Aug. 8, 2014
MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA
Vol. 32, No. 49
A trip to Morocco changes a dentist’s perspective
photos provided
Dental Medicine’s Dr. Walter Renne and a team of MUSC volunteers traveled more than 8,000 miles to Marrakesh, Morocco to provide medical and dental care services as part of MUSC’s Medical Campus Outreach.
Providing much-needed dental care halfway around the world
BY HELEN ADAMS Public Relations
W
alter Renne is fearless when it comes to performing complicated dental procedures on his patients at MUSC. Putting his trust in an airplane traveling hundreds of miles an hour is another matter. “I’m not too used to going places. I’m scared to fly,” Renne recently said in his office in MUSC’s Division of Restorative Dentistry. He’s not alone. One study found that up to 40 percent of people have at least some anxiety about flying. But Renne did something that many of those people fail to do. He got an on airplane anyway. And not only
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Lowering Infection rates Study points to a novel way to treat nasal staph infections.
did he fly to another city. He flew to another continent. Renne, DMD, an assistant professor of medicine and a specialist in computer–aided restorative dentistry at the James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine. He traveled more than 4,000 miles to North Africa. That’s how strongly he believed in the value of helping in a free clinic with a team of fellow volunteers from MUSC. “The need there is so much more profound than the need here,” Renne said. Morocco may be best known in this country as the dramatic and glamorous setting for the 1942 film Casablanca, but unfortunately, in the medical field it’s known for something else as well: poor health care.
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Dr. Walter Renne, right, works with a dental colleague to provide restorative dental work to a Moroccan patient as part of MUSC’s Medical Campus Outreach visit to Marrakesh.
See Travel on page 7
Summer Research
2
Employee Awards
SURP program grooms future researchers.
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Meet Waltzenia
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YES Contributions
READ THE CATALYST ONLINE - http://www.musc.edu/catalyst
2 THE CATALYST, August 8, 2014
Internal medicine nurse receives DAISY
Employees of the Month Award Kelly Leighty Social Work Program “C.C. was admitted with no options. He had nowhere to live, was under the care of DSS, and was a difficult placement due to his behavioral issues. He has a significant history of violence that makes placing him even more difficult. Kelly volunteered to take his case on and worked tirelessly with APS, probate court, the patient’s guardian, his attorney, and the doctors and administration of the hospital to develop a care plan and to get the patient placed. With daily phone calls and emails Kelly brought the many pieces of the puzzle together to move the patient to a safer, more pleasant environment. She is the only reason the patient was able to move to another facility. She created a discharge plan and checked on it every day. She has shown that anything can be possible and she has given this patient a second chance. Kelly is a prime example of MUSC excellence — she is hardworking, compassionate, and determined. She will do was best for her patients no matter how long or hard she has to work for it! She is a wonderful
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
asset to MUSC!” Nominated by Jennifer Fox Ruthel Williams Referral Call Center “Our Call Center supervisor received a call from a grateful patient stating that she was looking for Ruthel Williams. Susan let the patient know that Ruthel was off and asked if she could help. The patient explained that she had a colonoscopy scheduled and had called into HealthConnections to see if were options to help obtain a prep kit as she did not have the money to buy one. The patient knew that without the prep she would not be able to have the test. The patient stated that Ruthel was kind to her and wanted to let Ruthel know that she appreciated the money order and that she used it to buy the prep kit and to let her know that the colonoscopy was fine. This exemplifies “Changing What’s Possible.” Ruthel is a very kind spiritual person and starts each day praying that someone will be put in front of her that she can help. Ruthel never mentioned what she did to anyone, just went quietly on her way. Had we not 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.
