June 14, 2013
MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA
Vol. 31, No. 42
Three Children’s Hospital specialties ranked
By Ashley BArker Public Relations
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he pediatric nephrology program at the MUSC Children’s Hospital earned its first top-50 performance in the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals rankings. The nephrology program (No. 31) joins cardiology and heart surgery (No. 21) and gastroenterology and GI surgery (No. 39) on the list, which was released June 11. “These rankings identify these programs as extremely high-quality programs,” said Rita M. Ryan, M.D., chair of pediatrics at MUSC. “Our pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery program has been a top-tier program for years and remains the only pediatric cardiac surgery program in the state, with important partnership from all of the other tertiary pediatric cardiac programs in the state, which combine as the Children’s Heart Program of South Carolina.” More outreach clinics for pediatric cardiology are being planned in Beaufort and Georgetown by July. To improve the program even more, the Children’s Hospital is investing in creating two additional beds in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit soon, increasing the PCICU capacity to 14 patients. The GI program jumped 10 spots since last year’s rankings thanks to new experts in inflammatory bowel disease. “The GI program got a huge boost with the addition of two new faculty,
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Dr. Christine Carter-Kent, from the Cleveland Clinic, and the new division chief, Dr. Antonio Quiros, from San Francisco, who brings super-specialized endoscopy skills to the program,” Ryan said. The new entry for this year’s ranking, the pediatric nephrology, or kidney disease, program has risen under the leadership of new division chief, Ibrahim Shatat, M.D., who was voted top pediatric nephrologist by USNWR last year. He has special interest in hypertension and brought significant national recognition to the division by hosting the Midwest Pediatric Nephrology Consortium, a clinical research network, in Charleston earlier this year. The nephrology program also enhanced the MUSC Children’s Hospital pediatric solid organ transplant program, which includes kidney, heart and liver transplantation. It hired new pediatric kidney transplant nephrologist Katherine Twombley, M.D., who joined the Department of Pediatrics in 2012. “Working with the transplant department, Dr. Twombley made our pediatric transplant program one of the top programs in the country,” Shatat said. “Currently, Dr. Twobley is working on new protocols to give children with kidney failure – who previously were not candidates to receive a kidney transplant due to incompatible immunological profiles – a better chance by desensitizing them, a process that is performed in only
VerizOn FOundatiOn New smartphone technology helps patients manage and improve their health.
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Demarco Brayboy, 7, jokes around as Dr. David Sas, Department of Pediatrics, tries to examine him, June 13. Demarco has end-stage renal disease and needs a kidney transplant. The MUSC Children’s Hospital nephrology program is ranked 31st in the U.S. News & World Report. a handful of medical centers around the country.” Also a part of the program’s success is the establishment of the pediatric kidney stone program, which provides a comprehensive workup and management tools for children who suffer from the disease. MUSC’s David Sas, M.D., along with pediatric urology colleagues, created the program in order to identify risk factors of kidney stones and clinical interventions to prevent their recurrence.
u.S. newS & wOrld repOrt The full rankings and methodology are listed at www.usnews.com/ childrenshospitals and in the “Best Hospitals 2014” guidebook, which will be available in August. “In the Division of Pediatric Nephrology, every member comes to
See Specialties on page 9
On the Side
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Infection prevention
Child Life specialist designs animal puppets for Piccolo Spoleto performance.
