MUSC The Catalyst
MUSC arial view

 

MUSC Medical Links Charleston Links Archives Catalyst Advertisers Seminars and Events Research Studies Public Relations Research Grants Catalyst PDF File MUSC home page Community Happenings Campus News Applause

MUSC Medical Links Charleston Links Archives Catalyst Advertisers Seminars and Events Research Studies Public Relations Research Grants MUSC home page Community Happenings Campus News Applause

 


Rumor Mill separates fact from fiction


Ashley River Tower cafeteria
A coworker of mine heard that the ART cafeteria will begin staying open until midnight in September. Any truth to this rumor?
Answer: The ART cafeteria will be  open until 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, hopefully by the beginning of August.

Cafeteria
Any possibility of having an employee-only payroll deduction line for the cashier in the cafeteria?
Answer: The cafeteria will  reinstate the cashless-only register line in July.

Fish tank in the Children’s Hospital lobby
After visiting the fishtank, I  noticed that the puffer fish  appears to have a growth around the throat area. Should the puffer fish be transferred to another tank?
Answer: The fish tank is managed by a contract service which checks the water quality and the health of the fish. They frequently check the fish and remove those which are not thriving in the tank.

Harborview Office Tower gate update
The Harborview garage exit gate has been repaired. This gate had recently been rewired for the new exit control system; one wire was found to be out of place causing the gate to periodically cycle instead of opening and closing normally. To report any parking equipment malfunctions, contact Mike Bouissey, Parking Maintenance Supervisor, at 303-8640 or the Office of Parking Management at 792-3665.

Large cars in small car only spaces
I’ve heard that university officers are no longer allowed to ticket the high-profile and full-size vehicles that park in “Small Car Only” spaces in the employee parking garages.  
Answer: There is no truth to this rumor. Public safety officers and parking enforcement officers routinely enforce parking regulations when they are observed.

Cafeteria sanitation concerns
I have noted poor sanitation practices occur in the university hospital cafeteria on multiple observations. How can this be corrected?
Answer: All of the cafeteria staff are trained in proper food sanitation practices. The cafeteria was recently inspected by South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and The National Sanitation Foundation and in both cases, received scores of 99 percent out of a possible 100 percent. If any  customers witness something they feel is inappropriate from a service or sanitation standpoint, they should ask to speak to a manager immediately and report it.

New blue isolation gowns
Why did the medical center switch to a different blue isolation gown? The new ones unroll less conveniently and rip more easily. The ties are also far too short to wrap around even a thin person’s waist.
Answer: The change in gowns was made as a result of concerns voiced by the users of the gowns. The previous universal sized gowns were judged to be too small for many larger staff members. They additionally did not fit into isolation caddies in an appropriate manner. Several vendors responded to a request to evaluate new gowns. The product evaluation committee made the determination that the new gowns were more appropriate in correct sizing and the quality of old and new gowns was not distinguishable. The new gowns were approved by infection control and also fit the isolation caddies as required. Questions about products can be addressed to Linda Poulos, product evaluation nurse, at 792-5784.

Faculty
I hear that all MUSC faculty will be effectively clocking in according to the new 3/24 Human Resource policy.
Answer: The new policy requires non-classified employees (which includes all faculty and some non-faculty employees) to record only their utilization of leave time on a bi-weekly basis. It does not require recording the times of arrival and departure from work.

Weight control services ads in The Catalyst
Why is it that The Catalyst regularly publishes paid advertisements for weight control services in the community that are in direct competition with MUSC Weight Management Center?
Answer: The ads in The Catalyst are sold by the publisher of the paper, Island Publications. They retain all proceeds from the advertisements, which in turn, are used to fully fund the cost of publishing the newspaper. The university does impose certain restrictions on advertisements, given MUSC's responsibilities as an educational institution and a health care provider (e.g., no advertising of tobacco or alcohol products).

Bonus pay?
I have heard that top MUSC executives received cash bonuses this year, despite MUSC employees being cut and having had to take furlough days. Is this true?
Answer: This rumor is untrue. There were no bonuses given to the top MUSC executives (president and vice presidents). To the contrary, they took additional furlough days and did not receive raises for the past two years. In an effort to link pay to performance, many of the deans and department chairs have “at risk” portions of their compensation. They receive or do not receive this portion of their pay based upon their performance against predetermined benchmarks. These are part of the annual base salary and are not bonuses.

McKesson Project
The rumor is that the huge project where McKesson would develop a new patient data system to replace Keane has been thrown out due to McKesson being unable to deliver a working product. Is it true?
Answer: This is not true. The project was delayed until the end of the year.

Clinical associate positions
Is it true that the hospital will not hire clinical associates (CA) anymore?
Answer: The CA position was reclassified to patient care technician (PCT) II in January 2009. The inpatient units continue to hire PCT II position(s). In the fall 2009, a new staffing model was developed for the clinics to improve efficiency and optimize outpatient service delivery. This staffing model, which is aligned with industry best practices, includes medical office assistant, certified medical assistant and registered medical assistant. For information contact Lynn Campbell at campbell@musc.edu.

Potential business idea
I would love to see a walk-in barber shop/salon and/or nail salon next to Starbucks in the Ashley River Tower building. Has this ever been looked into?
Answer: Thank you for the suggestion. It has been sent to the appropriate individuals in administration. A new barber shop is open at the corner of Ashley and Cannon streets.

To read more Rumor Mill questions and answers or to submit your own question, visit http://www.carc.musc.edu/rumormill.

Friday, July 9, 2010


The Catalyst Online is published weekly by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. The Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to The 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.