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Currents To Medical Center Employees: In my Dec. 20 Currents message I summarized our organizational goals and priorities. (This particular newsletter was issued through broadcast e-mail only). We are placing emphasis on the “employer and provider of choice” goals, but all goals are important and interrelated. The success with one goal positively impacts upon other goals.   In addition to our employer and provider of choice goals, our priorities include: remain on schedule for the new Phase I hospital facility and plan for the move; continue to improve quality and safety; achieve financial targets including a 4 percent margin for this fiscal year; and improve information technology and internal communication.   To enhance attainment of our goals, we are kicking off our “hardwiring excellence” journey. This will involve fine tuning and realigning goals to improve understanding of the interrelatedness of goals. Our journey will require improving leadership development and accountability, gradual revamping of tactical plan work teams into focused service teams, introduction of new customer service procedures and behavioral expectations, improved employee recognition and increased use of metrics. We have a strong foundation to build upon and this will be a long term journey, not an event. Our activities and progress will be routinely communicated.   On a related matter, we are following up on the Town Hall meetings and the employee satisfaction survey. We had good participation in the satisfaction survey rollout sessions conducted by managers during the past few months. I received nearly 3,700 evaluations of the rollout sessions and most departmental action plans were submitted by the Dec. 15 deadline.   Preparation of the departmental action plans has been a learning process.  The purpose of the action plans was to focus upon two or three key things to improve within departments. I will soon disseminate a summary of the departmental action plans and I am asking for 90 day follow up progress reports around mid-March from the managers.    The administrative team has also been challenged to address employee satisfaction issues having Medical Centerwide impact (or substantial impact on satisfaction issues).  I  have requested a cost-benefit analysis for any proposed changes and a 90 day progress report for dissemination.   The new calendar year promises to be exciting.  Sincerely, W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center JCAHO readiness, APOC discussed MUSC Wellness Center director Julian Smith and Office of Public Relations’ Caroline Davila reminded managers about the 2006 MUSC Health and Wellness Expo scheduled between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Jan. 19 at the Harper Wellness Center.   Coordinated as a campuswide event to promote health and wellness, the expo will feature events, free seminars, MUSC services and health screenings. Further information about the expo can be found online at http://www.musc.edu/catalyst/archive/2006/co1-13expo.html. JCAHO Mock Survey Readiness Lois Kerr gave an update on the hospital’s preparation for the 2006 unannounced JCAHO survey. Joint Commission indicates that the survey can occur at any time between 18 to 39 months following an accredited institutions last survey. The Medical Center’s Point-of-Care testing survey is accredited on a two year cycle and is also due for survey this year. To help with team readiness, a JCAHO Response Plan will be posted on MUHA’s Intranet Web site by Jan. 13.  In addition to the patient tracer and system tracer, JCAHO has added an emergency management trainer to the survey process to determine our readiness for an emergency.    On Jan. 24, Kerr will present the findings from this week’s mock survey using the online survey prep tool.          Information Management Survey/APOC Clinical Systems Clinical Systems director Dave Northrup, Health Information Services manager Christine Lewis and Patient Support Systems manager/APOC program manager Mark Daniels provided an information systems and tactical plan update. Lewis began by reviewing the results of Information Management Needs Assessment survey which was conducted last June. She reminded managers that Health Information Services conducts a regular assessment annually to assess the types of information that exist within the hospital and how managers use it.   The survey featured managers response from standard information questions. External customers, vendors and professional organizations topped the list as regular users of information within Health Information Services. Lewis related that these systems are subdivided into resource categories: research and knowledge-based, communications and office-support information.   Northrup reviewed a cumulative report of Information Management Needs survey results which validated changes, especially in Electronic Medical Records. Marked improvements were also cited in order entry and integration systems for 2005.   About 65 managers completed last year’s survey, which is average for participants from previous years.      Daniels discussed the upcoming, three-year Advanced Point of Care (APOC) Clinical Systems program. Daniels em-phasized that of the primary goals of the project is communications. The APOC effort began in September as the Medical Center entered contracts with Picis and McKesson. The preoperative systems will be used by Picis, while a majority of the hospital will operate using McKesson. Project mangers spent three months planning to organize APOC on-site. Although still in the planning stages, coordinators are preparing to get three of the APOC modules started. Daniels reviewed an APOC Project Governance Model working with the enterprise governments: information manage-ment, physician information, clinical interdisciplinary information councils. The program is being guided by an APOC Steering Committee headed by Dr. John Waller, Daniels, plus Picis and McKesson program mangers.   APOC has identified five specific project areas and is currently organizing its own government structure utilizing project leaders, etc. for each area.   The clinical projects are: Emergency Care; Clinical Documentation; Physician Order Entry; Medication Safety; and Preoperative.   Daniels emphasized the focused involvement of many clinical and medical center administrative personnel participating in each of the clinical projects.   Finally, he reviewed a working APOC program blueprint or time line. Once dates are finalized, Daniels will formally publish the APOC time line dates. Announcements Peggy Thompson has been named director of Hospital Patient Accounting. Thompson was former Institute of Psychiatry administrative manager and revenue cycle manager, plus former chief financial officer at Charleston Memorial Hospital. MUHA Human Resources manager Helena Bastian discussed HR's efforts in implementing the primary source verification process of required licensure, certifications and/or registration at the time of hire and renewal per JCAHO standards. HR will submit employee information as received into the CATTS system. It is the responsibility of managers to conduct primary source verification at the time of renewal. Managers were reminded to email Jane Smith smithjan@musc.edu with the name of the individual who will be responsible for the departmental verification process.  Also, CATTS will not be available on Jan. 17 due to 2005 archiving and reassigning lessons for 2006. MUHA is currently in the process of integrating a paperless pay stub for MUHA employees. We are evaluating the accessibility of computers and printers to employees and have requested feedback from managers. Feedback should be e-mailed to Patty Burn at burnp@musc.edu.     Friday, Jan. 13, 2006 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.