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Meet Sarah
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Family Fund
READ THE CATALYST ONLINE — http://www.musc.edu/catalyst
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Verizon gift helps keep doctors, patients connected By Allyson Bird Public Relations
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ector Chocobar noticed a change in himself. He seemed sluggish, yet his body felt like it was speeding up. A musician and pastor, he felt drained after a single song. His friend, medical translator Judith Rundbaken, noticed the change, too. She saw Chocobar’s bloodshot eyes and his agitation. Recognizing that language stood as a barrier between her friend and the medical care that he needed, Rundbaken recommended that he come to MUSC for a study funded by the Verizon Foundation. Program manager Brenda BrunnerJackson took his blood pressure reading. “Well, it’s not such good news for you," she said. “But it’s good news for us: You are the right person.” Chocobar’s blood pressure reading came in at 185 over 120, considerably higher than the optimal reading of 120 over 80 and crossing into the realm of severe hypertension. Chocobar, a 51-yearold father, knew the problem. He had moved to North Charleston seven years ago from Argentina, where beef, bread and pasta dominate the native diet. “It was very hard for me, because I’m not very disciplined,” Chocobar said. “I love all types of meat.” His bad eating habits, coupled with a language barrier to health care, made Chocobar a prime candidate for help. The Verizon Foundation recently provided the MUSC College of Nursing
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 Ashley Barker, barkera@musc.edu
with a $46,000 grant for the Smartphone Management of Hypertension and Diabetes Program. The program provides smartphone-connected electronic medication trays and blood pressure cuffs to patients, primarily minorities who live in rural areas. The project falls under the Verizon Foundation’s $15 million investment in technology to improve health care in communities where Verizon employees work and live. South Carolina ranks among the states with the highest incidence of diabetes, hypertension and stroke. Through the grant, residents get trays that not only store their daily medications but that provide a series of reminders for when to take them. The alerts begin with a blinking light. If the patient doesn’t take the medication from its compartment within a half-hour, a chime alert follows. After another half-hour, the patient receives an automated call. On the rare occasion that the call fails, Brunner-Jackson and Rundbaken receive automated calls and then personally contact the patient. Medication trays and blood pressure cuffs connected to smartphones provide faster, more thorough care to minority patients with diabetes and hypertension. The service is made possible through grant funding from the Verizon Foundation. Both the trays and the blood pressure cuffs transmit health data to a secure computer server. Patients receive personalized motivational messages, based on their success with the program. 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.
Hector Chocobar checks his blood pressure with a cuff provided through the Verizon Foundation’s grant to the MUSC College of Nursing. Their physicians receive weekly progress reports. Frank Treiber, Ph.D., professor of Nursing and Medicine, pointed out the widespread appeal, given that nearly 94 percent of adults have cell phones, and that almost half of those cell phone users own smartphones that could work with this technology. [Treiber also is the MUSC Endowed Chair for the South Carolina Centers of Economic Excellence Technology Center to Advance Healthful Lifestyles.] “What we’re able to do is help patients manage their health care more effectively,” Treiber said. “Doctors provide input on what patients should be doing. Patients provide input on how they would like to go about meeting those goals and what motivates them to become healthier. Summary reports help doctors to intervene faster in treatment, rather than the typical approach of waiting until the next scheduled clinic visit, three or six months later. We can get those patients to the right dose faster.” Treiber also noted that regular monitoring prevents a patient from
Medication trays and blood pressure cuffs connected to smartphones provide faster, more thorough care to minority patients with diabetes and hypertension. The service is made possible through grant funding from the Verizon Foundation. gaining weight or not taking his medication and winding up in the emergency room. The next step, he said, is to ensure that patients continue with their programs for years and not months. These days Chocobar eats beef sparingly, and he cut bread, salt and soft drinks from his diet altogether. He monitors portion size and noticed some new changes in himself. He sings an entire set and feels fine, even reaching for higher notes than before. He had to buy a new wardrobe full of slimmer pants, and he looks at self-discipline much differently now. “It’s not a sacrifice. It’s just taking care of my own health,” Chocobar said. “This program is excellent, but if we do not take proper care, there is no program that will help us.”
