Becky Dornisch and Peggy Hotchkiss, Office of Development, spoke to employees about this year’s Yearly Employee Support (YES) Campaign, the institution’s annual internal fundraising campaign that continues through June. The 2009 goal is $320,000 and an increase in employee participation by 5 percent. This year’s campaign chair is Jimmy Rivers, DMD, College of Dental Medicine, and the leadership chair is Scott T. Reaves, DMD, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine. This year’s theme is family.
 
“As a professional family, we’ve come together to face today’s difficult economic times,” Dornish said. “It’s evident through the success of the employee  furlough relief fund with an outpouring of gifts and we appreciate it. We hope that the YES Campaign will continue with that success and support the more than 600 funds within the MUSC Foundation.”
 
Hotchkiss reminded mangers about the different ways of pledging, especially online giving. Employees may have received e-mails with flash video attachments and link to the YES Campaign online giving page. The MUSC Family Fund, established in 1999, is a way for employees to benefit directly from gifts and pledges made to the YES Campaign. This year, more than $25,000 was distributed to 12 programs including the Sickle Cell Sisters Support Group and Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Project. UMA Matching Opportunity has been expanded. All UMA employees are eligible for a dollar-for-dollar match on gifts given between $250 to $500 to any of the MUSC Foundation’s 600 funds.
 
Paper pledge forms are also available, contact Hotchkiss. Gifts are tax-deductible and can be made via check, credit card, pledge or payroll deduction. Call 792-1973 or visit http://www.musc.edu/giving.

HR update
Helena Bastian, MUHA HR director, reviewed the following information: The medical center kicked off National Hospital Week, May 10-16, by recognizing employees May 11 with bagels and fruit and other employee activities throughout the week.
 
The schedule of events is posted on the intranet. Remaining events include:

Benefit of the Month—May
MUSC Harper Wellness Center—All MUSC employees are eligible to receive a complimentary one-week pass during May (until May 31). Employees who tour the facility can register to win a 30-minute massage or a one-month membership. Visit http://www.musc.edu/hsc or call 792-5757.

Online posting
The online posting process went into effect May 11. Quarterly postings and the current approval to hire process will be discontinued effective July 1.

MUSC SuccessFactors
The SuccessFactors project, the new performance management system, continues on its timelines. Managers should be in the process of updating employee current job descriptions.

Quality—Providing quality patient care in a safe environment
 
Brad Masteller, general manager of dietary services, spoke about changes in main hospital with MUSC Dietary Services. Starting this fall, patients in the main hospital and Children’s Hospital will benefit from a patient-centered approach to hospital dining featuring made-to-order meals delivered anytime the patient requests it.
 
At Your Request (AYR) Room Service Dining program, a project between MUSC and dietary partner Sodexho, is already offered to patients at ART. To prepare for this computerized, food-to-order system, MUSC and Sodexo have committed to upgrades in its hood exhaust system in the servery, equipment for inpatient dining and improvements to the dining room. In preparation, Masteller encouraged nursing staff to attend AYR information sessions.
 
Pending final DHEC inspection/approval (week of May 25), the medical university hospital cafeteria and dining room will be relocated to a temporary tent in the portico (in front of the Colbert Education Center/Library building). The cafeteria’s service hours will remain the same: 6:15 to 7 p.m., seven days a week.
 
These upgrades will be conducted in several phases. In the first phase, Pizza/A la Carte and Subway will remain open. Meals will be prepared in the main hospital kitchen and set up in the temporary cafeteria/dining tent. Service, in the climate controlled tent, will be limited to hot foods, grill items, grab-and-go items, and beverages. Cashiers will be stationed at either end of the tent for easy check-out. Customers may use cash or payroll deduction.
 
Plans for the renovated cafeteria feature expanded cooking stations for hot foods, grill, soup/salad bar and new Innovation Station and Tex-Mex station. The dining room will feature multiple-style seating. In the second phase, the Pizza/A la Carte will undergo renovations while Subway will move to an adjacent location.
 
Employees may stay informed with this project via Broadcast messages or the MUHA intranet. For information, contact Masteller, 792-4459.

Joint Commission survey readiness rounds—emergency management preparedness
Brian Fletcher, clinical services disaster preparedness coordinator and member of the Joint Commission survey readiness team, addressed employees about environment of care and emergency management issues. Fletcher praised employees for their knowledge relating to fire plans, safe areas, etc.
 
He addressed several environment of care issues from recent survey readiness rounds that include clutter in egress hallways and the improper storage of equipment blocking fire extinguisher boxes, fire alarms or fire doors.
 
Earlier this year, an emergency cabinet supply inventory/check list was introduced to units and departments. The list is available on the MUHA intranet and disaster tool kit page. As a reminder, the list should be placed where the unit’s emergency supplies are stored. Fletcher reminded managers to review the list on a monthly basis and update items as necessary.
 
Managers also are reminded to review with staff the location and context of the unit/department’s emergency response plans. Attestation sheets regarding employee roles should be completed
 
For information, contact Fletcher, 792-7752 or Al Nesmith, 792-6902.

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