November 4, 2011
MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA
Vol. 30, No. 12
Inside Center reloCates
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The MUSC Communications Call Center will relocate to Ashley River Tower on Nov. 5.
holiDay CarDs Big hit of season
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he 2011 MUSC Children’s Hospital “Kids Helping Kids” holiday card project kicked off Oct. 26 with a special ceremony at St. Luke’s Chapel. Twenty-eight cards were selected from 60 submissions, including 11-year-old Aiden El-Mereebi’s who drew the three snowmen pictured above, and “Snowman” below, which
was the winning Card of the Season created by Hana Dorman, age 16. The Card of the Season was selected by public vote from five finalists. At the ceremony, pediatric oncologist Jacqueline Kraveka, M.D., made a special presentation of a framed card created by former patient, Harper Drolet, to her family.
Harper passed away at Children’s Hospital just three weeks ago. Her Christmas card is titled, “Virgin Mary on a Horse.” Hana’s “Snowman” card is available in both packs (15 cards for $15). Hana and Harper’s cards also are available as individual order cards. To purchase, visit http://www. musckids.com/holidaycards/index.htm.
Diversity essays
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College of Health Professions students write about diversity in health care. 5 Meet Myron 6 Global Health 11 Classifieds
t h e C ata ly s t online Children who created the holiday cards gather with College of Charleston basketball coach Bobby Cremins (center) and Brian Cleary of Y102.5 radio. Right photo: Dr. Jacqueline Kraveka (right) gets a hug from parent Amy Drolet.
http://www. musc.edu/ catalyst
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Communications Call Center relocates to ART Nov. 5 By Cindy aBole Public Relations
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heir voices and greetings are considered the gateway, the front door to MUSC and its services. The 22 Communications Call Center operators are busy answering questions, providing operator assistance and electronic communication to nearly 6 million phone calls and pages each year. The call center was established as the institution’s main switchboard more than 60 years ago and was reorganized as the university’s Communications Call Center in 1996. In addition to phone operations and coordinating Simon paging, the operators also manage UMA and the hospital’s on-call calendar system and after hours answering services, transplant organ procurement service via Donornet and other support. They also respond to thousands of operator calls and dispatches of more than 50 hospital emergency paging groups. All of these services are covered and offered by this team, 24/7 and 365 days a year. For many years the group has worked from the North Tower offices at the university hospital. On Nov. 5, the call center group will relocate to Suite M105 (Mezzanine Level) at Ashley River Tower (ART). The group previously had a part-time presence at ART managing communications support and equipment. This department relocation and change will be a welcome one, according to Jane Lunn, Communications Call Center director. Within the last several months,
Editorial of fice MUSC Office of Public Relations 135 Cannon Street, Suite 403C, Charleston, SC 29425. 843-792-4107 Fax: 843-792-6723 Editor: Kim Draughn catalyst@musc.edu Catalyst staff: Cindy Abole, aboleca@musc.edu Dawn Brazell, brazell@musc.edu
Communications Call Center’s Kathryn Cullinan, operations coordinator, reviews details with Kevin Bruce, shift coordinator, as they settle into their office featuring functional modular furniture, a conference room, break area and lobby to support customer service. The call center is composed of 25 operators, supervisors and management. Lunn and members of her team have been actively working with contractors, reviewing blueprints, selecting office furniture and confirming designs in their new space. When complete, it will feature a welcoming lobby-entrance and training area, expanded operator service section, conference-training room and formal break room complete with a locker area. They’ll also have something that they've never had before — windows, which will bring in natural light. According to Betts Ellis, director of MUHA Institutional Relations, the The Catalyst is published once a week. Paid adver tisements, which do not represent an endorsement by MUSC or the State of South Carolina, are handled by Island Publications Inc., Moultrie News, 134 Columbus St., Charleston, S.C., 843-849-1778 or 843-958-7490. E-mail: sales@moultrienews.com.
