The Spartanburg Regional Foundation Spring Cycle 2010 Grants News Releases NCI Community Cancer Center SRHS 4 Heart SRHS Case Management SRHS Community Health/Access Health SRHS Home Health SRHS Oncology and Palliative Care SRHS Oncology Rehab SRHS Pediatric Rehab/SCSDB SRHS PICU SRHS Sports Medicine VAP- Rehab
National Cancer Institute helps to identify causes of patient disparities in Spartanburg Spartanburg Regional Foundation awards grant for Dynamic Divas project. Cancer has been linked to many things over the past few years: diet, exercise, genetics, sleeping habits, medication … the list goes on. But what impact does a person’s cultural mindset have on their cancer diagnosis and treatment options? The National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Center at Spartanburg Regional Hospital hopes to answer that question with its yearlong project, the Dynamic Divas. The Dynamic Divas is a group composed of 50 women representing the underserved population of Spartanburg. Throughout the year, the Dynamic Divas will meet to discuss and identify the causes of disparities in cancer patients. This is a collaborative project between NCI Community Cancer Center, J.C. Stroble Glaucoma Foundation, University of South Carolina’s Metropolitan Studies Institute and Spartanburg Regional’s Gibbs Cancer Center. NCI Community Cancer Center will be using its $11,000 grant from the Spartanburg Regional Foundation to support the Dynamic Divas project. “With this cohort of women, we are hoping to address what keeps them from seeking care and receiving a diagnosis early on,” said Lucy Gansauer, director of NCI Community Cancer Institute at Spartanburg Regional. One of the biggest disparities is among breast cancer patients. While more White women are diagnosed with breast cancer than African Americans, more African Americans women die from the disease than White women, Gansauer said. Even with the Best Chance Network at Gibbs Cancer Center, which offers free breast and cervix screening services to all women of Spartanburg, regardless of insurance or finances, disparities still exist, she said. “We’re trying to discover the root barriers to underserved women not accessing screening and prevention care,” Gansauer said. While the fight to cure cancer may seem like a battle fought on the national front, Gansauer believes communities to be the first line of defense in the fight. “Changing cancer outcomes is a local issue, we have to discover the barriers patients face in their own communities,” Gansauer said. Dr. James Bearden, Vice President of clinical research and Managing Physician at the Cancer Center, is a project lead for the Dynamic Divas and recognizes how great of an impact the NCI Community Cancer Institute has made on the community.
“The NCI Community Cancer Institute has reshaped our whole way of delivering Cancer Care, the structure and organization of the Gibbs Cancer Center and addressing disparities and survivors,� Bearden said. For more information about NCI Community Cancer Center or the Dynamic Divas, please contact Gansauer at lgansauer@srhs.com -###-
Spartanburg Regional Heart Center offers supplemental education program for its newest nurses Odyssey Critical Care Education program receives grant from Spartanburg Regional Foundation For the nurses at Spartanburg Regional’s Heart Center, graduating from nursing school doesn’t mean an end to their education. Since February 2009, all of the Heart Center’s new nurses have gone through the Odyssey Critical Care Education program, and the results couldn’t be better, said Deborah Furmanek, clinical unit educator in the Heart Center. The Odyssey program is a 14-week course designed to further educate cardiovascular nurses in all areas of heart care. The Odyssey program is a mandatory course for each of the Heart Center’s new nurses. According to Furmanek, who is one of the original creators of the Odyssey program, before this class was offered, many recent nursing school graduates didn’t stay in the field after their first year. However, since the installment of this program, the Heart Center has maintained a 100 percent retention rate for its new nurses. With a recent grant of $4,230 from the Spartanburg Regional Foundation, the Odyssey Critical Care Education program will be able to offer its students another impressive learning tool, a 12lead Arrhythmia Simulator. This simulator is able to mimic lethal rhythms of the heart, as well as allowing 12 different views of heart arrhythmias. “With this simulator, our employees will be able to see these rhythms and learn how to treat them, so that when they encounter this problem on the floor, they’ll know exactly what to do,” Furmanek said. According to Furmanek, the Odyssey program is the only one of its kind in the area, which has spurred an increased interest for careers in the Heart Center among recent nursing school graduates. Tammy Tackett, a Heart Center clinical unit educator who teaches a portion of the Odyssey class, agrees the program has had a tremendous effect on their nurses. “I think it’s a great resource for new graduates, it offers a more in-depth and realistic view of nursing and patient care, and it helps our new nurses form relationships with other nurses from every department of the Heart Center,” Tackett said. Last year, the Spartanburg Regional Foundation also provided a grant to the Odyssey program for a Promethean smart board, used for class lectures and presentations.
