December 16, 2011
Inside Enhancing
3
coMMunication
MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA
Vol. 30, No. 18
Fairy Tale Magic
Epic system will replace Practice Partner to improve quality of patient care.
autisM
collaboration
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MUSC was the site for the first scientific meeting for autism researchers in the state. 5
Meet Irfan
9
Heart Walk
15 Classifieds
t h E c ata ly s t onlinE http://www. musc.edu/ catalyst
Cinderella presents Brianna Causey with a yellow rose before they take their carriage ride.
By Dawn Brazell Public Relations
F
airy tales sometimes still do happen. Fouryear-old Brianna Causey got to find that out Dec. 9 at the MUSC Holiday Parade. Experiencing a pageantry fit for a princess, Brianna navigated hospital hallways in her lightup slippers to meet up with Cinderella and catch a carriage ride in the parade. Her grandmother, Nancy Moore, held her pink princess blanket and watched from the sidelines. She said she was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for her family. Her husband, Jeff, is being treated at Hollings Cancer Center for renal cell carcinoma and her daughter, Tiffany Causey,
28, has leukemia and underwent a bone marrow transplant Aug. 18. “She did great at first and then all of a sudden, she took a turn for the worse.” Her daughter wanted to take Brianna to Disney World because she’s all into the princess stuff, but she’s not up for the trip. When Tiffany’s nurse learned of Brianna’s interest, she passed it along to the hospital’s Angel Tree board. It started a magical cascade of support. MUSC employee Lori Stivers in Ambulatory Care read the email, and knew what she had to do. Stivers lost her mother at age 5 and still can remember the wonderful things that people did
See Magic on page 8
Employees, Lori Stivers and Cindy Kramer, right, enjoy the magic.
2 The caTalysT, December 16, 2011
Health disparities experts tackle pressing questions
Every person deserves to be as healthy as possible. Unfortunately, not every person has this opportunity. Where people live, how much money they make, personal behaviors and ethnicity impact individual health beyond the usual focus on access to care or genetic predispositions. Through the continued efforts of a group of medical and policy experts, The Fifth Annual National Conference on Health Disparities provided participants with a forum to discuss systematic and evidence-based ways to address worse health outcomes for disparate communities across the country. The conference was held at the Charleston Marriott Hotel from Nov. 30 through Dec. 3. Participants focused on ways to target disparities through policies and programs which address social determinants. Those disadvantages include lack of insurance coverage or financial resources; legal barriers, structural barriers (ex: transportation), scarcity of providers; lack of health literacy, age; and lack of health care workforce diversity. “If we are serious about reducing health disparities, then we must focus on and address these social determinants,” said David Rivers, conference organizer and MUSC public information and outreach director.
Moderator for the panel discussion on successful community-based programs for sustaining and strenthening health communities, Dr. Sabra Slaughter, second from left, listens while Dr. Thomas Ellison, speaks Dec. 2 at the National Conference on Health Disparities. Right of Slaughter is Drs. Windsor Sherrill and LaVerne Ragster. On Dec. 1, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius addressed members of the media to highlight the conference and tout the gains made regarding health disparities. “Since President Obama took office, we’ve undertaken the most comprehensive federal agenda to reduce health disparities in history. One of the ways we have done so is through the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACT), which is the most powerful law for reducing health disparities since Medicare and Medicaid,” she said.
Conference attendees not only discussed the implications of ACT, but highlighted programs throughout the country that are working to reduce barriers to care for minority populations, and thus having an impact on disparities in those areas. MUSC played a large role in providing those examples, as part of the university’s mission is dedicated to the reduction of disparities plaguing South Carolina. Congressman Jim Clyburn was eager to welcome the conference back to Charleston. “South Carolina and MUSC
General internal medicine recognized as patient-center medical home Providing a multidisciplinary focus and a higher level of quality patient care are some of the changes that will be the result of MUSC moving forward in embracing the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model. In early November, MUSC’s Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics achieved the highest recognition (Level 3) as a Physician Practice Connections PCMH from the National Center for Quality Assurance (NCQA). This is the second MUSC program to receive the NCQA Level 3 designation as a PCMH rating. MUSC Department of Family Medicine received this rating last spring. Bill Moran, M.D., General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics division director, said that the team-based model will allow practitioners to spend more time
helping patients understand their disease and the disease process, plus incorporate preventive services that will maximize a patient’s overall health outcomes. “This will be a constantly changing process that will improve how our patients receive medical care and move through our clinics.” The division committed to the PCMH concept in May. Moran credits a group of specialists and staff involved in this effort including Kim Davis, M.D., clinic director; Tamela Sill, R.N., nursing director; Laura Fulk, program manager; and Justin Marsden, program assistant. The NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. The NCQAPCMH standards were established to help clinicians and practices support the delivery of quality health care.
