Aug. 22, 2014
MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA
Vol. 33, No. 1
SOLVING THE MYSTERY OF CHRONIC PAIN Public Relations
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ebbie Talley was desperate. The 62–year–old Greenville woman had seen dentists, driven to Georgia for an appointment with a specialist and even had a tooth pulled to try to relieve her chronic pain. Nothing worked. “The pain in my gums affected my entire body. At night I was so tired I’d just break down in tears because the pain was all over. I told everyone I’m not depressed, but I feel like I’m going to die an early death,” Talley said. Then, a dentist told her about a specialist at MUSC. She ended up in the office of orofacial
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Haiti Outreach MUSC volunteers provide handson care to Haitians.
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I told everyone I’m not depressed, but I feel like I’m going to die an early death. Deborah Talley, describing pain that affected her whole body
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BY HELEN ADAMS
pain expert Theresa S. Gonzales, DMD and professor in the Department of Stomatology in the College of Dental Medicine.
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“She immediately knew what was wrong,” Talley said. “When I left there, it was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.” Gonzales, who was one of the speakers at MUSC’s recent scientific retreat on pain research, examined Talley carefully. She didn’t just focus on her gum pain. She asked Talley about her overall health, seeing the gum discomfort as part of a larger picture. They spent more than an hour discussing Talley’s pain, which began after she had two dental bridges put in and got worse after a tooth was pulled to try to ease that pain. The discomfort eventually spread to other parts of her body. Gonzales’s diagnosis involved something Talley
See Gonzales on page 8
Convocation Sets Tone
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Dental Impressions Day
‘Patients first’ was President David J. Cole’s message in speech.
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Meet Colleen
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Autism
READ THE CATALYST ONLINE - http://www.musc.edu/catalyst
2 THE CATALYST, August 22, 2014
OVERHEARD AT MUSC WHO MUSC President David Cole, M.D., FACS, joins the Volunteer and Guest Services Department in making the Family Support Luncheon memorable for patient families. WHAT The Family Support Luncheon is a quarterly event hosted by the Volunteer and Guest Services Department. The luncheon is intended to serve families whose loved ones are staying in the hospital. The most recent luncheon took place in the Solomon Conference Room at the Thurmond/Gazes Research Building and served nearly 150 people. Local hotels provide all the food, drinks and paper products for the events. The U.S. Army 841st Transportation Battalion and Meducare Shuttle Service also participate in putting on the luncheons. The battalion helps escort elderly guests into the building and also assists with
Editorial of fice MUSC Office of Public Relations 135 Cannon Street, Suite 403C, Charleston, SC 29425. 843-792-4107 Fax: 843-792-6723 Editor: Cindy Abole catalyst@musc.edu Catalyst staff: Mikie Hayes, hayesmi@musc.edu
cleanup at the end of the meal. Meducare provides transport for families, ensuring they have a safe trip from Ashley River Tower or the main hospital to the luncheon. The combined effort of the department and its volunteers transforms the luncheon into something more than a simple meal. It becomes a brief getaway from the anxieties and difficulties families often face while their relatives are patients. Families are able to share their personal situations with one another 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.
and converse with department employees and volunteers, receiving sympathy, comfort and a listening ear in a setting outside of waiting and hospital rooms. This time, however, the luncheon was particularly special thanks to one of the more notable volunteers: President Cole. TEACHING, LEADING BY EXAMPLE During the luncheon, Cole sat down with family members to eat lunch and talk to them. He learned about their situations and listened intently as they shared details about their relatives who were in the hospital receiving care. He engaged them with compassion and humility befitting his role as a surgeon and new president of one of the country’s top medical universities. MUSC concierge, Coco Dumont, described Cole’s interaction with the families, “He went from table to table, talking to each person he could talk to, sitting and spending time with each one of them. He
wasn’t drilling them or interviewing them—he was simply listening.” Kelly Hedges, department coordinator of Volunteer and Guest Services, described a scene from the luncheon that stood out in her mind. “The families could sense his compassion. Usually, they see a long white coat and they get tense and they don’t know what to expect. And here this physician is speaking to them—listening to whatever story they wanted to tell him. I was filling one gentleman’s drink, and he asked me, ‘Who was that doctor?’ I said, ‘That is the president of our organization’ and he said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’ He couldn’t believe it.” Not only did Cole have an affect on the patient families, but he also has been making an impact on members of the Volunteer and Guest Services Department. Concierge Andrea Shrader said that whenever he passes by her desk he makes sure to say hello. Her colleague, Information Services Specialist Sharon Robinson, also mentioned how Cole took time out of his busy schedule to speak with a group of candy stripers at the front desk in the University hospital. Hedges said of Cole: “He’s just an excellent role model for our organization, and I think what my team saw at that luncheon will inspire us to be better at our jobs and to be better at serving our patient families. Everyone left a little changed that day.”