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MUSC praised for infection prevention excellence By Cindy ABole Public Relations MUSC won national recognition in its continued quest to prevent health care-associated infections by receiving an outstanding achievement and leadership award. Linda Formby, Infection Prevention & Control manager, and Cassandra Salgado, M.D., hospital epidemiologist and medical director for Infection Prevention and Control, accepted the award for eliminating central-line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI). The award was given by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Critical Care Societies Collaborative in conjunction with the National Teaching Institute and Critical Care Exposition. Each year infections that are acquired while patients receive treatment in a health care setting cost health care systems billions of dollars and can have long-term effects on the health of patients. Since 2012, MUSC joined a national effort to prevent HAIs by establishing quality-based practices and goals. In this year’s group of hospitals and health care organizations recognized for achieving excellence in reducing HAIs, MUSC was the only institution tapped for reducing CLABSI in four critical care areas – neurosurgical ICU, cardiothoracic ICU, pediatric ICU and pediatric cardiothoracic ICU. Salgado and Formby were especially proud of this accomplishment. “This recognition reflects continued dedication and collaboration between all care providers in the ICU, infection preventionists, and support from hospital administration and leadership,” said Salgado. According to Salgado, MUSC’s success recognize collaborative efforts that included the adoption of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement line insertion bundle, service line leadership goals, formation of a multidisciplinary “Zero BSI [bloodstream infection]” team,
Dr. Cassandra Salgado, medical director for MUSC Infection Prevention & Control, left, joins Dr. Don Wright, deputy director for the Department of Health and Human Services, and Linda Formby, manager for Infection Prevention & Control. development and implementation of a line care maintenance bundle, and participation in state and national CLABSI prevention projects. These efforts resulted in significant improvements in the hospital’s culture of safety and HAI awareness. MUSC reduced the CLABSI rate by 62 percent over 36 months, sustained a 66 percent relative decrease in overall ICU CLABSI rate and a 92 percent relative decrease in the overall pediatric ICU CLABSI rate. Each critical care area sustained CLABSI reductions below the National Healthcare Safety Network mean benchmark in seven of eight ICU areas. However, four of these ICU areas achieved greater than 50 percent reduction in CLABSI throughout a 36-month period. These include neurosurgical ICU (71 percent relative-reduction), cardiothoracic ICU (73 percent), pediatric ICU (95 percent) and pediatric cardiothoracic ICU (91 percent). Vance Donahoo, R.N., cardiothoracic ICU nurse manager, has led his team to 36 months with zero CLABSI. He
See Excellence on page 10
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MUSC Medical Center Communications Corner To view MUSC’s performance, visit the MUSC Excellence website on the intranet: http://mcintranet.musc.edu/muscexcellence.
What’s all the CAHPS about? onsumer
ssessment of
ealthcare
roviders and
ystems
HCAHPS — CGCAHPS — HHCAHPS — EDCAHPS — PEDCAHPS — ASCCAHPS
What:
Why:
—CAHPS is a patient self-reported survey that measures perceptions of the consistency of the quality of care they received. CAHPS is not intended to be a patient satisfaction survey. —Most question responses relate to frequency: always, usually, sometimes, never. —Some item responses relate to agreement: strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree. —Results are reported as “Top Box,” which means the percentage of responses that were the top choice (always or strongly agree). —There are different versions of CAHPS for different providers: H = Hospital, CG = Clinicians and Groups, HH = Home Health, ED = Emergency Department, ASC = Ambulatory Surgery Center, PED = Pediatrics.
—CAHPS was created by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. —CAHPS is one of the performance criteria that CMS uses to evaluate the quality and value of the services it pays for with Medicare and Medicaid dollars (value-based purchasing). —Based on performance, CMS will pay providers less than, equal to or more than they have been paid in the past. —The goal is for MUSC to be one of the providers that gets paid more than in the past.
HCAHPS (Hospital) MUSC began using the HCAHPS survey in adult outpatient areas in October 2007. The survey includes: Two overall questions 1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your care? 2. Would you recommend this hospital to friends and family? Eight composites with two or more questions 1. Communication with nurses 2. Communication with physicians 3. Communication about medications 4. Responsiveness of hospital staff 5. Pain management 6. Discharge information 7. Environment of care (cleanliness and quietness) 8. Care transitions
CGCAHPS (Clinician and Groups) —We will begin to use this survey in July 2013 for the adult clinics. —Assesses the quality of ambulatory primary and specialty —Some refer to it as the “sister survey” to the inpatient HCAHPS survey. —Results and data will be publicly reported at www.physiciancompare.hhs.gov The survey includes six composites: 1. Access to care 2. Provider communication 3. Office staff 4. Follow up on test results 5. Overall provider rating 6. Willingness to recommend
The CGCAHPS survey will eventually become a required measurement for full reimbursement initially for Medicare, but also for private insurers who are interested in the tool. More information on CGCAHPS survey can be found on the Ambulatory Care Service Excellence website, located on the medical Almost every hospital that receives Medicare payments participates in the center intranet. survey. Results for all participating hospitals are reported publicly online. Check out MUSC’s performance on HCAHPS and other quality metrics online, and compare the medical center with other area hospitals at www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.
Did you know?
Only “Top Box” answers count. If all patients answer “Usually,” MUSC’s score is zero percent.
