December 9, 2011
MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA
Vol. 30, No. 17
Holiday Lights
MUSC’s Nov. 30 tree lighting ceremony featured a visit from Santa, songs, and a special flashmob dance (pictured above) by Children’s Hospital employees.
MUSC doctor takes strong advocacy stance in D.C.
Hoping to shed more light on the causes behind drug shortages that are having a critical impact on the delivery of quality health care, an MUSC physician delivered testimony in Washingon, D.C., to prompt legislative action. Between 2005 and 2010, the number of prescription drug shortages nearly tripled in the United States, according to the written testimony of Michelle Hudspeth, M.D., the division director of pediatric hematology and oncology. “The current situation is nothing short of a Dr. Michelle Hudspeth testifies at a hearing Nov. 30 in massive national emergency,” she said. To read Washington, D.C. more of her testimony that was highlighted by the
American Society of Clinical Oncology, visit http:// tinyurl.com/7xta8rv. To see a video on the hearing and the “Drug Shortage Crisis: Lives are in the Balance,” visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9MQhUBkG80. Congressman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) sent out his weekly email to his constituents Dec. 1. He focused on the hearing and Hudspeth’s testimony. To see the House committee documents: http://tinyurl. com/7rkeqnr. Hudspeth said she believes in being proactive. “Let's hope we can be part of turning this terrible situation around.”
2 The CaTalysT, December 9, 2011
Dental partnership between MUSC, Mexico
Applause Program The following employees received recognition through the Applause Program for going the extra mile:
From left: MUSC Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Dr. Mark Sothmann; Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla (BUAP) Dental School Dean Dr. Jorge Albicker; MUSC President Dr. Ray Greenberg; and College of Dental Medicine Dean Dr. Jack Sanders renew a scientific cooperation agreement between the schools Nov. 21. The collaboration was initiated in 1999 as part of an effort supporting craniofacial genetics for both BUAP undergraduate and post graduate students in Puebla, Mexico. Dental faculty taught craniofacial genetics courses and reviewed craniofacial disorder cases and diagnoses with students. In turn, the dental school hosted BUAP faculty and pediatric dentistry residents. This agreement allows both institutions to continue their collaboration in joint activities.
Diversity office seeking nominations for Higgins awards
MUSC’s Office of Student Diversity is accepting nominations for the Earl B. Higgins Awards 2012. Established to honor a former director of minority affairs, the award acknowledges persistence and dedication to positive contributions to diversity enhancement on campus. Submissions must be received by 5 p.m., Feb. 3. The form may be downloaded from http://
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
academicdepartments.musc.edu/ diversity/earlbhiggins.html/. Electronic submissions to burnham@ musc.edu are recommended. However, packets may also be submitted via fax and mail. Winners will be announced March 2. For information, call Willette Burnham at 792-2146 or email burnham@musc.edu. The awards will be presented at a reception April 4 at the Wickliffe House. 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.
