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Currents To MUSC Employees: In the Feb. 10 Currents newsletter I mentioned that our Disproportionate Share Funding (DSH) was in jeopardy. DSH match funding over the years has been made available to MUSC by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) to help fund care for Medicaid and indigent patients. These funds are channeled through the State Department of Health and Human Services to MUSC. Recently, a number of key elected officials representing South Carolina met with the CMS leadership.  It was agreed that there would be no change in the South Carolina DSH funding for Fiscal Year 2004 and we are hopeful there will be no change for Fiscal Year 2005. However, it was not clarified whether the Medical Center’s funding for this year would be at the FY 2003 level of approximately $36 million or at our budgeted level of $40 million for FY 2004. We are very pleased with this most recent development and we are hopeful of achieving “full” funding for FY 2004, but this remains unclear. On another matter, recently I heard a presentation by Nathan S. Kaufman of the Superior Consultant Company Inc. The presentation focused upon characteristics for peak performing hospitals including “Critical Performance Indicators.” Remaining financially strong was highlighted as a key to success. It was emphasized that given all of the unexpected costs and other budgetary challenges, top performing hospitals must achieve an operating margin of 5 percent or more.  Currently we are struggling to achieve a 3 percent margin. As we move forward, we need everyone’s efforts devoted to efficient operations and achieving cost savings while providing high quality and compassionate care.  Thank you very much. W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations and  Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center   Update on hospital replacement project Facilities and Capital Improvements administrator Hal Currey presented a progress update of MUSC’s hospital replacement project to those gathered for the weekly hospital communications meeting Tuesday. With most items on Currey’s task list labeled “on schedule,” he emphasized the “next steps” and their estimated completion times, and he concluded with unmitigated praise for the hard work and skill demonstrated by those responsible for initiating the project and keeping its progress up-to-date. Negotiations with the City of Charleston have accomplished most of what the project requires, including height and setback issues, an understanding about traffic and drainage issues, and support for a storm water lift station. Work continues on the design of long-term traffic improvements, Currey said. Other “next steps” include:  Veterans Affairs: Get an agreed to 75-year lease of Doughty Street signed and the associated easements approved  Financial Feasibility: With the feasibility study completed, accepted by the board and submitted to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, an update to include the construction cost of the central energy plant is being prepared The project’s certificate of need from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control has been approved and received, but an exemption for a central energy plant is being prepared As for HUD 242 financing, the project will be referred to committee after submission of a guaranteed maximum price with a target loan closing set for early June Property acquisition from MUSC to the Hospital Authority has been completed. Negotiated purchases of a county garage to MUSC and McClennan-Banks Court to the Hospital Authority await completion Some highway and traffic issues await a secure approval of the appropriation of $63 million in a federal transportation bill. Closer to home for those immediately affected by Phase 1 of the hospital replacement project is the relocation of activities in that portion of the Student Wellness Center slated for demolition. “We have identified space for the impacted programs,” Currey said, “and we expect to have them relocated by March 19.” Once that is accomplished, the next step will be to begin demolishing the wellness center’s south wings. Currey said he was especially pleased with the hearty approval the Board of Architectural Review gave to the final building design when it was presented Dec. 15. Once a guaranteed maximum price is secured from the construction manager, site work will begin. With demolition of the old McClennan-Banks hospital building completed, a few critical tasks remain:    The guaranteed maximum price submitted to HUD—end of March;  Receipt of a commitment by HUD to insure the project loan—early June;  Closing on the HUD loan—early August;  Close Doughty Street—July 1 to Aug. 30;  New hospital construction begins—July 2 to Sept. 1;  Take occupancy of the new hospital —spring 2007. The following is a list of the new components to be included in Phase 1 of the Replacement Hospital Project: 156 beds for cardiovascular and digestive disease services (includes 32 ICU beds) Nine operating rooms including one equipped with fixed equipment for vascular surgery Three electrophysiology labs, four interventional/diagnostic catheter labs, two interventional radiology labs (plus a third IR lab equipped with computerized tomography (CT)) Nine endoscopy suites and two motility rooms Outpatient clinics (to accommodate approximately 70,000 visits) and associated faculty offices. Specialize chest pain center (includes observation beds) Imaging capacity to include two diagnostic CTs, one interventional CT, one diagnostic MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), three nuclear cameras, three RF rooms, and space for a new modality to serve the chest pain center and outpatient cardio-diagnostics. Currey concluded by saying, “I’d like to thank each of you who have made the Phase 1 project move at an incredible rate. Just to jog your memory, in early December 2002, the Charleston City Planning Commission recommended approval of the new hospital overlay district. On Jan. 20, a little more than 13 months later, we have a guaranteed maximum price.” He listed nearly 25 critical tasks that were performed to advance the project along to its present stage. Currey named Sandra Wade, Deborah Blackwell, Chris Malanuk, Kim Duckworth, Boyd Wood, Stephanie Davis, and Kim Horan.  “The individual and team effort to make all of this happen is extraordinary. It is absolutely proof positive of the fact that intelligence, a sense of good will, the ability and willingness to work hard, patience and perseverance really pay off,” he said. Announcement Technology manager Dan Altman gave an update of progress on the equipment tracking system, which is scheduled to be installed in the next week. He explained that the installation involves the use of new containment units, required when it is necessary to enter and run wires in overhead areas of the hospital. “The installation will begin on the tenth floor of the main hospital and affect the main hospital and the Children’s Hospital,” he said. For information, contact Robert Tritt of Biomedical Engineering at 792-3984, pager 12342. Altman can be reached at 792-6426, pager 11003. Children's Hospital Administrator John Sanders greets Charleston Lowgators mascot Al the Lowgator at MUSC Family Night Feb. 28. For each ticket purchased by an MUSC/MUHA/UMA/CFC employee or student, the Lowgators donated $1 to the Children's Hospital. Sanders was presented a representative check made out for $265. An actual donation of $276 was made to the Children's Hospital from the ticket sales. An additional $100, it was later revealed, came from an anonymous donor who was grateful for not having to take part in the halftime tricycle relay race entertainment (that Sanders' team won, by the way). Friday, March 12, 2004