The CATAlysT, June 14, 2013 5
Meet Sarah
Sarah Daanen Department South Carolina Clinical & Translational Research Institute (CTSA) How you are changing what’s possible at MUSC By coming to work with a positive attitude and taking every opportunity to learn something new How long at MUSC Seven months Unique talent Rowing. I am a two-time ACC champion. Dream job Art museum curator Meal you love to cook Any meal with Brussels sprouts What do you do on a rainy day Rearrange my furniture Nickname in high school Spud Dream vacation Going to the El Prado Museum in Spain and eating my way around the world Favorite quote “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” — Jane Goodall
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News stories that have been featured on MUSC’s News Center include (from left): Dietitian Janet Carter, featured in a teen obesity News You Can Use package holding up a model of five pounds of fat; Dr. Louis Guillette’s studies on the environmental effects of chemicals on embryonic development; and Dr. Michael Schmidt’s insights into the microbial world and copper’s benefits in combatting hospital-acquired infections.
Top 8 reasons to bookmark MUSC News Center W
ith national trends showing that more people like to get their health news through multimedia outlets, MUSC’s Office of Public Relations has launched a new digital platform. The new platform complements current communication outlets and includes a news center, a onestop shop for the latest in what’s happening in clinical and university news. Heather Woolwine, MUSC media relations director, said that staff spent many months sifting through the best news centers at other academic health centers to devise an overall digital platform that serves the news media, the public at large and the MUSC family. “MUSC is joining a number of top-tier academic health centers nationwide who have decided that we have the advantage when it comes to reporting health news to a wide variety of stakeholders.” Here are the top eight reasons to check it out. 1. Multimedia format: The MUSC News Center is updated weekly with what’s happening on campus presented in a multimedia format that includes photos, graphs, charts, videos and links to related news stories
and MUSC events.
2. Storytelling is at the heart of the news center, which will feature more photos, including galleries, and videos for those who like to “see” their news. 3. The “Suggest a Story” feature allows readers to write in their story request and specify what channels they’d like it to be featured, including the campus’ weekly newspaper The Catalyst, MUSC News Center and social media outlets. 4. The “In the News” section at the bottom of the MUSC News Center features the latest ways colleagues and the institution have been making headlines. 5. “A Featured Expert” section on the public relations landing page highlights MUSC’s leading experts with an overview of their expertise and background, including a short video of them explaining why they are leaders in their field. The “Featured Expert” archive is a useful tool for media and the general public interested in finding out about these experts and their specialties. 6. A “News You Can Use” section offers informational packages for the public, with downloadable forms and centralized links to expert sources. For example, the “Obesity in Teens” package includes four downloadable forms created by MUSC experts that parents can use to help children and teens become healthier. 7. Directing more online traffic to all MUSC websites, the News Center will be another source to collect analytics to better assess how to serve the community. According to statistics from the Pew Research Center, 81 percent of U.S. adults use the Internet and 59
percent say they have looked online for health information in the past year. Thirty five percent of U.S. adults say they have gone online specifically to try to figure out what medical condition they or someone else might have. Another Pew report found one in three cell phone owners (31 percent) have used their phone to look for health information. In a comparable national survey conducted two years ago, 17 percent of cell phone owners had used their phones to look for health advice.
8. The site is media friendly. It features stories of interest to general media outlets, providing access to useful background information, video and photos. With MUSC’s strategic goal to achieve national recognition as a top-25 academic medical center by the year 2015, the news center provides a responsive outlet to increase coverage of how the institution has and is making its mark on local, national and international levels. Woolwine said the Office of Public Relations will be seeking feedback, and it will evolve based on that interaction. “We want all of those involved with MUSC to use this new addition, and we welcome feedback to continually improve the site experience. We have the power to connect with those who care about what’s happening at MUSC in an unprecedented way, and we couldn’t be more excited about using this platform and watching it grow.” To visit the new site, go to http://musc.edu/pr/. Click on “News Center” on the left navigation tab or visit http://musc.edu/pr/newscenter/.
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Cast members for Piccolo Spoleto used puppets made of recycled materials to bring Noah’s Ark alive on stage during a performance of “Children of Eden.”
Child Life specialist Lacey McInish makes final design adjustments to animal puppets with the help of cast members during rehearsal before Spoleto began.
