5 Questions
Good morning.
Today, I’ll respond to some of the comments and questions you’ve sent to me through the VC Notes inbox. I read all your submissions, and each one is sent to an institutional leader for awareness.
Now, on to today’s items.
Q: I have seen an uptick in UMMC employees offering to transport patients (that aren't immediate family to the employee) who live in the Central Jackson area to their homes or to another UMMC Clinic in their personal vehicles. In most cases there are other resources to assist with transportation, but others are automatically willing to transport patients in their personal vehicles. Isn't there a policy in place to address this? It sounds like a legal nightmare if there was a wreck or incident.
A: This can’t be overstated: Please, please do not do this.
We have resources in place to assist patients who need transportation. Do not use your personal vehicle.
The best unit to call if you know of a patient who needs assistance like this is Coordinated Care, which can be reached at 5-2800. They can make transportation arrangements and have other patient resources that can be helpful. Additionally, some of our outpatient clinics have agreements with taxi services. For those that don’t, patient transportation can be arranged through Coordinated Care.
Also, and I stress this, you shouldn’t let people you don’t know into your vehicle for your own personal safety – and theirs. This is just good general practice and is certainly advice UMMC Police Chief Mary Paradis would provide. In addition to safety concerns, there are significant liability issues that could come up if you are involved in a car accident with a patient in your vehicle.
Q: I have noticed frequently when I go to Contact U to page a resident, they have no pager listed. Is there a different way I am supposed to get a hold of a resident/fellow/attending when I have a question? Or are their pager numbers just not updated in Contact U?
A: For more than a decade now, pager use has declined to where it’s now unusual to see them on someone’s hip. Cell phones are in nearly every pocket these days, rendering pagers somewhat obsolete but not yet totally out of the picture.
In Contact U, which is the online on-call listing that includes many clinical specialties that have someone available to respond to a clinical need, there are still some pager numbers listed, but most people have their cell number included for text messages. Some people have the option to text them directly from Contact U. This can be helpful if you need to reach someone or send them a message without using your personal cell phone.
If you see someone who doesn’t have contact numbers listed, that may be a simple oversight. Please reach out to them via email (which can be found on the intranet or in the Outlook directory) or to one of their team members to bring it to their attention.
Q: When submitting the form for Front and Center, could someone make the word count higher? It's a little difficult to answer the questions in 30 words or less.
A: Thank you for this suggestion. I passed this along to our web content and development teams and they’ve already addressed it. You can now use up to 1,000 characters (roughly 150 to over 200 words) in the Front and Center nomination form found here.
Front and Center is the name of the profiles that run in the Medical Center Matters newsletter, showcasing the rich stories of our students, staff and faculty. You can read past Front and Center articles here.
I encourage you to nominate a colleague or fellow student who has an interesting story to tell that others may enjoy reading. Our people are the Medical Center’s most precious asset. Y’all are amazing! And I know all of you have interesting stories that will showcase the special people who learn and work here.
Q: Is our COVID-19 policy going to be updated to match what the CDC recommends? I recently had the new strain of COVID and when I went to a doctor, they told me the CDC says you can return to work if you are fever free for 48 hours. But when my supervisor and manager reached out to HR, our policy is still 5 days and hasn't been updated since 5/11/23.
A: Thank you for submitting this question. Like the Q&A above, this VC Notes inbox submission prompted action. In this case, the direct result was the memo everyone received yesterday about Respiratory Illness Return-to-Work/School Guidance.
Because of this item in my inbox, we felt it was important that we provided clarification on that topic. Thank you for sending it in.
Q: I met a heart patient today who was by the Translational Research building looking for University Hospital. She had exited at the north side of Garage A instead of to the south. We walked there together, but it would have been better if she had not taken the extra steps or could have had a ride to University Hospital. Is there signage in Garage A to help patients new to campus find a shuttle ride or know which way the adult hospital and University Heart are?
A: There are signs all through Garage A that show the direction to University Hospital and/or the elevators. And shuttles are routinely driven through each level looking for people who may need or want assistance getting to their destination. But, of course, there will always be a chance someone is going to take a wrong turn or get off on the wrong floor and find themselves in the wrong place. In these cases, we should all be ready to put our customer service hat on and help out. To the person who sent in this question, thank you. You did the right thing.
The same goes for inside each of our vast facilities. People are going to get turned around. When you come across someone who looks like they may be lost, help them out. It will take less than a minute of your time but could mean a great deal to that person who may just be going through a very difficult time.
Thank you for these and other submissions to the VC Notes inbox. Keep them coming!
Speaking of wayfinding, more first-year students will be arriving for the new academic year in the coming days. Many are already here and have been for weeks. Starting a new health care-focused academic program can be overwhelming enough, but these new students also must learn to navigate our campus and systems. So, just like I asked of you in the above question and response about helping patients/visitors get to where they need to go, I ask the same for our students. If you see one of these future professionals in need, take a little time to assist. Remember, they are the future of our state’s health care system and will one day be handed the baton to lead us to our goal of A Healthier Mississippi.