and clinical use. Hal Currey, administrator, facilities and capital projects, offered updates on the building and renovation projects pending or currently under way. (Please see additional details below.) Marilyn Schaffner, interim administrator for Clinical Services, reported that the Medical Center is experiencing what is a national trend regarding a decline in the number of students seeking nursing degrees. Updates given on building expansions and renovations Hal Currey, administrator, Facilities and Capital Projects, briefed administrators and managers on building renovation and expansion plans during the April 17 communications meeting. He also announced that Richard Elder, engineer, was recently appointed as a new manager for construction and design.  Elder’s appointment will enable a full staff to manage the many building projects. Updates on the nine projects in excess of $1 million are: Children's Hospital exterior waterproofing—The project includes the removal and replacement of windows, replacement of flashing and reinstallation of brickwork to eliminate water filtration. Total approved budget is $3 million. The project is expected to go to bid in June. The project will be phased as follows: north side, east side, then south side. Children's Hospital HVAC upgrades—The existing heating and cooling system will be repaired and upgraded at a budgeted cost of $3.3 million. Construction began in January and is expected to conclude in July. Clinical Science building renovation, phase I and II—Renovations include areas for bronchoscopy, dialysis, electronic medical records, digestive disease office space, general clinical research center, assistive technology lab, call center and common space. Budgeted cost is $9.4 million. Phase one has been completed; phase two is expected to be completed in July. The remainder, including dialysis and electronic medical records training, are in the design-development phase. The job will go to bid in June. Electrophysiology lab on sixth floor of Children’s Hospital—This project will add an EP lab for both pediatric and adult cases and will include renovation of the existing EP lab, replacing the lab on the eighth floor of the Clinical Sciences building. The plan also includes renovation of the pediatric Echo and clinical space in support of consolidation of pediatric cardiology, expected to be completed by May. EP lab renovation should be completed in June. Budgeted cost is $1.3 million. Emergency Department expansion and renovation – The 6,855-square-foot project involves interior remodeling to the existing emergency department to allow for additional exam rooms and separation of adult and pediatric patients. The project will also include construction of a new hospital entrance, which is in progress, drop-off area and canopy. Phase one demolition is under way. Total budgeted cost is $2.3 million.  Medical Center flooring—This project involves replacement of existing flooring on floors 5 – 8 in the main hospital. Work has been completed on the fifth floor east, which took five months largely because of patient care issues. Currey said the replacement work could not take that long for other areas. Budgeted cost is $2.5 million. Work on fifth floor southwest is expected to begin in May. Medical Center operating rooms, fourth floor—This 35,000-square-foot project includes design and renovation of surgery and ICU waiting area, PACU and holding, five existing ORs, creation of six new ORs and replacement flooring in the public corridors. Total budgeted cost is $10 million. The ORs #1 and #2 are expected to be completed in April; construction of six new ORs is currently under way and will be completed by March 2002. The remainder of the support space will be completed by October 2002. Medical University Heart and Vascular Center—This 24,000-square-foot renovation of the fifth floor of the Children’s Hospital will create a consolidated center for catheter labs and interventional radiology. It will contain 11 procedure rooms, holding and recovery bays, waiting area and support space. Cost is $9.6 million. Bid opens in April; construction should begin in 45 days. Morgue renovation—The morgue has not been renovated since the original construction of the main hospital and will include a 23,000-square-foot redesign and renovation. Total budgeted cost is $1.2 million. Substantial completion is expected as of May, with return of anatomic pathology personnel in June.