Making dust to make a new day for kids with cancer
What’s happening here in peds research
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James Stallworth, MD
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Blakely Amati, MD
Nichole Bryant, MD
Carl Cromer, MSN, FNP-BC
Ann Faulks
Jennifer Hudson, MD
Robin LaCroix, MD
Jonathan Markowitz, MD, MSCE
Kelly Melton, MSN, RNC-OB
Janine Sally, MS, CCC-SLP
R. Caughman Taylor, MD
Elizabeth Tyson, MD
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A look back propels us forward
As we finish one academic year and begin a new one, we often lose sight of all that we have accomplished together as a Children’s Hospital service line to help the patients we serve together. It’s worth taking a look back, though we will only touch the surface of all our people do to improve the lives of children.
Together we have hired more than 35 pediatric subspecialists, and in the Upstate we have hired 13 primary care pediatricians to improve access and provide needed care. In the Midlands, we have opened the state’s first Inpatient Pediatric Rehabilitation Center and a dermatology clinic, and in the Upstate we have opened an expanded PICU with six additional beds.
Our Oconee inpatient satellite has expanded with Level II NICU services to provide the best care locally and added an expanded access primary care site in the Upstate providing care seven days a week and extended hours. In the Midlands, we have added five subspecialty rural clinics to grow to more than 40 a month to provide care locally, and the Midlands pediatric hospitalists took over the consultation and admitting responsibilities for our Prisma Health Baptist Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, which will streamline admissions and improve continuity of care.
We have worked with state agencies and legislature to garner support for needed programs. We’ve worked with the Children’s Hospital Collaborative to get funding again for our Children’s Hospital Infrastructure Fund and were successful in obtaining funding that will help us address patients with sickle cell and transition of care. We continue to work with DHHS to better define the supports for children with HIV and around enhanced support for our subspecialists including hospitalists, palliative care, sleep medicine and dermatology. We have added roles in other agencies such as DHEC and DSS providing invaluable coverage or medical advisement.
All this while fulfilling our medical education mission in educating more than 400 medical and PA students together and more than 200 residents, fellows and other learners within our Children’s Hospital service line – despite another difficult respiratory season that had us admitting record numbers of patients from our surrounding hospital systems’ emergency departments to our inpatient units. We tackled the challenges when a large insurance company became out of network for children’s care.
We have met these challenges because of our exceptional people: Our team members and providers put the focus on children first. So where do we want to go next year? We have big plans to grow our community involvement, especially in the Midlands with support from our Upstate programs. We want to improve and expand our subspecialty care to meet the demand despite the declining number of physicians entering pediatric subspecialties. We are seeking to expand our monitored bed capacities by expanding our PICU in the Midlands and adding other monitored beds in both our children’s hospitals. In the Upstate, a pediatric hematology unit is under construction to increase the number of beds to serve children with cancer and blood disorders.
We are honored to be part of our wonderful teams and share with you the contributions they make to our community and serving children. We continue to dream big to better serve the children of South Carolina.
Robin N. LaCroix, MD, Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Upstate
R. Caughman Taylor, MD, Chairman, Department of Pediatrics, Prisma Health Children’s Hospital—Midlands
Inpatient unit now open 2
Rehab unit keeps South Carolina families close to home
Special care nursery delivers for OMH 4
Level II NICU advances care for newborns
Departments
Collaborating for better care 6
Midlands physiatrist shares expertise with the Upstate; safety specialists work together for process improvement
What’s new? 8
Make Dust Day, practice openings
Research spotlight 10
Learn about exciting research in sickle cell, cancer and the underserved going on right here
Clinical case report 12
Can you solve this mystery?
Academic news 13
Congratulations, new and graduating residents!
Quality counts 16
Taking on sepsis with analytics
Bulletin from the Bradshaw Institute 18
Community parenting class, student vaccinations, safe sleep and car seat practices
In the community 20
State House Day, food resource campaign, Healthy Start expansion
Leadership profile 21
Get to know Christy Fink and Taylor Stathes
Celebrations 22
Philanthropic news
Phone directory 25
A handy guide for both Children’s Hospitals
2
4
8
On the cover: The Level II NICU at Oconee Memorial Hospital is equipped to handle all but the most critically ill infants.
South Carolina’s first Inpatient Pediatric Rehabilitation unit now open
Community support was vital to the opening of the unit, including funding for specialized equipment that will help patients maximize their recoveries
Pediatric patients in South Carolina now have access to specialized inpatient rehabilitative care closer to home with the opening of Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Midlands Inpatient Pediatric Rehabilitation Unit, the first of its kind in the state. This unit will provide comprehensive rehabilitation services for children and adolescents recovering from traumatic events such as brain or spinal cord injuries, as well as multi-trauma cases.
“Previously, families facing these situations often had to travel out of state for the specialized care their child needed. Unfortunately, many of these families were unable to travel, leaving them without the care they needed,” said Colleen Wunderlich, MD, medical director of the Inpatient Pediatric Rehabilitation Unit. “This new unit eliminates that burden and allows families to focus on their child’s recovery closer to home.”
The new Inpatient Pediatric Rehabilitation unit, located inside Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Midlands on the fifth floor, opened June 3. The unit offers a variety of features to optimize patient care and comfort, including:
• Private patient rooms with patient lift systems for bedto-bath transfers
• Accommodations for parents, including allowing one parent to stay overnight
• Individualized treatment plans and customized schedules for therapy, playtime and schoolwork
• A state-of-the-art gym specifically designed for children and teens undergoing rehabilitation
• A Snoezelen® multi-sensory room to provide calming or stimulating experiences through light, sound and touch
• A dedicated hallway walking system to promote mobility
Allyson Colucco, OTR-L, and Colleen Wunderlich, MD, (right) work with a patient in rehab therapy.
• Weekly family meetings to discuss progress, along with admission and discharge conferences
• Access to more than 30 pediatric subspecialists within the full-service acute care hospital
“Our program is staffed by highly qualified physicians who are dual board certified in pediatric rehabilitation as well as physical medicine and rehabilitation,” added Dr. Wunderlich. “We work closely with an interdisciplinary team that includes specially trained nurses, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, recreation therapy, music therapy, a cognitive educator and dietitian to maximize functional recovery.”
This pediatric rehabilitation unit will change the lives of families in South Carolina, as the impact of having to commute out-of-state for these services is shown through the story of the Johnson family. Thirteen years ago, Prisma Health patient Naomi, then just 3 years old, suffered severe injury from a near-drowning incident that required specialized rehabilitative care. Due to the lack of pediatric inpatient rehabilitation services in the state, the Johnson family had to make multiple trips to Charlotte for her care, each requiring extended stays of two to four weeks.
“It was incredibly difficult,” said Rev. Chris Johnson, Naomi’s father. “My wife was able to stay with Naomi for most of the time, but I had to manage things at home with our other children. Not being able to see Naomi regularly was very hard on all of us. This new unit will expand access and ensure families don’t have to make such a hard choice.”
Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Midlands in Columbia was South Carolina’s first children’s hospital and has more than 150,000 pediatric visits each year. It offers more than 30 subspecialties to meet the unique health care needs of children and has central South Carolina’s only Children’s
Emergency Center. With more than 350 professionals who work exclusively with children, Prisma Health Children’s Hospital has a team of highly skilled and trained experts unmatched by any hospital in the area.
“This is truly a long-time dream come true. Not only for us here at Children’s Hospital, but for everyone who supported this work throughout the years,” said Caughman Taylor, MD, senior medical director of Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Midlands. “We also could not have gotten this unit open without the full support of all the hospitals in the South Carolina Children’s Hospital Collaborative, the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and Prisma Health leadership.”
