Chancellor's Notes

February 17, 2006

I'm pleased to report that this morning the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget approved the Louisiana Board of Regents plan to carve out $1 million of the $95 million in federal relief to higher education for incentive grants for New Orleans residency programs. One hundred grants of $10,000 each will be awarded to Louisiana natives who graduate from Louisiana medical schools and match a residency program based at MCLNO. The Regents have also recommended an additional $4.17 million in relief funding from the same $95 million pot to LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. While there has been no specific allocation for current residents, the School of Medicine is working with the Health Care Services Division to provide an additional stipend or salary increase. Ill keep you informed as the effort progresses.

 At its meeting Wednesday, the Public Health and Health Care Committee of the Louisiana Recovery Authority recommended providing us with $50 million in bridge funding from a federal Social Services Block Grant. It will go before the full Authority on Monday at its meeting in Lake Charles which I will attend. The Committee also recommended $20 million for the Health Care Services Division.

 In the news this week, among its other stories, our Department of Information Services released the story of the successful PGY-2 Ophthalmology Match. All eight positions in the 2006 LSU/Ophthalmology Residency Program Match filled, half in the programs top ten rank order list, seven of the eight in the programs top twenty. Significantly, a number of the incoming residents are from out-of-state. The confidence that these bright young medical professionals have expressed in the quality of our graduate medical education is gratifying. And yesterday LSUHSC Emergency Medicine physician Dr. Jim Aiken, and I briefed media on the regional medical preparations for Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Dr. Aiken is a leader of the Mardi Gras Planning Medical Task Force which is a committee of the Greater Metropolitan New Orleans Health Care Task Force. We had national exposure with both stories.

Our recovery process is progressing. Here is the latest update as of February 10^th:

The remaining repairs to critical building systems (fire alarm system, fire pumps, and the electrical system) are nearing completion in key buildings on the downtown campus.  Repairs to the building elevators continue.  Two of the major elevator contractors have brought in dedicated out of state teams devoted exclusively to LSUHSC to expedite completion of this process.  The repairs to the emergency power generators that serve the downtown campus buildings are under contract. 

The architect/engineering firm responsible for the Dental School campus has presented proposals that address the temporary repairs needed to allow occupancy of the upper floors of the two main buildings, as well as their initial plans for hazard mitigation (protecting damaged elements of the building from subsequent damage resulting from a similar event in the future).  LSUHSC, FEMA and the Office of Facility Planning & Control have been pleased with the early progress.  The plans for temporary repairs have been approved and specifications for that work are being developed now.  LSUHSC has been given permission to use expedited procurement processes to secure contractors to complete the temporary work.

Work on the environmental remediation contract for the CSRB, MEB and Lions Eye Center buildings began this week.  The contract requires completion within 30 days of the start of work and contains penalties for a failure to perform.  The contractor is assigning multiple teams to work in buildings simultaneously.  We are optimistic that this critical body of work will be completed quickly.  To minimize disruption to the research activities that have been restarted in the CSRB, the contractor has agreed to limit their work to the weekend.  We would appreciate the cooperation of the faculty and staff currently working in the CSRB in minimizing their time in the buildings during the next two weekends, so that the contractor can work quickly and without delay.

A second environmental remediation contract will address the Nursing/Allied Health Building, the Residence Hall, Stanislaus Hall and the Resource Center.  The architect currently anticipates that work under this contract will begin in about three weeks.  Similar contracts will be issued at later dates to address the Dental School Clinic and Administration Buildings and 1542 Tulane Ave. 

It may be helpful to understand the work that will be accomplished by the environmental remediation contractors:

• The environmental remediation process provides for the demolition, removal and disposal of building materials that were flooded or found to harbor mold spores or other biological hazards.   This is in addition to all of the cleaning and disposal of flood damage materials that has already been accomplished through earlier contracts.
• The environmental readings taken throughout the upper floors of the research buildings generally showed that the interior spaces were free from mold and other biological hazards.  This allowed us to begin to safely reoccupy the CSRB and selected spaces in other buildings.  In the few rooms/spaces where readings indicated higher mold levels, the particular rooms or spaces have been sealed off until the remediation can be completed.  However, the standard protocol for environmental remediation following the type of flood event that we experienced includes the cleaning, disinfecting and wipe down processes described below, even when readings show no evidence of mold or other contaminants.   Therefore, the work being done in the upper floors of the CSRB, Lions Eye Center and the MEB should not be a cause for concern for any of the faculty and staff
• The standard protocol for environmental remediation provides for the cleaning and disinfecting of the interior spaces; wiping down hard surfaces (walls, doors, stairwells, light fixtures, ceilings, etc.), vacuuming, etc.  In the three research buildings, the cleaning and disinfecting of upper floor spaces will exclude the research labs, because of the unique conditions present, but will include hallways, stairwells and other more public spaces.  It includes the Gross Anatomy space and the morgue where special conditions exist and more robust cleaning and disinfection is required.
• On the 1^st floors where flood water was present, the demolition will typically include removal of drywall to a height of 7 feet, floor coverings as needed (that were not previously removed by an earlier contract), ceiling tiles as needed, etc.  Removal of asbestos tiles and the mastic is also included as necessary.  Floors and solid walls (masonry & granite) will be cored to determine if water penetrated and remediation is required.  Metal studs and other structural walls will initially remain and be cleaned and disinfected.  Many metal studs will require replacement, but that will be done as part of the permanent repairs.  Before the demolition begins, the 1^st floor spaces will be sealed off to prevent migration of any contaminants that may become airborne during the demolition.
• When completed, the contract will provide us with unrestricted access to the cleaned spaces in the upper floors, and spaces on the 1^st floors will be clean and ready for the permanent renovation work. 

 Telephone Services:  Auxiliary Enterprises has been assessing the telephone services at the various campus buildings.  Working on concert with the States Office of Telecommunications Management (OTM) and BellSouth the damage is being identified and repairs have begun as reflected below:

• The testing of BellSouth trunk lines serving the major buildings has been completed.  Repair needs have been identified and BellSouth is scheduling the needed work.
• The connection panels (demarks) in each building between the trunk lines and the individual lines feeding the offices and spaces in the buildings have been inspected.  BellSouth has identified those demarks that they require to be elevated when they are repaired or reinstalled. 
• Where telephone service is currently available to a building, testing of individual circuits (telephones) will begin.  Where necessary, individual repair tickets will be opened with OTM.

 Data Network:  Computer Services has been testing the network infrastructure that connects the data center to the various downtown campus buildings and provides data circuits to individual offices, labs, and other spaces. 

• The fiber (or cable) that connects each building has been tested and verified as operable.
• The core switches in each major downtown campus building have been inspected and proposals to secure new core switches (where necessary) are being prepared. 
  • CSRB:  The core switches were damaged and must be replaced.  Work is underway on the replacement.
  • Lions Eye Center:  The core switches were damaged and must be replaced.  The development of a proposal to replace the switches and (potentially) reinstall it on a higher floor is underway.
  • MEB: The core switches were not damaged by the flood waters and connectivity can be reestablished as soon as the HVAC is made available to the telecom closet.
  • Residence Hall:  Network connectivity is available to the building. 
  • Stanislaus Hall:  Wireless access point on the roof was damaged and must be replaced before network connectivity can be restored. 
  • Nursing/Allied Health:  The network is intact and connectivity can be re-established as soon as stable electricity and HVAC are available to the telecom closets.
  • Resource Center:  The core switches were located on the 7^th floor and were not damaged. 
  • Dental School Campus:  The visual inspection of the core switches has just begun.

 Campus Housing:  We appreciate the importance of making the two campus residence facilities available as quickly as possible.  Particularly in the case of the Residence Hall, the challenges represented by older building designs and systems are unique and different.  Some of these factors may impact on the time to complete the work necessary to allow the building to be reoccupied.  However, significant progress has been made in preparing both the Residence Hall and Stanislaus Hall for reoccupation.  For example:

• Both buildings are part of the 2^nd environmental remediation contract that is currently out on bid.  Current plans are to have the contract in place and work underway within the next three weeks.  The Residence Hall is to be the 1^st priority for the contractor.
• Elevator repairs have been underway at both facilities for some time and continue to be monitored closely.
• The electrical switchgear repairs have been completed at the Residence Hall.  The switchgear at Stanislaus Hall was not damaged.
• Repairs to the fire pump are underway at the Residence Hall and are expected to be completed in approximately 2 weeks.  The fire alarm panel was not damaged.
• Repairs to the fire alarm system at Stanislaus Hall have been completed.  The fire pump was not damaged.
• The repairs to the emergency generators serving the downtown campus (including both of these buildings) have been placed under contract.  Work should begin next week.
• Heating and cooling are available in the Residence Hall.  Domestic hot and cold water is also available.
• Heating and cooling are available in Stanislaus Hall.  The domestic (hot and cold) water pump is on order and shipment of the pump is scheduled for 3/13.

Here are highlights of work that has been accomplished since our last update was posted on Friday, January 27th.  

• The solicitation for a second environmental remediation contract for the Nursing/Allied Health Building, the Residence Hall, Stanislaus Hall and the Resource Center has been issued by the architect.  At the direction of the Office of Facility Planning & Control, they are utilizing an expedited solicitation process, so a contract award may be made quickly. 
• Repair parts for elevators around campus continue to arrive and the permanent repairs to individual elevators continue.   Two of the major elevator contractors have brought in additional manpower from out of state to dedicate to completing repairs at the Health Sciences Center.  The elevator contractors continue their work at:
  • CSRB
  • MEB
  • Lions Eye Center
  • Nursing/Allied Health
  • Resource Center (two have been certified for use)
  • Stanislaus Hall
  • Residence Hall
  • Entergy/Gravier St. Garage

Until permanent repairs are completed and elevators certified by the State Elevator Inspector, routine use has been discontinued.  Restricting the use of elevators in buildings where the environmental remediation has not been completed will help to minimize further spreading of mold to upper floors.