call center has kept pace in providing the leading edge in communications technology. “The call center provides a vital patient safety and service function, involving hundreds of 24/7 paging groups. The move to ART is needed because the particular space occupied in North Tower, unlike clinical areas, has some shortcomings with power redundancy which could be problematic in emergency situations.” New operator Katie Daniel has only worked at the center since April. A
communications graduate from the University of Georgia, Daniel is looking forward to working in a newer location. “Having a window will be the biggest change.” Veteran operator Annette Washington has seen a lot of the department’s changes in her 29 years service. She remembers the days of multi-line desk phones, plug-and-play phone operations and using DOS computer databases to manage information. Today, the phone system and newly-updated paging hardware system is user-friendly and second to none. “It’s exciting for me and my coworkers to see and experience these changes. It’s great for everyone involved.” Other MUSC employees will continue to benefit from the department’s quality customer service. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit assistant nurse manager June Stovall is one of the call center’s biggest fans. The operators and staff have been invaluable to her team. “The call center operators and staff have always been courteous and helpful both on the phone and in person and whenever I’ve needed to borrow a loaner phone or pick up a pager, batteries or something else. Betty, Marie, Myron, Annette and other operators recognize you when they answer your call and you, them. For some, they may never know what these individuals look like, but they will greet you on the phone and work with you as if they were your ‘best friend.’ This team has the most knowledgeable folks on campus.” For more information, contact the MUSC Communications Call Center at 792-7992.
Teddy Bear Gift Tag tree to help children at development center Holidays are about giving and caring. The South Carolina College of Pharmacy sponsors the Teddy Bear Gift Tag trees, located in the lobbies of the Colbert Education Center & Library Building, the Basic Science Building, the College of Health Professions lobby and the Harper Student Center. Each tree contains the names of children who could use a little holiday cheer. The trees will be decorated with the tags from Nov. 18 through Dec. 1. Carolina Youth Development Center (CYDC), an umbrella organization that supervises shelters for children, provided
a list of names and gift requests. CYDC also included some basic needs for its shelters, such as socks, underwear, and sheet sets. Choose a gift tag from one of the trees and purchase the child’s gift request. Gifts need to be returned (in gift bags only) to the MUSC Gives Back office, Room 213, Harper Student Center, by noon, Dec. 2. The Teddy Bear Gift Tag needs to be tied around the bag handle. An MUSC “Santa” will deliver the gifts to CYDC. If you have any questions, call MUSC Gives Back at 792-4094.
The CaTalysT, November 4, 2011 3
College of Dental Medicine displays Excellence
College of Dental Medicine (CDM) Dean Dr. Jack Sanders congratulates Cindy Oliver, left, and Celeste Moultrie as recipients of the third quarter 2011 CDM staff recognition program.
Celebrate holistic wellness
MUSC Employee Wellness will be sponsoring a series of events to increase awareness of complementary and alternative medicine and therapies in November. Topics covered in lunch and learn sessions and Wellness Wednesdays include Susan Johnson meditation, hypnosis, nutritional therapy, and healing touch. The first Holistic Wellness Fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 29 in the Horseshoe. The fair will provide an opportunity to interact with businesses and practitioners who offer natural approaches to health and specialize in complementary health and wellness disciplines. Holistic wellness can be defined as healing resources that encompasses all health systems, modalities and practices and their accompanying theories and
Health at work
beliefs. Wellness is the condition of being in optimum health, not just the absence of disease or illness. It is a holistic blend of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, the result of lifestyle decisions and involved personal responsibility. For information or to participate in the fair, email muscempwell@musc.edu. Employee Wellness events q Lunch & Learn: “Hypnosis in Healthcare� from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m., Nov. 9 Room 116 Colbert Education Center & Library Building. Email muscempwell@musc.edu to register. q Wellness Wednesday: Weight Management Center near Starbucks in the university hospital from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Nov. 9. q Wellness Wednesday: The Healing Touch Community of South Carolina will be providing mini sessions of healing touch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 9 in the Ashley River Tower lobby. Email johnsusa@musc.edu to become involved in employee wellness at MUSC.