Community support was vital to the opening of the unit. Generous supporters contributed more than $735,000 to Prisma Health Midlands Foundation to fund specialized equipment that will help children and teens maximize their recoveries. To give, visit prismahealthmidlandsfoundation.org.
New NICU opens to care for premature babies closer to their Oconee County homes
Community raises more than $200,000 to support the project
Babies born prematurely or needing special care can get needed extra attention without leaving Oconee County thanks to a newly opened “special care” nursery at Prisma Health Oconee Memorial Hospital.
The four-bed Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) was officially opened on March 19, and celebrated by team members, families, community members and donors who helped make the unit possible.
The new unit provides care for babies born as early as 32 weeks gestational age – or eight weeks before the due date – or under 3.3 pounds. Issues typically affecting these babies include prematurity, respiratory distress, low blood sugar, jaundice, sepsis and feeding issues. Prior to this new unit opening, all of these babies would either have been born at Greenville Memorial Hospital or have to be quickly transferred to Prisma Health Children’s Hospital NICU in Greenville.
Oconee Memorial Hospital delivers approximately 550 babies a year.
“Our new Level II Nursery is equipped to care for all but the most critically ill newborns,” said Allison Ranck, MD, medical director of pediatric services at Oconee Memorial Hospital. “The advanced-care NICU in Greenville is an incredible resource for the Upstate, but the two-hour round trip for our families can be a huge burden for them. Families often have other children at home to take care of, and it can be incredibly stressful for them to juggle all the demands over such a long distance. The distance also puts a substantial financial burden on these families, and parents often have to make choices and sacrifices about how to spend their money and time – which can be a heartbreaking decision for these already stressed parents. We’re thrilled to bring this additional service to families in our area.”
“We’re thrilled to bring this additional service to families in our area.”
– Allison Ranck, MD
OMH pediatric services are considered a satellite of Prisma Health Children’s Hospital. The OMH pediatric offerings also include a 10-bed in-patient unit for children ages newborn to 17 years, as well as the just-opened special care nursery.
The new special care nursery features specialized equipment as well as advanced expertise such as pediatric hospitalists and specially trained pediatric nurses and respiratory therapists. In addition to two advanced-care beds in a nursery setting, the new unit also has two private rooms that include high-tech neonate equipment as well as a convertible couch/bed, rocking chair and in-room refrigerator for parents who may be rooming-in with their recovering newborn for weeks at a time.
The Oconee County community has rallied to help support this new NICU, providing more than $200,000 in specialized equipment to help these tiny patients. Equipment includes high-tech incubators, special body-warming devices, resuscitation equipment and cardiac monitors across a range of sizes to match any gestational age or need. The additional equipment was made possible by funds raised through Oconee Memorial Hospital Foundation’s annual Golf Classic and its Women in Philanthropy initiative.
“Along with the resources of Prisma Health and the hard work of our team, donations to the OMH Foundation helped to make this unit a reality,” said Hunter Kome, CEO for both Prisma Health’s Baptist Easley and Oconee Memorial hospitals. “This is just an incredible community that always steps up to support clinical advancements like this one.”
The OMH Foundation continues to partner with civic groups, churches and organizations such as Walhalla Daughters of the American Revolution to help meet the needs of families, including preemie clothing and diapers, said Cortni Nations, the OMH Foundation manager.
For more information on the project or to support it, please contact the foundation office online or at 864-885-7912
Click here or scan the QR code to learn more about the Oconee Memorial Hospital Foundation
Allison Ranck, MD, (far left) and her team are ready for new patients in the new special care nursery.
Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinic: Making physiatry accessible for upstate families
Once a month, Matthew MacCarthy, MD, treks from Columbia to Greenville to provide pediatric rehabilitation medicine care to patients from across the Upstate. Since the start of his outpatient physiatry clinic in September 2022, he has seen more than 120 patients with genetic or acquired disabilities ranging from cerebral palsy to spinal cord injury.
At 6 months old, Dr. MacCarthy was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and so he brings first-hand knowledge to patient care. “I have experience with disability. I know what it’s like to struggle with mobility and accessibility challenges,” he said. To referring providers, Dr. MacCarthy has a simple message: “I am here in the Upstate monthly, I am trying to increase access to care, and I can probably help.”
Dr. MacCarthy’s outpatient rehabilitation clinic is on the first Wednesday of each month at the Center for Developmental Services (CDS) in downtown Greenville. It represents a successful collaboration between Prisma Health Children’s Hospital campuses in the Upstate and Midlands and CDS.
“He is giving support to families that need him locally and helping to expand CDS services so that we can give patients an even better experience,” said Janine Sally, MS, CCC-SLP, director, Kidnetics, the inpatient and outpatient pediatric therapeutic services branch of Children’s Hospital–Upstate.
“ There is almost always something we can add to patient care.”
– Matthew MacCarthy, MD
Why refer patients for outpatient physiatry?
The terms “physiatry” and “rehabilitation medicine” are interchangeable, referring to physicians who help patients gain or regain functional ability. There is a provider shortage, with some 400 pediatric physiatrists nationally and only three in South Carolina, two of whom are with Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Midlands: Dr. MacCarthy and Colleen Wunderlich, MD, Prisma Health division chief, Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine.
Physiatrists have expertise in braces and assistive equipment, plus in-depth training in physical, occupational and speech therapies, though they do not directly administer therapy. They often devise therapy treatment plans in greater detail than other providers, prescribing specific timeframes and settings for interventions. The Upstate outpatient rehabilitation clinic opens the door for Dr. MacCarthy to collaborate in person with Kidnetics therapists.
Pediatric rehabilitation specialists like Dr. MacCarthy serve two broad patient populations, including children presenting with:
• Significant functional disabilities due to catastrophic illness or injury such as traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries, meningoencephalitis and amputation
• Developmental disabilities from genetic, neurologic or muscular conditions such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, Down syndrome and idiopathic toe walking
“We treat patients with any condition that impairs their ability to gain milestones, to move and walk independently, and to manage basic self-care tasks such as getting dressed, eating and bathing,” said Dr. MacCarthy. “We offer blended expertise at a unique intersection of neurology, orthopedics, primary care and other specialties. There is almost always something we can add to patient care.”
How does rehabilitation medicine fit within CDS?
Dr. MacCarthy’s monthly clinic at CDS strengthens the portfolio of treatments and services available to families under one roof. The center offers convenient, centralized care including:
• Children’s Hospital–Upstate resources:
- Kidnetics (physical, occupational and speech therapy)
“The joint effort to bring pediatric physiatry here builds on a 25-year history of strong collaboration between all CDS partners,” said Sally.
Safety in numbers
Safety is a priority throughout Prisma Health Children’s Hospital. Both children’s hospitals are members of the Children’s Hospital Association’s Patient Safety Organization, where they contribute patient safety data to a national database for pediatric patients. Sixty-five other children’s hospitals throughout the U.S. contribute to this work to determine the most pressing patient safety concerns for pediatric patients and develop mitigation strategies to prevent harm.
Both children’s hospitals have recently welcomed patient safety specialists: Ashley Rolfe is the safety partner serving Prisma Health’s Richland campus (Midlands) by covering all safety events in the Heart Hospital, women’s and children’s units. Her most recent role prior to patient safety was working as the pediatric educator in the Midlands. Ashlee Tiffany is the safety partner serving Prisma Health’s Greenville Memorial campus (Upstate) by covering all safety events in the operating room, women’s and children’s units. Her background is as a family nurse practitioner.
Together, they review hundreds of safety events each month in their respective areas and prioritize events based on the HPI Safety Event Classification system (SEC). They are responsible for conducting a root cause analysis when serious safety event criteria are met. Each root cause analysis involves interviewing involved parties, creating a timeline and contributing factors, and then ultimately nailing down the root causes.