are a real epicenter in the fight to reduce health disparities, and are making real progress through the biomedical engineering and pharmaceutical research taking place in the university’s new stateof-the-art facilities,” he said. “Investing in the technology and research of tomorrow will make significant strides in closing the gaps in our health care delivery system.” By collaborating with their colleagues from throughout the country on the same mission to eliminate those barriers affecting minority populations and their health care, MUSC experts continue their front-runner status in tackling the complex issues surrounding disparities in South Carolina. Citing the long-standing history of health disparities in South Carolina, MUSC President Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., stated the university’s responsibility to reducing and eliminating those gaps. “Through telemedicine, our doctors are reaching out into rural communities to provide specialty care that is otherwise not available to them. We are working on new ways to help educate the public about health issues and to promote healthy lifestyles, and we are conducting research to better understand the causes of health disparities and how they may be eliminated.”
The Catalyst 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 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. sales@moultrienews.com.
The caTalysT, December 16, 2011 3
New EMR system to enhance best patient care
By cinDy aBole Public Relations
There’s a change in the air that MUSC expects will improve clinical services and enhance patient care. By spring, MUSC clinicians and staff will be using a new electronic medical record (EMR) system that provides more comprehensive and efficient tools to better manage patients’ care. This Ambulatory EMR is expected to heighten the delivery of quality patient care, safety and improve clinical research. On March 22, MUSC will launch the Epic Ambulatory EMR as a replacement to the current system, Practice Partner. MUSC Vice President for Medical Affairs and College of Medicine Dean Etta D. Pisano, M.D., states that the implementation of Epic is critical for MUSC’s clinical enterprise. The project’s implementation is being managed by the college’s new chief medical information officer, Bob Warren, M.D., professor of pediatrics, and by leadership from MUSC medical center, Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) and University Medical Associates (UMA). Pisano said the new system will provide many changes. It will help improve quality of care and patient safety, efficiency and effectiveness and patient
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Members of the nine-person Epic Project Management Team include UMA’s Mike Balassone, from left; co-project director; Dr. Bob Warren, chief medical information officer; and Dave Northrup, OCIO, co-project director. communication and engagement. “It will enrich clinical research by standardizing patient data collection and analysis and help us meet ‘meaningful use’ requirements.” The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 describes meaningful use as health care organizations that embrace the use of electronic health records (EHR) and related technology to manage and measure a patient’s health care. Epic will begin in five pilot clinics — University Internal Medicine, Pediatric Cardiology, Carolina
Family Care Practice (Two Island Court, Mount Pleasant), Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and East Cooper OB/GYN in late March. All other users of Practice Partner will switch to Epic May 17. It is expected to affect as many as 5,000 users. Many academic medical centers and hospitals across the country are making the switch in their current clinical software and information technology systems. More than 260 academic and health care systems are using Epic’s health information technology. According to Kim Davis, M.D., co-chair of the committee and one of the physician champions, about 35 to 40 percent of the U.S. population is in an Epic system nationwide. In mid-February, MUSC and UMA signed a contract with Epic Systems Corporation to acquire Epic Ambulatory software. A 21-member multidisciplinary Ambulatory EMR Implementation Oversight Committee was formed in April to manage the changes. This work group, which consists of MUSC and Epic Systems Corporation liaisons, has met regularly to plan the conversion. The project is supported by meaningful use funding to eligible professionals and hospitals that adopt or upgrade to EHR technology. These stimulus funds, which are intended to support EMR implementation,
See elecTronic on page 14
4 The caTalysT, December 16, 2011
MUSC lands $10.5 million research grant from NIH
