Rumors and Trumors heads to the boneyard; new blog takes its place

After a successful run that began in 1999, UTMB “Rumors or Trumors” web site has been respectfully laid to rest. The rumors and responses from the past several years have been archived but remain available.

Rumors or Trumors has been replaced with a new semi-official blog hosted by Pep Valdes, known to fans of the former trumors web site as “The Rumor Guy.” The new blog is called pep talk and is available at http://blog.utmb.edu/pvaldes.

“This format is fresh, it’s a lot easier to manage and I feel I can convey a wider and more interesting range of information,” said Valdes, a 10-year veteran of UTMB who works in the Office of University Advancement. “The tone is informal and there’s still a bit of the irreverence and humor that I think made rumors popular. But with shorter responses, a wider range of topics, and the ability to initiate a posting rather than just respond, the blog is more viable. Those long gaps between updates that became the bane of rumors readers are not part of the pep talk plan.”   

A blog is a web log,  an Internet format that’s been growing in popularity and is supported by specialized publishing and content management software. The technology supporting pep talk is in place as part of a pilot program at UTMB supported by the Academic Resources’ Academic Computing area.

“For our die-hard rumors fans, there’s still a category on the blog where I’ll field some of those,” Valdes said. “I’d say the chances that we run completely out of rumors anytime soon is about one spaceship.”

Updated Aug. 18, 2005

RUMORS: Is it rumor or trumor that TDCJ hospital will possibly close in the next couple of years?

I have heard that TDCJ will close its hospital in Galveston and move to Tyler, or was it Mars? Also, UTMB will turn the building into a research facility. Both sound unbelievable; however, I do want to know the truth if any.

RATING:

RESPONSE: No, there are no plans to close TDCJ Hospital now or anytime in the near future. There are no plans to convert it to a research facility. The hospital is not moving to Tyler, and in spite of our many great collaborations with NASA, there hasn’t been any talk of moving the hospital to Mars.

It’s relatively easy to understand why this rumor surfaced. As recently as this past spring, at forums such as Town Meeting, there were open and frank discussions about the financial pinch in correctional care and its impact on us as an institution. UTMB is responsible for providing quality health care to about 120,000 incarcerated patients across two-thirds of Texas, some of them here at the TDCJ Hospital at the center of this rumor. As medical costs have risen, our reimbursements had been reduced, a result of state budget cuts during the past budget cycle. It was getting dire and very difficult for us to absorb the costs associated with providing appropriate services. Tough questions were being asked, including “Can we sustain this correctional component of our mission?”

Fortunately, we were able to make a good case in Austin. The legislature recognized the tremendous value UTMB and its employees provided the citizens of Texas in addressing this unique societal need. In the 11th hour, the State Legislature granted us appropriations to cover some of our past losses, and allocated an additional $30 million-a-year for the two years of this upcoming budget cycle. It was less than we asked for, but enough to keep us hard at work.

We’ll continue to look for ways to provide quality care in smart, innovative, efficient and effective ways. One change being considered is the elimination of a dedicated TDCJ holding area in the ER, thus reducing our bed count by about five and freeing up some needed staff. Without jeopardizing those in our care, we’ll keep working in the TDCJ Hospital, in Correctional Managed Care, and throughout the institution to ensure we’re being good stewards of public dollars entrusted to us.  

RUMORS: I saw an email circulating that the Children’s Emergency Room was closing; is this true? 

I heard Children’s Hospital is closing?

RATING:

RESPONSE: Neither the Pediatric Emergency Room nor Children’s Hospital are closing, and there are no plans to close them. Starting next month, however, the hours of operation for the Pediatric ER will change, and we’re looking at a small reduction in the number of beds in Children’s Hospital to help us more closely align with the demand.