THE CATALYST, August 22, 2014 3
Event makes impression on potential dental students
Staff Reports
Undergraduate students from across the country participated in MUSC’s Impressions Day July 19, an event that allowed them to envision a day in the life of an MUSC dental student. This student–led Impressions Program allowed prospective students to participate in the experience of prepping a tooth, using a handpiece; waxing a tooth; and making dental impressions. After touring the James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine clinic, the participants gained feedback from current dental students through mock interviews. The students also were coached about how to boost their qualifications for dental school, keys to gaining acceptance into dental school, scholarships for dental school, and the demands in the life of a dental student. The personal interaction between faculty, current dental students and future dental students aids students in the necessary steps to becoming a dentist. Established in 1970, the Student National Dental Association was organized to connect diverse populations of dental students throughout the country. As an adjunct to the National Dental association, SNDA looks to create camaraderie, leadership and connections through the service of our communities
photos provided MUSC College of Dental Medicine students participated in Impressions Day with prospective dental students. Pictured left, dental students learn the process of waxing a tooth. and by increasing the minority population in the dental but to provide an enriching social environment for minority dental students. occupation. Among the numerous programs the MUSC SNDA SNDA strives to decrease the oral health disparities chapter intends to implement this year are the Sugar of individuals with a lower socioeconomic status; provide dental assistance in local communities; and not Free Fall Festival and delivering Christmas gifts to only expand minority matriculation into dental schools “Adopt a Family.”
4 THE CATALYST, August 22, 2014
MUSC infectious disease expert treats kids in Haiti BY HELEN ADAMS Public Relations
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t’s a long way from the historic streets of Charleston to the unpaved roads of rural Haiti in more ways than one. Not only is it a trip of more than a thousand miles, it is also a journey to a country trying to recover from years of government corruption, the devastating 2010 earthquake, a cholera epidemic, and poverty described by the U.S. government as the worst in the Western Hemisphere. In June, a team of medical students, physicians and other health care providers from MUSC made that journey on a volunteer mission to help people in central Haiti, about an hour and a half from the capital city of Port–au–Prince. They were based in Thomonde, an agricultural community of just a few thousand residents who have beautiful views of green hills and grazing farm animals but don’t have easy access to health care. International agencies, including the World Bank and World Health Organization, rank health care in Haiti as poor. Fewer than half of the people there have the recommended immunizations, there are sanitation problems and people die from preventable diseases. “We saw a lot of people who had problems that you don’t typically see in the U.S.,” said Terry Dixon, M.D., Ph.D. Dixon, an MUSC pediatric infectious disease expert and assistant professor of pediatrics, served as a mentor for the students on the trip. One example that stood out: “We treated some kids who had chikungunya,” remarked Dixon. Chikungunya has nothing to do with chickens. It is a mosquito–borne virus and its name comes from an African word meaning “to become contorted.” The term describes how the virus’s victims look as they deal with the severe joint pain it causes. Since there is no medicine that specifically treats chikungunya, the MUSC team treated the children’s symptoms and made them as comfortable as possible while the virus
A team of MUSC medical students, physicians and other health care providers volunteered to go to central Haiti, about an hour and a half from the capital city of Port-au-Prince, to help villagers in that region and learn about hands-on medicine. ran its course. Other ailments the MUSC team treated in Haiti were less exotic but surprising in their own way. “We saw one teenager who had heartburn for eight months,” Dixon said. “Here, I’d just go to the drugstore and get some Zantac and call it a day, but he didn’t have that. You really felt for this guy to have that kind of pain for so long.” The MUSC team helped hundreds of patients during their week-long stay in Haiti. They were based in a clinic in Thomonde provided by the non–profit organization, Project Medishare, and students and mentors were sent out into even more rural areas each day to reach as many people in need as possible. Three–quarters of the patients were children, according to Dixon. Many of the people treating those patients were relatively young as well. The MUSC group was organized not by a professor or a dean but by medical
students with the group MUSC Service Learners International. They wanted to experience what it was like to practice medicine away from the technology– filled facilities at MUSC. In Haiti, expensive equipment was in short supply. The students had to rely on what they’d learned about hands-on medicine. Before the trip, “I underestimated and underappreciated” the importance of physical exam skills, said second–year medical student Melissa Hite. She was not the only one. Dixon smiled, remembering how other students evolved during their time in Haiti, learning to listen closely to their patients and trust their own observations. “A kid coming in with a cough, a fever, they perform an exam and find all the signs of pneumonia,” Dixon said. “And we say, ‘This kid has pneumonia. What do you want to do?’ They’re like, ‘Well, I’d like to get a chest X–ray.’ You’re like, ‘Why? You already know the kid has pneumonia from your exam.’”