Medical Center Ross Sherman, Dietetic Srvs; Steven White, Patient Transportation; Jacqueline Smith, Women’s Services; Terri Massey, Safety & Security/Volunteer & Guest Srvs; Lane Elsey, Safety & Security/Volunteer & Guest Srvs; Kendra Ostrander, Medical Records; Doris Thomas, Medical Records; Eric Matheson, Family Medicine; Frances Washington, Radiology; Kelly Lewis, Radiology; Alexandra Hyatt, 6W; Misty Kahmke, 6W; Rie Reid, 6W; Dottie Weiss, 6W; Rebecca Hank, 6W; Amelia Hoak, 6E; Elaine Sola, 6E; Catherine Gaillard, Radiology; Philip Egloff, Retail Pharmacy; Michelle Vareltzis, Radiology; Susan Barnes, Referral Call Center; John Davis, Radiology; Kellie Adams, Radiology; Brittni Carnes, Speech Language Pathology; Holly Drechsler, Otolaryngology; Bonnie Vasenda, HCC; Keisuke Shirai, Hematology/Oncology; KellyLee Lucas, Urology; Melissa Youngblood, GI; Juliana Akers, DDSL; Lashunda Laboard, 4E; Roberta Whetsell, 7A; Lorena Delgrosso, 7A; Carolyn Zaccardo, 7A; Lauren Ruthven, 7A; Carolyn Smith, Dietetic Srvs; Queen Bowens, Respiratory Therapy; Elizabeth Lynn, Meduflex; Angela Choi, Residents OB/GYN; Roberta Lockwood, 5W; Terry Moore, Environmental Srvs; Laura Haley, PCICU; Loryn Krooner, PCICU; Fletcher Springer, Radiology; Erica Adams, Pathology & Laboratory; Marcye Brown, Radiology; Debra Clontz, Radiology; Anne Bromley, MedSurg; Marguerite Cappuccio, Vascular Lab; Mary Washington, Cardiology; Juliann Wright, Meduflex; Steve Zinna, Environmental Services; Miranda Christy, 7W; Susan Bynum, 6E; Carley Evans, Speech Pathology; Debra Gordon, Psychiatry; Shelia Bryant, Patient Transport; Gretchen Rivers, Psychiatry; Lisa Hunninghake, Psychiatry; Mary Lane, Psychiatry; Donna Oden, Diagnostic Microbiology; Michelle Cooper, Peds Hem/Onc; Norma Evans, Medical Records; Cherise Pelzer, Medical Records; Mike Snyder, Safety & Security; Artemas Burns, Patient Transport; Deon Ladson, Environmental Srvcs; Marquita Mungin, Patient Transport; Ross Sherman, Dietetic Srvs; Tiombe Plair, Social
Work; Erin Bevivino, Adult ED; Rodney Tyler, James Island PT/OT; Nick Brewer, Adult ED; Gilbert Gilmore, Maintenance; Kelly Keiter, Children’s Srvs; Christina Sweatman, 8W; Johnetta Buncum, 8W; Erica Adams, Pathology & Laboratory; Mary Morgan, SEI; David Callahan, Engineering & Facilities; Rebecca Ladson, Environmental Srvs; Courtney Magwood, HCC; Kimberly Anderson, Transplant; Shannon Rivers, Transplant; Chris Hairfield, Transplant; Paul Herndon, Transplant; Sylvia Chapman-Shrock, Transplant; Libby Woodward, Women’s Srvs; Sharon Ancrum, Venipuncture; Gary Gilkeson, Rheumatology & Immunology; Herbert Love, PAS; Joan Ancrum, Patient Transportation; Annie Williams, Pre/Post Anthesia; Tricia Crocker, Pharmacy; Kevin Lee, OR; Linda Washington, Business Ops; Cathy Quashie, Women’s Srvs; Reid Marmillion, Respiratory Therapy; Dennis White, Safety & Security/Volunteer & Guest Srvs; Lucretia Wilson, GI; Wilhelmina Thompson, Pre-Op; Don Nelson, GI; Diane Graves, MedSurg; Kate Miccichi, MedSurg; Elizabeth Henderson, Venipuncture; Elice Graham, Medical Records; Tanya Thompson, 6E; Elaine Sola, 6E; Lisa Mahoney, Women’s Srvs; Edwin Smith, Rheumatology & Immunology; Deidre Williams, PeriAnesthesia; Michell Clarke, DDC; Betts Bishop, 6W; Eric Matheson, Family Medicine; Queen Haynes, Family Medicine; Tara Dais, Family Medicine; Susan Tilley, Family Medicine; Valerie Weeks, Safety & Security/Volunteer & Guest Srvs; Kalee Smith, 9E; Reginald Harney, Patient Transport; Fred Scruggs, 10W; Julia Morton, 7W; Lamont Brown, Environmental Srvs; Chenaithea Greene, 8W; John Carson, 10W; Toschua Thomas, 10W; Melvena Nelson, Environmental Srvs; Vanessa Mitchell, Medical Records; Cherise Pelzer, Medical Records; Erika Sampson, Newborn-Special Care Nursery; George Simon, Hem/Onco; and Melissa Brown, Clinical Effectiveness. University
MUSC Bone & Joint Center; Geoffrey Cormier, University Press; Dustin Hedgpeth, College of Dental Medicine; Christopher Merrell and staff, Orthopaedic Surgery; Gale O’Neal, Human Resources; Wally Renne, College of Dental Medicine; and Thomas Sadowski, Pharmacy.
