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Currents To Medical Center Employees: At a recent communications meeting John Heffner, M.D., medical director, MUSC Medical Center, introduced Patrick Cawley, M.D., as director of the new hospitalist program. Dr. Cawley came to MUSC from Conway Regional Medical Center. Drs. Dwight Blair, Justine Miller and Danielle Scheurer will also support the hospitalist program.    The hosptialist concept, physicians whose roles are to manage inpatient care, came about in the United States nearly a decade ago. Hospitalist physicians are dedicated to improving the quality of care and physician access. Hospitalist programs have translated to better clinical outcomes, shorter hospital stays and fewer re-admissions.     Dr. Heffner indicated there were only 500 hospitalists in the nation only a few years ago, now there are around 5,000.  It’s expected that 20,000 hospitalists will be employed within the next 10 years.     Dr. Cawley, among other duties, will play a key role as a member of the Quality Council.  He and his team will serve to strengthen the physician / hospital partnership.       Thank you very much. W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center   STAR Productions presents ‘Weekly JCAHO Communications’ Rosemary Ellis, Quality director, told managers that starting July 10, they would begin receiving JCAHO weekly communications out of Stuart Smith’s office.    Ellis recognized the difficulty of disseminating the enormous amount of information received during communication meetings when managers must go back to units and face other pressing issues. So in an effort to continue moving forward with JCAHO readiness, directors and managers will receive an email detailing weekly JCAHO presentations made in that week’s communications meeting, a message of the week, policy and directive updates/changes, and reminders.   Ellis said the presentations should be reviewed with and provided to the staff, as well as printed out and placed in the MUSC Star Guide. The message of the week should be printed out and posted in the department or unit in an area only occupied by staff members and should become a part of the weekly survey preparation rounds. For more information, contact Ellis at ellisro@musc.edu. Forms Committee Update Michael Irving, Clinical Services Administration, updated managers on recent changes made by the forms committee in an effort to increase the committee’s efficiency.    First, Irving mentioned the importance of committee chairs or recorders providing accurate information (i.e. membership changes) in keeping the medical center Intranet site, www.musc.edu/medcenter/committees current.    Irving mentioned the enormous workload (approval of 40-plus forms) facing the forms committee on a monthly basis, and the committee’s resolve to not go beyond the bimonthly meeting schedule currently in place.    On the committee’s website, www.musc.edu/medcenter/committees/forms, “Gotchas” are listed to help those drafting forms fix common mistakes before submission to the committee.    Irving said that checking the forms against the “Gotchas” would help with turnaround and keep the committee from having extra meetings.  Blood Donation competition wraps up  Annie Lovering, Red Cross Donor Room, announced the last quarter results of the Nectar of Life Blood Donation Competition.    For the third time, Ambulatory Cares beat out other teams for first place bragging rights and received meal tickets as their prize. Because the competition for second place was so close, the second place winners, Out for Blood Exsanguinators, received River Dogs tickets. Lovering also showed the managers these impressive statistics: For the year 2001-2002, the donor room saw 829 donors. This year, there were 1,798 presenting donors. Last year’s first time donors numbered 48; this year’s total was 136 donors. More than 800 people participated in the blood donation competition. Serving as a model to other Red Cross Donor Rooms and hospitals throughout the state and country, Lovering plans to present the team competition idea in the coming months.   A “Blood Drop-in” appreciation celebration is currently being planned for all those who donated blood at MUSC since July 1, 2002. It will take place in the MUSC Cafeteria on Aug. 14 from 2-4 p.m. with an awards ceremony at 2:30 p.m. For more information, contact Lovering at loverina@musc.edu.  Announcements Bobby Bradham, Pharmacy Services, announced that an Ambulatory Pharmacy Services project, after a year in the making, has rolled out.    The program allows MUSC employees to receive the same discounts when filling prescriptions at the Rutledge Tower Pharmacy as would be given for mail order prescriptions, but without the three week waiting period. For instance, generic medications, for individuals on the Blue Cross/Blue Shield State Employee Benefits plan or the MUSC Options plan, will cost employees $10 compared to $22 at commercial pharmacies.    Marc Williams, Clinical Neurophysiology Services manager and Applause/ A.R.E.A. Program chair, reminded managers that the Applause Program, a recognition program geared towards acknowledging employees and their special deeds, has been a part of MUSC for seven years.    The program averages more than 100 submissions a week and a new and improved card will be added to inpatient admission packets so that family members and patients have better access to the cards.    The Applause forms are on the medical center Intranet, go to http://www.musc.edu/medcenter/applause . Williams also introduced Mary Huger, Dietary Services, as the Applause/ A.R.E.A. program’s Quarterly recipient of a plaque and other special prizes.   Huger, while working her shift in the hospital’s cafeteria, came to the aid of a distressed patient and was recognized by the patient’s family member.         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.