Summer 2020
800 North Fant Street • Anderson, SC 29621 www.anmedhealth.org
Expert Care. When and where you need it. • 50+ Locations • Extended Hours • E-Visits • Urgent Care • Online Appointments Need help finding the right care?
864.512.3748 or AnMedHealth.org/Doctors All AnMed Health facilities take COVID-19 precautions. For your health’s sake, please don’t delay when you need to see a doctor. Learn more at AnMedHealth.org/Covid-19-Safety.
FROM THE CEO
CONTENTS
4 Reflections on Manson’s innovative career, leadership 6 Athlete-turned-physician repairs ACLs with innovative procedure 8 Anderson’s first and only colon, rectal surgeon emphasizes colonoscopies 10 Ask the Doc: MyChart 11 Healthier Living for Every Body 12 In this together 13 Married couple has heart attack days apart 14 In the Community 15 Visions: Foundation News ON THE COVER: AnMed Health reiterated its commitment to being “In this together” at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Healthier Living for Every Body For long-term weight loss, our procedures are safe and effective for people who have tried everything. Regardless of your body type, we likely have a weight-loss option for you. All of our choices are matched to your unique circumstances by our leading weight-loss providers, who will help you determine the right one. And the best solution will be the one that will help you achieve healthier living, such as playing with your children, walking your dog or dancing with your friends. You can do it, and we’re right here for you. To speak with someone about pre-qualifying, please call 864.512.4476.
Inside
ANMED HEALTH Inside AnMed Health is published quarterly for AnMed Health staff, friends and the community. CONTACT
Lee Boggs, Editor 864.512.8739 MISSION To passionately blend the art of caring with the science of medicine to optimize the health of our patients, staff and community. VISION To be recognized and celebrated as the gold standard for health care quality and community health improvement.
AnMedHealth.org/WeightLoss All AnMed Health facilities take COVID-19 precautions. For your health’s sake, please don’t delay when you need to see a doctor. Learn more at AnMedHealth.org/Covid-19-Safety.
COVID-19 response reflects community, organizational spirit FOR THE PAST 39 YEARS, I have driven into the parking lot of AnMed Health
committed to the day ahead, inspired by the team I would get to work with and proud of the mission of AnMed Health. Some of my best memories through the years are of the times that we came together to face challenges and find patient-centered solutions. But there has been no greater challenge or response than the one given by our health care heroes since March due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. From day one, AnMed Health’s first priority has been to keep our staff and our patients safe. Our nursing and operations group quickly reorganized units, services and teammates to optimize the delivery of health care when and where it was needed. That rapid response was complemented by our frontline workers’ selfless contributions. They have literally given blood, sweat and tears in the fight to heal the sick and stop the spread, regularly making personal sacrifices for our patients and their families. In the midst of all of this, our staff continued to care for the needs of non-COVID-19 patients in their usual, professional way. In addition to their regular duties, our health care providers and staff have contributed in many ways – large and small – most of which will never be known except by those who benefitted from their generosities. They have provided groceries, clothes, toys and essential supplies that made patients’ lives a little easier during these trying times. They also helped arrange FaceTime connections for family who couldn’t visit. While our teammates were looking out for those in their care, the community was doing the same for us. Although local individuals, businesses, restaurants, schools, churches and manufacturers had concerns of their own, they still found ways to wrap their arms around AnMed Health, giving us the strength we needed to carry on. Whether it was delicious food, cards of support, thoughtful prayers, financial contributions, or thousands of handmade masks, it was all equally appreciated. We couldn’t have done what’s been done so far – so quickly – without you or them. I am extremely proud and blessed to be part of such a giving community because we truly are in this together and always will be. Having witnessed the collective effort of everyone at AnMed Health, I am retiring knowing that the new CEO, William Kenley, a former executive vice president at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare based in Memphis, Tennessee, will be well supported in successfully leading AnMed Health through this challenge and into a very promising future.