In a nutshell, beginning Sept. 1, the pediatric emergency room will be open Saturday through Tuesday from noon–midnight, and Wednesday through Friday from 4 p.m.–midnight, the times of greatest demand. A physician and nurse trained in pediatric care will staff the emergency department 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure that specialized care is available for children with emergency medical needs when the pediatric emergency room is not open. This change will enable us to operate more efficiently in a time of rising demands on emergency rooms nationwide and, at the same time, ensure that the specialized pediatric facility is open during peak hours and that emergency pediatric care is available at all times at UTMB.

Like other emergency departments in Texas and throughout the nation, UTMB is facing the serious challenge of how to provide the highest level of emergency care to the greatest number of people as the demand for and cost of this specialized care continue to increase. A change in pediatric emergency hours will help UTMB better manage limited resources without risking continuity in the emergency care of its youngest patients.

In terms of Children’s Hospital, demand for inpatient beds has been in decline due to a number of factors (national trends, shorter hospital stays, more outpatient procedures, etc). We do plan to reduce the number of beds that we have in service by about 13, in order to adjust to our actual pediatric patient volume.

The health and well being of all our patients—young and old alike—remains our primary charge and commitment. Even as we’re forced to find new ways to stretch our limited resources, we’ll not lose sight of this responsibility.

RUMOR:  Is it true that employees cannot wear flip flops from their car to work, before clocking in?

RATING:

RESPONSE: Flip flops: the root of all evil? Some seem to think so. The popular sandals were at the center of a big recent “controversy” (a flip flop flap) when several members of the national champion Northwestern University women's lacrosse team wore them to the White House. On campus, there is an institutional policy on personal appearance http://www.utmb.edu/policy/ihop/search/03-07-02.pdf. At a large organization such as UTMB with its many different roles, the details on dress are left to the departments, within the following general guidelines:

  • “It is the responsibility of each employee to maintain a professional appearance that enhances the image of UTMB to the community and the public at large. Due to the diversity of job duties and departmental operations at UTMB, departments are authorized to establish dress codes that are reasonable and that promote legitimate business and safety interests. This may include requiring low-risk footwear (e.g., rubber soles and low heels) as appropriate.”

On the issue of sandals (and other fashion statements):

  • “Extremes in fad or fashion that may be acceptable for social events or for recreational activities may not be acceptable in the workplace. Shorts, dungarees, cut-offs, tank tops, bare midriffs, halters, cocktail or evening dresses, thongs, and open sandals are some examples of clothing that may be considered inappropriate for work.”

It’s hard to say in your case without more details. But, if you’re at work when you clock in, even if you just walked in from your car, and you’re wearing footwear that is unsafe or inappropriate for your area, I can see the potential problem. If I were in your “shoes,” I’d talk with my manager about my department’s expectations, and if I walked a long way to work and needed a comfortable footwear option, I’d try to work out a reasonable compromise.

RUMOR: I was told by my brother who practices at another UT hospital that UTMB-Galveston will be moving some of its medical school to Austin. He stated the reason was that the Galveston area no longer deals in freebie medical care and this does not allow medical students the exposure to as many diseases and ailments. He also stated that UT-Austin is already looking for physicians to fill the boot. Is this true and what impact will this have on Galveston?

RATING:

RESPONSE: There’s been buzz about Austin for several years; it’s something President Stobo has discussed at UTMB Town Meetings and with many community groups. There’s been renewed interest recently, sparked by a series of newspaper articles about a health campus at the site of Austin’s former Mueller Municipal Airport. The articles reported on discussions taking place between with Mueller-area neighborhood groups and officials from UT System, UTMB and UT Austin.

First, though, it’s important to note that UTMB has its roots set deep in Galveston, and any look at the growth and new construction currently taking place on the island campus should affirm the institution’s commitment to this community. Major projects now under way will continue to support UTMB’s research, education and clinical care missions, and are indicative of a long-term vision for UTMB in Galveston. The new University Plaza, as just one example, is putting in place the infrastructure for an all-new, easily accessible clinical care complex to include new operating rooms, outpatient clinics, and other hospital facilities.