Child life specialist designs puppets, eases fears By MoniCA FABunAn Public Relations
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he curtains open, the music starts to play and the performance begins. With a sigh of relief, MUSC Child Life specialist Lacey McInish is relieved to know that the show she helped design is off to a good start. McInish was the assistant set and animal puppet designer for “Children of Eden,” as well as the technical production assistant for “Tell Me On A Sunday.” Both shows were presented by Midtown Productions during the annual arts festival Piccolo Spoleto. Held May 24 – June 9 in Charleston, Piccolo Spoleto included more than 700 events from various genres of art
including dance, theatre, music, film, poetry, jazz, crafts and international culture. McInish, who was involved in the art and theatre community when she was a student at the University of Alabama, joined Midtown Productions with only a month to organize and build the show. “We worked on the show 24/7 and didn’t sleep much. But once the show started, we felt like the hard part was over,” said McInish. The puppets she helped build were made of recycled and donated materials such as bottles, musical instruments, personal items, discarded construction materials and grocery bags. All of the costumes were made from organic and natural materials or recycled clothing.
The 90-minute show, which featured talent from the Charleston Acting Studio, was an event featured in Piccolo Spoleto’s theatre series and was performed in the Footlight Players Theatre on Queen Street. McInish’s role in the Child Life program at MUSC includes therapeutic play, diagnosis teaching, family support and coping support during procedures. “I found out about child life from a little girl I used to babysit. She was a patient at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, where there was a big child life program,” said McInish, who has been at MUSC for three years. She draws inspiration from the world of the arts. By blowing bubbles, encouraging messy craft projects and
playing silly songs on an iPad, McInish is able to break down the misconceptions and fears the children have while in the hospital. She’s able to put on a show, both on stage and in a hospital room.
on The side
MUSC is full of people who do extraordinary things, both at work and “On the Side.” Whether it’s being in the roller derby or doing community work, we’d like to know what employees are up to when they leave the campus. If you know of someone who should be featured in this periodic series, e-mail catalyst@musc.edu.
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Family Fund provides $2,500 to Empowerr program Empowerr team members get together for a recent retreat. From left: Dr. Ben Saunders, Dr. Andrea Jones, Paige Green, Dr. Jenna McCauley, Dr. Carla Kmett Danielson, April Borkman and Dr. Ken Ruggeiro. To learn about the program, go to http:// academicdepartments. musc.edu/empowerr.
By Ashley BArker Public Relations Carla Kmett Danielson, Ph.D., has learned a thing or two about how to get high-risk adolescents to stick around for a lesson on HIV prevention. Lesson one: provide food; lesson two: make them earn “swag.” Danielson is the director of the Empowerr (Ethnic Minority Preventative Outreach and Web-Based Education for Risk Reduction) program and is an associate professor in the MUSC Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences’ National Crime Victims Research & Treatment Center. Her research and clinical expertise involves traumatized adolescents who engage in risky behaviors. When she found out in October of 2008 that South Carolina was nationally ranked in the top 10 for HIV prevalence, Danielson applied for a grant with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to begin the Empowerr program. The team — which includes MUSC faculty Drs. Ben Saunders, Jenna McCauley, Michael de Arellano, Alyssa Rheingold, Ken Ruggiero, Tatiana Davidson, and Jan Key, and coordinator April Borkman — delivers evidence-based risk reduction programming to over 250 minority youth in Charleston County. Through a collaboration with Lowcounty AIDS Services, free rapid HIV testing is available to teens both at Lowcountry AIDS and via mobile testing. Danielson and her team also expanded the program’s research through webbased intervention. “When you look at the data, over 90 percent of kids are online these days, whether it’s traditional internet or on phones,” Danielson said. “We took one of our interventions called SIHLE, which is focused on African-American young girls and is meant to bolster ethnic and gender pride, and translated it for web-based delivery.” The online SIHLE curriculum, currently passwordprotected, will be free and open to the public with a national push beginning in September if beta testing goes according to plan. The confidential four-part curriculum will be available to youth and organizations interested in learning risk reduction tools. “Prior to completing one of the Empowerr interventions, 40 percent of kids participating in assessment reported using condoms,” Danielson said. “Three months after completing one of the interventions, the statistics jumped to 83.3 percent.” Once a teenager starts the program, he or she usually finishes it too. The completion rate within the Department of Juvenile Justice, one of the program’s partners, is 89.7 percent, according to Danielson. “We’re very encouraged by the results. Most people don’t know what a problem HIV is in the area. It’s