What is next for the clinic?
Short-term goal: botulinum toxin (Botox) injections. An effective treatment for spasticity, these injections are administered in Columbia. With tweaks to the Upstate clinic space and schedule coordination for nursing coverage, injections could be done in Greenville, too.
Long-term goal: physician team expansion. There is a fast-growing wait list for pediatric physiatry appointments in the Upstate and Midlands. Adding another rehabilitation medicine specialist to the Children’s Hospital team would make care more accessible, more quickly, to more families.
For more information or to make a referral, email Dr. MacCarthy at matthew.maccarthy@prismahealth.org.
The root causes are then addressed by creating an action plan. The goal is to develop strong action items that mitigate the risk of the event from occurring in the system moving forward. Many times, these action plans and their respective opportunities span across both markets. Recently, a serious safety event occurred in the Upstate where an opportunity was identified with the cystic fibrosis order set. The safety partners helped coordinate meetings with leadership in both markets to facilitate the rollout of a new and improved CF order set for the organization to use.
The patient safety specialists collaborate with the pediatric vice chair of quality/quality medical director in both markets, CPEs, CNOs, CEOs, COOs, and risk management. Both Ashley and Ashlee are involved in the Pediatric Nursing Service Organization (NSO), which is a collaborative meeting that meets monthly covering any policy changes and updates across both markets. At Greenville Memorial, Ashlee regularly attends the pediatric multidisciplinary operations team meetings (MDOT) and prepares safety presentations to be shared each month.
Two are better than one: Together, Ashley and Ashlee play key roles in the collaborative process at Children’s Hospital that builds safety and prevents harm.
Raising a little dust to celebrate construction of new unit
Construction has begun on the Hogs for the Cause Hematology-Oncology Unit, a new pediatric unit in the Upstate that will provide care for children and adolescents with cancer, bleeding disorders and sickle cell disease. Reaching this significant milestone on March 25 comes just six months after the launch of the fundraising campaign for the unit. The goal is to raise $6 million for the project; thus far, $4.2 million has been donated.
Hogs for the Cause, a nonprofit barbecue competition and festival based in New Orleans with significant ties to South Carolina, kicked off the capital campaign by donating $1 million.
Children’s Hospital held a “Make Dust Day” ceremony to commemorate the commencement of construction and honor the invaluable contributions of partners, donors and team members who helped to reach this point. The 7,580-square-foot pediatric cancer and blood disorders unit is scheduled to be completed in two years. Several community organizations and partners have played a pivotal role in bringing this vision to life, including architects from McMillan Pazdan Smith (MPS) Architecture.
“This project was extra special because we could give back in a meaningful way to one of our own MPS family members,” MPS principal Laura Jones shared in a LinkedIn post. “Our health care team pulled MPS architect Daniel Taylor in as a key part of our design team. Daniel’s young daughter has been fighting her own cancer battle, and Daniel and his wife brought such a wonderful perspective.”
Taylor said, “Using architecture to support fellow patients and their families while they go through their difficult trials has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had while working in architecture.”
The expanded unit will include nine new inpatient rooms; day-stay room with two infusion chairs; special two-room suite for families in difficult or “hard news” situations, so loved ones can more comfortably support each other and their child; family-suggested design elements including an expanded playroom and in-room desks where parents can work remotely while staying close to their children.
New program offers aerodigestive specialty
The pediatric Aerodigestive Clinic, which saw its first patient in August 2023, provides coordinated, interdisciplinary care to pediatric patients with complex congenital and acquired conditions affecting breathing, swallowing and growth. The program provides assessment, diagnosis and treatment of these disorders. A high level of coordination and an integrated team approach is necessary to provide the highest level of care efficiently for patients who may have swallowing disorders; recurrent respiratory issues such as chronic cough, recurrent pneumonia or breathing difficulties; airway disorders – conditions affecting the trachea or larynx; gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or complex feeding issues – challenges related to feeding, nutrition or growth.
“The program was born out of a need to better coordinate the care of these medically complex children,” said Mike Doughtery, MD, pediatric gastroenterologist and clinic director. “It has brought together experts in the fields of pediatric gastroenterology, pediatric pulmonology, pediatric ENT, as well as speech and language pathology and occupational therapy. We emphasize a family-centered approach to care, recognizing that parents and caregivers play a crucial role in their child’s health and well-being.”
The program strives to:
• Provide support: Offering education and resources to help families understand their child’s condition and treatment options.
• Coordinate care: Ensuring seamless communication and collaboration among health care providers involved in the child’s care.
• Offer efficient evaluation: Streamlining evaluations by offering comprehensive assessments in a single visit or over a short period of time. This can help expedite diagnosis and treatment planning, reducing the time it takes for patients to receive appropriate care.
• Create individualized treatment plans: With input from multiple specialists, the Aerodigestive Clinic develops individualized treatment plans that address the unique needs and challenges of each patient. This may include medical management, surgical interventions, nutritional support, speech therapy and other interventions as needed.
• Empower families: Equipping parents and caregivers with the tools and skills necessary to manage their child’s condition effectively at home.
• Provide long-term follow-up: Many aerodigestive disorders require long-term management and followup care. The clinic offers ongoing support and monitoring to ensure that patients continue to receive the care they need as their condition evolves over time.
The Aerodigestive Clinic is located on the second floor of the BI-LO Charities Children’s Cancer Center and is seeing patients on the first Tuesday of each month. It accepts referrals from a limited number of pediatric disciplines, including hospitalist-based practices (ICU, NICU, hospitalist service) and pediatric subspecialists. As the clinic becomes more established, it will open referrals to pediatric and family medicine colleagues. To date, the clinic has served more than 35 children and is growing monthly.
Direct question regarding the Aerodigestive Clinic or patient access to Victoria Stevens, NP, victoria.stevens@prismahealth.org
Prisma Health now offers pediatric dermatology in the Midlands
Prisma Health’s Department of Pediatrics is pleased to add pediatric dermatology to its subspecialty offerings in Columbia. The practice, which opened Feb. 19, offers dermatological care for children and teens up to age 18. Services include:
• General dermatology evaluation and treatment
• Restorative skin care after medical or surgical intervention
• Evaluation and treatment of skin conditions such as acne, hemangiomas, contact dermatitis, eczema, melanoma, moles, psoriasis, warts and more
Services are provided by Lee Smith Carson, MD, PhD. Dr. Carson earned both her medical degree and PhD from the University of South Carolina. She completed a residency in dermatology at Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio, where she was chief resident.
“I am extremely grateful,” Dr. Carson said, “to have the opportunity to serve the hospital that trained me and to be involved in the education of young physicians.”
Dr. Carson is accepting new patients with a referral at 9 Richland Medical Park Drive, Suite 450, Columbia, SC 29203.
For appointments and referrals, call Pediatric Dermatology at 803-434-7995 or fax 803-758-0139.
Look into our research
Physicians at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital in both the Midlands and the Upstate are advancing medical treatment through their leadership in clinical trials. In this issue, we highlight research benefiting pediatric patients with sickle cell disease, with cancer or who are medically underserved.
“Sickle cell disease has been an overlooked illness for far too long in the United States, and Prisma Health is excited to take the lead on improving clinical care and access to research for those living with the disease across South Carolina,” said Alan Anderson, MD, director of the Comprehensive Lifespan Sickle Cell Disease Program at Prisma Health. “As one of the first 10 clinical sites of the American Society of Hematology Sickle Cell Disease Clinical Trials Network since 2021, our patients have benefited from early access to clinical trials involving cutting-edge therapies. Additionally, we have engaged the voice of the SCD community at both the state and national level through our participation in this network.”