Any growth in Austin will be in addition to—not at the expense of—programs in Galveston.  

As for “freebie” medicine, there’s still a major challenge in Texas (and the nation) with the uninsured. Last year UTMB provided $476 million in unsponsored care. How does it compare historically? In 1997, 22 percent of our hospital admissions were unsponsored patients; in 2001 it was 17 percent; in 2004 it was 20 percent. It’s a financial struggle, but to the extent that we can, we will continue to work to meet the medical needs of those who are unable to pay for their care. But there is no shortage of patients for medical students in Galveston.

As for Austin, it’s one of the places where we continue to reach out, to fulfill our mission of service and collaboration. It’s the only major metropolitan area in Texas without an academic health center, and with UT Austin, the region’s growth and its booming technology industry, there’s a true opportunity for all of Texas.

UTMB has had educational partnerships in Austin since the 1950s, when students started doing medical clerkships at Brackenridge. Today, students from our medical, nursing and allied health schools have the option to do part of their studies in the capitol; many do.

Beyond our clinical training programs in Austin, UTMB is involved in a nonprofit association called the Central Texas Institute for Research and Education in Medicine and Biotechnology (CTI). The group’s sponsoring organizations include the Central Texas Veterans Healthcare Network, the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, the St. David's Healthcare Partnership, the Seton Healthcare Network, UT Austin, UT Health Science Center-Houston and UTMB. CTI works to expand educational programs, and to advance research programs in this region. It supports new M.D./Ph.D. and M.D./Master of Public Health degree programs, further develops the region's health care work force, and focuses on increasing research collaboration and developing intellectual property for commercialization.

On yet another front, in March 2004, UTMB began to manage the reproductive services unit of the Austin Women’s Hospital at Brackenridge Hospital, at the request of the City of Austin. Since then, caring and dedicated UTMB employees have ushered more than 1,700 babies into the world at this 10-bed “hospital within a hospital.”

Discussions about an academic health campus at Mueller are still at a very early stage. The proposal involves roughly 24 acres within Mueller that would eventually house nearly 1.4 million square feet of research, academic, clinical and retail space.  The health center would be a collaboration between UTMB and UT Austin, and eventually could have 1,300 employees and 520 students. Of those students, 440 would be medical students, and the rest would be allied health students. The project will move forward only if it receives significant philanthropic support from the Austin community.  

RUMOR: Now that the tuition revenue bonds (TRBs ) were shot down by the Texas Legislature, is the Galveston National Laboratory still going to get built? Where’s UTMB’s share of the cost coming from?

RATING:
 
RESPONSE: The National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases has allocated $110 million to help design, construct and equip the Galveston National Laboratory. The remainder, about $57 million, will come from university and philanthropic resources. One of the sources the university was hoping to draw from was a tuition revenue bond (TRB). Initially authorized in 1971, TRB debt is used to build classrooms, laboratories and other essential facilities. TRBs, which legally are secured by tuition and fees, pay for a significant amount of major campus construction and renovations at state universities throughout Texas.
 
Tuition revenue bonds are voted on by the Texas Legislature. Securing approval and funding for the TRB supporting the Galveston National Lab was a high priority for UT System. The work to be done in the lab is important for Texas and for the nation, and the project also makes good economic sense for the state.
 
However, during this just-ended session, no TRB proposals were funded. This included UTMB's proposal in support of the GNL, as well as a number of separate requests from other Texas universities. If the legislature is called into a special session on education, our TRB still has a good chance of getting approved. That would be the best outcome, as a tuition revenue bond offers the university the most attractive financial terms for satisfying the local share of the lab's construction.   
 
If there is no special session, however, we do still have other funding sources available. Just like with a mortgage for a new home, there is usually a second lending option, and fortunately, UTMB is in a strong financial position and will be able to get the needed dollars. Bottom line: TRB or no TRB, work on the Galveston National Lab continues and we expect it to open on schedule in 2008.     

