VTH Board Minutes 2/23/2023
Attendees: J. Whittington, N. Lamphier, A. Barger, E. Volk, L. Garrett, D. Hague, G. Pavlovsky, M. Ridgway, S. Austin, D. French, J. Chen, S. Gray
Updates: Info Only
Personnel Updates
- Offer is being considered by CVT III Hospital Services Coordinator
- Search is getting underway for VTH HR support (vice-Bell), Valerie Eaton is supporting VTH in the meantime
- Vet Tech Externship program kicking off next week – Joy Hinrichsen is the contact/coordinator for the program.
- Interviews for multiple staff positions being conducted (CVT, Vet Assist, Caretaker, Med Disp. Assis.)
Facilities
- Emergency call boxes – maps will be updated with the 5 locations (SAC, LAC and VMSC reception desk, SAC 80 commons, LAC-T intersecting hallway), waiting on the final installation. This will replace the panic buttons.
- Security doors at the west end of SAC exam room hallway are operational and will be painted
- Equine/LA OR project scheduled to be completed end of March
- Ward 2/4 flooring still not scheduled, waiting on vendor
- Oncology Expansion project entering Developmental Design phase
- Proposal submitted to Advancement for phased renovation of VMSC 2/21/23
- Waiting on the feasibility study for wildlife education center
- Working with an engineering firm to address humidity issues –clean room
Programs
- Student Job Board – encouraging service heads and clinical coordinators to create a position for the job board. Will go live on or around March 1st. Must use current wage plan until HR and campus increase student wages to a minimum of $15/hour.
- Exploratory conversation regarding chiropractic, other service offerings. Dr. Lori Madsen soon board-certified specialist. Others trained: Cat Foreman-Hesterberg, Danielle Strahl-Heldreth, Rose Peters, Canaan Shores.
Other
- Dr. Gray, Welcome to the VTH Board.
- MWE trucks waiting for last work to be completed at dealership
- Controlled substance ambulatory truck policy revision, pertains to trucks taken home when on-call
- Maintenance performed on equine treadmill
- VCM is working with SAVMA – VCM will pay fee each year for vet techs to use gym
Financials
Budget Meetings are underway – Service Heads should review the materials available, bring receiving schedule, and faculty on-clinic schedule for the calendar year 2022.
- Curricular fund review – sweep
- Reviewing FY23 Capital Equipment process – status
- Gift Fund update
VTH Financials
Loan update
Hospital Privileges
Concern: Are our current policies appropriate and formidable to present to VCM? How can we hold personnel accountable for their actions (or lack of) actions?
Do we need to write a Code of Ethics?
Do we need a student Code of Conduct for Clinical years?
Do we need to update or modify our policies?
Action: Will share the current policies with HR for feedback and suggestions and discuss if they are appropriate.
Receiving Schedules
During budget discussions, receiving schedules of services will be reviewed.
Receiving schedules should be updated accordingly (i.e., shifts due to staffing, loss of a faculty, hire of a new faculty) to reflect accurate budget and finances.
SA Interservice Communication Survey Results
An internal survey was previously conducted, which loosely targeted internal communication. An estimated 40 responses provided interesting factors regarding concerns about transfers, consults, and communication.
Transfers and Consults -
Discussion: There continues to be angst about the transfer protocol.
When cases are received through ER, in consultation with ER Faculty, it will be determined which service is best for the patient to be hospitalized. Info is entered into the transfer report and sent out around 5 am. Receiving service is to accept the transfer.However, what actually happens are interns are calling the proposed service house officer to receive the case and there is a dialog there. Sometimes the case is transferred, but there is displeasure after the fact (i.e., not going to the suitable service, or defaults and cases go to Medicine). There does not seem to be a solution to make this process clear.
Consensus – should we go back to general morning rounds?
Communication -There are challenges with inter-services communication such as staff not having cell phones on them when they are needed, not knowing staff cell phone numbers, who is on-call, if someone is working or out of the office, etc.
Service / Section Issues and Updates
Capital requests and approvals from last year will be reviewed and VTH Administration will follow up with services.