5 (+1) Questions
Good morning.
It’s been a little while since I’ve responded to some of the comments and questions you’ve sent me through the VC Notes inbox, so today I’ll add an extra one to the usual five.
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. You can submit your question or comment to the VC Notes inbox here.
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Q: I am a nurse and am perplexed as to why when charting in patient charts, employees’ ID pictures need to be included in the chart. I have no problem with being identified by my name and title during documentation, but find it uncomfortable to see my employee ID picture in a patient's chart. How I look has nothing to do with patient care and should not be a part of the patient's permanent record.
A: I reached out to Dr. Shannon Pittman, chair of the Department of Family Medicine, and Kevin Yearick, chief information officer, about your question.
With the activation of MyChart Bedside for Children’s of Mississippi inpatients last summer, care team photos were automatically activated in Epic. MyChart Bedside has received positive reviews from patients who like the handheld games and activities, and parents who have easy access to information about their child’s lab results, medication and treatment plans. Parents also can message the care team.
Having photos in the system helps patients and family members become more familiar with their care team, which hopefully leads to higher levels of comfort and improved patient experience. This is particularly important as our care teams can sometimes involve many people and change frequently during a hospital stay. Epic reports this as a “best practice” and one we should continue. The photo that displays in Epic is pulled directly from Workday and is the same photo displayed on an employee’s UMMC badge.
Additionally, it has been found that photos shown in a patient’s chart promote helpful communication between members of the care team.
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Q: It seems like there is excellent security on the hospital side of campus, but the academic side is lacking in this area.
A: I can assure you that our Department of Police and Public Safety takes seriously the safety and security of all UMMC areas and personnel. Every day, all day and night, the men and women of UMMC PD look out for you and do everything in their power to keep each of us and anyone who comes on our premises safe.
Although you may not always see a uniformed police presence in every space, you should keep in mind that UMMC PD uses a layered security approach. This includes active (and watchful) officers with body cameras patrolling in vehicles, walking the “beat” or riding bikes. Their efforts are supported by monitored security cameras – some with advanced license plate readers – and a robust communications system that keeps every corner of the main campus and all UMMC facilities connected. Additional emergency notification and personal safety improvements are in the works and will be announced later this month.
UMMC PD routinely offers safety awareness presentations that can be found on the Intranet calendar. I encourage you to attend one of these informative sessions.
Remember, “if you see something, say something,” and report suspicious behavior promptly to UMMC PD at 601-815-7777. More information can be found here.
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Q: The elevators in the clinical sciences building have failed multiple times during this calendar year. The elevator repair team has been to the building several times in the last three months. Do we have a plan for a permanent fix?
A: Adjustments to the linkages and door assembly were made on both elevators at each floor. The problem should now be resolved, but if you again experience any problems, please make our Facilities Services team aware through their online service request form, which can also be found on the Intranet front page.
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Q: The spam quarantine on our emails has become exceedingly tight to the point that I have missed a lot of emails from people who were regularly emailing me from outside the institution who have zero risk associated with their emails, even some whom I had identified as contacts or favorites in my email. Could we loosen the filter to allow some of these emails to get through?
A: A couple of months ago, DIS sent a notification email to everyone about recent changes made by Microsoft impacting how emails are filtered within Outlook. While the goal was to make our inboxes safer from phishing attempts, some people have noted that legitimate emails are being caught as “suspicious” that should have gone through and into the regular inbox. DIS continuously fine tunes the filtering system to adjust to Microsoft “improvements,” but it may be necessary for you to visit your personal quarantine to identify emails that should be released to your inbox every time as a “safe sender.” This is an extra step, but over time it will improve the accuracy of what is filtered out from your inbox. You can see what is in your quarantine here.
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Q: Can we please get the HUGE HOLE fixed in the stadium parking lot? It’s located at the entrance of the overflow lot from shuttle stop #2.
A: Facilities Services brought in a contractor to look at this pothole, and work began this week to repair it – hopefully in a lasting way. Because a couple of the stadium parking lot gates will not be accessible during the repairs, which are scheduled to go through this weekend and wrap up next week, alternate entry routes, including shuttle lines, are posted online.
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Q: Recently I have noticed on campus and the surrounding area that there are more and more discharged patients on the street (I know some may come from other hospitals). I can see their wrist band or patient belonging bags. Just this morning, I was crossing the street to come to work and a man was yelling loudly on the corner and darting into the street.
A: Our Coordinated Care department works to ensure the transition of our patients out of our hospitals, either to another level/type of care or full discharge.
Typically, patients either leave in their own vehicle or arrange to be picked up. In cases where public transportation is preferred, they have access to a bus stop located on State Street outside the front of University Hospital. If needed, we help patients who require housing arrangements in a local shelter. We strive to make sure every discharged patient has arrangements and a place to go, but sometimes patients do not want assistance and choose to go it on their own, which is their right.
If at any time you notice someone on or near campus being disruptive or a potential safety threat, even if they look like they are or were a patient here or at another hospital, please call UMMC PD at 601-815-7777.
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Before I sign off today, I want to extend my appreciation to everyone making a little extra effort to make our facilities and grounds look neater and more professional. During my recent campus walk rounds, I have noticed a marked improvement in the look of all of our areas. Thank you. The job isn’t quite done, and a leadership team is working through a long list of patient care-area items that need or could benefit from repair. I’m encouraged by the progress so far.
It's important that we project a positive image to patients and visitors that matches the quality of care and other services we provide, which ultimately plays a vital part in building A Healthier Mississippi.