Return to Main Menu

Currents To Medical Center Employees: As we approach the heart of winter and the possibility of icy road conditions, everyone needs to be familiar with our policies concerning hazardous weather. These policies were updated in August 2002 and include: Medical Center Human Resources Hazardous Weather and Emergencies policy #13, Medical Center Staffing During Emergencies and Disasters policy #42, and Medical Center Weather Emergency Plan policy #64. Good preparation should minimize disruption in the event of a winter storm.   On another matter, the MUSC Office of Diversity recently announced that nominations are being solicited for the annual Earl B. Higgins Achievement in Diversity award. This annual award began in 1996 and recognizes MUSC employees who have made outstanding contributions to diversity. Nominations are encouraged and will be accepted through Feb. 11. Please refer to the Office of Diversity web site (www.musc.edu/diversity) for the nomination form and instructions or contact Ms. Lucille Skaggs (792-2147 or at Skaggs@musc.edu).   I am pleased to report that the Center for Computing and Information Technology (CCIT) is working to improve the MUSC departmental directory system (telephone numbers and addresses). In the near future, the CCIT management team will be giving an update on their plans for the future.     Finally, congratulations to the Children’s Hospital including its physicians, nurses, and all other employees, for being recently named the eleventh best Children’s Hospital in the nation.     Thank you very much. W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center   STAR Productions presents, ‘Home Alone,’ JCAHO new patient safety goals Rosemary Ellis, quality director, kicked off the first communications meeting of the new year with a scene from “Home Alone” and a reminder of just how important JCAHO safety regulations are at MUSC. Ellis outlined JCAHO requirements and commented on the Medical Center’s steps towards improved patient safety.   To receive accreditation, MUSC must improve accuracy of patient identification by requiring at least two patient identifiers.    The Medical Center currently uses the patient’s name and birth date. A final verification process used by staff also ensures through active staff communication confirmation of the patient’s identity.    In addition to improving the accuracy of patient identification, the Medical Center must improve the effectiveness of communication of caregiving and has implemented the “readback.” When a verbal order is given, the person receiving the order must write it down first, and then read it back to the physician or staff member.    While staff are encouraged to use some shorthand, some abbreviations might lead to confusion. Therefore, the Medical Center has developed and distributed a list of unacceptable abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols.    In a third area important to accreditation, the Medical Center is working on improvements for the safety of high alert medications, effectiveness of clinical alarm systems, the safety of infusion pumps and the total elimination of wrong site procedures. Children’s Hospital named 11th in country Carol Dobos, Children’s Services director, beamed as she announced that the MUSC Children’s Hospital was bestowed the 11th spot in Child Magazine.    “Every hospital that received a top 10 spot is located in a major metropolitan area,” Dobos said. “So, to be number 11 is quite an accomplishment.” The ranking is based on analysis of 150 hospitals nationwide. Announcements Donna McClellan, laboratory services director, gave an update on MUSC’s blood donor competition, recently named “Nectar of Life.” For the second quarter contest, the winning area for “the most units donated” was Ambulatory CARES, led by David Neff, ambulatory administrator.    Neff and his teammates will receive complimentary tickets to the opening game of the LowGators, Charleston’s new basketball team.    Annie Lovering, of the MUSC Red Cross Donor Room, and McClellan presented figures comparing last year’s donations and current donations. The results showed a first quarter increase from 263 units to 496 units and a second quarter increase from 187 units to 406 units. Lovering asked managers to “keep the blood pumping.”   Matt Asher, CCIT report administrator, told managers that access to payroll and human resources systems reports will be available online with the help of a new system, IWR (Impromptu Web Reports). After attending one of the training sessions Jan. 22-24, managers will be able to log on to a website and review the reports pertinent to their areas.   Pam Fogle has been named the new infection control coordinator. She is taking the place of Jodell Johnson, who retired in December.   Effective Jan. 13, the customer satisfaction program has moved from the Support Services department to the Quality Management department and will be administered by Lisa Marie Montgomery of the Risk Management office. The purpose of the change is to centralize customer service reporting and related performance improvement initiatives. The phone number for customer satisfaction will remain 792-5555.     Margaret Robertson previously managed the customer satisfaction program in addition to her other responsibilities as the administrative officer for Support Services. Recently Robertson assumed additional responsibility for enhancing Pyxis (supply system). MUSC is especially grateful to Robertson for establishing an effective customer service program.     Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.