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CENTERVIEWS
A Publication of The University of Texas Harris County Psychiatric Center

Monday, November 1, 2004

In This Issue:

PARKING RATES TO RISE
STREET PARKING CHANGES
UTHCPC HIRES DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
DON’T COOK FOR THANKSGIVING --- TO GO DINNERS AVAILABLE
UTHCPC IS NEEDLESTICK FREE
ERC 2004 PUMPKIN DECORATING CONTEST WINNERS
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES LECTURE SERIES
LOOKS LIKE/ SOUNDS LIKE

PARKING RATES TO RISE

The Texas Medical Center has notified UTHCPC that effective January 1, 2005, contract parking rates will rise across the medical center. The new rates for contract parking in the lot across from UTHCPC will be $ 65 per month, effective January 1, 2005. This compares to $ 63 per month prior to January 1. Employees with questions or concerns should call the Texas Medical Center Parking Customer Services office at 713-791-6161.
Joyce Camp, TMC Senior Vice President, said that “the increase is necessary to support ongoing programs fro safe and secure parkers.” She also suggested that employees “consider the full range of transportation options, including METRO, vanpools and other mass transit alternatives.”

STREET PARKING CHANGES

Please take note that the City of Houston has changed the allowable parking times for the streets around UTHCPC. Please take note of the changes, as the City is ticketing and will tow cars illegally parked.

UTHCPC HIRES DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Joining all of the other UT Houston operating units, UTHCPC will now employ its own development officer, announced Chief Administrator Lois Moore. “We are very pleased to announce the hiring of JoAnn Kent to the position of development officer. Ms. Kent brings many years of development fundraising experience to UTHCPC. Her experience in the for-profit and non-profit arenas will greatly benefit UTHCPC. JoAnn will begin work here at UTHCPC during late November.”

DON’T COOK FOR THANKSGIVING --- TO GO DINNERS AVAILABLE
Thanks to Prince Foods UTHCPC Cafeteria Manager Doug Beer; you can now order your “Thanksgiving Dinner Meal To Go”
Dinner for 8 is only $37.50 plus tax. It will be ready to pick up in handy ready to heat pans. Due to the popularity of these meals, a 2-day notice is required.

Orders will be taken Nov 15th through 21st 2004. A $15.00 deposit is required with your order.

Your order includes:
Choose one : sliced ham or sliced turkey (4 pounds of either)
Choose two: yams, mashed potatoes or dressing
Choose one: peas and onions or green bean casserole
Choose one: cranberry nut jello or tossed salad
Choose two: apple, pecan or pumpkin pie
Rolls and Butter
Gravy

UTHCPC IS NEEDLESTICK FREE
Infection control nurse Susan Parnell reports that UTHCPC has been needle stick free for over one year. “We have always had a low rate of needle stick injury but this is the first time that I recall since 1995 that UTHCPC has had no needle sticks in a year” she said.

“We have accomplished this through the efforts of Nursing, Hospital Wide Education, and Infection Control. We have worked with vendors to review new products and the staff has had multiple training opportunities in the past three years. The move to the Integra syringe, a passive safety device, has also been important in decreasing needle stick injury.”

Parnell said: “We know that Integra has a design flaw that causes occasional failure of the retracting mechanism. The vendor is working to correct this problem. We will continue to review new safety devices as they are available to assure that we have the most suitable safety engineered syringe for psychiatric nursing care.”

Zero needle stick injuries for 12 months is a wonderful accomplishment. All UTHCPC staff should be commended for their commitment to making a safer working environment.

ERC 2004 PUMPKIN DECORATING CONTEST WINNERS

1st Place Pumpkin #2 Psychology and Public Information: Debbie Garcia, Garza Benevidez and Carolyn Deisze
2nd Place Pumpkin #6 Performance Improvement: Gene McCardle and Lucy Albidrez
3rd Place Pumpkin #12 Patient Registration: Rosa Dixon, Shelia Thomas, Carmen Presardio
Additional: Gift Bag WinnersPumpkin #11- Volunteer Services: Carol Rone, Ms. Lucy, and Ms. Esther

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES LECTURE SERIES

WHERE: MSI AUDITORIUM
TIME: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

LOOKS LIKE/ SOUNDS LIKE

One of the 2005 National Patient Safety Goals requires the organization to: Identify and, at a minimum, annually review a list of look-alike/sound-alike drugs used in the organization, and take action to prevent errors involving the interchange of these drugs"

Pharmacy, Nursing, and Medicine have worked together through the P & T Committee to prepare a list of commonly used drugs at HCPC that are at risk of being "look-alike or sound-alike" and a possible risk to our patient's safety. The Medical Executive Committee has approved the list.

The education department has made posters of this list and placed one on each nursing unit as a safety reminder to the nurses and physicians. If your unit does not have one, please contact your nurse manager.

This is a list of the brand names and generic names of drugs that look alike and sound alike. Each drug name has been cross-referenced.