The CaTalysT, December 9, 2011 3
Evaluation system to feature integrated login, web portal
By Cindy aBole Public Relations
I
n the journey to prepare future health care professionals, assessment of a student’s learning experiences and performances is a valuable part of the educational experience. Starting Feb. 1 the E*Value system will be upgraded to be more user-friendly. E*Value allows students to share timely, constructive feedback about their classroom and patient experiences for required evaluations. For faculty, the system manages monitors and measures student performance. More than 40 medical and osteopathic medical colleges across the U.S. use this health care education management system to monitor institutional effectiveness. The system upgrade will provide an integrated login. Using an individual’s Net ID and MNA password, users will be able to access a new internal homepage linking them to required evaluations, tools, resources and support services that are specific to MUSC. The changes are expected to impact more than 2,500 campuswide users specifically students, residents, faculty and evaluation administrators. The system is capable of collecting, managing, tracking and analyzing information and procedures throughout a timeline to help college administrators and faculty know that they are on track for meeting their program’s core requirements. Previously, students, faculty and evaluation administrators logged into E*Value either automatically through coded links in emails or manually by entering a private user ID and password at the vendor’s homepage. This created the need for each user to remember yet another set of access codes, according to Larry Afrin, M.D., Graduate Medical Education (GME) director of informatics, who also is a member of the E*Value Integrated Login Committee. Afrin, who has worked with E*Value
See PorTal on page 10
Changes to E*Value Integrated Login What is happening? A new portal for logging into E*Value by use of your MUSC NetID. Why is this happening? Reduce the number of user IDs a person needs to remember to access systems that are important to you. Who will be affected? Anyone at MUSC who presently accesses E*Value by logging in at the vendor’s homepage, https://www.evalue.net. Where will this site be located? The dedicated webpage will be found at https://evalue.musc.edu. Users will log in to this page using their MUSC Net ID. Although “go-live” for NetIDintegrated login begins Feb. 1, interested users can try it now at https://evalue. musc.edu and update their bookmarks. When will this take place? The start date is targeted for Wednesday, Feb. 1. How can questions be answered? There is a FAQ section on the MUSC E*Value portal, https://evalue.musc. edu or individuals may contact their college or program’s workplace E*Value coordinator. CM07-661184
4 The CaTalysT, December 9, 2011
Currents Dec. 6 People–Fostering employee pride and loyalty
Helena Bastian, MUHA HR director, presented the following: q HML terminology modification — MUHA is modifying the High-MiddleLow performance terminology to High-Solid- Low. HR will revise all resources to reflect the change. Leaders will conduct HSL conversations with staff through the end of February. q Payroll reminders — Christmas holiday payroll processing: 1st Kronos edit; deadline will be 10 a.m. Dec. 20; Final Kronos deadline will be 10 a.m., Dec. 21; Managers asked to plan ahead to keep payroll for your designated area updated as much as possible; ESL Maximum - cut-off date, Dec. 31, plus accrual ESL; PTO Maximum — The yearly cut-off date is the pay period ending date that includes the Dec. 31 workday; PTO Carryover — An employee having more than 360 PTO hours at the pay period ending Dec. 31, plus the accrual for that pay period will need to consider their excess of 360 PTO hours that will be deducted. The leave cut off will be reflected in the Jan. 11 pay date; ESL Carryover — Employees hired prior to July 1, 2000: maximum ESL carryover into 2012 is 1,440 hours; employees hired on or after July 1, 2000: maximum ESL carryover into 2012 is 720 hours q SML Eligibility and accrual method for January: Eligible employees must have 55 hours of accrued ESL by the last pay of the calendar year. For the purpose of this policy, the last pay period is the pay period which includes the Dec. 31 workday, which for 2011, the payroll ending date would be Dec. 31 (includes ESL accrual for payroll ending Dec. 31); Employees will automatically have up to 12 ESL hours transferred to SML, which will be reflected in the Jan. 11 pay date; SML balance may not exceed 24 hours (Employees with more than 24 hours balance as of Dec. 31 will not be eligible to transfer additional hours. Balances exceeding 24 hours will not be decreased or cut off). q Tuition reimbursement payments:
Final deadline for calendar year tuition assistance request to payroll department will be Dec. 16, which will be paid on Dec. 28 pay date. q Holiday closures: MUHA will be closed Dec. 26 and Jan. 2; Office of Parking Management and University Transportation Services and Campus Mail Services will be closed on Dec. 23, Dec. 26 and Jan. 2. q New hires: Education Verification for new hires must be completed by Dec. 18: Schools and offices will be closed Dec. 18 and Jan. 2; HR will be unable to verify education unless an applicant’s degree is registered with the National Student Clearinghouse; The National Student Clearinghouse does not verify high school diplomas and GEDs. q HBI turnover: Kim Duncan, MUHA HRIS manager, shared details about this reporting program. Highlight name: turnover rolling 12 all; populates data after 45 days; part of a voluntary, involuntary and total turnover; includes regular and temporary employees; can use HBI filters to drill down data or exclude categories; and ability to view data during a 12-month period. Benefit of the Month — December MUSC’s Employee Assistance Program is available to employees who need help handling health and personal problems. All inquiries are confidential. Call 7922848 or visit https://www.musc.edu/ medcenter/eap. Wellness update Susan Johnson, Ph.D., Employee Wellness Program coordinator, reviewed details about MUSC’s move to become a tobacco-free campus March 1. Johnson reviewed details with the new policy, who it affects (MUSC students, employees, patients, visitors, volunteers, contractors and vendors), details leading up to this change, signage plans and enforcement. MUSC is offering smoking cessation programs via MUSC Employee Wellness, musc-empwell@musc.edu; Institute of Psychiatry’s CDAP, 792-5200 and MUSC Pharmacy, all locations. Additionally, MUSC President Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., is looking into providing six months of free smoking cessation-quit smoking classes for employees and students.