Clinical trials are essential for the development of new treatments, and possibly even a cure. While there are currently only four U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs to treat sickle cell disease, an SCD drug development pipeline will drive demand for clinical trials to a new level, providing a prime opportunity to advance treatment and care of those affected by the disease. Dr. Anderson noted, “We strive to make sure that all of our over 450 patients have equitable access to these innovative treatments through our robust clinical research program.”
The Prisma Health Comprehensive SCD Program is currently involved in multiple industry-sponsored trials of novel disease-modifying therapies. Additionally, the program participates in NIH-funded cooperative group research designed to increase access to care, improve clinical outcomes and promote quality improvement. The program is recognized as a member of the National Alliance of Sickle Cell Centers, which allows access to the Globin Research Network for Data and Discovery, a multisite registry to optimize quality improvement and quality assurance through data analytics.
Dr. Anderson believes that access to cutting-edge SCD research will help patients see improvements in the quality of life and disease-related outcomes. “We are wellpositioned to attract new research at the national and international level,” he said, “and we look forward to more opportunities for individuals affected by SCD in the near future.”
Dr. Anderson is serving as co-chair and participant in the Timmerman Traverse for Sickle Forward, set for Sept. 11–17. This charitable climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro is aimed at raising both awareness and funds for the rapid diagnosis and basic treatment of sickle cell disease in Africa, with the goal of raising $1 million to support this cause.
Anna Hoppmann, MD, MPH, is a pediatric oncologist at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Midlands whose research program was inspired by the challenges her oncology patients and families faced while under her care.
She explained, “As an oncologist, I am trained to take care of my patients in the clinic or the hospital, to give their chemotherapy and support them through treatment and beyond, but it became clear to me that a child’s circumstances outside the hospital in their home or community were also critical for me to understand.”
Her research program focuses on health disparities within pediatric oncology to determine how social determinants of health impact cancer survival. Her current work relies on the National Cancer Database through the American Cancer Society and includes patients from across the United States including South Carolina. At the end of this work, she hopes to better understand how various barriers (distance to care, rurality, income) impact survival in childhood cancer and how their impact may vary by cancer type. She plans to use her results to pilot interventions to combat health disparities. Dr. Hoppmann holds two multi-year grants to fund her work in health disparities from the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and Hyundai Hope on Wheels, both first-time awards for Prisma Health.
Dr. Hoppmann is also the chair of South Carolina’s first Childhood Cancer Taskforce. In this role, supported by the South Carolina Cancer Alliance, she leads a unified group of experts including pediatric oncologists, epidemiologists and health scientists from across South Carolina in developing the first state report on pediatric cancer utilizing data from South Carolina’s Central Cancer Registry. This report “Childhood Cancer in South Carolina: 25-year Trends in Incidence, Survival and Mortality” will be released in September 2024 in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Lisa Knight, MD, MBA , has been a faculty member of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology within the Department of Pediatrics at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Midlands since 2010 and has served as principal investigator for the South Carolina site, also called TRANSFORM-SC, of the NIH ECHO IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (ISPCTN) since 2016. This network is in its second cycle of NIH funding and comprises research sites in 18 states. The ECHO ISPCTN has two broad goals:
• Provide medically underserved and rural population access to state-of-the-art clinical trials in ECHO’s five areas of child health: 1) obesity 2) upper and lower airway 3) pre-, peri- and postnatal outcomes 4) neurodevelopment and 5) positive health
• Build the national capacity to conduct pediatric clinical trials by providing professional development, team support and infrastructure building for states with historically low NIH funding
Through this network and its collaborating organizations, Dr. Knight has been site PI for three national multicenter research studies to date. The POP02 study (Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics and Safety Profile of Understudied Drugs Administered to Children per Standard of Care) was conducted in collaboration with the NICHD’s Pediatric Trials Network (PTN) and began enrollment in 2020. The objective of this trial was to characterize the pharmacokinetics of understudied drugs for which specific dosing and safety data were lacking in children. The VDORA1 study (Vitamin D Oral Treatment of Asthma) enrolled overweight or obese children with asthma and vitamin D deficiency between the ages of 6 to 18 years between 2019 and 2022. The primary study objective was to determine the best dose of oral vitamin D supplementation to raise the serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D level to > 40 ng/mL. Results of this study were published in the journal Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics in February 2024.
Finally, the BREATHE study (Bronchiolitis Recovery and the Use of High Efficiency Air Particulate [HEPA] filters) enrolled children < 1 year of age with a first-time hospitalization for bronchiolitis. The objective of this trial was to examine the effect of the use of HEPA filtration units in the bedroom and common area of the child’s home after hospital discharge to reduce symptoms of recurrent wheeze in the subsequent six months. The protocol paper for this study was published in the journal Trials in March 2024. The primary outcomes paper publication is forthcoming.
Through the ISPCTN, Dr. Knight will be leading the South Carolina site in another multi-center clinical trial examining the impact of phentermine treatment of pediatric obesity, which is slated to begin enrollment this fall.
Alan Anderson, MD Anna Hoppmann, MD, MPH
Lisa Knight, MD, MBA
What’s the diagnosis?
A 4-year-old boy presented with acute upper GI bleeding. He was in a usual healthy state until presenting with one episode of hematemesis followed by hematochezia; the following day he had melena and complained of mild abdominal pain. There is no notable past medical history. His parents took him to an emergency department for evaluation.
In the ED, he was generally well appearing. Physical exam was notable for tachycardia and systolic flow murmur. Abdominal exam was normal without hepatomegaly. Spleen tip was palpable just beyond the rib margin. Exam was otherwise unremarkable.
Laboratory evaluation included a CBC that had a white blood cell count of 4.6, hemoglobin 7.1 g/dL and platelet count of 143k. Indices were normal. Coagulation studies were normal. Comprehensive metabolic panel was normal other than an AST of 42 (upper limit of normal 41) and albumin 3.2 (lower limit of normal 3.8).
An abdominal ultrasound revealed normal hepatic architecture and biliary tree including normal gall bladder. Normal hepatic echogenicity was noted. Spleen was normal in size and echotexture. Pancreas and kidneys were normal in appearance. A Doppler study demonstrated a patent IVC and hepatic veins. Hepatic artery was patent with normal wave form. The main portal vein was patent with normal directional flow, but low velocity; left and right portal vein branches were not well visualized. There was the appearance of collateral vessels in the porta hepatis. Splenic vein was not seen.
EGD was performed revealing two large esophageal varices that were successfully treated with band ligation. The stomach and duodenum were normal.
What’s your diagnosis?
A. Cirrhosis
B. Portal vein thrombosis
C. Congenital hepatic fibrosis
D. Congestive heart failure
Have you figured out the diagnosis?
See Page 19 for the answer.
Jonathan Markowitz, MD, FAAP, NASPGHAN-F
James Stallworth, MD, FAAP
Article authors
New and graduating residents
Welcome, new Pediatric residents!
