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MUSC Rumor Mill separates fact from fiction  Smoking in the RT Garage Rumor: I heard smoking was now allowed in the employees Rutledge Tower parking garage. Is this because patients don’t park there? There are still no smoking signs posted. I don’t think its fair that employees can’t come to and leave from work without smelling like smoke because people now break (to smoke) right outside the second floor entrance. Truth: The Rutledge Tower Parking Garage has not been designated as a smoking area. A multi-disciplinary task force was formed to investigate how best to designate MUSC as a smoke free workplace. One of the items addressed was how to provide designated smoking huts for visitors, patients, staff and students. The locations recommended were selected to best accommodate patients and visitors while ensuring the locations were not adjacent to entrances of our facilities including parking garages. Parking Rumor: I heard that people who drive motorcycles do not pay parking fees regardless of where they park. It appears to me as not sharing the burden of parking fees. Even if space is available they should pay a reduced rate. Truth: Employees who park motorcycles in one of MUSC’s reserved parking locations pay the going parking rate. Motorcycles parked in areas designated for motorcycle parking, not suitable for automobile parking, do not pay. These areas present little or no cost to the parking system and create a benefit by reducing parking demand for premium spaces. Cost of Living Raise Rumor: We heard that state employees will receive a 3.5 percent cost of living raise in July. Does this include the Medical University hospital employees? Truth: MUSC response: The South Carolina General Assembly has not finalized the state’s budget bill for fiscal year 2006-07, and thus the information that we have is subject to change until final instructions are received. However, the latest information as we know it is that university employees occupying state positions will receive a 3 percent  cost of living adjustment in July. This is the same increase that other state employees working for other agencies will receive. MUHA response: MUHA’s Human Resources compensation policy #15 can be located on the Medical Center intranet. MUHA does not provide cost-of-living increases per se, but its plan does include market equity adjustments when needed and annual performance pay increases subject to financial conditions of the organization. The fiscal year 2006-07 performance pay plan is currently being considered in conjunction with the budget. In the near future the performance pay plan will be announced. RT Clinic for Employees Rumor: I heard that there is going to be a clinic at RT for employees. How is it going to be set up and where will it be? Truth: Yes, that is correct. University Internal Medicine has created a Rapid Access Center (RAC) to provide same-day access service to help meet adult acute care needs for regular UIM patients, MUSC employees, their spouses and adult children. RAC provides immediate medical support for employees suffering from illness or experience any variety of symptoms including fever, headache, dizziness, sore throat, urinary tract infection, rash or skin infections, joint pain or pink eye/conjunctivitis, etc. RAC services ensure that a patient/employee will receive same-day services from a faculty member and UIM follow-up to establish ongoing care. RAC is located on the renovated eighth floor of Rutledge Tower and is open weekdays, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. To schedule an appointment, call 876-0888. RAC services co-payments are similar to other primary care plans. Recommendations Rumor: I have heard of some people receiving bad job recommendations when it is not true because the supervisor did not like them. Is this true, and how are recommendations done? Truth: Both the MUHA Human Resource  Management office and the university HRM offices provide employment verifications to prospective outside employers (i.e. other organizations) upon request. The verifications are limited to title and dates of employment. For internal transfers and promotions within MUHA, prospective supervisors (hiring official) with a need to know may be provided specific factual information about an employee’s performance by the current supervisor. This factual information should be based upon documented performance. At the university, this factual information is based upon the information, such as performance evaluations, that is on file in a specific employee’s personnel file, and is provided to the prospective supervisor by an HRM employment counselor. Anyone with specific questions concerning these policies and practices should contact the appropriate HRM office. Reproduced from http://www.musc.edu/rumor/.     Friday, June 16, 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 catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island papers at 849-1778, ext. 201.