Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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From Page 3 traditionally the faculty here has had relatively fewer fringe benefits than those at most state universities. That's a legitimate point." "There's another point," Rempel said. "If you look at universities throughout the country, it is every year more attractive to be at USC. The faculty improves, the long-run prospects of the state are healthy economically and demographically. On the whole the prospects of this University are extremely good in the immediate and long-term." Hospitals BY JACK BAINE Of The Gamecock staff Sixteen.South Carolina hospitals have joined a $1.5 million USC research grant to test a new method of fixing hospital reim bursement rates. The project submitted by four USC professors, Drs. Richard Furst, Carl Kretschmar, Allen Bauerschmidt, and Stan Fryer ir the largest research grant in the history of USC. According to Project Director Alfred R. Kurtz, the existing hospital reimbursement system has major defects that are causing many hospitals to lose money and 13 out of 50 New York hospitals to go bankrupt. Kurtz said the project will help hospitals improve their cash flow and offer the hospitals an incentive iersity- Wio At present, there would be no benefits to replace the loss of free parking, but the money generated would not be wasted. Rempel and others envision construction of a huge multitiered parking facility in the parking area behind the Coliseum. The facility would in clude a safe waiting area with cafes and shuttle buses operating at regular intervals. Construction of this facility would necessitate the removal temporarily of parking to some other part of campus. Rempel said, "I could see temporary parking at the Fairgrounds with To Use U. to save money. Rather than the present system of setting of rates after the fiscal year, the project will help hospitals establish the budget at the beginning of the year and will include an anti-inflationary clause. "Witfi the audit at the end of the year, the rates are adjusted only if the costs were behind. Thus hospital rates are behind the actual costs," Kurtz said. "This project will establish a budget at the beginning of the year with an in term rate adjustment clause if need be," he -added. Kurtz said that there will be three phases of the project at each hospital. First, the project will assist in the hospital's budget preparation to prepare for review by the trustees and an outside budget review board. Then a management engineer from the Carolina's Hospital ...77.. .. .0-J '.1 le ParkinA shuttle buses for faculty and students during a parking crunch when construction of new lots is going on." He also said that Harold Brunton, vice president in charge of operations, had approached the city of Columbia about the possibility of using their lot at the corner of Green and Park streets. The city was not very receptive to the idea, according to Rempel. - Rempel said there are more ideas around. After the parking situation is under control, energy facilities would also be relocated in the fringe areas of campus and that the area now occupied by the SC Resear( Improvement Program (CHIP) will work wi,th each department to develop cost savings. Savings produced will be put into a special fund to use for new capital ventures. The project will guide the direction of this money through a project rating system. Providence Hospital in.Columbia is one of the hospitals participating in the project. Sister Mary Jacob, Providence Hospital Administrator said the program is "giving us the ex pertise of a professional management engineer through CHIP, and giving us the expertise of consultants from USC to help work up a budget for the next fiscal year with each department head." Project Director Kurtz said that each participating hospital will receive the equivalent of $100,000 worth of services free, annually for the next 2 years. Kurtz said "this service will M fron N SOEMTEn1AL MAY SUITASLE FO PE-TEE STARTI Situation energy facility behind Currell College could be turned into a giant park. "This University has a chance not only to retain but to develop one of the few healthy inner city communities in America," he said. Martin E. Lipinski, assistant professor at the College of Engineering, and former member of the NPACP said "We're in a holding pattern now. We don't anticipate an increase in enrollment. We anticipate a switch, a greater enrollment of graduate students, which means more people with more cars. ,h Grant benefit the community greatly in the area of health care." He added that this method of reimbursement could well be used if a national health insurance plan is adopted for the entire country. - Hospitals participating in the project are Abbeville County Memorial, Beaufort County Memorial Hospital, Byerly Hospital in Hartsville, Cannon Memorial Hospital in Pickens, Chester County Hospital, Claredon Memorial Hospital, Conway Hospital Inc., and Elliott White Springs Memorial Hospital in Lanchester. Others are Kershaw County Memorial Hospital, Laurens District Hospital, Loris Com munity Hospital, Marion County Memorial Hospital, Oconee Memorial Hospital, Providence Hospital, St. Francis Community Hospital in Greenville and the Tuomey Hospital in Sumter. he terrifying otion picture i the terrifying .1 best seller. Studied Graduates typically have a higher percentage of car ownership. "The basic problem," according to Lipinski, "is that the University has enough space for parking, but it's not in the right place." Lipinski said the temporary Fairground parking idea would create a lot of chaos. "If a person lives in Forest Acres, is he going to drive down to the University to the Fairgrounds, park his car, get on the bus and go back?" J.ppinski said. "He's going to go bananas! It's going to take him twice as long as it normally does to reach campus. "If you could build peripheral lots that would intercept the commuter between his home and campus, the probability that he would use the shuttle system would be much greater," he said. "The fact remains, however, that it is easier to get funds for new buildings, not for parking lots." Final decisions concerning the parking policies of USC will rest with the President and the Board of Trustees. President William H. Patterson said Monday, "The only recommendation that's been made in regards to parking that we will not accept at this time is the one reguarding a faculty-staff fee on surface parking on the campus." He said fees would still be charged for parking garage spaces. "It's a sort of chicken and the eggs situation," he said. "I don't know how I can make it better without charging some money, and if I charge some money I don't know how I can furnish my parking spaces for the money we've charged them." Next Week: Part Two-The Non Problem.