Midlands
Chelsea Benedict, MD: University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina
Gabriella Cooper-Galarza, DO: Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, Las Cruces, New Mexico
Caleb Davis, MD: University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, Missouri
Elizabeth Griffith, DO: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Carolinas Campus, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Caroline Hammond, DO: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Carolinas Campus, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Sunna Kureishy, DO: West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lewisburg, West Virginia
Kevin Manley, DO: West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lewisburg, West Virginia
Adriana Melgen, DO: Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Smith, Arkansas
Andrew Nienhuis, MD: University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina
Sherlyn Saju, DO: Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lillington, North Carolina
Malavika Seetha, DO: University of Pikeville – Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine, Pikeville, Kentucky
Jeania Ware, MD: Meherry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee
Alicia Yin, DO: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Carolinas Campus, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Upstate
Britni Ashkinazy, MD: Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia
Cicely Brunt, DO: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Carolinas Campus, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Megan Clement, MD: University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina
Bre’Ana Coleman, DO: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Carolinas Campus, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Jayde Finch, MD: Florida State University College of Medicine – Pensacola Campus, Pensacola, Florida
Christa Hastings, MD: University of Alabama School of Medicine at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
Madison Keelty, MD: East Tennessee State University –Quillen College of Medicine, Johnson City, Tennessee
Gabrielle Lowe, DO: Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Harrogate, Tennessee
Vanessa Phung, MD: McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
Alexis Stephens, MD: Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
McKinzie Thiede, MD: Central Michigan University College of Medicine, Saginaw, Michigan
Welcome, new Medicine-Pediatrics residents!
Upstate
Matthew Carroll, MD: Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
Raksha Chatakondi, MD: University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Jackson, Mississippi
Isabella Pittman, MD: University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Jackson, Mississippi
Bonnie Sullivan, MD: University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
Sabrina Worrell-Fraser, MD: Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, Georgia
New and graduating fellows
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship
Incoming:
Anita Abure, MD: American University of Antigua College of Medicine, Coolidge, Antigua
Campbell Connell, DO: Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lillington, North Carolina
Dinorah Gomez, MD: University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Basseterre, Saint Kitts
Graduating
Schyler Allen, DO: Prisma Health General Psychiatry Residency, Greenville, South Carolina
Maddison Hussey, MD: Prisma Health General Psychiatry Residency, Greer, South Carolina
Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics
Incoming:
Kaitlyn Durr-Santos, DO: Medical school: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pediatric residency: Prisma Health Pediatrics Residency, Greenville, South Carolina
Bradley Ketner, MD: Medical school: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
Pediatric residency: Naval Medical Center, San Diego, California
Graduating
Derek Collins, MD: Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician, Charleston Area Medical Center, Charleston, West Virginia
Congratulations, Pediatric graduates!
Midlands
Jacob Andrews, DO: Hendersonville Pediatrics, Hendersonville, Maryland
Max Baker, MD: Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Christopher Bryant, MD: Tiffany Pediatrics, Aiken, South Carolina
Matthew Howard, MD: Pediatric Hospitalist, AnMed, Anderson, South Carolina
Abigail Marcom, MD: Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
Valerie McLure, MD: Assistant Program Director, Pediatric Residency, Prisma Health, Greenville, South Carolina
McKenzie Montana, DO: Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Ashley Olmstead, MD: Prisma Health Pediatrics–Mills Avenue, Greenville, South Carolina
Samuel Schwartz, DO: Conway Medical Center, Conway, South Carolina
Kaitlyn Vinson, MD: Prisma Health Pediatrics–Easley, Easley, South Carolina
Alexandria Yates, MD: Hospitalist, Atrium Health, Charlotte, North Carolina
Congratulations, graduating Medicine Pediatrics residents!
Upstate
Megan McGarel, MD: Prisma Health Pediatrics and Internal Medicine–Wade Hampton, Greenville, South Carolina
Shanu Moorthy, MD: Pediatrics Chief Resident, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi
Alex Perez, MD: Medicine-Pediatrics Hospitalist, Prisma Health Greer Memorial Hospital, Greer, South Carolina
Abigail Stoker, MD: Prisma Health Heritage Pediatrics and Internal Medicine–Wren, Piedmont, South Carolina
Ariel Sturgill, MD: Outpatient Internal Medicine–Pediatrics Primary Care, Indiana University Health, Lafayette, Indiana
Residency program celebrates 50 years!
See back page.
Recognitions
Head of the class
At the end of each academic year, medical students from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia honor deserving faculty members for outstanding mentoring and expertise. James Stallworth, MD, collected a string of awards: the M4 class named him Teacher of the Year, he received the O’Neill Barrett Teaching Excellence Award, and he was selected as the Pearls of Wisdom presenter. This marks the 14th time he has been honored with the O’Neill Barrett award.
Teaching saluted
Sara Lindsey, MD, received a University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia Teaching Award for Clinical Practice Teaching at the University of South Carolina Office of the Provost’s Annual Faculty Awards dinner on March 26. Each year, the faculty awards ceremony provides an opportunity to formally recognize the exceptional work the school’s faculty and staff are doing, spotlighting remarkable teaching, advising and research.
Dr. Lindsey is an assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine Columbia. She has been a faculty member at the School of Medicine for 17 years and holds a clinical position at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital, where she educates many of her former students who are completing their residencies.
Be it resolved
On May 7, the South Carolina State Senate honored Olga Rosa, MD, on the occasion of her retirement with a resolution commending her for 20 years of dedicated service to the children of South Carolina through the creation and management of the South Carolina children’s advocacy medical response system, noting that she was a living force in improving South Carolina’s response to child abuse and neglect resulting in the enactment of multiple child welfare statutory updates. The resolution noted that those who had the pleasure of knowing Dr. Rosa knew that her “mojo” was particularly strong on any day she sported the brightest of red lipstick.
Seeking solution to sepsis
Sepsis remains the leading cause of death for children in the U.S. and, therefore, requires urgent attention as well as rapid detection and treatment for survival. Children often present with different symptoms when compared to adults, and other diseases can mimic the signs and symptoms of sepsis.
In 2005, the International Pediatric Sepsis Consensus Conference developed definitions that have been accepted as the standard for recognition and diagnosis of pediatric sepsis. The Surviving Sepsis Campaign continues to be the recognized source for guidelines around managing severe sepsis and septic shock in pediatric patients with the latest guidelines published in 2020. Since that time, checklists and other tools that support this evidence have been developed and used in acute care settings for early recognition and timely management of pediatric sepsis. Although their use has helped to reduce the overall mortality and morbidity from pediatric sepsis, mortality from pediatric sepsis is still anywhere from 10%–25%, with more than 18 children dying from sepsis each day in the US.
The pathway to the below summarizes our current process for recognizing and addressing pediatric sepsis within the Prisma Health system.
Predictive analytic tools allow information gathering to help predict future outcomes. These tools have been incorporated into EMRs to gather patient information and use evidence-based algorithms to predict the risk of developing a specific patient outcome such as sepsis. In 2018, Palmetto Health Richland was one of the beta sites for ED Sepsis Risk Score
Sepsis BPA Alert
• Nursing assesses patient
• Nursing notifies provider
• Nursing documents as a critical value
Sepsis Navigator Activation
• Sepsis huddle occurs with nursing & senior resident or attending
• Sepsis present or suspected?
Children’s Hospital Sepsis Pathway
End Sepsis Alert
• Continue patient care
• Open note in navigator
• Document sepsis alert using sepsis navigator No
End Sepsis Alert
• Ongoing evaluation for recurrent shock
• Monitor for signs of deterioration
• Open note in navigator
• Document sepsis alert using sepsis navigator
Vasoactive Medications
• Consider hydrocortisone 4 mg/kg IV prior to vasopressors
• Consider epinephrine in presence of cardiac dysfunction
Use Peds Sepsis Order Set
• Ensure adequate access
• Obtain blood culture before ABX
• Initiate early ABX within 1 hour
• Abnormal perfusion present? Yes
End Sepsis Alert
• Monitor for signs of deterioration
• Open note in navigator
• Document sepsis alert using sepsis navigator
Fluid overload present?