Bill Manson
800 North Fant Street • Anderson, SC 29621 864.512.1000 • AnMedHealth.org
Inside ANMED HEALTH 3
FOUR DECADES
Reflections on Manson’s innovative career, leadership AnMed Health CEO Bill Manson didn’t plan to make a career out of hospital administration.
“Bill has been part of almost every growth component of AnMed Health over the past 40 years.” Bill Kibler, Chairman of the AnMed Health Board of Trustees
4 Inside ANMED HEALTH
HE TOOK AN INTERNSHIP to work in the education division of the Duke Endowment, a private foundation that supports programs in higher education, health care, child services and rural church life in the Carolinas. Manson said it was a way to “kill time” between earning an economics degree at Davidson College and attending graduate school to earn an MBA. He thought he would go into banking – that’s until he worked on a couple of health care projects while at the Duke Endowment and became interested in hospitals and health care. “The only time I’d been in the hospital between the time I was born and when I graduated from Davidson was having my tonsils removed and breaking a couple of bones,” he said. “I was on a path to go into banking until I ended up at the Duke Endowment and had an accidental exposure to health care management and hospitals.” That accidental exposure turned into a nearly 40-year career at AnMed Health. Manson, who is retiring this year, has served as CEO since 2015. “I am proud of the remarkable community asset that AnMed Health has become, and I am honored to have worked alongside many talented individuals who have helped to make it so,” Manson said. “I have been fortunate enough to be able to stay here and continue to grow and be part of the transformation, so it turned out to be a perfect place for me.” When Manson came to Anderson in 1981, AnMed Health was Anderson Memorial Hospital with one primary campus. Now, AnMed Health is an expanded, comprehensive health system with four hospitals, two campuses, a robust physician network, improved clinical care programs, a local and Upstate population health program, strategic partnerships and over 3,600 employees. “Bill’s leadership has been integral to AnMed Health’s growth and success over the past 40 years,” said Bill Kibler, AnMed Health Board Chairman. During his tenure as CEO, AnMed Health put infrastructure and systems in place to begin the transition from fee-for-service reimbursement to a system focused on value-based case and population health “The challenges in 1981 differ greatly from the challenges of today,” Manson said. “But one thing that hasn’t changed is that reimbursement has always been a significant issue in health care.” Manson said having more people with some access to health care through insurance coverage is an important goal for the country. “Providing preventative care should be our priority and will help us save dollars in the long run. But the country’s health care system is built the opposite way. Hospitals and physicians are reimbursed for fixing bad health as opposed to paying
Bill Manson (far right) with the Anderson County United Way, one of the organizations he supported and served during his storied career.
for prevention,” he said. “Some things I’ve tried to do with population health over time is trying to reverse that a bit.” AnMed Health has built a physician network to put a strong emphasis on primary care. Through the system’s clinical integrated network, AnMed Health has contracted with payers to create incentives for keeping people well as opposed to incentives for taking care of people who are sick, Manson said. Kibler said that while Manson’s accomplishments are many, he believes the most significant achievement during Manson’s time as CEO – prior to COVID-19 – was the transition to a consolidated, sophisticated, electronic health record system in 2017. “The EPIC software system will drive higher quality and better access for AnMed Health patients,” Kibler said. He said Manson’s leadership style is “deliberative.” “He’s a thinker. When a decision has to be made, Bill listens carefully to all sides, analyzes data, and then applies his value screens. By that, I mean he asks, ‘What’s best for our patients? What’s best for the staff? What’s best for the doctors?,” he said. Kibler said Manson is dedicated to providing access to quality care for the people of Anderson and the surrounding area. “Because of Bill’s commitment, AnMed Health will provide gold standard health care to our community for decades to come,” Kibler said. Manson, who was born in Gaffney and raised in Virginia, said he and his wife, Kathryn, plan to remain in Anderson. Retirement plans include spending time with their family, including two married daughters and their first grandson. Manson also wants to spend more time with his two hobbies – photography and trout fishing. “Trout usually live in nice places,” he said. “Right now, my biggest plan is just to enjoy retirement.” Inside ANMED HEALTH 5