A collaboration between two colleges at MUSC has delivered a significant return as the institution was awarded a $10.5 million research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Funding for the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) in oxidants, redox balance and stress signaling began in September and the project period runs through August 2016. COBRE’s primary functions will be to develop or recruit faculty and to build up essential research cores, creating a center of specialization in redox biology and stress signaling that creates jobs, draws potential entrepreneurial investment and brings national prominence. The grant, the first major inter-collegiate grant of its kind at MUSC, is a joint effort between the College of Medicine and the South Carolina College of Pharmacy (SCCP) that splits equally all costs, credits and administration. The highly-unusual arrangement involves a cluster of five projects and four cores with five established scientists from six academic disciplines, with project directors from two different departments in two colleges. “The principal investigators were highly creative in developing a proposal that leverages multiple resources to advance the research as efficiently and expediently as possible,” said Joseph T. DiPiro, PharmD, SCCP
executive dean. “This grant will go a long way to help us support and train the best junior faculty members and provide them with excellent research equipment.” The principal investigator (PI) is Kenneth Tew, Ph.D., D.Sc., professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology in the College of Medicine; the co-PI is Rick Schnellmann, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences in SCCP. “This award adds over $2 million of annual funding, helping to expand the ever increasing funding base for the university and creating a substantial number of support jobs for the Charleston area,” said Tew, the John C. West Endowed Chair in Cancer Research at MUSC’s Hollings Cancer Center. “Moreover, the recruitment of talented academic investigators fulfills part of the mandate of the SmartState initiative and brings additional opportunities to garner further funding and extend efforts into possible entrepreneurial endeavors.” COBRE will establish independent careers for at least five junior investigators and assist in the recruitment of up to six additional investigators with expertise in the area. The grant permits recruitment of junior, unfunded investigators and provides them an idealized environment to succeed in the early stages of career development. As they secure their own funding, they
rotate off and other new investigators can rotate on. The grant’s scientific focus is researching oxidative stress signaling. Oxidants and the resulting stress signaling promote diverse responses including cell injury, death, survival and carcinogenesis (creation of cancer). Oxidative stress can result in acute and chronic diseases of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, diabetes, cancer and aging. “Redox biology and stress signaling are relevant to many diseases,” Schnellmann said. “If you use oxygen, you create oxidants, and they can be harmful. We want to discover how oxidants cause problems and how to stop initiation or progression of disease. This research bridges the divide between basic and applied research. COBRE gives us the opportunity to develop the field of oxidative stress signaling and apply it to the study of important causes and potential cures.” Funding will also go to develop and expand essential research cores (proteomics, metabolomics and confocal micrsocopy/imaging) that will be of critical use not only to COBRE investigators but to many others’ areas of research. “Since the grant is not restricted to particular disease sites, a confluence of researchers may study cancer, diabetes and other diseases that have a heavy impact on South Carolinians,” Tew said. For information, visit http://cba.musc.edu/COBRE.
Med students, physicians needed at homeless shelter
Ted James (left), a third-year student in the College of Medicine (COM), and Andrew Seymore, a COM first-year student, treat a patient at Crisis Ministries's Homeless Health Clinic.
Every Wednesday evening, eight to 10 medical students volunteer at the Crisis Ministries’ Homeless Health Clinic to treat patients with a variety of illnesses, such as sore throats and ear infections. According to Grace LeSueur, Touchpoint Communications, students are not required to volunteer, but enjoy the experience that a free clinic provides. Crisis Ministries, South Carolina’s largest homeless shelter, conducts more than 1,700 visits at the clinic annually and focuses on prevention and longterm solutions. In addition to student volunteers, a Volunteer Physicians Program was established in 2008 to provide primary and speciality care onsite by using retired and practicing physicians once a month. Crisis Ministries broke ground on
a new, 28,000-square-foot facility in October, which will expand services and increase the number of guests served. The new shelter is being built adjacent to the existing shelter complex, with completion expected in 18 to 24 months. The facility will feature a health clinic with exam rooms, a dental room and nurses’ station. Students or physicians interested in volunteering may contact Stephen Carek (carek@musc.edu) or Casey Holmes (odell@musc.edu). Medical personnel who wish to volunteer may contact Selena Wilson at swilson@ charlestonhomeless.org (723-9477 x113) and general volunteers may contact Bradford Cashman at bcashman@charlestonhomeless.org or 723-9477 x124).