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Hirschmann Structural Biology Lab dedicated Oct. 21 H onoring a researcher described as one of the “most gifted problem solvers,” MUSC dedicated the Ralph F. Hirschmann Structural Biology Laboratory Oct. 21 Hirschmann in memory of the former university professor of biomedical research. MUSC President Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., said it was a fitting honor for Ralph F. Hirschmann, Ph.D., as he had the talent of being one of the most gifted problem solvers. “One of the things he advised us about was our need to build a structural biology program at MUSC. What we see on this campus really is a development of the campus master plan that goes back to 1997.” Daughter Carla Hummel, M.D., said she felt honored and privileged to represent her father, who passed away in 2009, on the dedication. “There was no facet of my father’s professional career that he enjoyed more than his years here. I am grateful to MUSC for extending to my father the privilege of consulting here, and I thank you for making him a welcome member of your MUSC family.” She said her father was proud of his
Drs. James B. Edwards, MUSC President Emeritus, from left, Rosalie Crouch, Distinguished University Professor and Provost Emerita; Yusuf Hannun; Ray Greenberg; and Drs. Paul and Carla Hummel (son-in-law and daughter of Hirschmann) cut the ribbon celebrating the dedication of the Ralph F. Hirschmann Structural Biology Laboratory. association with MUSC and deeply honored when he learned in 2006 that a laboratory would bear his name. He felt that was one of the biggest honors of his professional career and surely it will be one of the most enduring, she said. “I congratulate you all on the magnificent fruits of your labors in building this exceptional medical center and thank you again for honoring my father in this extraordinary way.” Born in Fürth, Germany, Hirschmann
immigrated to the United States in 1937 and became a citizen in 1944. Starting out as a process research chemist, Hirschmann became the director of medicinal chemistry and eventually retired as senior vice president of basic research in 1987. In 1969, Hirschmann helped lead the Merck team that performed the first in-solution synthesis of enzyme ribonuclease. While at Merck, Hirschmann and his research team also developed several widely-used drugs
such as Vasotec, Lisinopril, Primaxin, Mevacor, Proscar and Ivomec. After retiring from Merck at age 65, Hirschmann joined the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania as the Rao Makineni Professor of Bioorganic Chemistry. While at Penn, he collaboratively established the field of peptidomimetics. Hirschmann was associated with more than 100 patents and co-authored more than 150 papers. Hirschmann also held a teaching appointment at MUSC from 1987 to 1999 as the university professor of biomedical research. He was the recipient of an honorary degree in 1997 recognizing his contributions in biomedical research. MUSC established an endowed chair in his honor — the Ralph F. Hirschmann Professorship of Basic Biomedical Science. Yusuf A. Hannun, M.D, Ralph F. Hirschmann Professor of Biomedical Sciences and chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, said Hirschmann took it upon himself to make sure MUSC launched on a strong foundation with an enhanced emphasis on structural biology and basic sciences. The lab is located on the second floor of the Drug Discovery Building. To view a video of the dedication, visit http://bit. ly/MUSC_Hirschmann.
SCTR retreat assembles state's imaging researchers Radiology imaging scientist Dr. Truman Brown, far left, joins event speakers Drs. Ed Wu, University of Hong Kong, second left, and Peter van Zijl, second right, Kennedy Krieger Institute, along with MUSC Endowed Chair for Brain Imaging Dr. Joseph Helpern, center, and Dr. Phillip Costello, Department of Radiology & Radiological Science chairman during the Oct. 24 South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research Institute's (SCTR) 2011 Fall Scientific Retreat on Biomedical Imaging. The Oct. 24 retreat was held at the North Charleston Convention Center and gathered more than 85 biomedical researchers, basic scientists, clinicians, community members and students from around the state. The event, sponsored by SCTR and MUSC's Center for Biomedical Imaging, featured international keynote speakers and local talks presented by local and statewide researchers and experts speaking in 16 rounds within four sessions. This was one of two scientific retreats sponsored by SCTR Pilot Project Program established to generate ideas and new initiatives as well as support statewide collaboration. The next SCTR retreat will focus on mobile health technologies and is slated for Spring 2012.