• The contractor responsible for cleaning the restrooms and public areas on the upper portions of the Dental School Administration and Clinic Buildings has completed the work.
• The emergency removal and disposal of carpet and other porous & semi-porous materials from basements & 1st floors of the flooded campus buildings has been completed, except for a small number of punch list items.  Work has been completed at the following buildings:
  • Nursing/Allied Health
  • Lions Eye Center
  • Resource Center
  • CSRB
  • MEB
  • Stanislaus Hall
  • Dental School; 1^st floors of the Administration and Clinic Buildings
  • 1542 Tulane Ave.
• The contractor continues to work in the Dental School basement, where particularly challenging conditions were present.  The removal of the asbestos has now been completed and the more routine cleaning of the spaces is underway.  By early next week, we anticipate being able to enter the basement without wearing any personal protective equipment.
• Work continued on the contract to make permanent repairs to the switchgear in the CSRB, MEB, Lions Eye Center, Nursing/Allied Health Building and the Residence Hall.
  • CSRB:  The repairs to the switch gear in the building have been completed. 
  • MEB: The last two ground faults (for the A and D risers) have been replaced.  This completes the switch gear repairs at this building.
  • Nursing/Allied Health:  The repairs to the switch gear in the building have been completed.
  •  Residence Hall: The repairs to the switch gear in the building have been completed.
  • Lions Eye Center: Repair work continues in the building.  A temporary breaker has been installed to allow one main breaker to be removed and reconditioned. 
• School of Dentistry restoration:  Regular weekly meetings with representatives from the architectural/engineering firms, the Office of Facility Planning & Control, FEMA and LSUHSC have continued and will remain as a scheduled item for some time.  
  • The architects/engineers recently presented revisions to the plan to make temporary repairs to facilitate reoccupation of the buildings.  They received the approval to pursue this version of the plan which relies on repairing or replacing critical mechanical and electrical components in the same place that they originally occupied.  LSUHSC has been given permission to utilize expedited procurement processes to secure the necessary contractors.
  • The architects/engineers also presented the latest plans for permanent repairs and related hazard mitigation, which were well received by FEMA.  Further work on these plans and the development of cost estimates were encouraged. 
  • The initial focus for the project continues to be the rapid design and completion of emergency work necessary to allow the rapid re-occupation of upper floors of the Administration and Clinic buildings.
• Downtown campus restoration:  Regular weekly meetings with representatives from the architectural/engineering firms, the Office of Facility Planning & Control, FEMA and LSUHSC have continued and will remain as a scheduled item for some time. 
  • Significant efforts have been made recently to develop potential options for hazard mitigation.  Initial discussions with FEMA about some of the concepts proposed have occurred and were well received.  We anticipate that a decision between two primary options for hazard mitigation of the flood damaged animal care spaces and critical mechanical & electrical systems of several buildings should be made soon.  Once the decision has been made, the architects & engineers will begin refining their designs/plans and develop the necessary cost estimates to allow FEMA to more carefully review the proposal.
  • As noted previously, the architects completed the specifications for the environmental remediation of the Nursing/Allied Health Building, the Residence Hall, Stanislaus Hall and the Resource Center.  The Office of Facility Planning and Control have authorized the architect to use an expedited process to secure a contractor.
• Contracts have been awarded for the repairs to various types of pumps to supply water and heat to the Residence Hall, MEB, CSRB, Lions Eye Center, Nursing/Allied Health, and Resource Center.  Parts will be ordered and work is expected to begin on the repairs shortly.  LSUHSC has provided the contractors with the list of priorities by building for these repairs; however the availability of some parts may impact on the ability to strictly adhere to the priorities.
• Work by the contractor responsible for the permanent replacement of fire pumps in the Nursing/Allied Health Bldg, the Residence Hall, the Resource Center, the CSRB, the Lions Eye Center and the MEB continued. 
  • CSRB: The repairs to the fire pump and fire alarm system have been completed, tested and passed the inspection by the State Fire Marshal.  As a result, the manual fire watch of the upper floors is no longer required.
  • MEB:  The fire pump has been installed and the required electrical connections made. 
  • Lions Eye Center:  The existing fire pump has been removed and the new pump has been installed.  The concrete pad has been poured and the pump has been tested.  The electrical connections between the fire pump and the buildings fire alarm system have been completed. 
  • Nursing/Allied Health:  The existing fire pump has been removed and the new pump has been installed.  The new concrete pad has been poured.  The electrical connections to the pump motor remain to be completed.
  • Resource Center:  The existing fire pump has been removed and the new pump has been installed.  The jockey pump (attached to the fire pump) has also been installed.
• Contracts to repair the fire alarm systems and their components in downtown campus buildings have been awarded to the vendors who currently provide annual maintenance to the systems.  This approach will insure that the systems can be re-certified and remain under the existing maintenance contract.  Work continues at this time. 
  • Stanislaus Hall:  The repairs to the system have been completed and the inspection by the State Fire Marshal has been performed. 
  • CSRB:  The repairs to the fire alarm system have been completed and the system has been tested.  The State Fire Marshal has inspected the repaired fire alarm panel and the buildings fire pump and has allowed the manual fire watch on the upper floors to be suspended.  (See fire pump notes above.)
  • MEB: The contractor continues working on repairs to the fire alarm system at the MEB.
  • Lions Eye Center:  The repairs to the building fire alarm system have been completed by LSUHSC Property & Facilities staff.
  • Nursing/Allied Health:  The contract has been awarded for the repairs to the fire alarm system.  Work is expected to being shortly as parts become available.
  • Resource Center:  The repairs required for the fire alarm system have been identified and the contract has been issued. 
• A contract has been issued for the repairs to Animal Care cage washers, bottle washers and sterilizers at the CSRB.  The work on the repairs continues.  The steam generators have been installed and the contract has begun troubleshooting the systems.  Additional problems have been identified with one of the steam generators and replacement parts are on order and expected early next week.
• The contract for the repairs to the emergency generators at the CSRB, MEB, Lions Eye Center, Nursing/Allied Health Bldg., Resource Center and the Residence Hall has been awarded.  Work on the repairs is expected to begin shortly.

A bid has been issued for repairs to the medical air compressors, vacuum pumps and water purifiers at the CSRB, Lions Eye Center and the MEB.  Bids were received on 1/13/06 and have been evaluated.  The award recommendation has been forwarded to the Office of Facility Planning & Control, the Office of Risk Management and FEMA for their concurrence.