To Medical Center Employees At the Dec. 6 management communication meeting, Helena Bastian, director of human resources, announced that we will once again roll out the High-Middle-Low conversations with all employees during January and February with a slight change. She noted a recommendation had been made to change the term “middle” to “solid” and the management team, following a quick survey, overwhelmingly supported this change. Ms. Bastian explained our definition of “middle performer” has always been “solid reliable worker” but some equated the word “middle” with “mediocre,” which was not the intent. Ms. Bastian stated that relevant forms in the MUSC Excellence toolbox (located on the medical center intranet) will be updated to reflect this change. High-Solid-Low conversations provide an opportunity for managers to meet with employees to discuss performance outside of the annual performance evaluation discussion. Conversations should be at least 90 percent positive. High performer conversations give managers an opportunity to recognize employees who serve as role models, express appreciation for their exceptional work and to seek suggestions on how we can improve our organization. Solid performer conversations serve to provide positive feedback, discuss one or two opportunities for further development, and to express appreciation for a job well done. Low performer conversations, targeting a very small group, are intended to be specific about unacceptable behavioral or performance problems, explain how this adversely impacts others and to provide a time frame for improvement. As we approach the holiday season and calendar year end, I want to thank everyone for your dedicated efforts. We kicked off our MUSC Excellence initiative six years ago and we have continually improved patient service and quality of care over the years. Have a happy and safe holiday season. W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center
Quality — Providing quality patient care in a safe environment
Dave Northrup, OCIO director of clinical systems, and John Kratz, M.D., co-chair of the Epic Ambulatory EMR Implementation Oversight Committee, gave an update about the new system that will be replacing Practice Partner in May. Northrup related the committee’s progress in the hiring of 70 part-time trainers who will assist with training of 2,500 users and super users (physicians, nursing/clinical and administrative staff) scheduled from February to May. He also reviewed the system’s patient portal located under the “MyChart” area, physician charges (requires specific data elements such as chief complaint, coded diagnosis, signed progress notes, etc.), order entry with auto-interfaces to lab and radiology, abstracting, and progress in introducing the system with Carolina Family Care. Epic training of users and super users
consist of mandatory classroom training with test. Users must register for training at locations in Mount Pleasant, North Charleston and at MUSC. Other users will receive training via e-Learning or CATTS. Visit http://epic.musc.edu (NetID required if off campus). Quality website update Jennifer Hooks, Performance Improvement Department manager, spoke about concept changes in her area including a new emblem-logo featuring four components symbolizing the cycle of process improvement — Six Sigma, lean, culture change and continuous improvement. Fiscal year 2011 and 2012 YTD highlights included training, improvements with employee satisfaction scores, improvements in quality projects (hand hygiene, patient discharge, etc.), and financial savings totaling $969,691 and training opportunities for MUHA staff growth. Patient transport update Dave Neff, Ambulatory Care Service Line administrator, and Tyler Nance, Ambulatory Care Support Services,
See CurrenTs on page 10
The CaTalysT, December 9, 2011 5
Meet nanCy
• Recreational Gymnastics (boys/girls). • Competitive Gymnastics. • Cheer Tumbling. • Birthday Parties. • Mom’s Morning Out and much more!! Winter Day Camps
Nancy Lemon Department Student Programs, English as a Second Language How long at MUSC 3 years
Dec 19-23 and 26-30.
NEW YEARS EVE LOCK-IN: DECEMBER 31st!!!! Register today at: W W W . G A C G Y M . C O M Off Clements Ferry Road (843) 856-2200
IP02-652277
IP07-658834 1
Unique talent I can call owls. Dream job Either a full-time artist/cartoonist or gardener
NEW NEIGHBOR In your NEIGHBORHOOD
Meal you enjoy cooking Backbone and rice Most embarrassing moment Falling into a bonfire at a professor’s party in college while wearing a tuxedo
PJ Johnson
Call and ask about our
29 massage deal.
553-7272
Call Advanced Spinal Care at
573-9333 | www.aschelpsme.com
LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR
CM02-659827
Your blog http://lemonstree.wordpress.com
North Charleston, SC
We have a wonderful team of doctors and massage therapist who will tailor a plan to get you out of pain fast.