The pace was fast. For example, Dixon estimates that he and another MUSC pediatrician on the trip treated more than 250 patients during their week in Haiti. Back home in Charleston, they would typically treat about 28 in the same timeframe. By the end of their visit, the MUSC volunteers were tired but exhilarated. “These experiences do a lot to build character,” Dixon said. “It’s great for the students because it reinforces why they’re going into the medical field.” The trip served another purpose as well. It allowed the students and their mentors to make use of MUSC’s Center for Global Health. The Center helps the MUSC community find funding and other resources for volunteer work outside the U.S. Dixon received one of three newly established Faculty Mentorship grants the Center offers to travel on his most recent trip to Haiti. “The mentorship grant was extremely important because it allowed me to travel to Haiti and provide guidance to our students,” said Dixon. “I was very grateful to receive the grant.” The breadth of expertise and knowledge offered by SLI’s mentors gave students an opportunity to treat a large number of difficult cases with real–time, immediate feedback in an environment devoid of advance diagnostic technologies. “Dr. Dixon is unique in that his specialty of pediatric infectious disease is very relevant to the population that we work with, and his knowledge of disease is not only admirable but indispensable in our work,” said Hite. MUSC had the foresight in implementing its 2010–2015 Strategic Plan to include globalization among its four areas of emphasis. The Haiti trip provided a good example of the reason for MUSC’s growing interest in global health. The chikungunya virus that doctors and students encountered there recently appeared in South Carolina for the first time in a person who had recently returned from Haiti. Dixon predicts more cases here in the future as mosquitoes carrying the virus move into the U.S., providing a reminder that health issues are not bound by borders.
THE CATALYST, August 22, 2014 5
MEET COLLEEN
Colleen Sacknievich Department Pediatric Endocrinology/Developmental Pediatrics How you are changing what’s possible at MUSC I bring a ton of energy and a super positive attitude with a smile to work every day. I am easy to connect with and have a talent for making patients feel at ease. How long at MUSC 90 days Children Girls, Sophia and Emma; boys, Collin, Ryan and CJ What music is in your player now Tim McGraw Who in history would you most like to meet and why My great grandfather. He played an influential role in the history of Ireland. Meal you love to cook Shrimp scampi with angel hair pasta and a touch of homemade sauce Favorite weekend activites Play volleyball, swimming and running
6 THE CATALYST, August 22, 2014
Status quo no longer the status quo
Cole urges culture change at convocation (Editor’s note: Following is the 2014 Faculty Convocation keynote address by MUSC President David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, August 19 in the Drug Discovery Auditorium.) I’d like to thank you all for being here today as we kick off a new academic year and take time to honor your outstanding achievements as faculty. I’m especially grateful for the opportunity to speak with a group of people I’ve been proud to call my friends, colleagues, and mentors for the past 20 years. It was a personally humbling moment when I realized that I had been chosen to assume the role of president. The board of trustees understood the challenges that lay ahead and knew their choice would have an enduring impact on the future and direction of this institution. They realized that if we were going to come through these challenges and actually be better and stronger, it would be because of the people in this room. And so I believe that they chose me because they placed value and trust in someone who was raised in this culture, knows our challenges, and understood our faculty. MUSC is privileged to have you: highly dedicated and innovative clinicians, scholars, students, and scientists. You represent the heart, mind, and soul of this institution and every day your dedication to the betterment of others is visible through your passion for teaching, your scientific pursuits, and your compassionate care. The fabric of our academic culture is based on mutual respect and teamwork. It is one that values diversity, inclusion, and tolerance at every level. This sort of environment leads to an open exchange of ideas and ultimately is the genesis of true innovation. As a forward thinking institution, we will continue our commitment to a culture that is by definition diverse and inclusive, and to draw our strength from this rich tapestry of cultures, ideas, and talent that is provided by all of the 12,000 individuals who together make us MUSC. I have been at MUSC for 20 years and have dedicated the better part of my professional career to this institution. I know where we’ve been and understand exactly where we are in this moment. I know where we need to go. I’ve also been the one in the audience at these convocations wondering “when is this speech going to end?” So, my goal is to be as clear and succinct as I can. We’ve celebrated many outstanding accomplishments and we’ve been in the foxhole together during times of challenge. Day in and day out, we’ve worked together at
