5 Topics

Good morning!

Today, I want to respond to some of the recurring topics brought up in comments and questions you’ve sent into the VC Notes inbox.

As a reminder, I review all your submissions, and each one is sent to an institutional leader for awareness and, in some cases, follow-up.

Police presence in stadium lots

We are fortunate to have a police department whose daily job – and commitment and passion – is to do everything in its power to protect and assist every person who steps foot on our campus. Chief Mary Paradis and her officers and leadership teams do a great job in responding to needs and opportunities for improved security. 

The parking lots at the stadium are vast and active and are already being patrolled throughout the day. However, a UMMC Police special order issued earlier this month focuses resources to the lots around the stadium during the most active times when employees and students are coming and going, particularly the four shift changes. With this order in place, you will see increased patrol across the lots around the stadium until further notice.

Temporary signage rules in ALL UMMC facilities

I’ve mentioned previously that tape should not be used to affix anything to the walls – or other surfaces like nursing station counters – anywhere at UMMC. This is the case for both clinical and non-patient care areas.     

In addition to our own Infection Prevention team, The Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services advise against using tape (Scotch or otherwise) to hang flyers or other types of signage. The tape can attract dust and other contaminants and can leave behind residue or cause damage when pulling it off the wall.

There are options available if you need to put something up for a limited or lengthy time which are outlined in the Temporary Signage Guidelines found here. Please review and follow these guidelines.

Food services

A common theme in VC Notes submissions is focused on the food in the cafeterias. As I shared in other VC Notes, we’ve been working on an updated food services vendor agreement, and that process is getting closer to completion. Thank you for being patient during this process, but it is so important that we wanted to ensure it was done right!

While I can’t yet share the name of the new vendor, I can say that we’ve come to agreement on terms, and a final contract will soon be going to the Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning for review and approval. Ninety days after that step is complete, the new vendor will take over all storefront and patient care food services.

I’m sure there will be some growing pains, but our expectation is that food services will operate at the level we expect, providing tasty and affordable options for faculty, students, staff, patients and visitors.

Additional parking availability

Facilities Services has already made some moves that will increase the number of available spots in the stadium lots and on campus, with more to come. Here are some initiatives that they’ve completed or are in the works:

Stadium:

• Restriped and opened a portion of the Medical Towers parking lot for additional general parking.
• Cleaned and striped the former oil change location adjacent to the stadium lot as additional overflow parking.
• At times when the stadium lots near capacity, the grounds and parking enforcement units (with assistance from UMMC Police) can direct drivers to available spaces.

Through these and other measures, approximately 90 additional parking spots are available.

Garage D:

• Relocated employees with short-term access to other surface lots and garages that had more capacity.
• Adjusted swing shift employee allocation to other surface lots and garages that had more capacity.

Additionally, our schools are sharing their class and student activities schedules with Facilities Services to identify other opportunities for improvements in parking availability.

Professional appearance

I often get questions about employees’ dress, hair, tattoos, etc. To address all of them, I’ll direct you to the Medical Center’s Professional Appearance Policy found here. This comprehensive policy should clear up any questions and/or concerns about appropriate attire and personal appearance by UMMC employees and students. Everyone should click that link and read through the policy so that you are familiar with what it covers.

Some of the specific items included in submissions I’ve received that are prohibited by the policy are wearing jeans, unnatural hair coloring, offensive tattoos and facial piercings.

Managers, please be familiar with this document and ensure your reports adhere to it. It may be helpful to address the points in the policy during your next team meeting.

Again, thank you for all the submissions you sent into the VC Notes inbox. Keep them coming!

And thank you for all you do to move us closer to A Healthier Mississippi.