December 18, 1998

MGH 1998 has arrived
The fall issue of the MGH1998 magazine is being distributed to the MGH communitythis week. Copies will be available at the main information desks throughout the hospital. For additional copies, call the Public Affairs Office at 6-2206.

Advanced Cardiac Life Support
MGH Emergency Services will continue to offer Advanced Cardiac Life Support Provider courses next year. Classes meet on the following days: Jan. 8 and 11; Feb. 12 and 22; May 7 and May 17; August 13 and 16; Sept. 10 and 20; and Nov. 12 and 15. A reduced tuition rate of $120 is available to MGH and HMS-affiliated employees. For others, the cost is $170. To request an application form, call 6-3905.

Cancer Center programs
The MGH Cancer Center Patient and Family Support Program will present "Parenting in Challenging Times" Dec. 22, 11 am to noon, in the Cancer Resource Room, on Cox 1. Patients, families and staff are welcome. For information, call 4-1822.

PeopleSoft training
PeopleSoft online requisition training courses will be offered Jan. 5 to March 30. The classes meet Tuesdays, 8:30 am to noon, Founders room 643. All registrants should have working knowledge of Windows software. To register, call Rossy Elliot at 4-1388.

Clinical investigation course
The Clinical Research Program and the GCRC will offer "Introduction to Clinical Investigation," a course designed for physicians, scientists, nurses and others interested in clinical research. The course will meet Tuesdays, Jan. 12 to March 2, 5 to 6 pm, in the Bigelow Amphitheater, White 4. To register, visit www.crnet.mgh.harvard.edu, or for more information, call 6-1669.

Don't miss the boat
MGHers from the South Shore who travel to work by boat can save on their commuting costs beginning Jan. 1 when the MGH/ Partners MBTA Pass Program begins offering a subsidized Hingham-to-Boston commuter boat pass. MGHers can buy the pass for $124 per month – a 10 percent discount off the regular MBTA price. The pass will be available through payroll deduction as are the other 14 passes in the T-pass program. Like all employees who purchase T passes for at least 12 consecutive months, those who purchase the boat pass will be eligible for reduced car insurance rates. To sign up for the boat pass, visit any one of the following locations: the Payroll Office on Clinics 1; the Parking and Commuter Services booth in front of the Outpatient Pharmacy; the MGH Parking Office in the Fruit Street Garage: or the security desk at CNY Building 149. For more information, call Cheryl Lyman at 4-2819.

Outpatient testing new hours
The outpatient testing services located on WACC 221 will begin their new hours Jan 5. The Blood Drawing Lab and Specimen Collection Service now will operate Mondays and Fridays, 6:30 am to 5:30 pm, and Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 6:30 am to 7 pm. In addition, the ECG Service now will be open Mondays and Fridays, 8 am to 4 pm, and Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 am to 7 pm. For more information, call 4-2107.

Medical records coding classes
Partners and Northeastern University have been working to develop a new cluster of medical records coding-related courses. Classes will include ICD-9-CM and CPT-4, medical terminology, anatomy and physiology (with lab) and pathophysiology. Several classes begin in January. For information, contact Tamara Boseman of Partners Training at 6-2230 or Annalee Collins from Northeastern at (617) 373-2525.

MGH American Express Travel
The American Express Travel Office at the MGH will be closed for the holidays Dec. 25. Next year the office will be closed on the following days: New Year's Day, Jan. 1; Martin Luther King Day, Jan 18; Presidents' Day, Feb. 15; Patriots' Day, April 19; Memorial Day, May 31; Christmas, Dec. 24 and 25; and New Year's Eve, Dec. 31. To learn more about the travel office's services, meet travel agents as well as enjoy a few refreshments, stop by its open house Dec. 30, 3 to 5 pm in Clinics 1. For more information, call 6-8167.

Hotline takes a holiday
Hotline will not be published the first week of January. The holiday issue will be out Dec. 28. The following issue will be Jan. 8.