Athlete-turned-physician repairs ACLs with innovative procedure THE FIRST TWO THINGS you notice about Dr. Jay Shah are his
energy and his focus. He walks quickly – trekking miles every day – as he makes his rounds in the hospital and in the orthopedic clinic. And he’s passionate. Ask him a question about current sports and he’ll enthusiastically tell you his opinion. And he always has a wellthought-out rationale to back it up. Add to that his talented surgeon’s hands and his keen scientific mind and it’s little wonder that sports fans, athletes and weekend warriors have been drawn to him throughout his medical career. “I enjoy keeping up with sports. My favorites are soccer, basketball and football but I will take an interest in just about any sport at its highest competitive level,” said Dr. Shah, who played soccer throughout his childhood and in college. “Athletics is the ultimate leveler. Preconceived notions have to be put aside. Talent and drive determine the outcome. Sport is also a universal language that connects so many people across the world. That’s why I chose to have a career in sports medicine and become an orthopedic surgeon. Keeping people active and doing what they love is my life’s work.” Dr. Shah also knows firsthand how it feels to sit on the sidelines due to an injury. Always an avid soccer player, he was playing an indoor game of soccer when he tore his ACL. “I just took a wrong turn and blew out my knee,” he said. That one wrong turn started Dr. Shah down a path that would change his life forever. “It took four surgeries to get me back to where I was before I blew out my knee. But more importantly, by the end of the process, I knew I wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon myself,” he said. All orthopedic surgeons have drive and commitment. How else would they survive four years of medical school followed by a minimum of five years of grueling residency? On top of that, Dr. Shah completed a year of fellowship training in sports medicine at Emory University where he was a member of the medical staff for the Atlanta Falcons and Georgia Tech’s football and men’s basketball teams. “Fellowship training is optional, but I think it’s really important. It’s an extra year that you spend subspecializing within an area of orthopedic surgery,” Dr. Shah said. “During my fellowship year, I got to learn how to take care of some very complicated sports medicine cases and learn some innovative techniques from some of the best surgeons in the field.” One of those innovative techniques Dr. Shah mastered is minimally invasive quad tendon harvesting ACL reconstruction. Although there are a variety of ways to reconstruct a torn anterior cruciate ligament, using a small section of a patient’s own quadricep tendon has several advantages. But the downside of this technique is post-operative pain and a one-to two-centimeter scar on the thigh.
6 Inside ANMED HEALTH
“I learned during my fellowship a way to remove the section of quad tendon through a much smaller incision, which means a lot less pain while you’re healing, a smaller scar and you’ll rehab better, too,” he said. Jackson Pusey knows firsthand the advantages of Dr. Shah’s minimally invasive technique. Pusey loved to play football and basketball at T.L. Hanna High School. When the senior tore his ACL and required surgery this past year, Dr. Shah recommended the minimally invasive quad tendon technique, which made a lot of sense to Pusey “He said there’d be less pain and the scar would be smaller. I barely notice it,” Pusey said. “The surgery was a complete success. The first few days were pretty hard, but I feel very secure on my knee now.” When asked how secure he felt on his newly repaired leg, Pusey, who will be a freshman at Anderson University this fall, said “Secure enough that I can do one-legged squats on that knee.”
“Keeping people active and doing what they love is my life’s work.” Dr. Jay Shah
Athlete Jackson Pusey can do a one-legged squat courtesy of Dr. Shah’s technique.
Inside ANMED HEALTH 7
Patients’ treatment options expand with arrival of Anderson’s first and only colon and rectal surgeon
Because of his specialized training, Dr. Sadowski can address the more challenging and complex colorectal cases.
