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Currents To Medical Center Employees: Throughout the year we have remained focused upon our operational priorities of customer service and cost control. In recent Currents newsletters we have addressed various customer service-related initiatives. As we prepare to closeout Fiscal Year 2000/2001, now is a good time to highlight cost control. Our cost control priority involves many initiatives such as reducing lengths of stay, implementation of innovative purchasing procedures and generally improving productivity. But, on a very fundamental basis, it means keeping an eye on the bottom line and living within our budget. Last year at this time our financial information system indicated we were operating within our budget. Unfortunately, however, we experienced an additional $8 million increase in expenditures during the month of June. Necessary steps are being taken to avoid a reoccurrence. Lisa Montgomery, administrator, Finance and Support Services, recently notified key business officers throughout the Medical Center that all “receivers/releases for goods and services” received by May 18 be processed by May 31 and that we remain current.  Some departments enter this directly in the system, while others must deliver documents to systems accounting in Harborview Tower.  Any departments that experience a significant increase in expenditures during June will be asked to make a special presentation to appropriate MUSC leaders. Thank you for your efforts to live within our budget while continuing to provide excellent care. W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center   Life, fire safety inspection yields 80 percent compliance  A Health Care Finance Administration (HCFA) inspector arrived unannounced on May 18 to inspect the MUSC Medical Center on matters of fire and life safety turning up few compliance problems. Mary Allen, coordinator, Environment of Care, Safety, Security and Volunteer Services, commended managers and staff for their response in handling the inspection. The unscheduled inspection was a follow up related to the HCFA inspection last January which was performed as a validation inspection after the triennial Joint Commission survey in November. HCFA performs random validation surveys for approximately 5 percent of hospitals accreditation by Joint Commission. This year has been a year for inspections, Allen commented. Allen reminded the group that oversight from state and federal agencies has become more rigorous and that it only underscores the importance of the Continuous Survey Readiness (CSR) process.  In November, weeks after the JCAHO survey, the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) performed its annual fire and life safety inspection. In South Carolina, DHEC also works with HCFA to ensure federal as well as state compliance in matters of fire safety. It was this report that was used to satisfy the HCFA inspection requirements. All citations for DHEC and HCFA have been acknowledged and a reply for corrective action submitted and accepted. The HCFA follow-up inspection this week served as an intermediate follow up to assure that all issues were resolved or making acceptable progress toward completion. “More inspections will occur along these same lines throughout the year and in the future,” Allen said. Although issues cited on the HCFA Fire and Life Safety report were initially met by either correcting the item or initiating work to upgrade or repair the site, the effects are not always sustained. During the May 18 inspection, a few items were found again to be in noncompliance. Examples of these items are wedged doors, unsecured compressed gas cylinders and hallway obstructions. Allen stressed the need for all employees to be attuned to safety standards and that sustained compliance is vitally important.  “It is critical that the management team supports ongoing compliance with standards of care and services at the Medical Center,” she said. Allen also issued a reminder that Environment of Care/Infection Control checklists need to be completed and returned monthly. The Environment of Care/Infection Control check list can be viewed on the MUSC Intranet by going to the MUSC home page, then click on Patient Care, click on Intranet, click on JCAHO, click on EOC/IC Checklist. For more information, contact Allen at 792-5176. Smith summarizes May Board of Trustees meeting The May MUSC Board of Trustees meeting, held during graduation week, featured a presentation by the members of the Transplant Program, with a special focus by Kenneth Chavin, M.D., Ph.D., regarding the liver transplant program. W. Stuart Smith recapped highlights of the meeting during the May 22 communications meeting. The board approved a certificate of need for a new powerful 3TMR scanner. “It’s being purchased for research purposes, but will be used for clinical activities as well,” he said. Smith acknowledged honorary degrees that were awarded to several individuals based on their contributions to the nation, the state, to science and to MUSC. Those honored were: State Rep. Bobby Harrell, chairman, House Ways & Means Committee; Charles P. Darby Jr., M.D., chairman, Pediatrics; Nettie DuRant Dickerson, founder of Bankair, Inc.; Bill Hewitt, chairman, Board of Trustees, Health Sciences Foundation.  The board also: Approved $400,000 expenditure for renovation of a pediatric recovery area Completed the approval process for the purchase of Charleston Memorial, except for the closing. Medical Center pay plan completed Susan Carullo, manager, Medical Center Compensation, Employment and Employee Relations, reported that the Medical Center (Hospital Authority) performance pay plan for FY 2001/2002 has been finalized. The draft plan was widely circulated for comment and all indications are it was well received. Key elements of the plan include the following: 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, 2001 (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 2.5percent 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 2001.  Employees may choose either the July or December cash-in date. A balance of 120 PTO hours must be maintained following cash-in.  As an alternative to the cash-in, an employee may choose to convert up to 40 hours of PTO to ESL or “roll” the “cash-in” into their 401K plans, subject to IRS limitations. See the Medical University Hospital Authority Human Resources Compensation Policy #15 for additional information concerning other pay-related mechanisms. The “PTO Cash-In and PTO Conversion” form (with instructions) will be disseminated to all managers and posted on the Intranet for distribution to all interested employees. The July cash-in date is scheduled for July 16. Completed forms will need to be routed to the Medical Center Payroll Office during the month of June.  Hurricane Awareness Day set for May 30 Hurricane Awareness Day will be held at the Medical Center on Wednesday, May 30, with information, prizes and special events scheduled between 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. The activities will be held in the horseshoe near the main entrance with representatives and information booths from many organizations. For more information, contact Wayne Brannan, Risk Management director, at 792-2558. Nurse of the Year named Katherine Chase, R.N., an MUSC neonatal intensive care unit nurse, was named Nurse of the Year by Nursing Spectrum Metro, announced Carol Dobos, director, Children Services. Katherine Chase, R.N., right, neonatal intensive care unit nurse, was named Nurse of the Year by Nursing Spectrum Metro. Cindy Snyder nominated Chase for the award. The national award was given to Chase during a special ceremony on May 25. “Katherine was chosen because of her overall commitment to nursing and patient care as demonstrated by her advocacy for infants and her dissemination of developmental care philosophy throughout the medical center,” said Dobos. “She truly has made a difference.” Chase led the MUSC NICU in creating an environment of developmental care for premature infants including changing the physical environment by subduing lights and sounds and designing an incubator cover that keeps light out of babies’ eyes while they receive life-saving phototherapy. CCIT continues computer upgrades, swaps The MUSC Center for Computing & Information Technology (CCIT) has swapped out more than 600 leased computers with new machines during past few months, according to Dave Moses, CCIT business analyst. The remainder of computers that need to be swapped will be spread out through the rest of the year, as will upgrading of Clinlan hardware and software. Moses said that those with old GXA and GXI computers will need to upgrade them to handle installation of new Window 2000 software, which will be installed in the near future. Moses encouraged employees to become members of the new Clinlan User Advisory Group, which was formed to provide valuable user feedback. He said the group, which has held three meetings so far, meets on the last Wednesday of the month. Contact CCIT for more information at 792-9700 or send an e-mail. Updates given on hospital flooring projects Hal Currey, administrator, Facilities and Capital Projects, said every effort is being taken to minimize the disruption caused by the removal of the flooring on fifth floor SW and elsewhere in the hospital. Because the Intensive Care Unit is directly under this area, work plans are challenging for all concerned, he said. Minimizing the disruption, however, has resulted in delays, which has translated to delays in the work on the Operating Rooms. “Patient care comes first,” he said, adding that the project architects and engineers are experimenting with new technologies to try to reduce the sound associated with the flooring project.