photo by Anne Thompson, Digital Imaging
the bedside, in the lab, in the O.R.s, and in the lecture halls. I consider MUSC to be my family. That’s why I embrace this opportunity to lead this institution and, with you, forge a bold path forward for MUSC. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy said, “The American, by nature, is optimistic. He is experimental, an inventor and a builder who builds best when called upon to build greatly.” His words seem fitting for today as they define what is best about this institution. What is best about us. Since I’ve been here, we’ve built our reputation from that of a locally and regionally–respected institution into a national rising star. Our trajectory has been steady and remarkable. I believe today we are the best we have ever been. Although there are many metrics that could back up this statement: NIH funding, clinical market share, patient and student satisfaction scores, UHC quality rankings, let me tell you my personal litmus test: Through the years, when I was at a national conference and someone would ask where I was from, I’d say MUSC. And they’d say: “Wow, Charleston’s a great place to live!” As true as this is, it would frustrate me professionally. Increasingly, however, today, when I have the same conversation they will say “Oh yeah, I heard about what you all are doing in trauma, or stroke care, or community outreach, or drug rehab” …and the list goes on. That’s a real change you can’t measure. I’m sure a lot of you have had the same experience. And while I believe we are the best we’ve ever been, there is still so much more we can do.
Everyone in this room knows there are challenges ahead. Nationally, this is a time of dramatic change for health care with significant financial pressure on clinical providers, dwindling resources for researchers, and pressure to change models of health care without much of a roadmap. This is affecting academic health centers, and so too MUSC. We may not be able to control these external forces, but we can engage them on our own terms. For me the fundamental question is not whether we will have challenges, but rather, how will we respond to them. With challenge, there always is an opportunity to come out the other side better and more unified. But to accomplish this, we must fundamentally transform how we do things. For a moment, let’s consider two possible visions of the future. The first path is one of trepidation, resistance, a dire financial outlook. We see professional uncertainty; a persistent and increasingly fractured health care system in a state of upheaval; students pessimistic about their futures; and faculty insecure, devalued, and defeated. The second path, however, is one filled with anticipation, common purpose, and a shared bright future. It reflects an enterprise working seamlessly together at all levels. We built valuable partnerships that are benefiting us. Morale is high. People feel valued. Silos are eliminated. The concept of them and us does not exist: We are us. Right now, we’re standing at the crossroads, staring
See Cole on page 10
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Have you seen the Big Red Shoes around town? Would you like to own a pair just like the ones Darius Rucker wore? Well here is your chance! The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Charleston is presenting the first ever Red Shoe walk, this October, in Hampton Park. It is sure to be an action packed event that you will not soon forget!
Here’s our plan… Sign up now at www.RedShoeWalk.com and we will provide you with your very own brand new pair of the big red shoes. A $50.00 deposit fee is required. Sign up on the website to have a private link to send to family and friends for donations! Between now and October 25th, we are asking each participant to raise $1,600, the cost of running the House for 1 night. On average, our House turns away 8 families every night due to a lack of space. This year, we are expanding our home to help more families in need. We will be adding 5 bedrooms for a total of 32 rooms. We will then convene for a walk like you have never experienced before! Don’t worry about the size of the shoes, as one size fits all! All participants will in fact be wearing the Big Red Shoes for a mile walk around Hampton Park. Who: the entire Charleston community What: Charleston’s first Red Shoe Walk benefiting the Ronald McDonald House Where: Hampton Park: 30 Mary Murray Dr., Charleston, SC 29403 When: October 25th, 2014 10:00am Why: We need your help to continue supporting children and families in their time of need.