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COLORECTAL CANCER is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, but Dr. Brian Sadowski said it doesn’t have to be that way. “Colon cancer is a very common cancer in both men and women, and thankfully is generally slow growing,” he said. “The good news is that because it is slow growing, it is mostly preventable with screening tests such as a colonoscopy.” As Anderson’s first and only colon and rectal surgeon, Dr. Sadowski is with AnMed Health Piedmont Surgical Associates and expands the breadth of treatments available to AnMed Health patients for colon, rectal and anal conditions. He offers screening, diagnostic and therapeutic colonoscopy. Dr. Sadowski also treats colon, rectal and anal cancer; inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis; diverticular disease; and anal problems such as hemorrhoids, fistulas and fissures. Because of his specialized training, Dr. Sadowski can address the more challenging and complex colorectal cases, including the surgical management of complex Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. He performs some procedures not previously offered in Anderson, meaning AnMed Health patients will not have to travel to receive treatment. That includes an operation for ulcerative colitis that removes the colon but still allows people to have bowel function without a permanent ostomy, as well as operations for rectal prolapse and fecal incontinence. “I fill gaps in a couple of areas,” he said. Screening for colorectal cancer should start at the age 50, according to the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, an independent panel of experts in primary care and prevention that develops recommendations for clinical preventative services. About 90 percent of new cases of colorectal cancer occur in people 50 or older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the American Cancer Society began recommending
screenings at age 45 for those at average risk in 2018 because of an increasing number of cases of colorectal cancer in younger adults. During a colonoscopy, a doctor looks for signs of cancer and for abnormal growths, called polyps. “Colonoscopy is the gold standard,” Dr. Sadowski said. “The benefit is that it is both diagnostic and therapeutic, meaning we can both find the polyps and remove them at the same time, all in one procedure.” Colorectal cancer has a 90 percent survival rate if discovered before it spreads outside the colon or rectum, Dr. Sadowski said. “We’re looking for pre-cancerous lesions or polyps. When we take them out, we’re preventing them from getting larger and theoretically developing into cancers. So, from that standpoint, colorectal cancer is almost completely preventable,” Dr. Sadowski said. If a patient waits for symptoms – bleeding, pain, or changes in bowel habits – the cancers are usually more advanced and are often more difficult to treat, Sadowski said. “The best time to be looking for these things is before people have symptoms,” he said. Many people who delay having colonoscopies do so because they are afraid of finding something or because they dread the physical prep work necessary to take the test. “There have been a lot of improvements from the patient experience standpoint,” he said.
Dr. Sadowski took a circuitous route to Anderson. He grew up in the Midwest and graduated from the Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska. He completed his general surgery residency at Scott and White Hospital in Temple, Texas, and his colon and rectal surgery residency at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, Connecticut. He practiced for six years in Greenville before moving back to Omaha, where he was in private practice and held teaching positions with Creighton University and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He played an integral role in his practice’s colon and rectal surgery training program. After two years in Omaha, Dr. Sadowski and his family moved back to the Upstate. Dr. Sadowski, whose parents worked as a car dealer and a dental hygienist, said medicine attracted him because he wanted to help people and improve their quality of life. “That’s especially true in surgery because we do something and the patient is better than when we started, so we’re fixing problems,” he said. Although COVID-19 changed many aspects of health care, what has not changed is the need to have a screening. To help meet those needs, all of AnMed Health’s facilities take the necessary precautions to make each location as safe as possible. To schedule a colonoscopy, please call 864.224.1111.
