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Currents To Medical Center Employees: The Medical Center’s leadership development and “FIRST IMPRESSIONS”  training program began in July 2002 and remains on track. Our plan is to involve all managers and more than 500 other employees in the training during this fiscal year. We will evaluate our progress at the end of the fiscal year and we hope to extend the training to more employees as we move forward.  To date, the training for our management team has focused on a range of topics related to enhancing communication skills and customer service.  This training has been time consuming for the managers, but it serves to underscore our commitment to excellence in service. I ask that all managers attend the training sessions on the dates for which you are scheduled.  These training sessions will serve as building blocks for future customer service-related initiatives. As we move into the late fall and second half of the fiscal year, the management team’s training will not be as time consuming. A wider range of employees will be exposed to the training during the second half of the fiscal year. Also, we will be determining changes to improve specific work place practices and behaviors needed to enhance our customer service.  Thanks to all concerned for your support and cooperation. W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center AcuDose Profile System designed to increase patient safety, reduce medication errors To improve medication safety and comply with standards set forth by the Joint Commission, the MUSC Medical Center is initiating several procedural changes using the AcuDose Profile System, according to Carole Small, manager of Inpatient Pharmacy Services. Small described the benefits of the AcuDose Profile System to managers and directors at the Sept. 10 communications meeting. In summary, AcuDose is designed to: Increase patient safety due to increase in order, review and screening Decrease medication errors due to look-alike drugs, dosing discrepancies, etc. Decrease MAR discrepancies due to all orders being faxed and entered into the pharmacy system Increase drug information availability on the Acudose Profile screen with first doses Decrease the gap in the medication use process between pharmacy-dispensed and AcuDose-dispensed drugs The process that the Medical Center will use to meet new safety standards and reap the benefits as set forth by AcuDose are as follows: TX.3: Medication use processes are organized and systematic throughout the organization TX.3.10: A safe and effective medication distribution system is implemented TX.3.3: The organization constantly evaluates and improves its processes for medication use TX.3.5: The organization ensures that medications are stored under proper conditions of sanitation, temperature, light, moisture, ventilation, segregation, safety and security TX.3.7: A pharmacist reviews all prescriptions or medication orders before the first dose is given Addressing some concerns relating to pharmacist review of all prescriptions, Small said that in Intensive Care Units or other urgent situations when the patient’s condition merits immediate treatment, the review process can be over-ridden.  The new procedures will be customized on a unit-by-unit basis and will be piloted in select areas of the Medical Center including, 3 North, 5 East and the Institute of Psychiatry. “Hopefully, we will be able to roll this out quickly,” Small said. Medical Center has new on-line department directory If you’re searching for the right spelling, title or contact information of an MUSC Medical Center administrator, director, manager or coordinator, you can go to the MUSC Intranet to access that information, announced Kelly Roberts, manager, Web Resource Services. The new service has a search mechanism that makes it possible to find an individual by name, part of a name or department. The directory is an Intranet application only and cannot be accessed from an outside browser. The directory shows a color photo of each manager and information is updated regularly. To access the directory, go to http://directory.musc.edu. There is also a link from the Medical Center Intranet. To make changes or updates, send the information to Stephanie Davis, administrative coordinator for Hospital Administration, at daviss@musc.edu. Roberts thanked Davis for gathering the information, along with Margaret Atwood from MUSC Audiovisual and Digital Imaging for taking the photos; and Dan Furlong, CCIT manager, and his team, including Igor Agrest, Kathleen Snyder and Stan Flowers. New MUHA policies approved Rosemary Ellis, director of quality, presented four policy changes: C-4 Confidentiality of patient location information. Revised policy to outline staff responsibility/actions to establish confidential patient status when required. Contact Sharon Knowles, Manager, Information Security Program, at 792-4037 or at knowles@musc.edu. A-3 Employee Health Examinations. Revised policy to require administration of TB skin test and required immunity for volunteers; Employee Health to examine employees for “fitness for duty;” and note correct hours of operation for Employee Health office. Contact Jodell Johnson, coordinator for Infection Control, at 792-4308 or johnsojo@musc.edu. A-21 Emergency Transport Service. Revised policy to reflect current telephone numbers for emergency and non-emergency services as well as replace dispatcher title with Communication Center personnel. Contact Mary Anderson, director of Critical Care and Emergency Services, at 792-1319 or andersma@musc.edu. A-67 Medical Record Retention. Revised policy to indicate medical records department staff will shred patient information 180 days after date scanned into computerized system. Contact Brenda Bailey, manager, Record Maintenance and Retrieval, at 792-9352 or baileyb@musc.edu. Ellis indicated that these are only summaries. To view the entire policy, refer to the MUHA Intranet. For questions, contact the individuals listed with the policy summary. 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.