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Valet parking offered at Rutledge Tower by Heather Woolwine Public Relations It’s hot, you’re running late, and the thought of finding a spot in the parking garage is cause for a small anxiety attack.   A small monsoon seems to have engulfed Charleston's peninsula and you’re almost guaranteed to become completely soaked on your way into Rutledge Tower.   Health Care Parking Systems of America's Stephen Newcomb assists a Rutledge Tower visitor May 30. As you drop off your loved one at the curb, you really wish there was an alternative to leaving him to sit by himself while you park the car.   Any one of the situations could have happened to anyone seeking access to care at MUSC Ambulatory Care in Rutledge Tower. But in the interest of quality patient care, a new valet parking service has been established at Rutledge Tower to help address these parking and access inconveniences.   For $4, patients can drive to the front door of Rutledge Tower and leave parking and weather woes behind with a toss of the keys to one of many friendly valets. Run by Health Care Parking Systems of America, Rutledge Tower valet parking officially began March 27.   “The idea was to provide a helpful, considerate service for the numerous patients who visit Rutledge Tower,” said Dave Neff, Ambulatory Care Services administrator. “It’s a very convenient and safe way to make it to appointments without the hassle of finding, and walking to and from, a place to park.”   Valet parking for patients offers many advantages, including: the convenience of handing over the keys to a trained valet; assistance getting patients in and out of the vehicle and into a wheelchair; and providing quick access when the weather is hot, humid, cold, or ominous.   “We think that continuity of care begins not only with the phone call to make the appointment, but what happens at the front door when you arrive for that appointment,” Neff said. “Having the valet service is a way to begin continuity of care not only by parking cars for the patients, but also by having the valet staff greet them with a friendly smile, assist patients with their needs, provide information, or give directions.”   Valet parking, once reserved for the trendy restaurant or plush hotel, offers a service meant to make patients’ lives easier. It only takes about five minutes for a valet to retrieve a person’s vehicle, and the service eliminates time spent looking for a lost car or parking tickets.     Friday, June 2, 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 Publication at 849-1778, ext. 201.