Favorite place in the world Folly Beach
Favorite restaurant Wild Olive Restaurant on Johns Island
Suite 101
00
STATE FARM IS THERE.®
GC04-613952
$
How would you spend $1 million After paying off my student loans, I could buy a really nice pair of jeans.
A must-have in the pantry Cholula hot garlic sauce
2138 Ashley Phosphate Rd.
P rov i d i n g I n s u ra n c e a n d F i n a n c i a l S e r v i c e s
6 The CaTalysT, December 9, 2011
Hands-On Pharmacy Officials gather for the Dec. 1 grand opening of the CVS Caremark Pharmacy Practice Laboratory in the James E. Clyburn Research Center’s Drug Discovery Building. Right, Dr. Donna Harrison, associate professor with the S.C. College of Pharmacy, gives an overview of the practice lab. CM05-643305
Time for a change?
Help is on the way!! For around $20/week you can have
clean diapers delivered
right to your doorstep every week.
843-608-8823
CM02-658825
IP01-658822
CM07-658829 1
www.teenyturtle.com www.facebook.com/theteenyturtle beth@teenyturtle.com 1300 Savannah Hwy • Charleston, SC 29407
GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE
The Catalyst, December 9, 2011 7
MUSC hero answers an unexpected call of duty
When Adam Kornegay, manager of the Clinical Neurophysiology Services, came into Rutledge Tower Oct. 2, the last thing he expected was to be running down the hall for a fire extinguisher. Kornegay came to work to help administer an MUSChosted exam being given by ABRET (American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologists), the national credentialing board for the electroneurodiagnostic community. Ninety-eight people from throughout the country were taking the test, including examinees from as far as Ireland and Saudi Arabia. Kornegay said the people “had a lot invested in this examination” between test fees and travel expenses. Kornegay was sitting in an office speaking with a section leader of the examination when he heard a fire alarm sounding for Rutledge Tower. He was immediately confused because he knew no one other than examiners and examinees should be in Rutledge Tower 6, he said. He got up and began quickly checking the halls for the source of the problem. Shortly after beginning the search, he saw the smoke bellowing out of the examinee break room. When he rushed through the door and saw the flames leaping from the counter top to the cabinets, his
Adam Kornegay holds a hot water pot similar to the one that started the fire in the break room. adrenaline was pumping. He was playing a major role in hosting the exam. He felt responsible. “I was in the zone,” he said. “I didn’t even know who else was there.” Somebody had left the water boiler switched on with no water in the pot, which caused the heating mechanism in the water boiler to melt the plastic, catching napkins and tea boxes on fire. He rushed to the counter, grabbed the napkins and tea boxes, threw them in the sink and turned the water on. When Kornegay saw that the pot itself was still
CM02-655484
flaming very high, he was about to fill a cup of water to douse it when he noticed the cord on the pot was melted. He thought, “Wait, that’s electric. I can’t use water, that’s going to be bad.” Running down the hall to retrieve the closest fire extinguisher, he returned to spray the flames. In all the excitement, Kornegay failed to realize how much smoke from the burning plastic he was inhaling. This, coupled with his asthma and a stubbornness to keep doing his job, sent him to the hospital for two days from smoke inhalation. After the flames were out, the smell of burned plastic encompassed the floor where the test was being given. Kornegay and his team had to move the testing to a higher floor in Rutledge Tower. ABRET executive director Janice Walbert was instrumental in moving the exam upstairs and allowing Kornegay to stay focused on communicating with the administration, firemen, public safety, environmental services and caterers. Kornegay said that everybody did an amazing job resuming the test. There were no complaints from the examinees. Everybody pulled together. “It was almost surreal how well it worked.” Two weeks after the fire, his voice was still weak from the smoke chemicals. Marjorie Tucker, president of ABRET, praised how well it was handled. Kornegay said this is a tribute to the faculty and MUSC facilities that things were able to run smoothly for the examinees.
