5 Questions

Good morning!
 
It’s the final Friday for August so today I’ll respond to some of the comments and questions you’ve sent to me through the VC Notes inbox.
 
Just as a reminder, I read all of your questions and comments and enjoy hearing from you. I’m only able to respond to some of them in this space, but I pass the rest along to senior administrators for their review and possible follow up.

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Q:  Dr. Woodward can we please get an internal phone directory for those of us who work in the Ambulatory clinics and offices so we can call other clinics or offices without going through the phone tree that is not answered by a human being most times.
 
A:  The first item today is a follow-up to the question above that I responded to in my February 25, 2022 VC Notes. I’m happy to report that our DIS Web Development team has been working on a solution to this issue and just a couple of days ago turned on a department search function embedded in our Intranet. Now, when you conduct a search using the bar at the top of the Intranet, the results page you get will have a box on the right that lists departmental phone numbers that relate to your search. While still a bit of a work in progress, many units have already been added and if you’d like to get your office’s main numbers listed there’s a button below the search results you can use to submit that information – or you can use the same link if your department’s information is not accurate.
 
Additionally, the departments that have their information added will show up in the A-Z index that is linked at the top of the Intranet. You can access the Intranet here.
 
This will be enormously helpful when you need to get in touch with a department or office but don’t know a specific person to call.

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 Q:  Is there a reason that bus stop #13 does not have a cover area for employees? It is a good walk to the entrances if it is pouring rain, and most bus drivers will not wait if you’re not at the stop.
 
A:  Timely question with all of this rain we’ve been getting!
 
I consulted Facilities Services on this topic.
 
As for your specific inquiry on shuttle stop #13, that one – which is located just south of the entrance to University Hospital – is covered already.
 
Speaking more holistically about our shuttle stops, Facilities did an analysis on what it would take to add coverings over more of the stops. Employee feedback was included in this study to help inform us as to which stops are most in need of weather protection.
 
Facilities is reviewing the quotes that came in to do this work on some of the uncovered stops and will develop a plan based on the best quotes and available budget. In the coming months, you will see some activity on this front.

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Q:  Will we actually ever get access to garage C on nights and weekends like you claimed we could on July 22? I and others have reached out to parking and they said they were still “gauging interest” and unable to do so at this time.
 
A:  Per our current parking plan, anyone who works a night, weekend or holiday shift is eligible to request and receive a free-of-charge on-campus parking spot. Because of the number of requests, Facilities Services can’t guarantee that an employee will be given a spot in the lot or garage of their choice. For instance, due to demand, we are unable to accommodate all requests to park in Garage C. Adequate space must remain for patients and visitors, even if at times they aren’t being fully used. To get details on the times this on-campus parking option is permitted or how to gain access, contact FacilitiesServices-Parking@umc.edu.
 
We will monitor usage of those nights and weekend slots, and when possible, open additional options.
 
And in addition to questions like this one above, I routinely receive others asking about more on-campus parking for people who work on day shift. On that, there is no new information. We simply do not have capacity on campus for everyone to park but we are always looking at ways to maximize availability with the garages and surface lots currently in use.

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Q:  What is the update of the BCBSMS situation?
 
A:  There isn’t much to say more than previous updates I’ve given on our contract negotiations with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi. Mediation began earlier this summer and continues. We are in active mediation and our hope is for a resolution to happen soon.
 
We have been trying to make it clearer to our patients and the general public that even during this period when we do not have an active contract with BCBSMS covering their commercial insurance members, UMMC facilities and providers are still fully available to provide the essential, high-quality care we always have. And emergency care is always processed and billed as in network, so no one should ever put off an emergent medical need.

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Q:   I'd like to know why UMMC Lab does not allow for storage underneath the sinks. My understanding is that this is a rule that applies to patient rooms? I have worked at 3 other hospital labs and none of them had such a rule. The lab is VERY short on storage space. 
 
A:  Recently, in preparation for a College of American Pathologists inspection of our labs, our Facilities Services teams cleared out the area under the sinks and secured them so they could not be opened. Historically, that area was available for storage but to be compliant with Joint Commission requirements – which CAP normally follows – and CDC recommendations for infection control, we no longer allow storage under the sinks. The primary concern is the potential for contaminated water to drip onto items under the sink, which could introduce the contaminates into the lab if those items stored under the sink were used. Also, there’s potential that contamination of cleaning supplies, chemicals or reagents stored can render those items defective.
 
I know this change introduced some storage issues in our labs, but we need to be compliant with those external regulations.