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Austrians highly satisfied with health care By asTrid GasselhuBer, Ph.d.
Pediatric Cardiology
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ustria, often confused with Australia, is a small landlocked country, located in the middle of Europe, surrounded by no less than eight other countries. Austria is about the size of South Carolina and has approximately twice as many inhabitants. The Alps cover more than 60 percent of Austria’s landscape, and perhaps this is why skiing is one of the most popular sports among the Austrians. Only the area in the east, where the Austro-HungarianEmpire-influenced capital Vienna is located, does not have mountains. Austrian culture has not only been largely influenced by its eventful history, but also by its past and present neighbors, which shows in its food, literature and architecture, just to name a few areas. Austria has been a member of the European Union since 1995, and the euro was introduced as its currency in 2002. The development of the Austrian health care system has roots back to the Austro-Hungarian monarchy in 1867. Today, health insurance is part of the social security insurance system, just as accident and pension insurance are. The health care system is based on solidarity, to ensure medical care independent of social status or income. There is comprehensive social health insurance coverage; about 98 percent of the population is protected. All employed people in Austria and their employers contribute equally to the system, depending on their income. Usually it is not possible to choose a social security institution, since it depends on employer and location. However, there is no competition between the social security institutions. Physicians typically have a contract with the social health insurance funds and patients are free to choose a general or specialist physicians. Insured people have the right to a large number of covered services. Apart from primary health care services and emergency care, there also is a wide range of health promotion and prevention services offered. Since 1974, social health insurance funds have offered annual preventive health check-ups free of charge. Private health insurances typically cover additional benefits or costs, such as a higher comfort class in hospitals. In 2009, the Austrian total health expenditure was about $4,300 USD per capita, compared to about $8,000 USD per capita in the United States. There are continuing political discussions regarding structural changes in the Austrian health care system. However, surveys show that a vast majority of Austrians are highly
Austria, about the size of South Carolina, is known for its mountainous terrain. satisfied with the existing provided health care services.
FasT FaCTs q “Silent Night” was composed by a primary teacher, Franz Gruber, in a small Austrian village in 1859. q Almost 90 percent of the population speaks German, which is also the official language. q The energy drink, Red Bull, is an Austrian product. q More than 68 percent of Austria’s electricity is supplied by renewable sources.
q The candy, PEZ, was invented in Austria. q The sewing machine was invented in 1818 by Josef Madersperger, an Austrian. q Soccer is a popular sport in Austria. However, the national side has had little success over the years. Editor's note: The Global Health page focuses on raising awareness of international health issues through an academic venue with the purpose of improving the quality of care for patients. E-mail globalhealthnews@musc.edu.
International Events International Thanksgiving Feast Celebration Noon - 1 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 10 Harper Student Center Auditorium Presentations by local Native Americans of the Santee Tribe and Senior Brockingham and Associate Archaeologist Dr. Eric Poplin All are encouraged to bring a dessert native to their country
International 'Sweet and Savory' Bake Sale 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 2 Portico and University Hospital lobby (across from Starbucks) Purchase baked goods from around the world and the proceeds go to the Hope Lodge Dinner and other community outreach.