The caTalysT, December 16, 2011 5
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Acronyms change with mission
With all of the acronyms of the public is still floating around, it may unclear on what the term sometimes seem like they’re “dietetics” encompasses, nothing but the result of along with the lack of the a spilled bowl of alphabet word nutrition. Hence, soup. ADA has recognized this The acronyms in the problem and responded in medical and professional a noteworthy way. world can be particularly Effective Jan. 1, the confusing as it seems as if ADA will become the Alisha Bowen every medical condition Academy of Nutrition and and professional organization has its Dietetics, or AND. ADA President Sylvia own unique acronyms that frequently A. Escott-Stump, RD, announced the overlap with one another. There is an name change to members in September: actual rhyme and reason behind these “An academy is a ‘society of learned acronyms, however, and they often help persons organized to advance science.’ to explain an organization’s mission and ... By adding nutrition to our name, we background. communicate our capacity for translating The American Dietetic Association nutrition science into healthier lifestyles (ADA), is one such organization. ADA for everyone. Keeping dietetics supports is the largest worldwide organization our history as a food and science representing food and nutrition based profession. ... The name change professionals, such as registered dietitians communicates that we are the nutrition (RDs), dietetic technicians, registered experts.” (DTRs), dietetic students, educators, and As a result, CADE’s name will international members. ADA manages change to the Accreditation Council for the educational training of RD eligible Education in Nutrition and Dietetics, students through a subsidiary called or ACEND, an acronym securing the the Commission on Accreditation for professional training and educational Dietetics Education (CADE). standards of registered dietitians. The basis for ADA’s founding in 1917 Dietetics, the science of food and was inspired by the commitment to nutrition as it correlates to health, healthfully feed the troops in World War continues to advance, and it seems I. It then evolved into “improving the fitting that its governing organization nation’s health and advancing the field would advance along with it. It is of dietetics through research, education, expected that the transition to AND will and advocacy” and that commitment change the public’s perception of the still exists. According to http://www. field, and command more respect for the eatright.org, the vision statement is: knowledge of dietetics professionals. “Optimizing the nation’s health through For information, visit http://www. food and nutrition.” However, much eatright.org.
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8 The caTalysT, December 16, 2011
Brianna’s grandmother, Nancy Moore, enjoys the padgeantry.
Cindy Kramer gets a Cinderella updo from stylist Jessica Cantey.
The two Cinderellas take a private moment before they take their carriage ride.
Magic
Cinderella hairdo to know how to style Kramer’s hair. “When I was young, for three years that’s all I had in my movie player,” she said, grinning, thrilled to be able to help out for the occasion. Other businesses joined in to create the magic. Tiger Lily Florist donated two dozen yellow roses and Old Towne Carriage Company charmed crowds with a delicate white princess carriage. Kramer, who has a 3-year-old daughter who loves princesses, said she was excited to play the part and even watched the movie again the night before the ride to make sure she had all her princess moves right. Before she knew it, she had several other appearances for the afternoon requested by patients who are immunosuppressed and unable to leave their rooms. Loving her job as a transplant nurse, Kramer said the nurses really get to know the families because it takes a whole family bonding together to get patients through such a tough time. “We’re there to help them have an opportunity to find a cure to the end. We support them through the good times and the bad.” Moore said she’s so thankful for the support. Her
daughter found out she was pregnant with Brianna a month after her diagnosis with leukemia in 2007. She and her husband had been trying to have a family, but hadn’t been able to. Doctors described the risks, but Tiffany opted to go forward with the pregnancy, reducing some of her cancer drugs until the end of her pregnancy. She resumed her treatment full force after her daughter was born and is putting up a tough battle, said Moore. “She is the strongest person. She has had so much faith from the very beginning. She’s fighting with all her might.” Her seven-year wedding anniversary was Dec. 11. “It’s been the hardest thing of my life. I’m trying to be strong.” She has taken a leave of absence from her work, and is grateful to be next door to her daughter’s family in Loris, near Myrtle Beach. Her daughter watched Brianna in the parade through an iPad Live program. Meanwhile, Moore and Brianna’s father raced along with the carriage. “I know it’s making Tiffany happy to know her little princess is doing well.”