IP02-651294
By JeB edwards Public Relations
8 The CaTalysT, December 9, 2011
Cummings to launch lung cancer prevention study
By dawn Brazell Public Relations
A
n encyclopedia of knowledge on anything you could ever want to know about the health effects of smoking and tobacco policy, K. Michael Cummings, Ph.D., knows how to tell it like it is. Just ask the tobacco industry. Cummings, who joined MUSC in October as a professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, has authored landmark reports for the Office of the Surgeon General and the National Cancer Institute. In the late 1990s, Cummings scanned and posted online previously-secret tobacco industry documents detailing how product design influences smoking behavior and nicotine addiction. He has served as an expert witness against the tobacco industry in prominent legal proceedings, including cases that resulted in the Master Settlement Agreement. He has a plaque “tobacco road” on top of a bookcase in his office in the Bioengineering Building, where he works as part of Hollings Cancer Center’s Cancer Prevention and Control program, leading research on tobacco control, public policy and smoking cessation. When asked what his vision is for South Carolina, he details an impassioned plan. “We can’t afford tobacco anymore. It’s a luxury. The odds of dying from smoking — one out of two. Get a coin out and flip it. If you’re a smoker, one out of two will die prematurely as a result from smoking — not good odds. Not good odds when you look at your parents or your sister or siblings, or co-workers who are addicted to cigarettes.” More than 440,000 Americans are going to die this year from smoking and that number can be multiplied by 20 to compute the number of people seriously ill from smoking in this country, he said. As one of the world’s leading authorities on tobacco policy, Cummings wants to start changing the statistics in this state, bending back the mortality curve. He brings to bear his 30-year experience from Roswell Park
“Imagine if we had a vaccine to prevent one-third of all cancers. The answer is we do — don’t smoke.” Dr. K. Michael Cummings Cancer Institute in New York where he ran the New York state smokers’ quitline, building it up to be the biggest quitline services in the world serving more than a million callers since opening in 2000. He’s used to working with rural populations with high smoking rates and low access to health care. “The opportunity here to grow a program brought me here. Tobacco remains a big problem in the South, even though most tobacco used in US cigarettes today is imported from overseas.” Cummings also is interested in the problem worldwide. He’s involved in studies in 22 countries, tracking the beliefs and attitudes of smokers and nonsmokers and the effectiveness of varying policies used to treat smokers. Cummings said the rising smoking rates internationally will have a huge impact on public health with serious economic repercussions. “One-third of all cancers are due to smoking. Imagine if we had a vaccine that could prevent one-third of all cancers. The answer is we do — don’t smoke. If we could reduce cigarette consumption by 10 percent we could prevent millions of deaths from cancer over the next two decades.” While biomedical research to improve detection and treatment of cancer is important to do, the most immediate benefits for cancer control will come by lowering smoking rates in the population, he said. It costs every South Carolina household about $1,000 per year to cover the health care costs from smoking-related illnesses.
“We can’t afford to subsidize tobacco profits any longer.” Cummings said Hollings is already doing important research on tobacco and tobacco cessation. Most of his research at Roswell stemmed from what he learned about addiction from smokers who came to his cessation classes. He wanted to find out why they were having such a hard time quitting and develop effective treatment strategies. He’s encouraged by the latest scientific advances that range from studying the effectiveness of combination therapies to the development of nicotine vaccines that could be used to help the body develop an antibody to nicotine. Cummings’ plans include establishing comprehensive smoking cessation services available to residents statewide and launching a large study combining smoking cessation with spiral CT scanning to screen heavy smokers and formerly-heavy smokers for lung cancer. MUSC was part of a large national study by the National Lung Cancer screening trial that found a 20 percent reduction in mortality from lung cancer because low-dose spiral CT screenings led to earlier detection and treatment. “Here’s the exact reason you do translational science. This is translating the science of imaging and biomarkers into something that will make a difference on a population-wide basis. About two-thirds of lung cancers are diagnosed in a late stage where treatments typically don’t work well. We’ve got to make a bigger difference, and we’ve got to do it sooner.” Cummings’ hope in the next decade in the state is to drop the late-stage detection rate of lung cancer from two-thirds to under a third. This will flip the survival curve around so that most of the lung cancers can be managed the way most breast cancers are today. He’ll continue to do what he does best — educate people about the dangers of tobacco use so they can make educated decisions. He has compassion for smokers. “They get addicted to the product. The product has
See Cummings on page 9
The CaTalysT, December 9, 2011 9
The holiday season is the busiest time of the year, filled with parties, shopping and celebrations. Although considered the “most wonderful time of the year” as the song goes, it can also be the most stressful. There are many strategies to combat holiday stress such as exercise, sleep, and proper nutrition, but not everyone thinks of meditation. Ramita Bonadonna, Ph.D., R.N., psychiatric consultation liaison nurse, provides an overview of meditation and demonstrates the stress-relieving benefits for dealing with holiday stress. Meditation is an ancient practice of training attention, she said. If one sits still for just a few moments and simply focuses attention on the breath, for example, it quickly becomes evident that the mind is a very unruly thing with thoughts jump from one topic to another to another. There are many different ways to practice meditation, and all cultures and religions have their version. One of the most basic is breath awareness: bringing all of one’s attention to focus on the in and out breath, experiencing the way the body feels as it breathes and returning to the breath whenever attention strays. This is not a process of forcing attention, but gently bringing attention back, over and over again, to the breath. Bonadonna said meditation practice sounds simple, but