All international activities can be found online at http://www.musc.edu/international or friend us on Facebook: MUSC International Programs
The Catalyst, November 4, 2011 7
New complex is ‘a miracle that surrounds us’
By Cindy aBole Public Relations
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Leslie Kendall, research operations director, is known for her commitment to the James E. Clyburn Research Center project. environment. She also coordinated the installation of phones and internet jacks in the labs and offices, and we were online after one day in the building.” Xuejun Wen, M.D., Ph.D., who is the Hansjorg Wyss Endowed Chair and a regenerative medicine professor, also relied on Kendall for packing and relocating the lab to the third-floor area of the Bioengineering Building. “Moving multiple labs into two buildings is not an easy task. There were lots of details to consider from telephone transfers to setting up vacuum lines in the lab. ‘Mom,’ as I affectionately call Leslie, Neil (Eichman) and their support team did a great job managing lots of little details for us. It was an A-plus experience.” Through each stage of the project, Kendall has worked closely with diverse teams of people who’ve managed decisions and contributed to it from the conceptual design stage with project architects Stevens and Wilkinson, a team of campus researchers, the university’s central administration and Engineering and Facilities staff, to builders with Brasfeld Gorrie, interior designers and a multitude of other contractors involved. Just days before the facilities’ formal dedication, Kendall, along with research operations manager and colleague, Neil Eichman, could be found coordinating the location of 144 new emergency power outlets or testing and adjusting the height of more than 400 newly assembled conference room chairs and, crawling on hands and knees to clean sheetrock dust out of room corners. At the Oct. 21 building dedication, Kendall joined others who were beaming and gushing with pride — not only for the VIPs, researchers and invited guests in attendance, but also for achieving so many important project milestones. “I’m proud of every person who has been part of this
project’s design, construction and occupation. Think of it, someone’s put their hand on every beam and brick used to create this remarkable complex, and every microscope and incubator used to advance the science that will be performed here. It’s truly a miracle that surrounds us,” she said.
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sk any MUSC scientist whose lab is located in the James E. Clyburn Research Center how they would describe Leslie Kendall and they’re quick to shower her with titles such as chief organizer, decision maker, and all-around go-to-person. But to many, she’s also affectionately known as the project “mom” for her dedication and expertise with this building effort. In reality, Kendall is all this and much more since being charged to manage the preparation, staging and occupation of the campus’ newest research facilities, the Drug Discovery and Bioengineering buildings. In the six years she’s been involved with this project, she has worn a lot of hats to identify with the many roles she’s embraced and mastered — production manager, director, executive producer, set designer and crew chief. But the role of “mom” is what really grabs her. “I really don’t mind it. Moms are capable of doing just about anything and everything is their responsibility. In this effort, people are more likely to react when things go wrong instead of when they go right. When that happens, it’s natural for anyone to turn to someone who’s responsible, knowledgeable and an overall go-to person like a mom; the person who makes everything right.” Not new to managing and supporting the laboratory needs of researchers, Kendall previously managed the 2005 opening of the 121,000 square foot, seven-story Charles P. Darby Children’s Research Institute (DCRI), which gave the campus a premiere comprehensive children’s research facility. “We are opening facilities that have almost twice as much square footage here compared to DCRI. The new complex features two major conference facilities as well as several classroom locations.” One of her team’s most challenging jobs was to plan and orchestrate the relocation of more than 25 researchers and scientists from all areas of campus and within a tight four-week period. Patrick M. Woster, Ph.D., SmartState Endowed chair in Drug Discovery, South Carolina College of Pharmacy, and his team were among the first groups to move into the Drug Discovery Building on Sept. 5. A new faculty member who relocated to MUSC from Michigan, Woster is excited about his new location and lab, which has been outfitted for medicinal chemistry. “Leslie was extremely helpful in answering our many questions, and helping us get oriented to a new
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Currents Nov. 1 People–Fostering employee pride and loyalty Whitney McLuen, Office of Development and Meghan Clark, Trident United Way (TUW), spoke about this year’s campaign. Kick-off was held Sept. 9 with Day of Caring activities and featured more than 300 employees participating in volunteer activities. The campaign goal is $200,000 guided by chair Lisa Saladin, Ph.D., College of Health Professions dean and leadership chair Terry Day, M.D., Department of ENT, Head and Neck Surgery. To donate, visit the musc.edu web page and click on the TUW logo. HR update Kim Duncan, MUHA HRIS manager, presented the following topics: q Pay for Performance Increase—This will be reflected in Nov. 2 paycheck; q Mandatory CATTS Lessons—All mandatory lessons are due Dec. 1, refer to HR Policy #5 (Competency, Assessment and Maintenance, Section C, #2); SuccessFactors (Job Competencies Section): The job competencies section is not included in the overall score. If an employee receives a rating of “does not meet requirements” in this section, he/ she will not be eligible for a performance increase for the year. Employees must maintain timely completion of job competencies including, but not limited to, organizational mandatory and job/ population-specific competencies. Department reports are available in CATTS. Call 792-2805. Effective 2012, the due date for CATTS Mandatory Lessons will be aligned with MUHA’s universal performance review period (July-June 30). Transition requires that employees complete their 2012 lessons by June 30. Contact, Helena Bastian, bastianh@musc.edu or 792-5098. q PTO Conversion to ESL—This is available in December. Eligible employees may convert up to 40 hours of accrued PTO to ESL provided a balance