“The YES Campaign is helping to provide resources for food in our groups and some swag like T-shirts, pencil pouches and water bottles.” Dr. Carla Kmett Danielson
really shocking for people when they start to look at those numbers. I think part of the awareness is starting to get out there,” Danielson said. “We’re also very interested in spreading our reach. We’re looking to make a difference wherever we can. “ The original grant from SAMHSA will be ending soon, so Danielson recently began applying for more funding options. The MUSC YES Family Fund The 2013 YES Family Fund received 46 applications and was able to award more than $30,000 to 16 different projects. They are: q CPR classes for pediatric cardiology families, Children’s Hospital – $579 q Pediatric Diabetes Emergency Treatment Project, Pediatric Endocrinology – $1,000 q Helping Little Hearts, Pediatric CT surgery – $2,500 q Astodia Transilluminator, 7A Children’s Hospital – $868 q Children’s After Hours Care spirometers, Children’s Hospital – $1,993.80 q Ozzie’s Project, Child Life – $2,500 q Sickle Cell Sisters Support Group, Child Life – $2,500
responded in a big way. The YES (Yearly Employee Support) Family Fund is supported by employees who give during the YES Campaign. Since it was established 14 years ago, more than $280,000 has been awarded to projects. The Empowerr program received $2,500. “The YES Campaign is helping to provide resources for food in our groups and some swag like T-shirts, pencil pouches and water bottles. Also, as part of the testing we’re doing to prepare for the national launch, the plan is to raffle off an item of some sort for kids who participate and give us feedback,” Danielson said. “It will go a long way. When you think about the impact, these funds will indeed offer a wonderful, high-yielding impact. If you change one kid’s behavior, every person that kid comes into contact with, whether it’s through talking about what they learned or their actual decision making, the behavior transcends.” For more information about the YES Family Fund, visit https://giving.musc.edu/yes/. q Multidisciplinary Cardiac Clinic, Therapeutic Services – $2,478 q Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Psychosocial Program, Child Life – $2,500 q Children’s Hospital Bereavement Program, Children’s Services – $2,500 q Pediatric Diabetes Alert Project, Pediatric Endocrinology – $625 q CARES Clinic, Family Medicine – $2,500 q Charleston Three Star Cycles, Occupational Therapy/Therapeutic Services – $2,500 q Follow-Up After Cancer Therapy (FACT), Pediatrics – $1,000 q Empowerr program, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences – $2,500 q Project REACH, Institute of Psychiatry – $2,500
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Prenatal care group to begin at MUSC By AnnAlise BAker-WhiTCoMB Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
CenteringPregnancy has been introduced at other institutions as well, including Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Boston Medical Center. Centering enteringPregnancy, a new model of group prenatal Pregnancy at those institutions has provided positive benefits for both mother and child, lowering rates of care, will be introduced at MUSC in July. preterm birth and underweight babies while increasing This model offers all the advantages of a group, the rate of breastfeeding. without taking away any benefits of Group members in CenterPregnancy individual care. Low-risk women of a similar WATCh programs may ask questions that others had gestational age will meet for 10 group The Video been wondering about or that the other sessions. Each session will have a topic members may not have thought to ask. related to their stage in pregnancy, time for http://youtu. In many cases, women in the group have questions and answers as well as individual be/i_4-ZoACzWk continued to meet long after the birth of check-up sessions, according to assistant their babies. professor Gweneth Lazenby, M.D. This MUSC will be part of a statewide study, model also extends the time of each visit including five other locations, according to Lazenby. from the usual 15 minutes to approximately two hours. These institutions will offer CenteringPregnancy to “The goal of CenteringPregnancy is to provide their patients in the hopes of demonstrating improved women with a support network of other women who outcomes among the participating women. are pregnant, to assist them in providing one another For information about CenteringPregnancy, with advice, as well as for the provider to spend more time with their patients in education about pregnancy,” visit www.MUSChealth.com/centering or call 792-5300. said Lazenby.
