Return to Main Menu

MUSC Rumor Mill separates fact from fiction CARTA bus transportation Rumor: I heard the contract with the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) Bus System might end. I have been taking advantage of this great service, and want to encourage all MUSC employees to do the same. Hop onto a cool bus and grab a free newspaper. Why pay for gas and parking? Truth: The current CARTA contract expires Oct. 9. However, negotiations are under way to renew for a longer term. The transition to the new contract will not be noticeable to MUSC employees and students. Administration fee on paychecks Rumor: Will the administration fee be stopped now that we are online? Truth: The MUSC and MUHA departments of Human Resources do not charge or collect administrative fees for generating employee paychecks. The only administrative fees with which the HR offices are familiar are those established by the Office of Employee Insurance Programs in Columbia to offset the cost of operating the pretax flexible benefit programs. The State of South Carolina contracts with a third party vendor to operate this valuable benefit program. The fees that are charged to participants represent the cost that the third party vendor charges the state to operate the program on its behalf. Rather than paying these fees centrally, the state elected to pass these administrative costs on to those individuals who actually elect to participate in the program.  For questions regarding the pretax and flexible benefits program, contact  the benefits representative in the appropriate Department of Human Resources. Charleston Memorial Hospital parking Rumor: I heard some hospital construction workers and other staff without decals are parking free in the CMH lot while others are receiving tickets. Truth: The CMH parking lot is designated for patients and visitors to CMH and Kindred Hospital and for a limited number of Kindred employees who park by decal or permit. In addition, the parking lot provides parking support for Meducare vehicles and other vehicles providing hospital-related services. At night CMH employees enrolled in the MUSC after-hours parking program are assigned to this location. The parking lot is monitored periodically during patient hours by parking staff and is routinely enforced by MUSC parking enforcement officers. Some unauthorized vehicles will escape citation, but all unauthorized vehicles are treated the same. All are subject to citation. Smoking Rumor: I heard smoking was to be banned at the hospital, yet there are smokers outside the hospital entrance and in the Horseshoe. When is this going to be addressed? Truth: 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 MUSC facilities. The locations have been approved by president’s council and plans are to have these sites ready for use before the start of the fall semester. Paid time off Rumor: Does a supervisor have the right to not allow  employees to use their leave as they choose if the specific area is covered? People in my unit have requested to use their PTO when leaving early but the supervisor said PTO was not created for this purpose. Truth: Supervisors are encouraged to accommodate special leave requests from employees when reasonable. However, supervisors are responsible for determining staffing needs and approving PTO. They have the right to decide whether an employee can leave early and take PTO. MUSC to open in Berkeley County Rumor: I heard MUSC is going to open a facility in Moncks Corner. Is this true? If so, when? Truth: The Department of Medicine will open a new facility in the Goose Creek area the first part of August. MUSC Medicine Specialty Associates—Goose Creek will offer specialty care to those who prefer the convenience of the Goose Creek location. The practice will feature a variety of specialties that include nephrology, endocrinology, pulmonary and travel medicine. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 792-9200. Uniform color Rumor: I heard the new hospital is not going to require nurses to wear royal blue, but that it was going to be unit specific. Is that true? I have already bought three sets of royal blue. Truth: The dress code may be adopted immediately but will go into effect for all clinical staff on March 1, 2007, and will include staff in the Phase 1 hospital. Visit  http://www.musc.edu/medcenter/dresscode/faq.htm for questions regarding the dress code. Berkeley County office in Goose Creek Rumor: I heard that the new Berkeley County office in Goose Creek is not equipped to give X-rays. Truth: X-ray service will not be available at the MUSC Medicine Specialties Associates - Goose Creek location, but radiology will offer services at the new MUSC Medical Specialty Care North practice that is scheduled to open in October in the north area. Smoking Rumor: I heard a rumor that employees who smoke in designated non-smoking areas will be subject to disciplinary action. Truth: The multi-disciplinary task force formed to investigate how best to designate MUSC as a smoke- free workplace made a number of recommendations. One recommendation was to establish designated smoking huts for visitors, patients, staff and students. Work on these huts is currently under way. A second recommendation was to establish an administrative procedure that officially recognizes the MUSC environment as a smoke-free campus. In keeping with this recommendation, an administrative procedure will be developed that in part directs employees who smoke to use the designated smoking huts. As a first step in establishing the new procedure, managers and supervisors will be encouraged to inform and educate staff  about the new policy and its importance to the MUSC community, as well as to direct staff to use the new smoking huts. As with any administrative procedure, should employees willfully violate established criteria, and in this particular instance, consistently fail to use the smoking huts, then disciplinary action could follow. Work on the administrative procedure is in progress. Sandwich station/wrap sandwiches Rumor: I heard that a new sandwich station is being planned for the cafeteria. I also heard that the wrap sandwiches are not properly refrigerated and have caused some people to be sick. Truth: There are no plans for a new sandwich station. With respect to the wrap sandwiches, consistent with regulatory and industry standards, food products from our cafeteria are properly prepared with quality products and kept at the proper temperature prior to sale. If you have information pertaining to foodborne illness as a result of products from the MUSC cafeteria, contact the manager of Dietetic Services at 792-3559. Charleston Memorial Hospital parking Rumor: Is it true that parking management does not want to put in air conditioning and heat for the attendants at the outside CMH parking? Truth: Plans are in the works to provide climate control for the attendant booth in the CMH lot. The booth is temporarily located on an island while plans for replacing the parking lot gates and powering the booth are being made. Reproduced from http://www.musc.edu/rumor/.     Friday, Aug. 4, 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 Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.