of 120 hours of PTO remains. Eligible employees must submit an online request form to payroll by Nov. 29. q Online Retirement Statements—SCRS (pension plan only) participants can go online to view their last quarterly statement, service time and listed beneficiaries. Contact Cindy Locklair, locklair@musc.edu. Visit http://www. retirement.sc.gov/. q Quarterly new hire reception is scheduled for Dec. 8, Gazes Auditorium. Event honors employees hired since last quarter (July to September) who have completed 90 days of service. Wellness update Susan Johnson, Ph.D., Employee Wellness Program coordinator, spoke to managers about plans to address managers monthly at this meeting to promote health and wellness activities. On Nov. 29, a holistic wellness fair is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Horseshoe.
Quality—Providing quality patient care in a safe environment
Nicole Bernier, and Tammy Rapp, MUHA co-chairs of MUHA’s Employer of Choice Team, reviewed initiatives with this program: Helping hand stickers on employee badge clips to identify new employees and promote interaction; Dec. 8 Quarterly New Hire Reception —All managers and their new employees are invited to attend; Quarterly tenured employee awards—Recognized Valerie Bailey, unit secretary (36 years service), PreOp Clinic and Mary Beth Crummer, 4E nurse manager, Cardiothoracic Surgery Acute Care (23 years service); Other: 30/90 day rounding notifications; and publish benefits of the month; Best practice recommendations-new and current employees; Read the quarterly Employer of Choice newsletter available via the MUHA intranet under
To Medical Center Employees At the Nov. 1 management communications meeting, Nicole Bernier, service excellence manager, Ambulatory Care, and Tammy Rapp, healthcare recruiter, Human Resources, gave an update on the Employer of Choice Service Excellence Team. They discussed a number of initiatives taken by the team to make the MUSC medical center a great place to work. One of the interesting tactics discussed is the “Helping Hand Sticker” placed on the identification badge clip for new hires. The intent is to identify new hires and involve everyone in helping and supporting new hires as they get acclimated. The stickers should be removed at the quarterly new hire reception or during the 90-day new hire rounding sessions by managers. A number of best practices led by the Employer of Choice team are explained in this newsletter. We kicked off our MUSC Excellence team driven organizational structure over six years ago. The team structure includes: a number of Service Excellence Teams (listed below); Leadership Evaluation Team for the formulation of medical center organizational goals and oversight of the leader evaluation system; and Leadership Development Team for education and training. In addition our annual MUSC Excellence Work Plan involves teams to address opportunities for improvement such as: discharge process; discharge phone calls; first impressions; AIDET refreshers; nurse leader rounding; beside shift report; patient transportation; rounding on employees; and other teams. I want to thank all present and past team leaders and members for your outstanding work. On another matter, Drs. Kim Davis and John Kratz gave an update on work under way for Ambulatory Care’s electronic medical records system referred to as “Epic,” which will replace Practice Partner. Five pilot clinics will kick off with the new system on March 22, 2012, and plans are for implementation in all other clinics on May 17. While implementation will be challenging, ultimately the system will greatly improve service and communication. Additional details are in this newsletter. W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center MUSC Service Excellence Teams Communication; Employer of Choice; Measurement; Standards; Reward & Recognition; and area-specific Patient Satisfaction teams including: Women’s (Perinatal), Children, Therapeutic Services, Transplant Services, Laboratory Services, Adult ED, Peds ED, Adult Inpatient, IOP Inpatient/Outpatient, Outpatient Clinics, Outpatient Radiology, ART, Ambulatory Surgery, Main OR, ART OR, and other unit-specific teams as needed. Departments throughout the medical center such as Dietetic Services and Environmental Services integrate MUSC Excellence best practices into their day-to-day operations. newsletters--EOC Ambulatory EMR update Dave Northrup, director of clinical systems, OCIO, Kim Davis, M.D., and John Kratz, M.D., co-chairs of the Epic Ambulatory EMR Implementation Oversight Committee, introduced details about the Epic system that will be replacing Practice Partner in 2012. The plan is to go live on March 17 at pilot sites: University Internal Medicine, Pediatric Cardiology, Carolina Family Care practice (Two Island Court, Mount Pleasant), Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology and East Cooper OB/GYN. All other areas will go live by May 17.