Continued from Page One
for her at that time. She decided she wanted Brianna to have her own authentic Cinderella costume so she contacted Disney officials and had them FedEx the whole princess ensemble to Myrtle Beach, where she bought the outfit as well as a Cinderella Barbie. Even though it was stormy weather, Stivers was not to be deterred. “I cried all the way to Myrtle Beach and back. I’m so excited. It’s what the season is all about. It really touched my heart. She needed to have the real deal.” The real deal included a Cinderella to ride with her. Enter stage right, Cindy Kramer, R.N., a blood and marrow transplant coordinator, who was blonde and taller than 5-foot-seven, the height needed for a Hokus Pokus costume that was being donated for the occasion. Kramer then found herself booked for a donated “updo” Cinderella hairstyle at Strawberry Blonde Salon and a professional makeup job by skin therapist Joanna Robbs. Her stylist, Jessica Cantey, didn’t have to Google the
The caTalysT, December 16, 2011 9
2011 hEart Walk
photo by Priscilla Parker
MUSC President Dr. Ray Greenberg, left photo, presents Heart & Vascular administrator Bill Spring with a medal following the 2011 Lowcountry Heart Walk, held Sept. 17. MUSC recruited 203 teams (1,239 walkers) and raised $209,921 to benefit the American Heart Association.
Employee Wellness
q Chair massages: Free massages are offered to employees on Tuesday nights and midday Wednesdays. Look for broadcast messages for locations and times.
q Mobile Mammograms: The Hollings Cancer Center Mobile Van will be conducting digital mammograms from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 20 next to the Basic Sciences Building loading dock behind the College of Dental Medicine. Call 792-0878 to schedule an appointment.
q Employee Fitness Series: A free Spin class will be held at the MUSC Wellness Center on Wednesday, Dec. 21 from 4:15 to 4:45 p.m. Participants will receive a free day pass to the Wellness Center. Email musc-empwell@musc.edu to register for this class.
q Happy Healthy Hour: Are you looking for a convenient weight loss program that is right here on campus, won’t interfere with your work hours,
and really works? If so, consider enrolling in the newest weight loss program offered by MUSC Weight Management Center — Happy Healthy Hour. What: A 10-week lifestyle change weight loss program When: Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The next class will start on Jan. 19. Where: Suite 410, Institute of Psychiatry, 67 President St. Cost: $98, payroll deduction available What this includes: 10 group sessions, weekly food diaries, program management and expert advice from MUSC professionals How to register: Email Josh Brown, Ph.D., at browjosh@musc.edu. Contact Susan Johnson, Ph.D., wellness program director, at johnsusa@musc.edu to become involved in employee wellness at MUSC. Events, speakers, classes or any other ideas are welcome.
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Researcher involved in therapies to slow Alzheimer’s A pilot research study featuring a new insulin spray inhaler is showing promising results in delaying memory loss and other symptoms associated with early stage Alzheimer’s disease. The original research was conducted by geriatric psychiatrist Suzanne Craft, Ph.D., professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington. Craft is now actively collaborating with Jacobo Mintzer, M.D., vice-chair of clinical research, Department of Neurosciences, in the development of the follow-up multi-site study taking place around the country. “It is very exciting to live in a time when new discoveries to appropriately treat Alzheimer’s disease are within grasp. I am proud that the MUSC team is at the heart of that effort,” said Mintzer, professor of neuroscience and psychiatry. The team is investigating the use of an insulin spray to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease in people diagnosed with an early stage of this progressive brain disorder. To date, there are no drugs available to halt, prevent or reverse
Mintzer joined MUSC in 1991. His interest in geriatric psychiatry, Alzheimer’s disease and psychopharmacology of Alzheimer’s disease and mental Mintzer health in the elderly led him to partner with David Bachman, M.D., also a professor in the Department of Neuroscience, to establish the MUSC
Alzheimer’s Research and Clinical Programs, which is supported by the departments of Psychiatry and Neurology. In October, Mintzer was named president of the International Psychogeriatrics Association. As part of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Grand Rounds, held Oct. 7, Mintzer spoke about the progress of Alzheimer’s disease and new treatments, scientific studies and therapies being conducted by MUSC researchers.