For more information, contact Rachel at Rachel@rmhcharleston.org
8 THE CATALYST, August 22, 2014
GONZALES Continued from Page One had never heard of. “On top of orofacial pain, I had central sensitization. That played a huge part in this gum area. She informed me about the healing process when you had that. If I ever have an operation I am to immediately let her know,” Talley. said. When she received that diagnosis of central sensitization, it was the first time that Talley felt like someone finally understood the extent of her pain. Central sensitization is a somewhat mysterious but real nervous system disorder. Gonzales said that the cause is often unknown, but it is probably triggered by changes in the brain in response to repeated pain. Doctors are becoming better at monitoring those changes thanks to the development of new non-invasive neuroimaging and electrophysiological technologies that are revealing how both acute and chronic pain affect signal processing, metabolic activity and even structural changes in the brain. Gonzales said they have learned that the amount of gray matter in the brain actually shrinks in both volume and density when a person is in chronic pain, leaving the patient less able to cope with that discomfort. In Talley’s case, the chronic pain that resulted from her dental procedures may have been the trigger that caused her brain to start overreacting to pain, leading to daily discomfort, interrupted sleep and an overall feeling of discouragement. Gonzales prescribed the muscle relaxer Baclofen and put Talley on a daily regimen of physical exercises designed to supplement the medication. It includes posture and head movements and even a specific routine designed to help Talley reduce how much she moves while she’s asleep. Talley’s case helps illustrate a problem that Gonzales said is all too common: People in chronic pain often struggle to find relief. She sees that often in her role as director of orofacial pain management at MUSC. “Chronic pain is poorly treated in general,” Gonzales said. “Only about half of chronic pain patients say they have any relief from treatments, and about the same number say they feel they have very little control over their pain.” The majority of health care expenditure, between 560 and 635 billion dollars a year, is spent on chronic pain management, she said. “So we have this enormous need and that need is growing. By 2030, 20 percent of our population will be in that cohort at increased risk for the development of chronic pain by virtue of their age. So it’s probably okay to spend that much revenue on chronic pain. What’s not okay is to spend that much money and have so little return on the investment from a patient perspective.” To get a better return on that investment, Gonzales
photo by Sarah Pack, Public Relations
Dr. Theresa Gonzales helps patients figure out complex chronic pain conditions. Gonzales is director of the Center for Orofacial Pain Diagnosis and Management at MUSC’s College of Dental Medicine. said health care professionals who treat chronic pain need to acknowledge that they can do a better job of easing their patients’ discomfort and make sure they get the full picture. For example, in her experience, Even though patients the average oral may present with just one facial pain patient problem, such as TMJ or has seven “co– temporomandibular joint morbidities,” or disorder, Gonzales gets a medical conditions thorough patient history that happen at to learn about the jaw the same time but pain as well as to find out are independent if that person has other of each other. discomforts, too. Gastrointestinal problems, reflux, irritable bowel trouble, headache, fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivities and sleep disorders often come as a group, she said, and doctors need to work together to address those problems.
MUSC is in the process of creating a “chronic pain working group,” with experts in fields including dentistry, gastrointestinal disorders and psychiatry, to more effectively treat people’s pain. In the meantime, Gonzales makes a point of putting her patients’ chronic pain into a holistic context. For example, if someone comes to her with what he or she believes is temporomandibular joint disorder, Gonzales gets a thorough patient history to learn about the jaw pain as well as inquire if the patient has any other discomforts. Odds are, the answer is yes. “Studies show the best treatments are multi-modal. Cognitive behavioral therapy, combined with judicious use of pharmacology, combined with physical selfregulation, how to control your own nervous system to reduce or stop amplifying the pain experience,” she said. Talley said the way that Gonzales handled her case, looking not only at her gum pain but also at the reason it persisted and affected the rest of her body, was lifealtering. “I’ve told everyone about her,” Talley said. “I have suffered so long. I can’t tell you how much she changed my life.” To see the full multimedia package on this story, visit MUSC News Center at www.musc.edu/pr/ newscenter/2014/Gonzales.html.