The Epic system will include a patient portal (MyChart), physicians will input their charges and orders will be entered with auto-interfaces to the lab and radiology systems. Physicians and nurses will chart on the same record; The Epic Ambulatory project will make a big impact on clinical workflow resulting in a slow down during the first month. Meds, allergies and the patient problem list will not be copied from Practice Partner into Epic, so plans are being made to enter this information prior to patient visits (i.e. abstracting). Patients will receive a copy of their information as they leave the clinic. Visit http://epic. musc.edu (NetID required if off campus).
The CaTalysT, November 4 2011 9
Contest encourages students to reflect on diversity By dede Bearden Public Relations
Virginia Regan, right, and Lauren Wengerd help kick off CHP’s strategic plan to advance diversity on campus. iPad, the second place winner, Lauren Wengerd, a CHP occupational therapy student, received a Barnes and Noble Nook Reader. CHP has nine academic programs and 674 students. Karen A. Wager, DBA, professor and associate dean for student affairs at the college said that the student response to the essay contest was overwhelming.
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Virginia Regan, a physician assistant studies student in the College of Health Professions (CHP), loves her new, free iPad. She received it as the first place winner of the inaugural CHP’s essay contest on the importance of diversity in health care. In her essay titled, “Crayola Colors: Diversity as Art in Health Care,” Regan compared the personality traits and life experiences of people to colors found in a box of crayons. “I love to write about topics that I am passionate about, that motivate me, that inspire me,” Regan said. She was determined to show that diversity is deeper and more transcendent than what most people think. “Few people actually know what diversity is. Diversity involves everything on top of ethnicity and race, including experiences, opportunities, hometowns and cultural and religious beliefs.” The essay contest kicked off the college's strategic plan to advance diversity and cultural sensitivity on campus. The first and second place winners were announced at the college’s Student Government Association meeting Oct. 5. Essays were judged on criteria including creativity, quality of writing and passion. While Regan received an
Twenty-three papers were submitted, and a selection committee of three faculty members chose the first and second place winners. An essay contest was chosen as a starting point for the diversity effort because students could actively get involved. “It encouraged them to reflect and share the value they place on the topic,” said Wager. Wager is thrilled to have the diversity initiative under way. “Knowing how to serve people with different values, health benefits and alternative perspectives about health and wellness is critical to providing high quality, patient-centered care.” The essay contest and future tactics will create an environment of inclusion and respect on campus. To further the college’s strategic plan, Wager said that students will mentor minority high-school students and participate in high-school career days. The college also will host a health advisors conference and enhance cultural competency training for students. Regan likes the plans. She thinks these outside-of-theclassroom tactics will be essential for student growth. “I think that educational training is crucial for the fundamentals of cultural awareness, but the most culture you can learn is outside the confines of a brick building.” To read the first and second place essays, visit http:// tinyurl.com/3nwpxxk.