“The board, as well as the simulator have only been made possible through grants from the Spartanburg Regional Foundation, and we’re very excited to have these new tools,” Furmanek said. The third group of Odyssey program nurses will soon complete the 14-week course, with another course beginning in the Fall and, thanks to this class, will have a complete understanding of every area of cardiovascular nursing, Furmanek said. “You can see the improvement in each of our nurses, they start the program as students and leave as the nurses you would want to take care of you,” Furmanek said. -###-
Spartanburg Regional case managers given the opportunity to gain national certification Spartanburg Regional Foundation awards grant to case management department Spartanburg Regional’s case management department is hoping join an elite group of colleagues across the country by receiving national certification for their work. The American Case Management Association offers a case management certification, and 10 of Spartanburg Regional’s case managers will have the opportunity to earn that certification. Currently, only about 1,000 hospital case managers have earned this credential. With the help of a $4,250 grant from the Spartanburg Regional Foundation, a group of 10 case managers will be able to become a member of the ACMA and spend three months studying to become a certified case manager. According to Sherry Thornton, the manager of the case management department, the certification will not only bring notoriety and prestige to the case management department, but also allow the case managers the opportunity for continuing education. The grant will provided funding for 10 certifications, five educational manuals and five practice tests. “The ACMA provides an on-going learning link to its case managers, and allows them to benchmark with other professionals at their level,” Thornton said. This program will also allow for the case managers to remain updated on case management and healthcare trends over the coming years. “Things are getting complicated in healthcare,” said Barbara Bryan, case manager. In the past case managers have been in charge of assessing the needs of the patients before being discharged from the hospital, but according to Bryan, that may soon change. “There’s been a big push for hospitals to arrange for appropriate care for its’ patients after they’re discharged from our care. We’ve got to make sure these people have what they need on the outside, too,” Bryan said. “We’re very excited we were able to receive this grant, it shows our competency in meeting case management standards, and sets our department apart,” Thornton said. There are currently 32 case managers at Spartanburg Regional, and while the grant only provides funding for 10 certifications, the case management department is looking at other possibilities to raise money for more certifications, Bryan said. The case managers who participate will begin preparing to take the certification exam in November, and take the test between January and March, Bryan said. -###-
AccessHealth Spartanburg begins mapping out care opportunities for future clients Spartanburg Regional Foundation awards grant to AccessHealth Spartanburg People across the nation are finding themselves without jobs, without health insurance and still getting sick. Besides going to the emergency room, what other healthcare options do these people have? A new program in Spartanburg hopes to help the uninsured population find the appropriate healthcare alternatives. AccessHealth Spartanburg will open its doors in July, hoping to help meet a variety of its clients needs. AccessHealth Spartanburg is a pilot community program for AccessHealth SC, whose mission is to support communities in creating and sustaining an accessible network of healthcare providers to assist the uninsured. AccessHealth Spartanburg’s major funding is coming from a $750,000 grant from the Duke Endowment. In 2009, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System incurred over $30 million in costs from treating the self-paying population of Spartanburg County, said Kirkland Ahern, AccessHealth Spartanburg’s Project Development and Outcome Specialist. With over 74,000 uninsured people in Spartanburg County and 32,000 self-paying patients of Spartanburg Regional, AccessHealth has a large population of potential clients. “Ultimately, we want to be able to get people into more cost effective care than just using acute practices,” Ahern said. Aside from meeting the healthcare needs of its clients, AccessHealth Spartanburg will also assist in finding solutions to its clients housing needs and vocational placement. With the help of a $4,989.37 grant from the Spartanburg Regional Foundation, AccessHealth Spartanburg can begin developing a detailed map of Spartanburg County, pinpointing many of the county’s health assets, such as physician’s offices, hospitals and free clinics. Using Geographic Information System mapping technology, this map will display icons not only for health service providers, but also agencies such as DHEC and the Department of Social Services, organizations such as the United Way and emergency service providers like the fire and police departments. “In the case that one of their patients are laid off, this map will help physicians refer their patient to social service providers for assistance,” said Rebecca Parish, Director of AccessHealth Spartanburg “We have a number of healthcare providers who are very excited about AccessHealth Spartanburg, and we’re finding an amazing willingness from physicians who really want to donate their time to others,” Ahern said. A portion of the grant money will also be used for “lunch and learns,” where AccessHealth Spartanburg staff will have an opportunity to educate area health providers about AccessHealth, and give them an opportunity to become AccessHealth providers as well.