• Epinephrine or Norepinephrine for refractory hypotension or persistent shock states Yes
No Yes
Initiate Fluid Bolus
• Utilize IBW
• Bolus 10-20 ml/kg
• Reassess cardiac function (including B/P)
• Repeat bolus up to total of 40 -60 ml/kg
• Refractory shock or signs of volume overload present?
No
the development of the Cerner Pediatric Sepsis Alert. Now at Prisma Health, the entire pediatric service line, including Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Midlands, Children’s Hospital–Upstate, and our two community sites at Oconee Memorial Hospital and Tuomey Hospital, uses the predictive analytic pediatric sepsis alert tool in Epic.
This tool uses patient information such as vital signs, lab values, nursing and provider assessments, and diagnoses, plugs this into an evidence-based algorithm, and provides an hourly risk score for the development of sepsis for each patient in the Emergency Department and non-ICU acute care areas. High risk scores are determined based on national and local sensitivity and specificity values for that patient population to develop sepsis. Our pediatric units use these scores to trigger a huddle between the bedside nurse and the provider to determine if the patient has sepsis and initiate timely treatment.
After a few years of data collection, we were not seeing adequate compliance with our process and were seeing missed cases of sepsis requiring transfers to higher levels of care as well as preventable morbidity and mortality. This past year, after learning from our adult colleagues, we worked with our Epic and clinical informatics team to develop a Pediatric Sepsis Navigator to help improve our recognition and treatment times for patients with sepsis. This navigator went live on February 6 and takes all the pieces of our process: recognition of a high-risk sepsis score, huddle note documentation, and our pediatric sepsis order set, and places them in one location for more efficient documentation and ordering interventions for patients with sepsis.
Sepsis (Other)
Severe sepsis
Septic shock
Deceased
Other
Home Health
Hospice
Our IT colleagues are working on a pediatric sepsis dashboard that will follow length of stay, transfers to higher level of care, mortality, order set utilization, and huddle compliance. Currently, we track monthly compliance data manually and have system data on numbers of patients with sepsis, discharge disposition and order set utilization (see above).
We are hopeful that this new tool will help providers recognize patients with sepsis earlier and guide them to order more timely treatment. This will ultimately have great benefits to our patients by reducing overall morbidity and mortality as well as length of stay.
Melanie D. Blackburn, MD, MHA, FAAP, FHM Director of Quality, Children’s Hospital–Midlands
Professor
Bradshaw Institute update
The Bradshaw Institute for Community Child Health & Advocacy, part of Prisma Health Children’s Hospital, works to create healthy and safe communities, increase access to care for those experiencing vulnerabilities, provide evidence-based strategies to improve health literacy and ultimately become a best practice leader.
Here are highlights from the team’s recent activities.
Community parenting class
The Bradshaw Institute successfully launched its first-ever standalone community Conscious Discipline parenting class, “Parenting Without Power Struggles.” Held on March 2 at YouthBase/Greenville Multicultural Church, the class attracted 26 parents eager to learn new tools for fostering positive relationships with their children.
The program was effective, with 100% of participants on a post-training survey indicating their belief that the class would positively impact their interactions with their children. One parent commented, “This session was very insightful and helpful. It provided valuable additions to my parenting skillset.”
This initiative is funded by the Cigna Foundation’s Healthier Kids for Our Future grant. This grant program targets mental health needs in children and aims to bridge gaps in support systems. The Cigna Foundation’s support allowed the Bradshaw Institute to expand its Conscious Discipline implementation in schools, fostering a strong school-tohome connection for social-emotional learning.
Conscious Discipline® is a unique, adult-focused and trauma-informed approach to self-regulation. It integrates social and emotional learning, equitable school culture, child development theory, educational applications, research findings and brain-based discipline practices. This comprehensive program equips both parents and educators with the skills necessary to build strong and healthy bonds with children.
Protecting students with vaccinations
Bradshaw Institute partnered with OnTrack Greenville middle schools in Greenville County to provide critical vaccinations to rising 7th graders in March. The clinics, held at Berea, Lakeview and Tanglewood middle schools, saw 145 students receive a total of 352 vaccines, including Tdap, HPV and meningococcal. This was a collaborative effort among Prisma Health departments.
This initiative is part of Bradshaw Institute’s ongoing commitment to student health. Since 2018, it has administered over 2,128 vaccines to more than 1,095 students.
Promoting safe sleep and car seat practices
Bradshaw Institute Injury Prevention Program Coordinator and Safe Kids Upstate Coordinator Alex Dupre is collaborating with the OB Center to offer expectant parents crucial information on safe sleep and car seat safety. These educational sessions were integrated into the OB Center’s centering classes on August 20 and 22, with one session conducted entirely in Spanish.
Parents attending the sessions received a valuable resource – a newly developed car seat guide. This guide helps parents navigate the process of selecting the right car seat for their child at any stage. Additionally, parents walked away with a Safe Kids Parent Safety Booklet, providing a general overview of injury prevention strategies at home, during playtime and on the road. Both guides are available to order on Digipath in English and Spanish.
Connect with Bradshaw Institute
Stay informed about Bradshaw Institute’s latest initiatives and resources for child health and advocacy:
Instagram: @ph_bradshawinstitute
Facebook: @PrismaHealthBradshawInstitute
Diaper Bank events
The
diagnosis (continued from Page 12)
Answer: B) Portal vein thrombosis
Ultrasound findings and clinical presentation are most suggestive of a portal vein thrombosis leading to cavernous transformation of the portal vein, characterized by collateral vessels formation due to obstruction. This was confirmed by MRI of the abdomen with contrast. Portal vein thrombus with cavernous transformation commonly occurs in the setting of umbilical catheterization in premature infants, but this patient does not have a history of prematurity. Intra-abdominal infection and hypercoagulable state also may lead to PV thrombus. No etiology for this patient’s thrombosis has been identified.
While cirrhosis is often associated with portal hypertension, this patient lacks additional features of cirrhosis, such as abnormal hepatic function or increased echogenicity on ultrasound. Congenital hepatic fibrosis can lead to portal hypertension due to fibrosis in the liver. However, the ultrasound did not show the characteristic signs of liver fibrosis or other organ involvement (typically renal cysts) of congenital hepatic fibrosis. Congestive heart failure would present with systemic signs of heart failure, including ultrasound findings of ascites, which are absent in this case.
References
Suttorp M, Classen CF. Splenomegaly in Children and Adolescents. Front Pediatr 2021; 9:704635.
A Children’s Hospital Diaper Bank community distribution event took place at the Patewood campus on July 13. At the event, 50,881 diapers were distributed, serving 509 out of 557 registered children, along with 82 walk-ins (a total of 591 children). In addition, 22 families had their car seats checked and were provided with 32 new car seats. Two more Children’s Hospital Diaper Bank community distribution events are scheduled for 2024:
• Saturday, Sept. 21, at Greer Memorial Hospital
• Saturday, Nov. 16, at The Dream Center in Easley
SC AAP Champions Child Health Advocacy at State House Day
The South Carolina Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (SC AAP) and Prisma Health residents joined forces to advocate for South Carolina’s children at the 2024 State House Day on March 26.
Six Prisma Health–Upstate pediatric residents joined forces with their colleagues from Prisma Health–Midlands and MUSC programs, focusing their advocacy efforts on three crucial areas: expansion of home visiting programs, promoting the 988 Suicide and Mental Health Crisis Line, and supporting legislation for universal school meals. All residents participating from across the three institutions benefitted from a pre-session noon conference on legislative advocacy led by Deborah Greenhouse, MD, FAAP, partner at Palmetto Pediatric and Adolescent Clinic and clinical associate professor of Pediatrics at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia.