the onset of this disease. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, about 5.4 million Americans are diagnosed each year with Alzheimer’s disease or a form of dementia. Today, scientists are making progress in diagnosing this disease earlier and finding more effective treatments and medications to delay the progress. Mintzer, Craft and other researchers are exploring cell function including how brain cells use sugar and produce energy. More specifically, their focal area is the
brain’s ability to process insulin. Craft's preliminary study featured 104 participants but offered a safe and cost
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effective measure to slow the disease’s progress in its early stages. After two months, participants treated with 20 milligrams of insulin demonstrated an improved performance on memory tests. People who received a higher dose of insulin showed no change in their memory abilities. Insulin is a metabolic hormone that’s effective in treating diabetes. The pilot study was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institutes of Health and Prevention. Other projects led by Mintzer include a gene transfer study as well as how genetics correlate to treatment response in Alzheimer’s patients and therapies that increase the immune response to this disease.
Holiday Break The Catalyst will not be published Dec. 30 or Jan. 6 and will resume publication Jan. 13. For information, call The Catalyst at 792-4107 or e-mail catalyst@musc.edu. For advertising information, call Island Publications at 849-1778 or e-mail sales@moultrienews.com.
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The caTalysT, December 16, 2011 13
Autism meeting stimulates research collaboration By Dawn Brazell Public Relations
Speaking to a packed house at the Autism Spectrum Disorder Scientific Meeting, keynote speaker Lorri Shealy Unumb warned researchers and clinicians that there’s a huge autism tsunami getting ready to hit the state. In many ways, she was preaching to the choir. MUSC hosted Nov. 9 the first scientific meeting of autism researchers in the state. The meeting, held in Gazes Auditorium, was sponsored by the South Carolina Clinical and Translation Research Institute (SCTR), the MUSC Autism Strategic Planning Committee and a grant from the S.C. Developmental Disabilities Council. The meeting, which included an overview of the SCTR Pilot Project Program by Perry Halushka, Ph.D., dean of the College of Graduate Studies, featured 17 presentations by autism researchers from Clemson University, Furman University, Greenville Children’s Hospital, Greenwood Genetics Center, University of South Carolina, and the departments of pediatrics, psychiatry and neurosciences at MUSC. Unumb, an attorney and vice president for state government affairs for the advocacy group Autism Speaks, thanked the researchers, clinicians and advocates in attendance for helping address the growing numbers of people affected by autism. Autism affects one in 110 children and one in 70 boys. “We need to educate the medical community. We still see a lot of pediatricians who don’t know what it is or who see signs and don’t act on it right away.” Unumb’s keynote address titled “What a Parent Wants from Autism Research” praised research efforts being made, adding that parents desperately are seeking the most effective treatments and need a clear course of action that is not experimental. Her son, Ryan, who is now 10, was diagnosed with autism at 22 months of age with medical professionals giving her no direction about the next best course of action. “It was basically, ‘Good luck with that.’” Even today, many medical professionals are not comfortable recommending a course of treatment, with part of that reluctance based on the unavailability of insurance coverage for certain treatments. “The insurance companies are waiting to see if the autism community is ready to fight back, and right now we’re not.” She’s working to change that. Unumb got into the autism insurance reform movement as she encountered struggles in getting treatments funded for Ryan. She wrote ground-breaking autism insurance legislation for South Carolina called “Ryan’s Law” that passed in 2007 and served as a catalyst for the national movement
Keynote speaker Lorri Shealy Unumb of the advocacy group Autism Speaks addresses the more than 70 researchers and clinicians gathered for the Nov. 9 Autism Spectrum Disorder Scientific Meeting.