AccessHealth Spartanburg is currently partnered with nine local organizations, including Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, Mary Black Health System, St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic, Welvista, Spartanburg Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission, ReGenesis Health Care, Inc., Spartanburg Regional Medical Education (physicians), South Carolina Department of Mental Health and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Region 2. For more information on AccessHealth Spartanburg, please contact Rebecca Parrish at (864) 560-0198 or rrparrish@srhs.com -###-
Spartanburg Regional Home Health employees to become Motivational Interviewing trained Spartanburg Regional Foundation awards grant to Home Health The Spartanburg Regional Home Health program thinks they have found a new way to effectively treat patients for more than one illness and keep their patients healthier, for longer. Its not by a new miracle drug, but by motivational interviewing, a method that empowers patients to improve their health. Phyllis Osborne, director of Home Health, Heart Failure Center and Nurse Family partnership, has researched motivational interviewing and believes it’s something that could greatly enhance the quality of life for her patients. According to Osborne, motivational interviewing is an evidence-based practice rooted in mental health and addiction needs, but is now being applied to chronic illness management, as well. “Motivational interviewing is all about identifying what motivates people to change. Many patients suffer from a major chronic illness, but won’t change their lifestyles to help their illness. With motivational interviewing, the clinician helps the patient formulate their own plan, empowering them to make the necessary changes to improve their health,” Osborne said. With the help of a $12,500 grant from the Spartanburg Regional Foundation, four Home Health employees will receive complete training in motivational interviewing. Home Health patients receive care in their own home, a majority of which suffer from a chronic illness, and 80 percent of which are on Medicare, according to Osborne. Using motivational interviewing to treat chronic disease patients will benefit the patient’s overall health. Since many of these patients suffer from more than one chronic illness, devising a healthy living plan would benefit multiple illnesses. Motivational interviewing may also lead to some drastic cost savings, said Osborne. Approximately 120 million Americans have one or more chronic illness, which account for 70 to 80 percent of healthcare costs. The 25 percent of Medicare recipients who have four or more chronic illnesses account for two-thirds of Medicare expenditures. “Our goal with using motivational interviewing is to improve the patient’s quality of care, quality of life and their healthcare costs savings,” Osborne said. “We’re so grateful to the Spartanburg Regional Foundation for supporting us in these tough economic times. This grant will afford us the opportunity to give our clinicians continuing education in a new field, and lead to overall better patient care,” Osborne said. -###-
Nurses attempt to gain certification to better patient care Spartanburg Regional Foundation awards $12,000 grant to Oncology and Palliative Care for nursing certification Over the next two years, the Oncology and Palliative Care nurses at Spartanburg Regional Hospital will be channeling their inner-student and studying… a lot. With the help of a $12,100 grant from the Spartanburg Regional Foundation, 17 nurses will be given the opportunity to become certified by the Oncology Nurses Society. According to Heather Crisp, nurse manager of the Oncology and Palliative care unit, only three of the 35 unit nurses have received the Oncology Certified Nursing accreditation. “I’d really like to see 50 percent of our nurses become certified, gaining this certification will expand their knowledge and allow them to give better care to our patients,” Crisp said. With the OCN test costing $380 and the mandatory review course at $180, many nurses aren’t able to finance the test on their own. The two-year grant will cover the costs for both the review course and test for the nurses. The nurses who apply for the certification must have at least one year of experience as an RN, 1,000 hours of experience in Oncology and Palliative care and 10 hours of continuing education. These nurses will also sign a contract with Crisp committing to stay at Spartanburg Regional for at least a year after they’re certified. “We want our most committed nurses to have this opportunity,” Crisp said. Four of Oncology and Palliative Care’s nurses have registered to take the first certification test in November. Kelly Wilson, Robin Whitener and Kelly Fain are three of the nurses who will test for the certification in November. While they’re all excited to be given the opportunity, they each expressed anxiety in taking their first major test since their nursing boards. “We’re all nervous to take the test, but I think if we do it, more of the nurses will be apt to try for certification too,” Whitener said. “Becoming certified will make the unit look better and help us to provide better patient care,” said Fain. The certification test will assess the nurses’ knowledge of oncological emergencies, chemotherapy treatments, blood disorders, pain management and symptom care. “I’m hoping our nurses will take a lot of pride in their certification. It holds a lot of weight in the oncology field and it gives our nurses extra knowledge and experience they can bring back to their patients,” Crisp said. -###-
