Five Questions

Good morning!

Today is the last Friday of the month, so I will answer your questions.

Before I do that, though, I wanted to take a moment to salute our residents.  The Gold Humanism Honor Society has designated today as “Thank a Resident Day.”  Our 665 residents are the heartbeat of graduate education at the Medical Center.  Their experience here is not only formative in their careers as physicians, they are vital contributors to the health care and education operations of academic medical centers.  Residents, we couldn’t do it without you and are so glad you are part of our team!

Now, on to your questions.  As a reminder, I read all of your questions and appreciate all of them.  I’m only able to respond to five of them in this column, but I pass the rest along to senior administrators for review and possible action.  Thanks for all of your questions and comments.

Q:  I am really concerned about the recent news reports of a Coronavirus outbreak in the United States. Does the hospital have an actual pandemic plan in place for this situation? Are there any plans for nonclinical staff to work from home if the virus reaches a high-level threat for the state of Mississippi?

A:  We do have a plan with contingencies for responding to a pandemic illness that our team has been operationalizing for several weeks.  As you know, the chances of wider spread in this country appear to have increased. Should we have an outbreak in the metro area that results in hospitalizations here at UMMC, a number of steps will be taken to minimize the risk of transmission to other patients and to staff.  (It should be noted that all acute care hospitals in Mississippi are going through a similar planning process to accept patients if the need arises.)  We will make other decisions as conditions change, with guidance from our Infection Prevention team, the State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  One thing we have working for us is that as we transition from winter to spring, infections from influenza typically taper off.  The main points I want you to take away are that, as always, we prepare for scenarios that are worse than what we are likely to encounter, and we are ready to respond in coordination with the larger public health community with whatever measures are required. 

In the meantime, we all need to practice these protective steps as highlighted in last Monday’s eCV.

• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent of alcohol if soap and water aren't available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Stay home if you’re sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with the crook of your elbow, or use a tissue then throw it in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Later today, we will be posting a news item on the home page of the UMMC website with regularly updated information about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and our response preparations. 

Q:  With the recent shooting at Baptist Hospital killing two employees and being a clinician in the Emergency Department, how can we ensure that we are safe traveling to and from our vehicles in the stadium parking lot? Not everyone is happy with the decisions we make in our ER. I often think that patients or family might try to retaliate against employees at times.

A:  As an ER physician, I understand your concern about safety but would add that the tragic incident at Baptist, according to news reports, did not involve a patient or relate to a medical encounter but was most likely the result of a domestic dispute.  In any case, you can request an escort from our Campus Police during hours that shuttle service is not available (midnight until 5:30 a.m. weekdays and on weekends).  Our police assure me they will give thoughtful consideration to requests for escort at other times depending on the circumstances, and particularly when you have reason to fear for your safety.  To request an escort, call 5-3072 or 4-1360.

Q:  I love the handwashing initiative at UMMC, and I was wondering if it would be possible to install handwashing stations in the cafeteria dining rooms (University Hospital, Wiser and Student Union) to encourage handwashing before meals.

A:  I’m glad to hear you are a “hand hygiene warrior.”  Our hand hygiene compliance has dramatically improved during the last couple of years, but it’s easy to become complacent.  Given that there are restrooms and foam dispensers near each of the dining areas you mentioned, coupled with the fact that the expense of adding plumbing connections to those locations would be substantial, my sense is that the added benefit would not justify the cost.  In any case, thank you for caring and thinking constructively about hand hygiene.

Q:  I am frequently asked by family members how to get from the cafeteria to the Heart Center. Is there a way for family members to travel from the main hospital to the Heart Center indoors? Perhaps we can improve signage for the best route to help our patients’ families not feel so lost.

A:  My understanding is that the only way for visitors to enter the Heart Center is via the main external entrance to that building.  The doorway connecting the Heart Center to University Hospital – at the rear of the center – is badge-access only, since it opens onto a controlled clinical area.  For that reason, family members accompanying patients in this unit may leave through the “back door” but not be able to return through the same door.  Wayfinding is further complicated at the moment by the Interventional Radiology construction project on the ground floor of the Heart Center, which has temporarily rerouted traffic adjacent to the main first-floor entrance.  I’ll ask our facilities staff to evaluate the signage currently in place to make sure it is meeting our visitors’ needs to the greatest extent possible.  With that in mind, escorting lost guests to their destination is always a great way to demonstrate our hospitality.

Q:  After the time change happened and it began getting darker earlier, I noticed that the stadium parking lot is a very dark place at 6 p.m., hardly any lights are on in the main lot and there are no lights on in the overflow lot, making it difficult to see to walk safely to your vehicle after work. Is there any way lighting in the parking lots can be turned on after 6 p.m. to provide a safe, illuminated parking area for employees and guests to our facility?

A:  In response to your question, our Physical Facilities staff evaluated the stadium lighting Tuesday evening.  The lights were coming on about 6 p.m. as the sun was setting.  However, there were some lights in the fenced area on the west side of the stadium, controlled by Jackson State University, that were not activating.  Another set of lights in the overflow parking area was not coming on for some reason.  We are having the non-working lights checked and are in touch with Jackson State about ensuring the lights under JSU’s control that illuminate areas where our employees park are turned on at night.

Before I sign off, here’s an update:  Based on a recent suggestion submitted to VC Notes, our Physical Facilities team has added trash cans at all our shuttle stops.  Now it’s up to all of us to do our part and deposit our trash where it needs to be, instead of in parking lots and on sidewalks.  Thank you to our facilities team and thank you for this suggestion to help keep our campus beautiful, as we all strive to achieve A Healthier Mississippi.