“This was the first scientific meeting to gather South Carolina researchers together to further research efforts in autism spectrum disorders.” Walter Jenner toward autism insurance reform. Legislative advocacy work by Autism Speaks is making headway, but there’s still significant resistance from legislators who don’t understand autism spectrum disorder. There also is a need for more research that provides evidence-based treatments. Unumb said she can’t overestimate the importance to parents of research being done. “I love looking at the agenda and seeing all the exciting research you’re doing today,” she said. “I implore you to give us studies on older children and adults, too.” Walter Jenner, a member of the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Program with the division of developmental pediatrics, said the meeting was a huge success with organizers getting a favorable response. Autism prevalence has increased rapidly during the last two decades from one in 1,000 to
one in 100. There is no absolute known cause although strong evidence exists for genetic determinants and possible environmental triggers, he said. “This was the first scientific meeting to gather South Carolina researchers together to further research efforts in autism spectrum disorders.” At the end of September, Congress passed the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act promising $231 million a year for the next three years for autism research, screening, education and treatment. “The objective was to stimulate new collaborative research projects among clinical and basic science researchers, other health professional researchers and the community that would lead to productive preclinical, clinical or translational research.” One of the research presenters, Laura Arnstein Carpenter, Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics, said the scientific meeting was an amazing experience. “There are so many interesting research endeavors related to autism taking place right here in South Carolina, from animal research to clinical trials to epidemiology to imaging. I really was struck by the range of activities and by the expertise of the group as a whole. This type of meeting is helpful for connecting basic and clinical researchers to encourage meaningful translational research.” For more information on Autism Speaks, visit http:// www.autismspeaks.org/. For more information on SCTR, visit https://sctr. musc.edu/.
14 The caTalysT, December 16, 2011 Continued from Page Three
are available based on criteria that physicians must meet by October. This replacement project was initiated in July 2010 when hospital management elected to replace Practice Partner. A committee featuring physicians, nurses and representatives selected EpicCare Ambulatory EMR after a six-month selection process. MUSC leadership chose to approve several IT positions prior to February, according to Dave Northrup, OCIO director of clinical systems and a member of the committee. Key training and certification of a core group of MUSC analysts regarding Epic soon followed. Epic user training for nursing, physician providers and administrative groups will begin in February. Northrup and others were pleased with the trial period and selection process. “We wanted to learn how a system like Epic works, how we can build upon it and how it works at other academic medical centers.” The system features a variety of functions including improvements to order entry, physician inpatient documentation and the patient portal (MyChart). Physicians and nurses can chart on the same record, conduct medication management using work review queues (InBasket) to sign prescriptions and refills. Tools like abstracting will allow physicians to gather details about a patient’s medications, allergies, medical issues and health history. The system also provides
“Epic will be a transforming leap in patient care at MUSC.” Dr. Bob Warren additional levels of security and authentication for users and follows Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act for privacy and compliance. According to Northrup, Epic is expected to make a significant change on the clinical workflow that will impact the system during the first month. To prepare for this, Epic departmental support teams are asked to prepare “slow down” plans throughout the roll out period. Warren said the transition marks an important milestone. “Epic will be a transforming leap in patient care at MUSC.” Since October, OCIO IT staff and Epic project liaisons have conducted application testing. Project leaders have hired trainers to assist with training prior to the March 22 go-live event in five pilot clinic locations. MUHA and UMA users and super users (physicians, nurses and clinical/administrative staff who receive a higher level of training and system privileges than a
Epic oversight committee Kim Davis, M.D., co-chair and physician champion; John Kratz, M.D., co-chair and physician champion; Bob Warren, M.D., chief medical information officer; Tim Whelan, M.D., Pulmonary/Transplant; David Soper, M.D., OB/GYN; David Habib, M.D., Pediatrics; Howard Evert, Carolina Family Care; Barton Sachs, M.D., Orthopaedics and workflow chair; Rosemary Battaglia, R.N., Pediatrics; Sherry Gillespie-Miller, R.N., Ambulatory Care and nurse champion; Linda Randazzo, Ambulatory Care and workflow project manager; Heather Kokko, PharmD, Pharmacy Services; Julie Acker, UMA Compliance; Nancy Reilly Dixon, Laboratory Services; Linus Brown, Radiology; Sue Pletcher, Health Information Services; Dave Northrup, OCIO and co-project director; Mike Balassone, UMA Information Systems and co-project director; Brett Seyfried, OCIO; Tasia Walsh, UMA Informations Systems and EpicCare application manager; and Jim Smith, EpicCare system manager typical user) must complete approximately eight hours of classroom training (with a test). Other users will receive two to four hours of training via e-Learning or CATTS. Users must register online for training at locations in Mount Pleasant, North Charleston and MUSC. For information on training, email epic@musc. edu. For Epic information, visit http://epic.musc.edu.
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16 The caTalysT, December 16, 2011