YOUR RISK FOR COLORECTAL CANCER MAY BE HIGHER THAN AVERAGE IF: • You or a close relative have had colorectal polyps or colorectal cancer. • You have inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. • You have a genetic syndrome. People at increased risk for colorectal cancer may need earlier or more frequent tests than other people. Talk to your doctor. – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.gov
Inside ANMED HEALTH 9
ASK THE DOC
NEWS BRIEFS
MyChart: Remote Access Easy, Fast, Convenient
Healthier Living for Every Body AnMed Health expands bariatric options
Technology has impacted the way we do many things in our everyday lives. Many tasks that used to require that one be there in person can now be done remotely. We can work from home, order dinner from our smartphones and change the temperature in our homes, even if we’re not there. Now, technology can help you stay on top of your health through MyChart, an online patient portal that provides access to your medical records and facilitates communication with your AnMed Health provider. Dr. Mandy Mitchell of AnMed Health OB-GYN Associates explained how MyChart makes accessing health care easier and more convenient for patients, especially OB-GYN patients.
Q: What is MyChart? A: MyChart is a free online patient portal – accessible on your computer, tablet or smartphone – that provides AnMed Health patients access to appointment information, lab and imaging results, medications, immunization history and more. Patients may also get some prescription refills without having to schedule an office visit. Q: How do I sign up? A: To sign up for MyChart, request an activation code at your next visit, then go to AnMedHealth.org/MyChart to create an account. If you do not have a code, then click “Sign Up Online” and provide the required information. Q: How can a MyChart account facilitate communication with my provider’s office? A: MyChart allows patients and providers to communicate securely online. Patients may email questions to their provider and should expect to receive an answer within one to three business days. Some patients are better able to communicate their concerns in writing than they are over the phone or even during an office visit. Some questions are easily answered electronically by a nurse, lab manager or physician. Sometimes, it may prompt a telephone call from the physician if he or she considers the answer too complicated for an email 10 Inside ANMED HEALTH
message. In other cases, the physician’s office may recommend the patient come in for an office visit. Advantages of using MyChart’s messaging system include being able to send questions any time day or night, whether or not the office is open, elimination of having to play phone tag with the doctor or a nurse, and response times are often faster.
MyChart, patients see the results faster and follow-ups are scheduled sooner.
Q: Are all test results available through MyChart?
Q: Where can I get more information?
A: Typically, it takes one to three days for test results to appear in a patient’s MyChart account. Some tests, such as biopsies, are not released automatically to MyChart so that physicians may review the results with the patient in person. Patients can see prior test results in MyChart, allowing them to compare items such as cholesterol, blood pressure and other blood work.
A: For more information, go to AnMedHealth.org/MyChart or call the MyChart Patient Support Line at 864.512.3742.
Q: Why should a patient use MyChart? A: It’s empowering to have convenient access to your health care information. It’s convenient, and it could save you money by eliminating unnecessary office visits or trips to the emergency room.
Q: How is a MyChart account helpful for OB-GYN patients specifically? A: Pregnant women see their doctor regularly throughout their pregnancy and many tests are performed. MyChart is a repository where patients can see that information, including doctor’s notes. For gynecology patients, pap smear results are available through MyChart. Patients with abnormal pap smears receive letters telling them they require further testing. With
Mandy L. Mitchell, M.D.
AnMed Health OB-GYN Associates 864.512.4500 ANDERSON
AnMed Health Women’s and Children’s Hospital 2000 East Greenville Street, Suite 4500 CLEMSON
885 Tiger Blvd - Building A
For many people who struggle with obesity, diet and regular exercise aren’t enough to lose weight successfully. Patients who tried to lose weight through diet and exercise or medication without success and did not want to undergo or did not qualify for surgery, had no options – until now. AnMed Health has added endoscopic bariatric procedures to the broad spectrum of weight loss services it offers. “Only one or two percent of people who need to lose weight to prevent diabetes, high blood pressure or medical conditions get surgery. That leaves many people with no option,” said Dr. Suresh Khandekar of AnMed Health Gastroenterology Specialists. Dr. Khandekar said AnMed Health is the only health care system in the Upstate and western North Carolina to offer endoscopic weight loss procedures. A referral is not necessary. Dr. Khandekar offers endoscopic weight loss choices that include suturing, balloons and aspiration assistance. The suturing options includes endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, an incisionless procedure that reduces the stomach volume, and endoscopic revision, a procedure that sutures the stomach for those who have regained weight after surgery, Dr. Khandekar said. A gastric balloon is one of the most common endoscopic weight loss procedures. The doctor places a balloon in the stomach for six months to reduce the space for food. With aspiration assistance, a tube with an access port is inserted into the stomach to help reduce the number of calories absorbed, Dr. Khandekar said. “Endoscopic weight loss procedures can help people in the big gap between lifestyle changes and major surgery,” he said. While endogastric procedures provide new options, traditional surgery, such as gastric bypass and sleeve, are still the better choice for some patients. Dr. Adam Beall, medical director of AnMed Health’s weight loss surgery program and a surgeon at Piedmont
AnMed Health Dietician Christen King provides information about diet, eating and behavior modifications to help bariatric patients achieve long-term success.