10 The CaTalysT, November 4, 2011
New treatments, advocacy to better prevent suicide
suiCide FaCTs q Every 14.6 minutes someone in the United States dies by suicide. q Nearly 1 million people make a suicide attempt every year. q Ninety percent of people who die by suicide have a diagnosable and treatable psychiatric disorder at the time of their death. q Women attempt suicide three times as often as men. Men are nearly four times more likely to die by suicide than women. Thomas Uhde, M.D., chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and executive director of the Institute of Psychiatry, said that depression is a very serious medical disorder with high levels of morbidity and mortality. “The tremendous advances MUSC scientists have made in managing treatment-resistant depression have made us one of only 21 depression centers designated by the National Network of Depression Centers,” he said. The innovations being developed and refined at MUSC include: q transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS);
Want to Join the Walk? The Out of Darkness Walk will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Nov. 6 at Hampton Park. There will be a brief program before the one-mile walk. For more information, visit http:// www.facebook.com/pages/Out-of-theDarkness-Walk-Charleston/203895626299932 For more information on the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, visit http://www.musc.edu/psychiatry. q epidural cortical stimulation; q vagus nerve and deep brain stimulation; q Focal Electrically-Administered Seizure Therapy (FEAST) of which MUSC is the only facility in the world offering this therapy and; q treatments at the MUSC Sleep Disorders Program that help patients suffering from depression and PTSD, and the often related difficulties sleeping that aggravate those conditions. The National Institute of Mental Health offers some warning signs of suicide, among them: poor self esteem, changes in sleeping or eating patterns, anger, reckless behavior and not wanting to participate in social activities that used to be important. Connie Guille, M.D., psychiatrist, MUSC Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences/ Institute of Psychiatry, said one approach to reducing suicide is reducing both an individual’s inclination and opportunity to self-harm. People can be inclined toward taking their lives based on risk factors that include depression, trauma and substance abuse, but there is no surefire way to predict who or when a person might attempt suicide given that this behavior is often an impulsive act, she said. Until the phenomenon of suicide is better understood, the current best course of action is to decrease inclination to self-harm by first identifying who is at risk via screening and minimize the risk
through effective treatment strategies. For those at risk, it’s also important to reduce the opportunity to end their life especially during a time when an individual is highly inclined to harm themselves. If family members, friends or treatment providers suspect that a person is at risk, they should take immediate steps. Removing weapons and prescription drugs from the house, staying with the person until they can get professional help and demonstrating genuine concern are successful techniques. Harriet Cooney, R.N., clinical director of the Institute of Psychiatry, said that safety is the No. 1 priority for patients in the hospital. MUSC maintains a high staff-to-patient ratio. All psychiatric patients are routinely assessed for suicide risk. Those on suicide precaution receive a more intense level of monitoring until the attending psychiatrist and treatment team judge the patient to be safe. Robinson said few people are comfortable talking about mental illness and suicide. “All of us can help de-stigmatize these significant issues by learning more, increasing awareness and advocating for resources to mitigate them. It was not too long ago that cancer was kept under the table. Today, pink ribbons are ubiquitous. We can change what’s possible.”
tips for helping
For every person who commits suicide, 10 people are affected. Knowing how to deal with a “survivor” who has lost a loved one to suicide can be awkward. Advice from survivors that Robinson met through the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention said: q It’s OK if you don’t know what to say. Let them know you care. Ask them out to dinner or a movie. q Don’t avoid talking about the deceased for fear that you may cause pain; you didn’t. Don’t try to compare their loss to other losses. q Be patient. Though the intensity may fade, these people will grieve forever.
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Every 40 seconds someone in the world dies of suicide, and every 41 seconds someone is left to make sense of it. The sobering facts are part of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s awareness campaign that includes sponsoring Out of the Darkness walks across the nation. It’s a cause MUSC’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Institute of Psychiatry is working hard to support. Tom Robinson, business development manager in the Institute of Psychiatry, said 200 people have committed suicide in Charleston County alone since 2008. Suicide is the third highest cause of death for young people ages 15-24. “No one is immune. This tragedy strikes all ages, races, genders – even health professionals. Many of these deaths could have been prevented.”
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The CaTalysT, November 4, 2011 11
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