Cummings Continued from Page Eight
a high abuse liability. I think people ought to have free choice. This is about free choice,” Cummings said, citing research that most smokers would quit if they could. He likes to educate smokers about what it’s going to be like to quit, how to prepare for a relapse, and what it is about cigarettes that makes them so addictive and lethal. Cummings believes smokers have a right to know cigarettes are engineered to be inhalable and highly addictive. That’s why 85 percent of users today are addicted, persistent daily users. “You have 15 percent
it is not easy, so some people wonder why they should make the effort. “When the mind is preoccupied with events from the past, or anticipating the future, we miss the present moment, the only moment we have. With practice, we learn to let go of mental distractions and direct the attention to experiencing life, right here and now. When the skill of directing attention is developed, it becomes possible to find deep satisfaction in the midst of the simplest daily activity.” Bonadonna encourages everyone to give themselves the gift of presence for the holidays by trying out meditation. Employee Wellness events q Employee Fitness Series: A free Pilates class will be held from 12:15 - 12:45 p.m., Dec. 13 at the MUSC Wellness Center. Participants will receive a free day pass to the wellness center. Email musc-empwell@musc.edu. q Lunch & Learn: Sign up for a Holiday Stress Management session from 12:15 - 12:45 p.m., Dec. 14, Room 102, Colbert Education Center & Library. Tammy Yarnall, clinical instructor with MUSC Employee Assistance Program, will discuss strategies for navigating holiday stress without negative effects. Space is limited. Email musc-empwell@musc.edu.
WHY SO BLUE? BEE STREET LOFTS IS HAVING A SALE!
Does the negative news and economic hard times have you down? Cheer up: There will be a lot of opportunities in real estate NOW and in 2012. *It’s our once-in-every-two-decades sale. We haven’t had a sale like this since Eisenhower. * Plus, interest rates are at near record lows: *30 year fixed rates at 3.99 *In 1980’s, interest rates topped 18 percent *There is no better time to buy in Charleston, South Carolina
Call me today, you will thank me tomorrow!
CM02-657334 1
Employee Wellness
WWW.BEESTREETLOFTS.COM www.myheavenlyreward.com 49 Broad Street c 843.793.4023 Charleston, Josephine@CarolinaOne.com SC 29401 www.charlestonwelcomehome.com
Josephine Traina, Broker Associate
Sweet DreamS Joe Secondary (left), a registered polysomnographic technologist, staffs an informational table hosted by MUSC Sleep Disorder Center for a two-day night shift appreciation and awareness event. The purpose was to provide informational materials on healthy life adjustments for those who have to cover late shifts. Topics included shift workers syndrome, the social and family issues of shift workers and how to improve your health even if you work nights. For information on these topics, contact the center at 792-9534 or at night, 792-8506. of people who use alcohol and have an abuse problem. With cigarettes, 85 percent get hooked and typically struggle for decades before they quit or get sick. That’s why cigarettes are such a huge problem. There is no reason that cigarettes have to be designed to make them so hard to quit, except that tobacco companies have chosen to put their profits ahead of the health of their customers. This has to change, and it can be changed.” To see an interview with Cummings, visit http:// www.youtube.com/user/prmusc?feature=mhee. To see MUSC’s tobacco-free campus website, visit http://www. musc.edu/tobaccofree.
CM07-640512
10 The CaTalysT, December 9, 2011
PorTal Continued from Page Three
with GME resident training since 2002, is among campuswide educators who have been planning this login and portal changes for the past two years. “Accessing the system by clicking on the coded links in E*Value’s emails will still work fine, but as of Feb. 1, users who need to manually log into E*Value (for example, to log in duty hours or clinical procedures) will manually log in through the new MUSC E*Value portal (https://evalue.musc.edu) using their Net ID and password,” said Afrin. “E*Value has served us well. This upgrade will allow users to use their NetID credentials to access a customized MUSC-based portal through which they can access evaluations as well as news, training and information that’s relevant to our campus.” With E*Value, evaluations can be customized to adapt to any college’s specific needs. Evaluation administrators review responses, disseminate and analyze data to make recommendations to curriculum changes or provide other educational improvements. In addition to facilitating evaluations, the program features other customizable programs and tools that can be used to manage information, prepare for accreditation visits and streamline tasks. For example, the South Carolina College of Pharmacy uses E*Value’s optimization scheduling and site management tools to help with clinical rotation and preceptor off-site location management and reporting. The College of
E*Value Integrated Login Committee Marna Stilley, chair, OCIO; Michele Adelson, OCIO; Dr. Lawrence Afrin, GME; Melissa Freeland, CHP; John Imholz, OCIO; Dr. Stephen Malley, Dental Medicine; Alicia Martinez, GME; Mitchelle Morrison, OCIO; and June Taylor, Pharmacy Nursing uses its own version of the MyFolio electronic portfolio for data collection using templates and customizable data fields. Several colleges are using other tools to improve communications and coursework management and standardize data collection processes. Marna Stilley, an information systems analyst with the Office of the Chief Information Office Director of Educational Assessment Systems, chairs the integrated login committee. She also is a member of the E*Value super user work group, an adhoc work group that gathers to share best practices, identify and resolve systemwide issues and optimize efforts using E*Value. Stilley said one priority was the need to eliminate duplicate accounts from E*Value, which created confusion and inefficiency. According to Stilley, the problem should be resolved with the change to NetID-based login, plus improvements to training and education among managers, supervisors and campuswide users. Last year, MUSC renewed its E*Value contract and expanded its scope so that all tools offered by E*Value are availabile to the MUSC community.