Food Resource Navigation Campaign
In May, Bradshaw Institute for Community Child Health & Advocacy, part of Prisma Health Children’s Hospital, collaborated with the Children’s Miracle Network and a community partner on a campaign to address food insecurity in the Greenville community. This campaign directly supported the food resource navigator role that connects families identified as food insecure during a clinic visit to essential resources such as food and formula banks, information on how to apply for food stamps and WIC as well as programs such as the Food Prescription Program that offers pickup and/or delivery of fresh vegetable boxes. The campaign’s collective efforts resulted in securing more than $65,000. The work is currently supported as part of the Pediatric Food and Housing Security Initiative funded by the Jolley Foundation in a partnership with LiveWell Greenville.
Healthy Start expanding services to the Upstate
The Healthy Start model has been changing the lives of mothers and babies, fathers, families and the community for 27 years in the Midlands. With a pair of $5.5 million grants, Prisma Health is continuing the Columbia-based program and expanding these services to the Upstate.
“There’s such a dire need there, with high infant mortality rates, high maternal mortality rates, a lot of health disparities in the African American population,” said program Director Kim Alston.
Healthy Start focuses on improving women’s and children’s health from pre-conception to early childhood. The Midlands program serves pregnant women, postpartum women, babies, fathers, families and communities in Richland and Sumter; Lexington County was added to the Upstate grant along with Greenville, Greenwood, Anderson, Laurens and Cherokee counties. The program seeks to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity, infant mortality and other health disparities that exist in the communities served.
“So much of an individual’s health and wellness is driven by factors outside the view of a doctor, midwife or nurse,” said maternal-fetal medicine physician Kacey Eichelberger, MD. “For this reason and many others, I am thrilled to welcome Kim Alston and her Healthy Start team to the Upstate to partner with our communities for better health outcomes. Kim is an incredible leader and motivator, and I have no doubt her work here will bear good fruit.”
Meet two of our leaders
Taylor Stathes, MS, CCLS
Taylor Stathes, MS, CCLS, Manager, Child Life and Special Programs, Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Upstate, oversees 18 child life specialists who staff pediatric inpatient units, the emergency department, radiology, pediatric sedation, advocacy clinics, hematology/ oncology clinic, preoperative services, adult ICUs and Patewood pediatric practices.
During a college internship with Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital, Taylor encountered Child Life for the first time. She observed a child life specialist preparing a young boy for how his dad would walk and talk differently after a stroke in terms he could understand – a life-changing experience that confirmed this was the career path for her. She was drawn to the way Child Life combined play, an understanding of child development, assessment, developmentally appropriate preparation and education, and distraction to help children and families cope with medical experiences.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in recreational therapy at Clemson University, Taylor earned her master’s degree in Child Life from the University of La Verne in California.
Being in the hospital can come with worries for young patients and their caregivers. According to Taylor, a child life specialist can transform this experience by implementing evidence-based practice and using proper assessment to meet the needs of each patient. Sedation rates decrease because of the preparation provided to a child prior to imaging. Understanding of a diagnosis increases because a hard concept was explained in developmentally appropriate terms. Children who lose a caregiver can experience healthy grieving because the child life team provided opportunities for meaningful goodbyes and plugged families into resources to assist in long-term coping. Perhaps most significantly, pediatric patients grow up to be adult patients, and much of what is learned in childhood carries over into adult understanding and experience.
Away from work, Taylor enjoys being outdoors, exploring the area and photography. She is looking forward to growing her family in September as she and her spouse welcome a baby girl.
Christy Fink, BA, CCLS
Christy Fink, BA, CCLS, Manager of Child Life and Special Programs for Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Midlands, oversees nine child life specialists, four child life assistants, a playroom attendant, three music therapists, a recreational therapist, cognitive educator and an injury prevention coordinator, who cover all inpatients units, peds ED, the NICU, pediatric sedation, outpatient surgery and outpatient hem/onc clinic.
In 2001, Christy was working as a unit secretary at (then) Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital as she finished her degree in elementary education. A child life specialist recognized her natural ability as she interacted with pediatric patients and encouraged her to go into the field.
As a child life assistant, Christy worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings. After receiving certification, she started the child life program in the Tom Bates Day Hospital/Pediatric Sedation Unit. From there she moved to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), finding her passion for palliative and end-of-life care and helping establish a pediatric palliative care program.
She recalls an incident some years ago when she arrived in the PICU. Four clinicians surrounded the bed of a screaming 8-year-old trying to gain his cooperation for an injection in his abdomen. They let Christy get to work. First, she got down on the boy’s level, building rapport.
She learned that this was his first hospital admission, and he had already been stuck multiple times. With many hospital visits and pokes ahead, it was imperative that they set him up for success: She talked with him about what was going on with his body and why he needed the medicine. Together they came up with a coping plan for the injection: A glitter wand race – whose glitter would reach the bottom of the wand before the nurse finished the injection? The nurse gave the injection without issue.
Christy followed the patient for the next few years and provided coping options when he came for blood draws. Now, she sees him as a young adult when he comes to the hospital – to catch up with him, not because he needs help coping. That’s the power of child life.
Outside of work, Christy enjoys travel and working with her family at their event venue.
Both of our Prisma Health Children’s Hospitals have many reasons to celebrate!
Prisma Health Midlands Foundation
Willenberg’s focus is POCUS
Philanthropist Kelly Willenberg gave $350,000 to the Norton Family Point of Care Ultrasound Program Endowment in December, her second major commitment to the POCUS Program at Children’s Hospital–Midlands.
Willenberg, a Fripp Island/Greenville resident, business owner and friend to both Children’s Hospitals, made a $150,000 gift earlier in 2023 to establish the endowment fund. The fund is named in honor of her daughter, Mariel Norton and son-in-law, pediatric hospitalist Duncan Norton, MD. Dr. Norton, who is fellowship-trained in pediatric point of care ultrasound, serves as medical director for POCUS. In the year since the endowment was established:
• Children’s Hospital purchased two new “take anywhere” POCUS units.
• 17 pediatric nurses have been trained and are using the new ultrasound machines to gain IV access and potentially avoid surgically acquired vascular access.
• Three pediatric physicians have benefited from endowment-funded training, including two pediatric hospitalists and a pediatric rheumatologist. The latter, Jodi Dingle, MD, is completing a fellowship in which she is trained on advanced musculoskeletal ultrasound. She will be one of only two pediatric rheumatologists in the Southeast with this training and will be equipped to evaluate disease processes in real time.
• Children’s Hospital recruited Kevin Weinberger, DO, and Kris Dixon, MD, both with point of care training, to help Dr. Norton train other faculty.
At the April 2024 meeting of the Prisma Health Midlands Foundation Board, Dr. Norton demonstrated how POCUS can be used in pediatric settings. Willenberg, shown holding two-year old Teagan Norton, was a special guest at the meeting.
Festival of Trees brings in the green
Prisma Health Midlands Foundation kicked off the holiday season in November 2023 with its annual Festival of Trees & Donor Celebration benefiting Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Midlands.
Presented by Aflac, the evening included music, dancing, the auction of themed festive trees and a live Fund-theNeed fundraiser to fund three new isolettes for the NICU. The Festival of Trees campaign also included Boxes & Bows and Santa & Me. With a Boxes & Bows donation, supporters received a handcrafted holiday swag for their mailbox delivered by foundation elves. Santa & Me is a special day for little ones to meet Santa and create a holiday craft.
The combined events raised more than $380,000, funds which support patients and families in the Midlands.
Save the date! The 2024 Festival of Trees and Donor Celebration is Friday, Nov. 22, at Central Energy. Join Prisma Health Midlands Foundation for a festive kickoff to the holiday season that will raise funds for Children’s Hospital. Santa & Me will be held Nov. 23.
