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Currents The initial budget presented by the Ways and Means Committee of the South Carolina House of Representatives did not provide the $185 million of Medicaid funds requested by the Department of Health and Human Services. The federal government matches these funds on a three to one basis, meaning the overall impact of the Ways and Means Committee recommended budget could have been in the $400 to $500 million range for the state, and in the neighborhood of $32 million for MUSC. Late last week the House wrapped up its budget bill and earmarked an additional $58 million in state tobacco settlement funds, subject to Budget and Control Board approval, for Medicaid. This action helped but did not fully fund the Medicaid program for next fiscal year. This action, however, was encouraging. The State Senate will now begin its work on the budget bill.  The Medical Center leadership will stay abreast of the legislative proceedings to prepare the Medical Center to deal with a possible substantive reduction from last year’s funding.  We anticipate the State Legislature will finalize the budget in late May or early June. Thank you very much. W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center   Employees: Don’t load non-work related software on MUSC computers  Representatives from the Center for Computing and Information Technology (CCIT) urged administrators and managers to get out the message that non-work related software should not be loaded on MUSC computer work stations. “We’re seeing an increase in problems,” said Dave Moses, manager of Healthcare Network Services for CCIT, addressing the management team at the March 12 communications meeting. “It might seem to the computer user that the software is a relatively innocuous thing,” he said. “But it isn’t.” Fred Nash, systems engineer for CCIT, echoed his statements. “It’s reached epidemic proportions,” he said. “The net result is work stations are being rendered inoperable.” During the past weekend, two computer work stations shut down as a result of the number of non-work related software programs loaded on the hard drive. Many of the programs had been downloaded from the Internet such as Yahoo Instant Messenger and a number of others. Nash said that loading business-related productivity software not presently available in ClinLAN was acceptable. Those with questions about how to remove software or what software can be safely loaded, need to contact the help desk at CCIT by calling 792-9700. Nurses, Medical Center areas honored for patient safety efforts Three Medical Center areas were recognized by the Center for Clinical Effectiveness for their contributions to good patient outcomes in the area of pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations. Recent medical record audits indicated that 100 percent of a sample of patients cared for on 10 West, 10 East and MICU were assessed for eligibility for the two vaccines. In keeping with national standards, MUSC is hoping to increase the assessment and delivery of vaccinations throughout the Medical Center, according to John Heffner, M.D., medical director for the Medical Center.  Honoring the health care workers who fulfilled the perfect rating, Heffner and Rosemary Ellis, director of quality, presented certificates of achievement to Kim Gadsden, Oncology Services, from 10 East; Barbara Burke, Digestive Disease Center nurse manager from 10 West; and Natalie Ward from MICU. Patient safety program takes proactive approach The Patient Safety Committee has a number of projects and efforts in the pipeline to educate both employees and patients regarding new policies and efforts to improve patient safety. Rosemary Ellis, director of quality, provided the update, which detailed a number of accomplishments to date, including: Developing a draft of a patient safety brochure Sponsoring a contest to integrate quality and safety initiatives Initiating the development of an organizationwide fall prevention protocol Developing a survey to obtain staff feedback regarding organizational safety culture Developing a safety plan and policy She said the next steps will include facilitating the development of: Job-related safety orientations and training Marketing plan to get the word to employees and the consumer alike Process to integrate patient/family feedback regarding safety Plan to increase surveillance and review of “near misses” and safety concerns Staff requirements relative to patient safety are: Patient and family will be educated regarding their role in facilitating safe care Patient and family will report perceived risks All staff orientations will include job-related aspects of patient safety Staff members are required to report errors, accidents and near misses. Safety concerns may be reported anonymously to Risk Management, though self-identification is recommended. The Patient Safety Committee membership includes, Infection Control; Risk Management; Environment of Care/Safety & Security; Product Evaluation; Customer Satisfaction; director of Quality; director of Strategic Planning, Health Information management; Ambulatory Care Services; Institute of Psychiatry; Clinical Services; Department of Pharmacy; University Risk Management; Charleston Memorial Hospital; and the JCAHO administrative coordinator. Lobby construction to begin on Clinical Sciences Building A project to upgrade the first and second floors of the Clinical Sciences Building will soon be under way. In connection with that, the main lobby of the Clinical Sciences Building on Johnathan Lucas Street will undergo a significant renovation that is long overdue, according to Hal Currey, associate dean for Operations. During the entire construction period—March 25 through July 1—it would be helpful for all faculty, staff, students and patient discharges to use the North Tower Entrance, he said. The lobby will be under construction from March 25 until approximately  July 1. The lobby will be closed beginning at 6 a.m. on March 25 until 12 p.m. on March 29. The lobby will again be closed for the month of June. For your convenience during April and May, there will be a 6-foot-wide tunnel through the construction zone. Because of the level of construction activity, it’s suggested that all parties maximize use of the North Tower entrance. Appropriate signage will direct patients, staff, faculty and students to alternative routes.  “As is the case with any renovation, there will be some inconvenience to the occupants of the building,” Currey said. “I believe that you will be extremely pleased with the final product. As always, we appreciate your patience and consideration during this renovation.” MUHA updates TB Testing Guidelines Employee Health Service (EHS) is contracted to provide TB skin testing to MUHA employees on a routine basis (annual or semi-annual according to the area) and as follow-up for TB exposure.  The following guidelines are in place to facilitate this testing. This does not negate Employee Health’s contractual responsibilities. Employees may continue to receive testing at Employee Health Services (EHS), 158 Rutledge Avenue. 1. Purified Protein Derivative for employee testing is available at Pharmacy Distribution (Room 149A Main Hospital).  Pick up between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays. PPD must be stored in a medication refrigerator and vials should be dated for 30 days when opened. 2. Supplies and TB Test forms are available in the Infection Control Office (Room 286-287 Main Hospital). Call the infection control nurse on call (pager 20292) to determine if someone is in the office. Bring a container to transport supplies. 3. When scheduling testing, please notify Catherine Smith in Pharmacy (792- 1009) and Jodell Johnson in Infection Control (792-4308) as soon as the testing is scheduled but at least two working days before testing. Each area will need to know the testing date, the unit/department being tested and the approximate number of tests to be administered. A message should be left on both audixes if necessary. 4. It is the responsibility of the department/unit to 1) make arrangements for the testing, 2) make arrangement for reading the test and 3) assure that the completed forms are faxed or delivered to the EHS office. The employee will not be credited with a valid up to date TB test unless the TB forms/documentation has been received by EHS. 5. Any registered nurse or respiratory therapist who has received instruction in administering an intradermal injection may administer the PPD test. 6. Any licensed health care professional may read the test. However, if there is any redness or induration, the employee must report to EHS for reading.  7. Annual symptom reporting sheets are also available in the Infection Control office for those who are TB skin test positive. Introduction of new employee Sheldon Weinstein, MSW, LISW, joined the MUSC staff on March 11 as coordinator for Social Work. Prior to joining MUSC, Weinstein was in private practice and worked with Charleston-Dorchester Mental Health, Fenwick Hall and Healthsource Insurance Company. Lynne Nemeth, Outcomes Management, made the announcement.