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Currents March 4 To Medical Center Employees: At the March 4 communications meeting “Welcome New Hires to Your Department” was announced as the Standard of Behavior of the month. The purpose of having a standard of the month is to promote understanding of our Standards of Behavior, our values, and the important role everyone plays to the success of our organization.   “Welcome New Hires to Your Department” is particularly timely. We know that 40 percent of our total employee turnover can be attributable to employees in their first year of employment. According to The Studer Group, 66 percent of new hires nationally make a decision to leave or remain within their first 90 days of employment. By having everyone take ownership in the success of new hires we should do a better job with retention. We also know that when we reduce our turnover this positively affects other pillar-based goals.   On March 12 and 13 our management team, including nearly all Medical Center supervisors with responsibility for hiring and performance evaluation, will take part in our ninth Leadership Development Institute (LDI). The LDIs are intended to make our management team members better leaders. While the LDI is being conducted, we have full confidence in those individuals managing the Medical Center in our absence, and we greatly appreciate their work.   Key LDI agenda topics will include: discussion on goal setting and managing action plans; education concerning the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Heathcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS); an update on the effectiveness of hourly nurse rounding; phase two training on selecting talent, peer interviewing and employee retention tactics;  and a report on our plans to implement a new performance evaluation and compensation plan next fiscal year that will reinforce MUSC Excellence goals and differentiate pay based on performance.   We are two years into our MUSC Excellence journey. MUSC Excellence is about aligning our behaviors and operational practices with our values and goals. We have made good progress, and we will continue to see positive results as we move forward. Thanks to everyone for a job well done. W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center Town hall meeting schedule March 7, 10 a.m., SEI Auditorium; March 10, 11 a.m., IOP Auditorium; and March 11, 11 a.m., SEI Auditorium; March 18, 11 a.m., ART Auditorium; and March 19, 3 p.m. ART Auditorium People—Fostering employee pride and loyalty Annette Drachman, J.D., MUHA legal council, reviewed HIPAA policy and emphasized avoid-able violations with employees. In the six-month period ending Jan. 31, a total of 37 HIPAA violations were reported in the medical center. Violations ranged from employee complaints, misdirected faxes, ongoing OACIS and Practice Partner audits, patient complaints and Hotline/Department of Risk Management referrals.   HIPAA policy states that written prior authorization is required for anyone accessing the medical record of a spouse, parents, children age 16 and older, relatives, friends or coworkers. Get With the Guidelines Bronze Award—Stroke Chris Zensen, R.N., Stroke Program coordinator, recognized additional departments—Pharmacy Department, case managers and social workers and hospital service coordinators—for their support with MUSC’s achievement in receipt of the American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines (GWTG) Performance Achievement Awards presented Feb. 15.   MUSC was recognized among 1,451 GWTG nationwide hospitals (24 participating hospitals in South Carolina) with three bronze awards for care in the areas of coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke. HR update Helena Bastian, Human Resources director, presented the following: Management orientation training is scheduled for March 7, Session I, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 2W Classroom; March 10, Session II, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 2W Classroom; and March 18, Session III, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room 220 Clinical Sciences Building. Register via CATTS. ART Central Orientation is available on CATTS beginning March 10. Department’s CATTS Administrators may assign new hires. If you have questions, contact Tish Hyland, 792-9871. Managers are reminded to review departmental/unit staff files for compliance. Questions, contact Karen Rankine, 2-7690. Effective January 2008, managers are reminded that new employee health clearance forms will be collected and maintained by MUHA HR. Managers are reminded to complete primary source verification on department employees at the time of renewal prior to the expiration date. Visit http://www.musc.edu/medcenter/staffToolbox/PrimarySourceVerification.htm. Managers are asked to review campus parking alternatives with all new employees. They include carpooling, CARTA & CARTA Express, MUSC parking and private renters parking. HR will provide parking information in all new employee packets. Employee Benefit for the Month—March Annie Lovering, R.N., Health 1st program manager, unveiled details of the new Active April program available for all employees.   The program recognizes employee achievements for embracing physical activity and healthy living featuring a Wellness Team Competition with about 60 employee teams.   Throughout the year, participants have been challenged to adapt four wellness habits: drink water, increase their daily exercise, increase the intake of fruits and vegetables and no smoking. With Active April, employees are encouraged to have fun as they create new teams, reorganize old teams or continue with their current teams. Team members can walk individually or as a group. MUSC employees are challenged as a whole to walk enough steps that would equal a walk around the world.   Total team progress will be tracked and posted throughout April on the Health 1st Web site (http://www.musc.edu/medcenter/health1st). Participants will receive a free pedometer and healthy habits log book. Start getting your team organized now by e-mailing health1st@musc.edu or calling 792-1245/9959. Standard for the Month—March Bill Spring, Heart & Vascular Center, announced the March Standard of the Month: Welcoming New Hires.   Employees are encouraged to introduce new staff to team members; orient them to the work area; organize their space and supplies; assign them an office buddy; celebrate and announce their arrival using area communications boards; and take ownership in a new hire’s success. Education Roll-out update Laurie Zone-Smith, Ph.D., R.N., manager, Center for Professional Development and Clinical Education Resources, reviewed agenda items from meetings held Jan 17, Feb. 7 and Feb. 21.   Topics included PCA syringes for Alaris Pumps; Premise Electronic Bedboard; meds orders; peds/adult PCA Physician Order Forms; policy revisions to resuscitation (C-13) and withholding/withdrawing life sustaining treatment (C-23); Code drugs/Alaris Tubing; blood draws and Alaris Smart Site Valve; DMS vs. CDE Consults; IV Diltiazem education; disposal of hazardous drugs; insulin distribution; PCA key distribution and Clin Doc. Finance—Providing the highest value to patients while ensuring financial stability Steve Hargett, MUSC medical center controller, presented the medical center’s income statement ending January fiscal year 2008. Net patient revenue is $28 million below budget, while operating expenses are $32 million below the 2008 budget due to actual volume being below the volume budgeted for this fiscal year.   The operating margin is 3.5 percent versus the budgeted operating margin of 2.6 percent.    Cash volumes were reported lower than last quarter. Hargett reminded managers that Medicaid has changed the way they pay their disproportionate share. For this period, Medicaid underpaid the hospital by $10 million for the quarter ending Dec. 31. Another $3 million was received on behalf of the FY2007 Medicare Cost Report. Other cash is expected from CHAMPUS and other agencies.   Hargett also mentioned an area of concern with the increase of inventory in preparation of ART's opening due to the hospital not having adequate supplies. Inventory spending has increased by $4 million within 30 days. He reminded employees to utilize the current inventory.    Announcements Kim Duncan is the new MUHA HR information services manager. Duncan, a former systems analyst with OCIO-Systems Services, has an extensive information technology and HR-specific backgrounds.     Friday, March 7, 2008 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.