Find ticket information for both events at FestivalOfTreesColumbia.org
Dancing for the kids
On February 24, the University of South Carolina Dance Marathon organization hosted Main Event presented by Aflac. For 12 hours, 1,600+ students raised more than $715,000 for Children’s Hospital in the Midlands.
Sandwiches for a cause
Jersey Mike’s Day of Giving on March 27 raised more than $81,000 for Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Midlands. Each of the 12 Midlands area Jersey Mike’s locations donated 100% of sales to Children’s Miracle Hospitals, which directly benefits patients and families treated at the local facility. Generous giving by members of the community and local businesses, such as through this event, leads to better hospital experiences for pediatric patients.
Children’s Miracle Network campaigns (Midlands)
Check out these partner campaigns that will benefit our Children’s Hospital:
• Aug. 1–Sept. 30: JOANN Point-of-Sale
• Oct. 30–Jan. 7: 7-Eleven, Inc.
• Nov. 1–Dec. 31: Ace Hardware Holiday Round-Up
Prisma Health–Upstate Foundation
And the dance goes on
Clemson Miracle hosted its Dance Marathon with 364 participants on February 24, raising $90,000 to support the new NICU transport ambulance for Children’s Hospital–Upstate. The new ambulance, which will cost just under $500,000, is being funded in part by philanthropy. It is expected to roll out mid-2026. The Clemson Miracle has been fundraising for Children’s Hospital for 14 years.
We Care hits the airwaves
This year, the We Care campaign expanded to include TV as well as radio broadcast. Ten families and 15 clinical team members met at iHeart Media studios where WYFF4 joined in to broadcast live and share their stories. Other sponsors included Ingles Markets and SEW Eurodrive.
Community members showed they cared, calling in and giving online to make hospital stays a better experience for wee patients. The campaign raised a total of $64,000 to support the Children’s Hospital–Upstate.
Cole’s Victory Lap gives generously to new unit
The Inspire Courage Campaign, the fundraiser for the new pediatric hematology oncology unit at Children’s Hospital–Upstate, was put on the fast track with a $250,000 gift from Cole’s Victory Lap.
Clint and Erin Henderson founded Cole’s Victory Lap after their 2-year-old son, Cole, passed away from neuroblastoma. Clint is a member of the Inspire Courage campaign, and Erin served on the family advisory committee assisting with the unit’s design and layout. For more on the unit’s construction, see Page 8.
Kind gift for Camp
Courage
Clement’s Kindness, long-time supporter of the BI-LO Children’s Charities Cancer Center at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Upstate, committed to a gift of $300,000 to support Camp Courage. Since 1994, the camp has created an unforgettable recreational and educational experience for children, teens and young adults living with cancer or a blood disorder. It is 100% philanthropically supported, allowing patients to attend at no cost to the family. The gift from Clement’s Kindness will allow for two full weeks of camp each summer for the next three years, serving approximately 285 patients.
The “Mighty Duck” helps children with sickle cell disease and other blood disorders
Stuart Cramer, DO, Aflac Medical Director, Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, spoke to Aflac employees Feb. 5 about sickle cell disease and the challenges that adolescents and young adults with the disease often face. In a reflection of the company’s philanthropic mission to help children with cancer and blood disorders, Aflac leaders then presented Dr. Cramer with a $75,000 gift to support the Center’s services for families with sickle cell disease.
In the Midlands
Three-time women’s national championship-winning University of South Carolina Head Basketball Coach and Olympic legend Dawn Staley joined Aflac, a leading provider of health supplemental insurance in the U.S. and longtime partner of Prisma Health Midlands Foundation, to deliver 16 My Special Aflac Ducks at Children’s Hospital–Midlands on June 27. The social robotic duck uses innovative technology to help children prepare for medical procedures, communicate their feelings, practice distraction techniques and more.
Pediatric sickle cell patients went on a scavenger hunt through the hospital before the children were surprised with their new, cuddly companions to keep. The sickle cell version of My Special Aflac Duck has a special cape designed to mimic a blanket, reflecting sickle cell patients who are often sensitive to changes in temperature. The cape doubles as art therapy to delight children serving as a water-activated, color-changing canvas.
In the Upstate
Two-time national champion Clemson University Head Football Coach Dabo Swinney, whose team will kick off the 2024 college football season against the Georgia Bulldogs in this year’s Aflac Kickoff game. surprised children at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Upstate with My Special Aflac Duck, a free-of-charge resource created for children ages 3 and up with cancer and sickle cell disease. In partnership with Aflac, Coach Swinney, Aflac U.S. President Virgil Miller and the Clemson Tiger delivered My Special Aflac Ducks, helping the children and their families enjoy a great day of fun activities
Since 2018, the award-winning animatronic duck has helped bring more than 30,000 kids comfort and joy during very challenging times. The delivery at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital-Upstate comes on the heels of a three-year study released April 5, revealing that both parents and caregivers reported a reduction in distress, nausea, pain and treatment — and procedural anxiety — for their children who received My Special Aflac Duck, compared to those in the study who had not yet received a duck. My Special Aflac Duck was named one of Time Magazine’s 50 Best Inventions and named Best in Show at CES and South by Southwest in 2018.
Children’s Hospitals directory
Admission to Children’s Hospital (Midlands): 1-800-757-4625
Children’s Hospital (Midlands) general information: 1-803-296-KIDS (5437)
Caughman Taylor, MD, Senior Medical Director
Allergy and Immunology
Anesthesiology
Cancer and Blood Disorders Center
Cardiology
Child Abuse and Neglect
Child Developmental and Behavioral Health
Critical Care/PICU
Day Hospital/Sedation
Dentistry
Dermatology
Emergency Department (Pediatrics)
Emergency Medicine
Endocrinology
Gastroenterology
General & Hospital Pediatrics
Genetics
Gynecology
Hematology/Oncology
Inpatient Pediatrics (Tuomey)
Inpatient Rehabilitation
Nephrology
Neurology
Neurosurgery
Newborn Services
Couplet Care (Richland)
Family Beginnings (Baptist)
803-434-7950
803-434-3560
803-434-6151
803-434-3533
803-434-7940
803-434-3950
803-434-6598
803-434-7475
803-434-7954
803-434-6567
803-434-7995
803-434-6683
803-434-7088
803-434-7990
803-434-8450
803-434-7945
803-935-5390
803-434-4480
803-434-3533
803-774-9225/9226
803-434-3606
803-434-3572
803-434-7961
803-434-2700
803-434-7400
803-296-5148
Family Beginnings (Baptist Parkridge) 803-907-3500
Neonatology/NICU (Baptist)
Neonatology/NICU (Richland)
Neonatology/NICU Level II (Tuomey)
Newborn Nursery (Tuomey)
Special Care Nursery (Baptist Parkridge)
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pharmacy
803-296-5709
803-434-7151
803-774-9006
803-774-9006
803-907-3400
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Residency program celebrates 50 years
The Pediatric Residency Program at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Upstate is celebrating a half-century of its commitment to developing pediatricians who provide excellent patient care and providing a robust clinical teaching environment that emphasizes critical thinking skills, diversity and inclusion, and a continuous growth mindset.
Paul Catalana, MD, who was an early resident in the program and later its director, said, “There is no greater joy than the privilege of mentoring students. Medicine is about giving back – not only to patients, but also to those with whom we work, including those who are younger in their careers.”
Lauren Clayton, MD, completed the residency program in 2022. “Through the training I received,” she said, “I’ve been able to become a blend of all my favorite pediatricians. There are so many admirable role models in the program committed to patients, the community, the program – I’m very grateful to them.”
The residency program’s legacy is built on the dedication of those who came before, and it continues to inspire the future of medical care.