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speCiAlTies Continued from Page One work every day keeping in mind that all we do and all the accomplishments we achieve are because and for our wonderful patients,” Shatat said. Ryan said the clinical service providers at MUSC Children’s Hospital amaze her with their superb care for the children who are admitted into the hospital. “The hospital provides support for all of the nurses and other health care providers who work as a team to provide for the success of these programs,” she said. “The children of South Carolina are extremely fortunate to have the level of quality for these programs available so close to home. The excellence in these areas also attracts pediatric medical and surgical specialists in other areas as well.” The USNWR 2013-
2014 America's Best Children's Hospitals, the most extensive listing of its kind, includes 50 hospitals in each of 10 pediatric specialties: cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and GI surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology, and urology. Eighty hospitals across the country ranked in one or more specialties. “MUSC Children’s Hospital deserves high praise for its accomplishments,” said Avery Comarow, USNWR health rankings editor. “MUSC Children’s Hospital has a reservoir of dedication and expertise that helps the sickest kids. Our goal at U.S. News is to identify and call attention to pediatric
Dr. David Sas goes over paper work with medical student Sara Hampton Ritchie. centers like this one.” This year, U.S. News surveyed 178 pediatric centers to obtain hard data such as availability of key resources and ability to prevent complications and infections. The hospital survey made up 75 percent of
the rankings. A separate reputational survey, in which 1,500 pediatric specialists — 150 in each specialty — were asked where they would send the sickest children in their specialty, made up the remaining 25 percent.
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New blood donation program seeking champions By susAn Johnson, ph.d.
BlOOd driVeS
Office of Health Promotion
June 21: 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Ashley River Tower in the auditorium; June 26: 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the Horseshoe. Schedule an appointment online at redcrossblood.org (sponsor code: MUSC).
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he American Red Cross donation site at the university hospital closed April 5 due to spacing issues. In response, hospital administrators and Red Cross staff met to discuss alternative methods to continue meeting the blood supply demands — at MUSC there are more than 35,000 blood transfusions each year. Blood can only be stored for a short period of time; therefore, it must be collected every day to ensure that there is enough blood. Blood donation facts: q Donating blood is a safe process. A sterile needle is used only once for each donor and then discarded. q Blood donation is a four-step process: registration, medical history and mini-physical, donation and refreshments. q The actual blood donation typically takes less than 10 to 12 minutes. The entire process, from the time you arrive to the time you leave, takes about an hour and 15 minutes. q The average adult has about 10 pints of blood in his
body. Roughly one pint is given during a donation. q A healthy donor may donate red blood cells every 56 days or double red cells every 112 days and may donate platelets as few as seven days apart but a maximum of 24 times a year. q All donated blood is tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and other infectious diseases before it can be released to hospitals. q Information you give to the Red Cross during the donation process is confidential. It may not be released without your permission, except as directed by law.
exCellenCe Continued from Page Three attributes his unit’s success to staff education, good collaboration and a focus on best practices for cardiovascular line care and insertions. CTICU staff work closely with anesthesia teams by infusing sterile techniques of the operating room in all line placements. To avoid contamination, his team does not draw blood from CV lines, but only from peripheral intravenous lines. “I feel our continued use of education and demonstrations of best practices will sustain our success,” said Donahoo. Likewise, the pediatric cardiothoracic ICU has gone 19 months without a CLABSI. Nurse manager Kim Montgomery, R.N., praised her unit’s team approach in this accomplishment. Every person from physicians and nurses to the unit housekeeper plays an important role to patient outcomes, accountability and adopting a culture of zero tolerance to ensure success, according to Montgomery. Their efforts were led by an infection prevention team that
developed initiatives, improvements to handwashing and other actions. Salgado said that by preventing 369 cases within the past 36 months, MUSC has saved 66 patient lives and $13.3 million in health care costs. “I want to thank all of those who work in the ICU patient care areas as well as the infection preventionists and hospital leadership responsible for this award. The impact for our patients is profound, and, for that, I am most proud of MUSC,” Salgado said. MUSC joined St. Francis Health (Ind.), University of Michigan Health System, HealthEast St. John’s Hospital (Minn.), Beth Israel Medical Center (N.Y.), Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center (N.C.), Novant Health (N.C.), East Carolina Heart Institute at Vidant (N.C.) and Vidant Medical Center (N.C.) as the 2013 recipients of this annual award presented at the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition.