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at two paths, in some ways like Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken.” I’m sure you’ve heard it: “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth…” And so he closes: “I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and II took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” Like the traveler, we are forced to make a choice. But there’s a difference: Whereas he has no real guide or definitive basis for decision–making, we have the ability to directly impact our future and see much farther down the path. So, how do we create the “path that makes all the difference” — the bright future? We have to start by answering three questions. What, why, and how. First, what? In this changing landscape, what are we about? What do we do? We generate breakthrough research, educate the future, and provide the best patient care possible. That is our directive. Why? For me it is a basic desire to make a difference; it is not enough to provide excellent health care, we must strive to make a difference in peoples lives, to change the future, to actually redefine what is possible in health care. So that leaves us with how. How do we successfully face this new reality called the future? How is the hardest one to answer and yet the easiest to envision. Simply put, we need to focus on providing the best care possible for our patients. We need to transform who we are so that we actually put our patients first - now and in the future: first in clinical care, first in research, first in education. If we do this correctly, everything else will follow. The truth is: We can either lead that change or let it lead us. And when we choose to lead the change, I believe we can and will become
photo by Anne Thompson, Digital Imaging
President David J. Cole joins students during orientation. How do we do that? a truly preeminent leader amongst I believe we start by thinking big and academic health centers. communicating well. We need to build In this reality, if you stopped anyone interprofessional teams that will break who was a part of MUSC and asked down traditional internal barriers and why they helped someone find the hold each other accountable in an open information desk or spent the extra hours to make the grant deadline, they’d and affirming manner. We think without limits and are open say it’s because at MUSC everything we to change rather than cling to the status do puts our patients first. quo. We take an honest look at what is Patients first. What does that mean? working with a willingness to discard q It means not having to sit in a what isn’t. waiting room for 2 ½ hours. We get on the right path by aiming for q It means not having to register three a culture of transformational thinkers, times during a one–day appointment. team builders, and fully–committed q It means building an educational partners who value what each member curriculum that promotes brings to the table. interprofessional care that greatly And, we cannot stand alone. Looking benefits the patient. externally, we need to build effective q It means fast-tracking translational partnerships, with industry, sister research efforts — ensuring novel institutions, the community, the state, treatments and cures make it to the and beyond to stay on the right path. bedside faster. Let’s face it…. changing culture is hard q It means being able to assure that the patient gets the right care at the right work and requires commitment and communication. It takes buy-in from time at the right place, and not wasting everyone. Human nature resists change. millions of dollars on care that is often Eight years ago, when our kids were redundant, unnecessary, or ineffective. in middle school, we decided to move Every single one of us on MUSC’s across the street. The new house was campus is here in some way to enhance literally across the street from our current the patient experience. house. In my parent brain it didn’t even By and large, I think most of us are “patient-centered,” at least in our general qualify as a real move for our children same street, same friends, just turn left awareness. But frankly, the system isn’t instead of right on your bike into the always patient-centered. And as such, we driveway. But when he found out about are plugging good people into a flawed system that’s far too dependent on siloes the move, my middle son refused to leave his room in our old house because and org charts. we had just “stolen his childhood”. We have to change the system. We Eventually we were able to get him to have to change the siloed, individualistic “unshun” Kathy and me and move across academic culture that we were all raised the street. In truth, the issue boiled down in.
to his not wanting to leave his comfort zone. Changing culture is hard. I’ll say it again. Culture change is hard. We all know those who sit in meetings with arms crossed sometimes muttering, often bellowing, “This will never work,” because it’s hard to leave a comfort zone. But the bottom line is our work is too important and the stakes too high for us to be lost in the past. Nothing monumental ever happened with the status quo. Naysayers never got a plane off the ground, didn’t find the cure for polio, and I guarantee you they will not be the first to generate a whole organ from a single cell. But the great builders, as Kennedy called them, got a man on the moon. We are great builders. We prove that every day. Facing an uncertain, everchanging future with a sense of hope and expectancy may seem counterintuitive, but I predict the rewards will be incalculable. If we focus on those we serve, we will succeed. At the end of the day, health care is about people. It’s about the patient putting the patient first in all things… today and in the future. I believe that this is something we all intuitively want to embrace. You and I, we chose “a greater calling.” We made a conscious decision to dedicate our lives to serving others. We’ve stayed at a patient’s bedside until 3 a.m., brainstormed in the lab until way past the dinner bell, blessed Fed Ex for allowing us to meet our deadlines, cried with patients and their families, and bolstered the spirits of students, residents, fellows, each other. And I believe, if asked, each of us would say that we are uniquely privileged to be able to dedicate our lives to something that is bigger than us. Abraham Lincoln, one of my personal heroes, once stated “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” I believe we must create our own future. I have already made my choice: When presented with the opportunity to step forward as MUSC’s next president, I embraced it.