CurrenTs
Continued from Page Four
announced that the hospital’s patient transport service went live as of 7 a.m., Dec. 6. Services are available at Rutledge Tower, HCC, University Hospital, Children’s Hospital and ART. He reminded managers there are three ways to request a patient transport: bed board (inpatient users), the MUHA intranet (use quick links, patient transport request), and Rutledge Tower clinics (DAL computers-dedicated auto log). Neff thanked MUHA Hospital Patient Transport Services Task Force members who have contributed to this project. Hand hygiene Neff provided an overview of the new Hand Hygiene Compliance Rewards Program. The Hand Hygiene Compliance Rewards Task Force worked closely with Infection Prevention & Control Department to establish the rewards program to encourage and recognize inpatient units, clinical support departments and outpatient clinics who have achieved great success in meeting or exceeding the 90 percent compliance goal. The new system will initially focus on inpatient adult and pediatric hospital units. The first rewards will be presented in mid-January based on hand hygiene compliance audits completed in October to December 2011 timeframe.
Buy or Sell with the agents
who are doing business in today’s market
61 CLOSED transactions CM02-658560
so far in 2011 & another
7 under contract as of 12/2/11
Visual Tour of the Week.
HAFA Short Sale Certified REALTORS Call us to see if you qualify for this Short Sale Program
Selling Charleston
Call Matt Poole at 830-0027 or Randall Sandin at 209-9667to learn more
IP07-655878a
BryanThompsonRealestate.com • South Carolina Native – MUSC Focused • Placing your home on 40+ websites • 15 years marketing and sales leadership experience • Bryan.Thompson@AgentOwnedRealty.com Bryan Thompson 843-452-1686
CM07-638346
The CaTalysT, December 9, 2011 11
CLASSIFIED P AGE • Household Personal Items for MUSC employees are free.
All other classifieds are charged at rate below. Ads considered venture-making ads (puppy breeder, coffee business, home for sale, etc.) will be charged as PAID ADS •• PROOF OF ELIGIBILITY REQUIRED * NO MORE THAN 3 LINES * FREE ADS RUN 2 WEEKS ONLY!
PAID ADS are $3 per line (1 line = 28 characters) DEADLINE: TUESDAY – 10:00 AM * CLASSIFIED ADS CAN BE E-MAILED TO sales@moultrienews.com, OR MAILED (134 Columbus St., Charleston SC 29403) Please call 849-1778 with questions. *Must provide Badge No. and Department of Employment for employees and Student I.D. Number for MUSC Students. IP01-213824a
• Drapery in Any Configuration • Fabric Window Shades • Cellular Shades • Silhouette Window Shadings • Outdoor Patio Furniture • Mattresses and more... Freshen Your Room & Protect Your Investment! Approved cleaning process for most Hunter Douglas products: Quick Drying Times ( just a few hours) COUPON
Misc. Services
Freshen Your Home for the Holidays with Expert Drapery & Shade Cleaning
Why Buy A New Roof? When I can repair your old. We paint tin roofs. 296-7407
50% OFF
FIRST CLEANING Expires 2-18-2012
We Guarantee:
• No Shrinkage or Damage
• No Loss of Flame Retardants • No Loss of Sizing Resins
843.849.6067
Transportation
Visit our website at www.cleanshades.com and book your pre-inspection
Ford Explr '00,wht,70k $2800. Runs great. Damage to bumper and fender. 556-3107
IP04-660598
IP03-659907
CM07-641605
12 The CaTalysT, December 9, 2011
C07-654535