Spartanburg Regional occupational therapists provide treatment for SCSDB students Spartanburg Regional Foundation awards grant to fund therapists’ work Non-profit organizations across the country are feeling the effects of the tough economy. The South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind is no exception. Early this year, SCSDB contracted with Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System to help find full-time physical and occupational therapists. “We have a great relationship with SCSDB, and we offered to contract our one of our own occupational therapists while we were still trying to fill the positions,” said Tracie Rodak, director of Rehab and Wound Services at Spartanburg Regional. However, after a few months, the positions still hadn’t been filled and SCSDB budget cuts were going to prevent the hiring of any new positions for therapists. So the Pediatric Rehab department at Spartanburg Regional joined with SCSDB to apply for a grant through the Spartanburg Regional Foundation to sustain the employment of a part-time occupational therapist at the school. With a grant of $45,440, SCSDB was able to provide the services of two Spartanburg Regional occupational therapists, Carlos Fonte and Kim Mielke, to its students. “I had the opportunity to work with kids who had a variety of challenges including varying degrees of low vision to blindness, hearing impairments, developmental delays, cognitive impairments and cerebral palsy,” Fonte said. Fonte and Mielke worked two to three days a week at the School for the Multi-handicapped at SCSDB and worked with eight students, ages 5 to 14. According to Fonte, treatments were very individualized to the student’s particular needs. The occupational therapy treatments focused on a sensory integration approach, helping students increase fine motor skills and decrease sensory defensiveness. Therapy balls, mat tables, floor mats and pre-Braille puzzles were all available for treatment as needed. “All of these children touched my heart in some way and I will certainly remember each of them. I like to think that I helped them in some small way and that, as much as possible, I made their therapy fun,” Fonte said. After school ended for the summer, some of the students who received occupational therapy during the year have come to Spartanburg Regional to keep up their therapy during the summer, said Sharon Caston, manager of Pediatric Rehabilitation at Spartanburg Regional. We’re so thankful for the Spartanburg Regional Foundation to give us this opportunity to provide occupational therapy services to the students of SCSDB. This grant made the contract between Spartanburg Regional Rehab and SCSDB possible,” Rodak said. The Spartanburg Regional Rehabilitation Services department was awarded a total of three grants from the Spartanburg Regional Foundation. -###-
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit will provide continuing education to all of its’ nurses PICU awarded grant from Spartanburg Regional Foundation Twenty nurses at Spartanburg Regional Hospital are taking the next step in to provide the best care to some of their youngest patients. The nurses of Spartanburg Regional’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit will all have the opportunity to participate in the Essentials of Pediatric Critical Care Orientation course, thanks to an $8,350 grant from the Spartanburg Regional Foundation. The EPCCO is a web-based continuing education program sponsored by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. According to Ysabel Tipton, a PICU critical care nurse, the grant will provide funding for all 20 PICU nurses to take this course, which costs about $400 per person. “The EPCCO sets a very high standard for our nurses and our unit,” said Devonne Gerstenacker, PICU Nurse Manager. The 12-week course will cover eight modules, with a test given at the end of each module. EPCCO will provide lessons covering patient care, infection control, cardiovascular care, pulmonary care, neurosurgery, renal care, hematology and trauma. Each lesson will be geared towards the care of children. Mandy Thomas, the Clinical Unit Educator for the PICU, believes the EPCCO’s effect will be far-reaching. “I think the EPCCO will help to prepare and give our nurses the fundamentals for earning their Critical Care Nursing certification also,” Thomas said. Gerstenacker said that after the current nurses complete the course, hopefully funds will be set aside to make taking the EPCCO a requirement for PICU’s future nurses as well. Thomas and Tipton both expressed their gratitude to the Spartanburg Regional Foundation for allowing their unit the opportunity to continue their education and provide the best care possible. “We’re very excited for the opportunity to have all of our nurses to take this course. It will not only further the knowledge for all of our nursing staff, but help us to become the best PICU staff we can be,” Tipton said. -###-
