5 Questions

Good morning.
 
It’s the last Friday of the month, so today I’ll respond to some of the questions and comments you’ve sent in to the VC Notes inbox.
 
But before I get to that, I’d like to bring to your attention the first Vice Chancellor Lecture Series event on Monday, Oct. 31, 2022 at noon in auditorium R153. The inaugural speaker for this new series, which will feature influential people in areas such as health care, government, business and others, is Dr. Daniel Edney, state health officer with the Mississippi State Department of Health. I look forward to his talk entitled “State of the State: A Public Health Perspective” and invite you to come hear the current state of health and health care in our state from our “top doc.”
 
Also, I’d like to congratulate Dr. Brian Rutledge, UMMC chief of staff and a faculty member in the School of Health Related Professions, for being re-elected to the Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi Board of Trustees. He represents institutions of higher learning on the board and has been in that role for the past six years. The PERS Board is entrusted with managing our retirement funds and I’m proud that Brian is representing UMMC in this very important role.
 
Now, on to your questions.

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:  Can the Rowland Medical Library please extend its current first-floor hours to the second floor? Studying is significantly better on the second floor due to the quiet atmosphere with fewer distractions.
 
A:  A plan to open up the second floor of the library – the largest medical library in Mississippi – for 24/7 access is already in the works. Susan Clark, UMMC librarian, has started the process to make this possible effective Monday, Nov. 7.

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Q:  Why is there no sidewalk for employees coming into the side of Wiser? The options are a muddy path or the street where vehicles are entering the ED entrances.
 
A:  This is a timely question because a plan to do just this was recently initiated. You should expect a sidewalk in this location in the next few months.

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Q:  Is there a plan to get more of the water fountains with the water bottle filling option?
 
A:  I’ve gotten several questions about these bottle filling stations, and I’m glad to know they are so popular. While replacing traditional water fountains with these new stations was occurring in some areas before COVID, it was the need to close down the fountains for infection control purposes that underlined how beneficial the bottle filling stations are. We’ve installed 15 of the new units so far across campus with another 1 or 2 being put in weekly. The focus now is on public-use areas but all fountains will eventually be replaced. SHRP faculty, staff and students, get your bottles ready because your building is next on the list!

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Q:  There has been some confusion about the mask policy since the last update. I have noticed that UMMC still has the "Mask required" posters up in many locations including common areas. I believe this is misleading as they are only required in patient care areas like critical care, nursing units, and clinics. I have noticed on a few different occasions that the staff and UMMC security were requiring people to put a mask on before proceeding into the lobby. I understand that having a mask available when visiting a patient or clinic is still required at UMMC but requiring them to put a mask on at the front door while staff walks in without a mask seems wrong to me. I would just like some clarification on this matter so that it is the same for visitors, patients, and staff.

A:  Our mask-use guidelines have not changed since the most recent Campus Memo on this topic on Sept. 19, 2022. Currently, masks are only required in areas where direct patient care is conducted.
 
Since this change, an effort has been ongoing to update or remove old “mask-required” signs around campus and at other UMMC locations to reflect the new guidelines. And staff at entrances are being educated on the new guidelines and how they pertain to all groups including employees, students, patients and visitors.
 
We will continue to monitor CDC mask-use guidelines and make adjustments to our guidelines as needed.

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Q:  The burn center at Merit Health is closing in the middle of October. Is UMMC considering opening a burn center since we have so many specialized services? I am surprised that we never had one given the numerous specialties that we have.
 
A:  With the recent closure of the state’s only burn center, we already ramping up our burn care capabilities to help fill this critical health care void. We started caring for certain types of burn patients earlier this month. The medical needs of burn patients are complex, and many hospitals in the state simply do not have the specialized services to provide the type of care needed. But we have physicians skilled in trauma, emergency medicine, plastic surgery, pulmonology, ophthalmology, critical care and other specialties equipped to handle the needs of these patients. We also have clinical staff who are experienced in the provision of respiratory and wound care for medically complex patients, and a strong team of occupational and physical therapists to help with long-term needs. Our centralized location in the state is helpful as timely medical care is critical to the health outcomes of burn patients.
 
A group of UMMC physician and hospital leaders are in the process of evaluating additional equipment and space needs that would optimize our burn care capabilities. While scaling up to full service will take some time, we are already stepping up to respond to this need in our state. It’s what we do.