MUSC’s Office of Health Promotion and Laboratory Services are working together to establish a new blood donation program on campus without a permanent donation site. Approximately four times a month, blood drives will be scheduled at different locations across campus. Champions are key to a successful program as they lead volunteer recruitment, scheduling, promotion and serve as a motivator and educator for their team. To learn more or to sign up to become a champion, email musc-empwell@musc.edu. Eligible individuals must be at least 17 years of age, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. Donors are asked to eat breakfast and drink plenty of water before arriving. All presenting donors will receive a free cup of frozen yogurt courtesy of Sweet CeCe’s Charleston and will be entered into a drawing for $25 to be used in an MUSC cafeteria, courtesy of Sodexo.
The CATAlysT, June 14, 2013 11
eMployee WellneSS The Employee Wellness program promotes the health and wellness of the MUSC community. The following are events and classes offered through the program. For information, contact Susan Johnson, Ph.D., at johnsusa@musc.edu or Suzan Benenson Whelan at whela@musc.edu. Be sure to like the Employee Wellness page on Facebook to keep up with events. Employee Wellness events q Worksite screening: On June 18 in Room 105B, McClennan Banks, a screening, valued at about $350, is available to employees and their spouses with the state health plan for $15. Employees and spouses without this insurance can participate for $42. The screening includes: height, weight, blood pressure and a blood draw for a blood chemistry profile, hemogram, and a blood lipid profile. To register, go to www. musc.edu/employeewellness and click “Worksite Screening Appointment.” q Employee Fitness Series: Physio-ball will be offered from 4:15 until 4:45 p.m., June 19. This free class will deliver an overall body workout that will challenge and improve muscular endurance and strength, improve cardiovascular fitness, increase core strength and control, and improve
body efficiency and function. Participants will receive a free day pass to the Wellness Center. E-mail musc-empwell@musc.edu to register. q MUSC Healthy Challenge Tuesdays with the RiverDogs: Tuesday night games are geared toward a healthy lifestyle, featuring a sponsorship with MUSC Wellness Center, Healthy Charleston Challenge and support from the Urban Farm. Healthy concessions are available throughout the season, featuring the MUSC Urban Farm Veggie Taco, made from crops grown on the farm. Discounted tickets to all Tuesday games throughout the season are available with reserved group seating. Tickets must be purchased by noon the day of the game. Gates open at 6 p.m., and game time is 7:05 p.m. Visit http://cr1. glitnirticketing.com/crticket/web/gpcaptcha. php. When prompted to enter the password, type “healthy.” Urban Farm: q Early-bird maintenance: Get your day started with a care for the farm from 7:30 until 8:30 a.m., June 19. q Work and Learn with child-friendly activities: From 9 until 11 a.m. on June 15, bring a plastic bag and take home some fresh produce in return for work efforts on the farm.
GiFt ShOp Still Open
Kalex Carmichael checks on the variety of flower arrangements available at the university hospital’s temporary Re:Sourxe Gift Kiosk. The shop is located inside the cafeteria dining area. Aside from flowers, the kiosk offers candy, snacks, toiletries, cards, balloons and other items. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays and Noon to 4 p.m., Saturdays until renovation to the main shop is completed by late summer. Re:Sourxe also manages the recently renovated gift shop in Ashley River Tower. Hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., weekdays and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., weekends. For information, call 876-5761.
12 The CATAlysT, June 14, 2013
radiOlOGy pie thrOw helpS healthy BaBy prOGramS
Women’s Club accepting nominees for scholarships The Medical University Women’s Club is accepting applications for scholarship recipients. All full-time MUSC students in their second or subsequent years from any of the six colleges are eligible. Previous applicants may also apply. Applications may be downloaded from http://academicdepartments. musc.edu/womensclub/scholarship.
Radiology nurse Alice Bright prepares to throw a pie in the face of manager Rob Finch on the MUSC Horseshoe. Bright was among more than a dozen MUSC employees who purchased a $1 chance to “pie” a radiology manager to support the March of Dimes. According to Janice Petrilla, team captain, the group raised $1,1118, with $369 collected during the pie throw. Remaining donations came from employees and patients pledges and wall tag sales.
SAVE THE DATE FACULTY CONVOCATION KEYNOTE ADDRESS: ROBERT M. SADE, M.D.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013 • 4:30 pm Drug Discovery Auditorium • DD110
htm. The deadline for submission is 4 p.m., Aug. 27. Applications may be submitted via email to muwcscholarship@gmail.com or dropped off at the Volunteer Services Office, 101 North Tower (behind admissions desk). For information on the scholarships, email Tiffany Talacs at muwcscholarship@gmail.com.