3/15/2000
| Present: |
Thad Bell, Rosalie Crouch, Jim Fisher, Bob Gallager, Ray Greenberg, Sarah King, Layton McCurdy, Danielle Ripich, Sabra Slaughter (Council Secretary), Marion Woodbury, and Walker Coleman |
| Guests: | John Sutusky, Kim Duckworth, John Malmrose, John Cooper, Lisa Montgomery, Betts Ellis, and Mac Matthew |
ITEM 1. Room Numbering
Mr. Sutusky informed that MUSC currently has 4,667 rooms with no consistent, logical University-wide system to number them in a useful manner. The number of rooms will continue to grow and a system is needed for such things as patients locating services, visitors, 911 call locations, fixed asset inventory, physical plant work orders, and mail delivery. An internal study group, with help from outside consultants, had given a preliminary assessment of the problem as well as potential implementation costs (approximately $ 234,000 exclusive of professional fees). A copy of Mr. Sutusky’s presentation visuals is attached to these minutes.
ACTION: Council approved the creation of a broadly representative University-wide Ad Hoc Working Group to:
Develop an implementation
plan for subsequent Council review and approval (correction of physical
signage)
Develop a University-wide
Room Numbering Policy and Procedure for subsequent Council review and
approval
ITEM 2. Pharmaceutical Education and Development Foundation (PEDF)
Dr. Slaughter presented the recommendations of the Health Sciences Foundation Board with respect to reorganization of the PEDF as a for-profit entity. A copy had been predistributed to all Council members for review and is on file with the Council Secretary. He noted that there were issues here that needed further discussion and clarification prior to this being presented to the MUSC Trustees with recommendations from the Council. These included questions about benefits to students of the change as well as the legality of some proposed aspects including equipment transfers. These would be discussed at a meeting scheduled the following day with participants including Terry Osborne, Ray Greenberg, Rosalie Crouch, Bob Gallager, and Joe Good.
ACTION: Council will discuss this again after the meeting with Osborne.
ITEM 3. MUSC and Financial Update
Ms. Montgomery presented extensive information on the current budget status of all aspects of the Medical Center with special focus on more recent trends with respect to personnel reductions and ratios of service employees to patients/beds in comparison with local and national benchmark data. A copy of all figures and statistics presented had been predistributed to Council and is on file with the Council Secretary. She projected an end of Fiscal Year positive cash balance of $ 9.5 million unless further unforeseen costs arose from the Charleston Memorial Hospital agreement. It was noted that Medical Center staffing had been reduced to the absolute minimum with possible exception of nursing to a small degree.
ACTION: Council accepted this as information.
ITEM 4. Paid Time Off Policy
Mr. Ellis presented the draft Paid Time Off Policy for the new Authority (copy on file with the Council Secretary) as well as current thinking on its implementation during the initial transition period. He noted that it had been worked on by the Me Issue Committee as well as Medical Center administration. Input has also been received from the Budget and Control Board, the State Retirement System, and tax attorneys to make sure that everyone fully understands the changes; however, the final decisions here will rest with MUSC as authority to set this policy has already been granted. He also emphasized that this is still a working document and some minor change will occur. The final version should be presented to the workforce within the next several weeks.
ACTION: Council accepted this as information.
ITEM 5. Letterhead
Mr. Fisher updated Council as to progress on their earlier charge to have appropriate University channels consider and make recommendations with respect to his suggestion of adding the University’s Core Purpose Statement to all MUSC stationery. Attached are the findings and recommendations of the Graphics Standards Committee of the University Communications Committee. They recommended against the change for several reasons. Dr. Greenberg strongly disagreed with two of these. While the Statement may contain some wording a little advanced for the general public, such wording was most appropriate for a University and the stationery is used for many internal and external groups in addition to the general public. Also, that the "broad promise" it makes is appropriate as it was developed and adopted by a broad cross section of the University. Council also questioned the estimated costs to make the change as well as noting that this was not a change requiring Board of Trustee approval.ACTION: Council asked Ms. King to refer this for a final recommendation to the Executive Committee of the University Communications Committee along with the questions, concerns, and correction noted above. If a decision is made to add this to the stationery, Dr. O’Bryan will be informed in advance.
ITEM 6. (EXTRA) Internal Emergency Procedures & Processes
Dr. Bell recounted a recent incident that indicated the faculty and staff may not be currently informed as to internal emergency service resources as well as procedures and policies for their use.
ACTION: Dr. McCurdy will make sure that internal emergency procedures are fully updated and then communicated as appropriate throughout the University starting with the Medical Center.
ITEM 7. (EXTRA) WHISTLEBLOWER SUIT/OTHER NEWS STORIES
Dr. McCurdy informed that MUSC will have a single consistent spokesperson (Vanessa Hill) with the news media on this subject. She will work with Layton McCurdy, Joe Good, and Sarah King to develop appropriate statements. With respect to the media, Ms. King mentioned several other news stories about MUSC currently being developed.
ACTION: Council accepted as information.
ITEM 8. (EXTRA) FUND RAISING UPDATE
Mr. Fisher announced that Duke Endowment had just awarded $375,000 for the first of four submitted Healthy S. C. Initiative program proposals ("Lighten Up Program"). At the end of February, fund raising this year was 45% above last year’s level.
ACTION: Council accepted as information.
ITEM 9. (EXTRA) FOLLOW-UP WITH COUNTY COUNCIL ON CMH
Mr. Woodbury and Mr. Smith had not been able to schedule their meeting with Mr. Larimore and Mr. Wynden until tomorrow. They will present the information as discussed at last week’s President’s Council (Item 3). Their responses will be presented to Dr. Rowland at Friday’s President’s Council meeting.
ACTION: Council accepted this as information.
ITEM 10. (EXTRA) LETTERS TO REFERRING PHYSICIANS
Dr. McCurdy informed that the first letter had gone out clarifying our changing situation with respect to indigent patient referrals. A second letter will be going out over the next several weeks with further clarifications.
ACTION: Bo Faulkner will be asked to set up a meeting with the local Legislative Delegation to inform them of the situation before the second letter is sent out. This needs to be done as soon as possible.