Surgical Associates, said doctors work with patients to determine which treatment is right for them. “We treat patients with a very individual approach,” he said. No matter the option, long-term success depends on adopting healthy eating habits and exercising regularly. “Nothing we do is permanent. Everything also requires a commitment to lifestyle modification because no surgery we do prevents the weight from being regained if the person continues doing the activities that led them to the excess body weight in the first place,” he said. Dietician Christen King said she works with bariatric patients before and after surgery to modify eating behaviors, determine whether they are actually hungry, and finding coping mechanisms for stress or boredom. “Nutrition plays a big part in long-
term success, and we work together so the patient gets to the point where they can make desirable food choices,” she said. “It’s a process because eating behaviors are so ingrained in us.” Dr. Beall said AnMed Health’s weightloss services are non-judgmental. “Obesity is a multi-factorial issue. Some are cultural. Some are behavioral. Some are environmental,” Dr. Beall said. “What we offer is unbiased and multi-disciplinary guidance to the patient.” Before undergoing procedures or surgeries, patients must undergo psychological evaluations to ensure they understand everything about the process and are prepared to adopt new lifestyles. To learn more about pre-qualifying, call Bariatric Program Coordinator Joy Vaughn, 864.512.4476.
Inside ANMED HEALTH 11
NEWS BRIEFS
Marlene and Tom Hodgetts with LifeChoice Exercise Physiologist Robin Fritz (left) and Ed Griffin, RN (right).
After learning that an elderly woman in her 80s, was distressed about being unable to find any toilet paper despite an exhaustive search, Certified Medical Assistant Ashley Seigle donated an arm full of much-sought-after toilet paper that she had just purchased. “I just knew this is what God meant for me to do that day. That was the blessing God had in mind for me,” Seigle said.
Jennifer Griffin knew she wanted to do something to support AnMed Health’s infection preventionists during the COVID-19 epidemic. That’s when Griffin, who is a nurse manager on the Neuro Med/Surg Unit on 7 South, came up with the idea of creating a basket full of goodies to present to Infection Prevention and Control. “Everyone recognized what great work the infection prevention team has been doing. This small team has done some mighty things in the past weeks,” she said.
In this together In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people and organizations have joined with AnMed Health, quickly responding to take care of our patients and teammates in immeasurable ways. The outpouring of support has been priceless and reflects our community’s shared values of taking care of one another in times of need. While AnMed Health has always been blessed by generous supporters and staff, the level of giving accelerated at the start of the outbreak and continues today. The acts of kindness exhibited here are just a few of the many that represent what “In this together” is all about.
A patient had been quarantined for more than a month when ICU nurses Kimmie Chew and Lora Nix figured out a way to help him see his family. They acquired equipment that could help his weak body stand at a decorated window, and with his family gathered in the parking lot, they held signs of encouragement for him. “The entire episode lifted his spirits and gave him hope. He couldn’t even sleep beforehand because he was so excited to see his family,” Chew said.