RUMOR: I heard that in September, all employees were going to receive a $200 a month raise?

RUMOR: We've heard (of course in rumor) that the Texas legislature is considering a raise for state employees.  Can you verify that this is being considered?

RATING:

RESPONSE: As of this update in early April, it’s really too early to tell what’s going to happen. There are a number of state employee pay-related proposals making their way through the legislature. Some involve a flat increase, like the $200 mentioned above. There’s one with a proposed percentage increase that excludes many higher education employees. There’s also proposed legislation that would not allow state institutions of higher education like UTMB and MD Anderson to “opt out” of an across-the-board raise, if one is passed by the state. That’s yet another option, and there are others.    

Putting it in perspective, close to 6,000 bills have been filed this 79th legislative session, which is now just a little beyond the mid-way point. Several hundred of those proposals involve health insurance, compensation or employment issues. It’s not unusual for the Texas Legislature to consider across-the-board raises, although the last one granted was in 2001.

UTMB is committed to keeping salaries competitive, and remains committed to paying for performance. While we always like to do everything we can for our employees, an across-the board raise isn’t necessarily a great thing for us. While the state may be able to mandate an increase, in our case the legislature would fund about 25 percent of the cost. The rest--and we’re talking about a figure in the millions--comes from local UTMB dollars, which is income we earn from services we provide. Those funds would effectively deplete our merit and incentive pools, our “pay for performance” dollars.

In other words, doing a little for everyone keeps us from having the dollars we need to reward those who really deserve more, who are performing at a high level, or who currently earn the least. That’s a tough spot to find ourselves in.  

In any case, it will be a few more months before we have any definite answer. Yes, many proposals are being considered, but at this early point, the state’s decision and our options remain unclear.

Here’s an article published in March that may have fueled some of our rumors.

RUMOR: Are there plans to put a coffee shop in the remodeled ground floor of the library?

RATING:

RESPONSE: Yes, a Starbucks Coffee franchise will join the recently relocated UTMB Bookstore on the ground floor of the Moody Medical Library. The bookstore is already open and Starbucks is scheduled to open Monday at 7:30 a.m. The coffee shop will be open 7:30 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday–Thursday and 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Fridays.

RUMOR: Why is it that UTMB is considered a NO SMOKING campus, yet in areas that are frequented by our "smoking colleagues" there have been receptacles placed for distinguishing their cigarette butts?  Are we a NO SMOKING campus or not?

RATING:

RESPONSE: We are a No Smoking campus, and some new revisions to the policies set to go into effect April 19 put some new teeth behind the rules. The revisions were announced in Impact and at a special Town Meeting in January; you can get details online.

As for the cigarette butt receptacles, the debate rages even today whether we should offer them or not. Some are on the boundaries of campus, and the idea is that people would use them to properly discard of their butts as they come on university property and into the no smoking zone.

Of course, wherever we offer them, the concern is that we’re implicitly condoning smoking by saying one thing but making it easy to do another. It becomes an issue of safety and sanitation. Although many smokers are responsible--making an effort to seek a place where they are allowed to smoke and then properly disposing of their butts--others aren’t. A smoldering cigarette in a trash can or bushes can be a fire hazard, and accumulated butts are litter and a nasty eyesore. The receptacles were installed to help keep campus clean and safe. They don’t represent “free smoking zones.” As the new policies go into effect and enforcement increases, this should become less of an issue. If you smoke but you’d like to quit, we want to help. Visit the Commit to Quit web site for information about help that is available.

RUMOR: I heard that UTMB is going to build a skywalk connecting Rebecca Sealy Hospital and John Sealy Towers, like they have
between Shriners and Children's hospital. Is this true?

