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Currents To Medical Center Employees: Customer Service, communication, and team building continue to be the  focus of our Leadership Training and First Impressions Training sessions conducted by The McNair Group consulting firm. To date, more than 100 training sessions have occurred since July 2002 for the ancillary staff, registered nurses and the management team. The sessions are designed to cultivate the desired values and core competencies of the Medical Center specifically concentrating on all levels of customer service. Evaluation summaries from the various sessions indicated this training was very beneficial and quite timely. We anticipate more than 1,000 employees completing the training series by December. The new Web based Computerized Annual Training and Tracking System (CATTS) was rolled out to the entire Medical Center in March. Department directors, managers and educators attended “train the trainer” sessions which gave instructional information to guide employees in the use of CATTS as well as management reporting capabilities. To date, we have received feedback from end users on the ease and convenience of the system. The system also allows for the tracking of “classroom” type education. We are currently testing this feature and anticipate implementing it Medical Centerwide in June.  Anyone who has questions about CATTS can contact Jane Smith, human resources information systems coordinator (e-mail: Smithjan@musc.edu or call 792-2805).  Thank you very much. W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center   STAR Productions presents ‘The Prince of Tides’ In a scene from “ The Prince of Tides,” after Nick Nolte’s character finds his sister restrained in a psychiatric hospital bed, he hammers away at Barbara Streisand’s character for not being notified of the need for restraints. Barbara Hiott, transitional care unit nurse manager, and Harriet Cooney, psychiatry, presented the scene as an example of what not to do. “Patients’ families should always be notified when a family member is restrained before seeing them,” said Hiott. The purpose of patient restraint is to protect a patient’s health and safety while preserving his or her dignity, rights and well-being by preventing, reducing, and striving to eliminate the use of restraint and seclusion. According to MUSC policy, all patients and families must be informed of MUHA’s policy on seclusion and restraints, alternative interventions, and reasons for seclusion or restraints. JCAHO mandates that patients and families are provided with appropriate education and information on the purpose for restraints, the criteria for discontinuation, and engaged in identification of a possible alternative. Every patient has the right not to divulge seclusion or restraint information to family. Current restraint initiatives include side-rail protectors, a Web site for restraint and seclusion questions, a safety fair, product evaluation and education, restraint education and competency, and a “leather free day,” which will serve as a day to implement “twice as tough” restraints instead of leather ones. Restraints may be used in an emergency, when patients exhibit a behavior that places themselves or others in eminent danger, and only after lesser restrictive, alternate measures have been tried and were unsuccessful. There are two types of restraint orders, for medical/post surgical restraints or for behavioral management.  Update on New Hospital Facility and Planning Hal Currey, facilities and capital improvements manager, gave managers a virtual tour of the new facility to be located along Courtenay and Doughty streets, as well as an explanation of architectural drawings and estimations. Currey mentioned many things important to consider in the building of Phase I of the new facility, including expansion to 150 beds, accessibility, parking, wayfinding, a new Chest Pain Center, and satellite support services. He also outlined eight critical tasks facing the university during the next few months: Secure a detailed agreement from the City of Charleston on traffic and drainage issues. Receive an answer from the VA on availability of property to build the new facility. Receive preliminary cost estimates from the construction manager for the HUD with a projected Spring 2004 start date. Receive financial feasibility study from Ernst and Young. File application for Certificate of Need by June 1 and secure by Sept. 30. In order to achieve HUD 242 financing, MUHA must be established as the legal owner of the property to be developed and the application completed by July 31. Buy or lease the Charleston County parking garage on Courtenay Street by July 1.  Finalize traffic and highway issues with the VA for the closure of Doughty Street and obtain an answer to request for $63 million to state and federal Congress for traffic support. Announcements Stuart Smith announced that the Health Sciences Foundation remains on schedule in planning for the old Charleston High School property site. Part of the property will accommodate 715 new parking spaces.  Rosemary Ellis, Quality director, presented the results from the Patient Safety Survey gathered in March. Of 741 respondents, most were from adult patient areas and most participants were nurses.  For more information, go to http://www.musc.edu/qn/PatientSafety/PatientSafetyIndex.html.       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.