12 Inside ANMED HEALTH
As a critical care and former emergency room nurse, Andrea Patterson knows firsthand what it’s like to experience stress from working on the frontlines during a crisis. So she and her fellow CICU/CVICU nurses put together baskets filled with goodies and words of encouragement to give to those who are working on the COVID-19 frontlines. “I know these nurses are going through a lot right now. They never know what’s going to come through that door, which means this is an especially stressful time and they need encouragement,” Patterson said.
Team members granted a family’s wishes to give their senior mother - a patient from the 5 Center Progressive Cardiac Care unit - a birthday party. “We all decided to take some poster board and decorate it so it said happy birthday,” said Bhavik Patel, RN. “We also sang “Happy Birthday” to the patient. It was a really wonderful and intimate celebration of this patient’s 88th birthday.” An iPad was also secured so that the patient could FaceTime with her family on the special day.
AnMed Health Radiology receptionist Frances Stidham knew that the simple, basic, medical face mask is one of the most important elements of any health care worker’s personal protective equipment (PPE). Furthermore, she knew that after long-term wear, the elastic ear bands can significantly irritate the skin. So when Stidham saw instructions on how to make ear savers on a Facebook crocheting group page, she made and gave away hundreds of them. “I knew wearing the procedure masks can be painful. And if me crocheting ear savers could help my co-workers not experience pain, then that’s just something I had to do,” Stidham said.
Married couple has heart attack days apart Patients prepare for, recover from surgery at LifeChoice Cardiac Rehabilitation Program Marlene and Tom Hodgetts are a married couple that does everything together, including going through cardiac rehabilitation at AnMed Health’s LifeChoice Cardiac Rehabilitation Program after each suffered a heart attack. “It was depressing for both of us to be sick at the same time,” said Marlene Hodgetts. “LifeChoice made a difference. It will not cure me, but it gave me more strength. It’s a good program.” Marlene, 80, had her heart attack first. Tom Hodgetts, 83, had taken his wife to the doctor’s office. After the appointment was over, the couple walked to their car, where Marlene told her husband she was having a heart attack. He drove her to the hospital. Marlene had heart trouble in the past. She already had several stents. A stent is a tiny, wire mesh tube inserted into a clogged artery to hold it open and help blood flow. This time, she said she needed a “stent within a stent.” Tom Hodgetts had his heart attack two days later. “I had a bypass years ago,” he said. “The bypass had gotten plugged up.” The Hodgetts both attended the LifeChoice program, AnMed Health’s 12-week, 36-session cardiac rehab program. LifeChoice is a medically
supervised program designed to improve the cardiac health of patients who have experienced a heart attack, heart failure, angioplasty or heart surgery. One part of the program includes a customized exercise program, said Michael Gibson, nurse manager for AnMed Health’s LifeChoice Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. Each year, nearly 800,000 people in the United States have heart attacks, according to the American Heart Association. Cardiac rehab not only can help them recover from a heart problem but also help prevent future issues, Gibson said. “Just like somebody who has hip, knee or shoulder surgery, people who have a cardiac-related event need rehab, too,” he said. “Since the heart is a muscle, you can strengthen it with exercise.” Many of the participants in the program have never exercised before, Gibson said. “The goal is to increase their functional capacity and improve their quality of life,” he said. LifeChoice also includes risk modification and nutrition education, Gibson said. “Yes, it is an exercise program, but it is so much more than that,” he said. LifeChoice helped John Martin prepare for a heart transplant. Martin’s
heart was failing. Medication and a pacemaker weren’t helping. A heart specialist in Charlotte told him his only hope for survival was a transplant. While he was waiting for a new heart, surgeons implanted a batterypowered artificial heart. Martin did outpatient cardiac strengthening at LifeChoice, becoming the only person in South Carolina with an artificial heart to take part in outpatient cardiac rehab while waiting for a donor’s heart. He has since received his new heart. “It has helped me get my strength up. Before, I had trouble doing anything because I was always out of breath,” he said. “Now, I can walk on the treadmill, do the elliptical and rowing machines. I can walk around the block and go rabbit hunting. LifeChoice has made a big difference in my life.” To learn more about LifeChoice, call 864.512.1505.