See COLE on page 11
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Autism group sponsors race to raise awareness
BY MARY ELLEN DUDASH Public Relations
The Lowcountry Autism Foundation, in partnership with MUSC, is sponsoring the Raccoon Pond Rush 10 Mile Trail Run and Relay for Autism on Sept. 13. Along with the 10–mile run, there will also be a one–mile family fun run and walk. This year’s event takes place at the Jericho Horse Trail, a scenic trail through the Francis Marion National Forest in Bethera, South Carolina. The event will start at 9 a.m. and ends around noon. All proceeds for this run will benefit the Lowcountry Autism Foundation. The MUSC–LAF is an organization run in conjunction with the Developmental–Behavioral Pediatrics Division. The foundation’s mission is to raise autism awareness and increase access to early clinical diagnosis and treatment. According to Tripp Ritchie, executive director for LAF, the foundation provides direct family support services and community outreach to children and adult patients at MUSC with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental neurological disorders. “Our goal is to help MUSC achieve the distinction of becoming certified as ‘An
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Why? Because I believe in you, I believe in MUSC, and believe that together we can make a difference. Now I call on you. We have everything we need to be successful.We’re committed, we’re resourceful, and we have the momentum. The stage has been set. If we work together, we can create and embrace a future of our choosing. We can use our passion to achieve a lasting legacy that none of us individually could hope to accomplish. Embracing this possibility will enable us to transform who we are and become one of the preeminent academic health centers in this country. Dare to dream. Let’s be brave and relentless in this quest. Preeminence. After 190 years, MUSC
Autism Friendly Hospital.’” Katy Kuder, a member of the LAF board of directors and manager of both the Office of Volunteer and Guest Services and Patient and Family Centered Care, stresses the importance of awareness pertaining to autism and the need for participants in the race. “We have to be in the forefront to bring attention to this. We, as a community, must do a better job of coordinating services for children once they are diagnosed,” said Kuder. Kuder’s daughter, Chrissy, was diagnosed with autism when she was only three years old. Now 13, Chrissy plays a major role as the poster child for the foundation and will appear on all marketing materials for the race. As the face of the foundation, Chrissy “will help people connect to something real, and not just a word,” states her mother. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 68 American children is on the autism deserves preeminence. Our colleagues demand it, our patients need it, our State expects it, and the nation will be surprised by it. I could not be more excited about the road that lies in front of us: the triumphs, the challenges, the decisions, the rewards, the possibilities — even the setbacks. On a day when we celebrate academic excellence, I thank you for your achievements and your tireless commitment. It has been said that “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” In closing, I ask for your support, confidence, prayers, and encouragement as I humbly serve MUSC and lead us forward from this present moment to a new future that is full of possibilities.
spectrum. This constitutes a ten–fold increase in prevalence over the last 40 years. To date, LAF has provided over $665,000 in autism support services and support for upward of 500 families. Because LAF does not charge for the autism services that are provided, participation and awareness for such an event is vital. Angela Klick, race coordinator, said, “The most important aspect of this event is raising funds to support the families
who are served by the Lowcountry Autism Foundation. It is extremely important to have everyone’s support for the race.” “The race means everything to me,” Kuder explained. “I want to build awareness for autism and to bring resources to families who need them.” If you are interested in participating in the race, visit https://www.eventbrite. com/e/raccoon-pond-rush-10-mile-trailrun-and-relay-tickets-11070687725.
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12 THE CATALYST, August 22, 2014
MUSC 2014 COLLEGE OF MEDICINE WHITE COAT CEREMONY
photos by Anne Thompson, Digital Imaging
Entering the auditorium with white coats draped over their arms, first– year medical students gather for the first time to hear President David J. Cole, keynote speaker, welcome them to campus. Bottom left, Dr. Etta Pisano, dean of the College of Medicine, congratulates students for taking their first steps toward becoming a doctor. After reciting the Hippocratic Oath, medical students proudly don their white coats and display their newly acquired stethoscopes.