Local schools to receive extra life-saving equipment Spartanburg Regional Foundation awards grant to Spartanburg Regional Hospital’s Sports Medicine program It could happen anywhere, at anytime, to anyone. Many victims of sudden cardiac arrests are seemingly healthy with no knowledge of a potential heart disease. And if help isn’t given, in the form of CPR and defibrillation, within minutes of collapse, most attempts at resuscitation after that are unsuccessful. The athletic trainers of Spartanburg Regional Hospital have taken a great stride in preparing for sudden cardiac arrests in seven area schools. With the help of a $25,641.44 grant from the Spartanburg Regional Foundation, high schools and colleges in the community are now equipped with the tools to save the lives of their students and athletes. According to Kiesha Lee, a Spartanburg Regional certified athletic trainer at Converse College, the optimal resuscitation time for a sudden cardiac arrest victim is three to five minutes. However, Converse only had one automated external defibrillator (AED), for its entire athletic campus, making the probability of hitting the three to five minute-mark almost impossible. “We haven’t had a real need for an AED in the past, but you hear more and more about sudden cardiac arrests in young athletes. These additional AEDs are for the athletes and fans, you never know what could happen and it’s important to be prepared,” Lee said. Converse and Wofford College each received four new AEDs, Broome High School received three, Spartanburg Methodist College got two and Spartanburg Day School received one. USCUpstate and Spartanburg High School didn’t need any additional AEDs at this time, but will have access to the two extra AEDs if necessary. The two “floaters” will be used for community athletic events, Lee said. While all collegiate coaches are required by the NCAA to be trained in AED use and CPR, Lee said she hopes to see all sports staff members from around Spartanburg receive training in AED and CPR. Over the next year, CPR and AED training sessions will be held for athletic staff members according to the sport’s season. According to Lee, coaches from across the Spartanburg area will be invited to attend these sessions. In addition to the AEDs, the Spartanburg Regional Foundation grant provided funds for 3 sets of CPR mannequins, AED trainers and the American Heart Association’s CPR/AED training videos. -###-
Village of Pelham will open a new Rehabilitation facility in September Spartanburg Regional Foundation awards grant for Rehabilitation equipment The six-person Rehabilitation team at the Village of Pelham hospital knew they needed to find a way to provide better rehabilitation care to Village’s patients. So far, there had been limited rehab equipment and most therapy exercises were confined to the patient’s room. “We want this to be a top-notch rehab department, and we knew what it would take to raise our department to a higher standard. So we met with Administration, and they told us if we could get the equipment, they would furnish the space,’” said John Pierce, PTA. With the Administration’s promise in mind, the Rehab department applied for a grant through the Spartanburg Regional Foundation for the necessary rehabilitation equipment. The Foundation awarded them with a $29,004 grant, the funding they needed to purchase 65 new pieces equipment for physical, occupational and speech therapy. “We have a good understanding of our patients needs, so we knew exactly what equipment we would need for our department. With this grant, we’ll be able to provide the best rehabilitation services possible to our patients,” said Randi Howard, PT. The new Rehab facility is a 1,700 sq. ft. space on the fourth floor of the Village hospital “We just have the best room, there is a lot of space for therapy exercises, and a beautiful view,” said Robyn Spence, OT R/L. Included in the new facility will be a Quiet Room, used for speech therapy, cognitive intervention and neurological rehabilitation. Initially, the new Rehab facility will only be available for inpatient therapies, but will hopefully be able to accommodate out patient therapy needs at a later time, Howard said. According to Pierce, the Rehab department was also able to acquire the BioEx exercise program with the grant money. The BioEx program allows therapists to construct an individual therapy program for each patient, based on their specific needs, and can give a copy of the program to the patient for home-rehabilitation. “We’re so thankful for all of the help we’ve been given by the Village and the Spartanburg Regional Foundation. The Foundation has awarded us an amazing opportunity to better our patient care, and Village has been very supportive of our efforts from the beginning,” Howard said. The Rehab facility is expected to open in September. -###-