John Martin with LifeChoice cardiac rehab nurses Renee Leaf (left) and Freda Brock (right).
Inside ANMED HEALTH 13
IN THE COMMUNITY
Visions
F O U N D AT I O N N E W S
Because of contributions to the AnMed Health Foundation, hopelessness is replaced with promise. Thanks to all of our donors and supporters for improving the life and health of your community.
Citizens step up to help with “Community Mask Challenge” DUE TO THE SHORTAGE of supplies
In this together This page normally spotlights a sample of the many good works that AnMed Health’s devoted teammates perform, taking health care out of the hospital and into the community. But these aren’t normal times. And for the last six months, the community has immeasurably returned the favor so our frontline workers could focus on providing rapid-response health care inside the hospital and satellite locations. This collage represents just a small portion of that generosity. And we sincerely thank you all for it.
during the COVID-19 pandemic, the AnMed Health Foundation issued a challenge to the community to make 8,000 cloth masks to help protect the employees of AnMed Health. The “Community Mask Challenge” was launched on social media and got an immediate response from people of all ages. The AnMed Health Foundation created a Facebook group specifically for the “Community Mask Challenge” to communicate with those participating, and it grew to over 400 members within a few days. Volunteers shared tips, shortcuts and supplies with one another as well as photos and encouragement for AnMed Health staff. Several local fabric stores donated large quantities of fabric, bias tape and other sewing supplies to support the challenge. One family with four generations of seamstresses, ranging from six to 80 years old, made over 600 masks for the Anderson community. Hundreds of others came together to make more than 8,000 masks for AnMed Health in just two weeks. Within a month, they had made over 11,000. We were able to provide masks for our employees to use while at work and in the community. The “Community Mask Challenge” goal was met during the same week as the hospital’s 112th birthday. In 1904, Mrs. Jennie Gilmer had a very difficult childbirth and recognized a great need for a hospital in Anderson. Largely due to her efforts, the Anderson County Hospital Association was formed in 1906. Mrs. Gilmer and members of the Association led a philanthropic movement to raise the $25,000 needed to build the original, two-story, hospital building. Anderson County Hospital
Safety Coordinator Courtney Grooms and Patient Safety Manager Jean Tillirson sorted the donated masks distributed to AnMed Health employees.
officially opened on April 20, 1908, and has remained a pillar of the community for 112 years. The people of Anderson saw a need once again and came together to meet that need by giving their supplies, time and talent. It’s heartwarming to walk the halls, seeing our employees protected by
the masks that were handmade with such love and care. To each and every person who was involved in this monumental effort, we thank you for your dedication to helping us protect the employees of AnMed Health. You have truly demonstrated what it means to be in this together.
Please visit AnMedHealthFoundation.org, click on “How to Give” and then “Planned Giving” to find in-depth information about the ways you can give a legacy gift to the AnMed Health Foundation or call 864.512.3477.
About The AnMed Health Foundation: Established in 1985 and re-organized in 2012 as an independent organization, the AnMed Health Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that provides fundraising support for community programs and initiatives at AnMed Health. The Foundation welcomes donations from individuals, families and corporations to further our mission and to ensure that AnMed Health can continue to provide services that improve the health and lives of the people in our community.
14 Inside ANMED HEALTH
Inside ANMED HEALTH 15
800 North Fant Street • Anderson, SC 29621 www.anmedhealth.org
Expert Care. When and where you need it. • 50+ Locations • Extended Hours • E-Visits • Urgent Care • Online Appointments Need help finding the right care?
864.512.3748 or AnMedHealth.org/Doctors All AnMed Health facilities take COVID-19 precautions. For your health’s sake, please don’t delay when you need to see a doctor. Learn more at AnMedHealth.org/Covid-19-Safety.