Multi-topic

Good morning. 

Today, I’ll touch on a few topics that come up from time to time in the VC Notes inbox.  

As a reminder, I read all your submissions, and each one is sent to an institutional leader for awareness. So, everything you send to me has an impact in some way. 

Use of medical and personal leave 

A few items were submitted asking about not having to use personal leave for activities such as taking classes or health checks during working hours. These are important things to do – especially routine screenings – and very worthwhile uses of the generous leave time UMMC employees accrue. 

I’ve responded to questions on this topic before. Our leave policy follows state law. 

Employees accrue a generous amount of paid time off that is more than industry standard, including an annual floating “holiday.” This time, following manager approval, can be used when you need to be out of work, including for personal development or health-related appointments. 

Medical leave is available for use after using personal leave for the first eight hours, which is mandatory according to Mississippi law. 

Feedback on food services 

One of the most common topics in the items submitted is food services. Mostly, the comments focus on the lack of food quality and selection and high prices. These types of comments have been showing up in the inbox from the first day it went active 10 years ago. 

I hear you. And much of your feedback prompted us to initiate opening the food services contract for all UMMC facilities, which was awarded to Aramark.  

While all feedback is valued and taken seriously, I don’t want only a few people who chose to submit their complaints to influence opinion on how well Aramark is performing. I’ve been visiting each of the cafeterias lately, and what I’m finding is tasty food options at a price that is comparable with or less than any other restaurant. I’m hearing feedback from others who routinely eat at our cafeterias that our retail food services are in a good place after a bit of a rocky start with our new vendor.  

One big issue seems to be resolved, according to Aramark: weekly menus for the three cafeterias should again be available on the intranet by Monday morning. 

Last week, the crunchy chicken wrap I got from the main cafeteria was delicious, and I was happy with the price. And I really appreciate the gentleman (a new employee) who took the time to speak to me while waiting in line – you really brightened my day. 

Aramark still has some work to do, for sure, to reach all the goals they set for themselves when we picked them to take over all our retail and patient food services. And we will hold them accountable to reaching or exceeding food quality, option and price that you deserve. From my perspective, they are on the right track. I encourage you to visit one or several of our cafeteria/café options and see for yourself – and send Aramark your feedback at FoodServiceSuggestions@umc.edu. 

Handling legal notices and communications 

This is a newer topic showing up in the inbox, so it’s good timing to share with you a new policy: Handling Legal Notices and Communications. 

Essentially, this policy provides guidance for all UMMC personnel on how to handle being presented with a subpoena, summons or warrant by state and/or federal agencies. One example is the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. These instances have increased nationally, so having this guidance is important and helpful for us all. If you are at UMMC and one of the instances covered by the policy comes up either in the mail or in person, the information in the policy will dictate the steps you should take. 

I encourage you to look over this policy and become somewhat familiar with what to do should you encounter one of these situations. Ultimately, and it’s all covered in the policy, the Office of General Counsel and UMMC Police and Public Safety Department are your best resources in these matters and are happy to help. 

Elevators 

We have several elevators – among the roughly 150 that we are responsible for statewide – that are out of service and need repair, and several of our elevators were installed many years ago and need modernization. Upgrading outdated components with the latest technology will improve reliability, reduce downtimes and improve the overall riding experience. 

Next up on the list for upgrading/modernization are the two elevators in the acute wing, between the Adult Emergency Department and the main OR suite, which should start next week and take around four months, and the elevators in the Medical Towers, which will be in the fall.

We are seeking bids to modernize the elevators in Garage B and Office Annex II. This process was done on the Lakeland Medical Building elevators recently, and it was a great upgrade. After completion of the two projects mentioned, we will evaluate available funds to see when we’ll be able to upgrade other older elevators around campus. 

All efforts will be made to limit disruptions, but this type of facilities maintenance is important and needs to be prioritized from time to time.  

Thank you for your comments and questions submitted to the VC Notes inbox. Keep them coming. 

Stay safe if you’re out in this extreme heat and thank you for all you do to help get us closer to A Healthier Mississippi.