RATING:

RESPONSE: Sorry, this isn't true, at least not in any of the current campus plans. The possibility was explored a few years ago, but the cost was prohibitive. Unlike the Shriners skywalk to Children's Hospital, or the existing skywalk connecting Rebecca Sealy with the garage to its south, a skywalk directly to John Sealy Hospital would need to span more than a city block.

There is, however, a new crosswalk being installed across Market St., from Rebecca Sealy Hospital to the main visitor garage (Parking Garage 1). As part of the crosswalk project, the north entrance to the Rebecca Sealy Hospital is also being renovated, to make it more appealing and user friendly, and accessible by wheelchairs, motorized chairs and delivery carts. This project will start in late February or March and last about six weeks; the entrance will be temporarily closed during the construction. Watch for details in the next few weeks in the daily announcements and on the construction web site.

RUMOR: I heard that at UTMB, a father can't use sick leave for the birth of his child. Is that true?

RATING:

RESPONSE: First, congratulations and best wishes to you and your growing family.

Under the Family Medical Leave Act, fathers are entitled to up to 12 weeks of leave for the birth of a child. UTMB encourages employees to use their FMLA benefit for this sort of major event; it's an important time. However, while the law safeguards your job and maintains your health insurance benefits during the time you're out, FMLA does not guarantee that this time will be paid leave-the law leaves it to employers to determine if the leave will be paid.

As a standard practice, FMLA time off is unpaid unless an employee can apply accrued time toward it: vacation, personal holiday, or in some cases, sick leave.

Why only some cases? At UTMB, like at other state agencies, state law determines how employees may use their leave accruals. The State Auditor's Office guidelines on this issue are fairly explicit. They say: "a state employee who is the father of a child, may use his sick leave in conjunction with the child's birth only if the child is actually ill or to care for his spouse while she is recovering from labor and delivery."

To comply with this mandate, at UTMB we grant paid sick leave for the time the doctor says the mother actually needs physical care by the spouse or some other party. The remainder of the FMLA entitlement must come from other accruals or leave without pay. So, you can use some of your sick leave for the birth, but probably not as much as you'd hoped.

You can get more information about FMLA and UTMB policies online.

RUMOR: I heard UTMB was spending millions of dollars to bring the trolley to campus. Is this a good use of our limited funds?

RATING:

RESPONSE: OCT. 22, 2004--It's true that the trolley is coming to campus, but it's not costing UTMB or the citizens of Galveston any grand sum of money. UTMB and the city were able to work together to secure funding for the expansion largely from a Federal Transit Administration grant. The local contribution to the approximately $5 million project is a match of about $240,000 that UTMB recently invested in the hospital "Main Street" project. We were permitted to apply those same "Main Street" dollars as our local match.

Like the trolley project, "Main Street"--the renovation of the hospital main corridor and entrance--was about improving access. UTMB already works with Island Transit to provide public transportation, using primarily buses and shuttles, at no cost to patients, staff and students. The expanded trolley route is part of the arrangement and the expansion will allow riders to travel to and from work, classes and clinical appointments.

The trolley system currently covers six miles and connects Seawall Boulevard to the Strand District and Pier 21. In December 2004, with the completion of this phase, the route will be lengthened 1.5 miles east and stop just south of Children's Hospital. It'll link UTMB with downtown-where the university has several hundred employees and where many students and staff now reside in lofts and apartment homes. Members of the campus community will be able to hop on the trolley at no cost and as a hassle-free way to get between campus and downtown for business, lunch or to shop. (The next phase of the expansion-still on the drawing board-will extend the trolley rails about 1.3 miles along Sixth Street to Stewart Beach and Seawall Boulevard.)

The grant includes money for construction of trolley shelters, benches, landscaping and lighting. The project is on schedule and the last sections of tracks are going in now. Repaving the roads with new asphalt will come next, and then the first rides late this year or early in 2005. It's a good partnership with the city and federal agencies. We're confident that once complete, it'll be a project people use, enjoy and appreciate. By all measures, it's a good deal. For more information, visit the construction update web site.

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