August’s DAISY (disease attacking the immune system) award winner is Kathy Salter, R.N., who is an internal medicine clinical nurse in Rutledge Tower. Salter was nominated by Margaret Stieber. Steiber wrote: “I want to acknowledge Kathy for all that she has done for myself, my husband (Jeff) and each and every person she comes in contact with every day of her life. Kathy’s love for her patients comes from her heart and soul; it’s not a job it’s her desire to care for her patients’ to the best of her ability and if she can’t take care of something she’ll find the person(s) that can. Kathy is truly an extraordinary person (nurse); she pours her heart into each and every thing she touches or does. I truly believe I can say “Kathy is a God sent angel” that my husband and I have been blessed with in our health care team. Why do I feel this way about Kathy: (this is the most recent account) this morning I sent Kathy and Dr. Keith a message via MyChart regarding needing help with an issue regarding my husband on July 8. Within the hour my phone rings, it’s Kathy. She asked what was going on, I give her an update on my husband’s problem. Kathy said she’ll do make some calls and get back with me. Within the hour, Kathy called back with a date and time for my husband with a new doctor. This is just one of many times that I call or send a received the call from a grateful patient we would not have known. While Ruthel would never say, we do not believe this was an isolated incident. In this, Ruthel
message via MyChart and Kathy is able to take care of my situation or directs me to whom can help. She is empathetic and caring; always extends herself beyond the call of duty. No matter how busy or how many constraints Salter are put upon her she never denies her patients her all. Kathy never lets on that she’s extended into another patient’s block of time. She’s always calm, caring and thorough. Kathy exemplifies the kind of individual I could only dream of being (although I try my best) and one that I would pray to have for any family member of mine and all patients. Kathy is a role model that other nurses could learn from and shadow just to see what an extraordinary, special, caring and kind nurse/person should be. I speak for myself and husband what an honor it is to be a part of this awesome team; having Kathy as a part of this team has been an honor and pleasure to be under her care. Thank you for all you do for us and every patient you come in contact with. Nominated by: Margaret Stieber is the person that we all want to be, going about her day, quietly making life better for someone else.” Nominated by Linda Meehan
Women’s Club accepting nominees for scholarships The Medical University Women’s Club is accepting applications for scholarship recipients. The group plans to award a total of $15,000 in scholarships. 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. htm. Deadline for submission is 4 p.m., Sept. 8. Applications may be submitted via email to muwcscholarship@gmail.com. For information on the scholarships, email Megan Zwerner at muwcscholarship@gmail.com.
THE CATALYST, August 8, 2014 3
Man supports research in honor of niece BY ALLYSON CROWELL
petrified for myself,” Roseann said. As a health care provider, she knew she faced Office of Development & Alumni Affairs a major decision. In addition to surgery and recovery, Roseann worried about n March of 2012, Bob Richards possible complications in pregnancy later sat down to write an email to the on. “Part of you wants to be the match, people closest to him, to share with but part of you says, ‘Please don’t let me them something that he’d kept secret for be the match.’” years. In the subject line, he typed, “Bob She took advice from the transplant Richards’ Bad Kidneys.” coordinator and waited a few days before His message unfolded with his making a final decision. But instead of familiar, easygoing tone: calling the transplant coordinator back, “Just sending you an email on a she called her Uncle Bob. medical condition I have that we think, Prabhakar Baliga, M.D., MUSC’s chief over time, is going to be causing me of the Division of Transplant Surgery, some problems.” removed Bob’s kidneys on April 2 to Bob not only had polycystic kidney make room for the donor kidney, and disease but had been living with the Bob spent several weeks on dialysis prior illness for about six years, so long that he to the transplant. Roseann returned now needed a transplant. He had chosen to Charleston for surgery with Charles not to tell anyone about this diagnosis Bratton, M.D., assistant professor in the except for his wife, Kathy, and his Department of Surgery, on April 24. siblings. He wanted to carry on his career When she woke up after the procedure, as vice president of product support a medical student came from Bob’s room for an international material handling to visit her. company, and he didn’t want to worry “She said that the first thing Bob his children, who had careers and lives of asked when he came out of anesthesia their own. was, ‘How is Roseann?’ She had never “I am eventually going to ask family/ seen that before,” Roseann remembered. friends if anyone wants to be considered “I started crying, and it just made my as being a living donor match... Kathy abdomen hurt even worse.” was my first volunteer to, at least, be The next day Roseann and her considered. I continue to understand uncle both walked from their rooms why I love her so much.” to meet at the nursing station, where Ten people replied to Bob’s email, transplant patients ring a bell to signal every one of them volunteering to find a procedure’s success. Bob and Roseann out if they matched. His two brothers, rang it together. wife and sister-in-law all tested, but even The Richards family always has been among those who matched, none could close. Roseann grew up in Wisconsin, get the medical clearance necessary to a few hours from Bob’s home in proceed with organ donation. Roseann Minnesota. His children are around her Richards, Bob’s 30–year–old niece, was age, and the families often spent time fifth on the list. together during Roseann’s childhood. She took off time from her job as a But Bob never asked why Roseann pediatric pharmacist in Raleigh to come agreed to be his donor. to MUSC and spent the rest of the day “I don’t even think I know why I did touring Charleston with her aunt and it but, right away, my gut instinct was uncle. When the call came the following to say ‘yes,’ ” Roseann said. “I did it for week at work, Roseann cried. She had Bob. I felt like if I knew I wasn’t going matched, and she qualified to donate. to do this, I shouldn’t have done the “I was so excited for Bob but absolutely preliminary testing.”
I
photo provided
Bob Richards and niece Roseann Richards ring the nursing station bell after a successful transplant. Roseann donated a kidney to her Uncle Bob, a polycistic kidney disease patient. Bob still chokes up when he talks about his niece’s gift. “When I look at what Roseann did for me, how do you repay someone for that?” He and Kathy made a cash gift of $25,000 to MUSC this year, and they pledged $250,000 over the next several years. They also intend to raise match funding by sharing their story with friends and family. They named their gift The Roseann Richards Living Donor Education and Research Fund. Money from the fund goes to MUSC’s Living Donor Institute, which brings together bioengineers, transplant surgeons and a host of researchers in one setting. The institute aims to educate people about the safety and importance
of organ donation, a particularly important crusade in a state with one of the lowest living donor rates. “That’s why I gave the money,” Bob said. “I’m inspired by the prospect of raising the percentage. I figure there are 320 million Americans and 100,000 people on the transplant waiting list. You should be able to find 100,000 kidneys out there.” An awareness campaign marks the Living Donor Institute’s first step toward a national collaborative that would not only educate the public but improve the quality of transplants, reduce complications and prolong survival, plus invest in high–tech alternatives to
See TRANSPLANT on page 11
4 THE CATALYST, August 8, 2014
MUSC Medical Center Communications Corner Annual Quality and Safety Report It is with great pride that we were able to present our Annual MUSC Health Quality and Safety report to the board of trustees this week. This past year we continued to build on the foundational aspects of a high–reliability organization, including a prodigious Culture of Safety, empowered leadership at all levels of the organization and robust Performance Improvement. MUSC improved in almost every domain with the Culture of Safety survey this year among both hospital staff and resident-attending physicians.
AHRQ Culture of Safety Staff Results
In addition to these foundation aspects, aspirational facets for this year will include: •
MUSCare plans (evidence based plans–policies–procedures–order sets)
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Information technology enhancements that bolster quality-safety
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Human factor engineer experience
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Transparency of all metrics, including financial, operational and quality
Within this solid foundation, we continuously strive to deliver “STEEPE” care to all patients; this care is “safe, timely, effective, efficient, patient–centered and equitable.”
AHRQ Culture of Safety Resident-Attending Results
Each year, we approach our Quality and Safety mission with great optimism and enthusiasm as we continuously strive for Zero Harm for every patient, every visit, every day. Thanks to everyone in the MUSC community for supporting us in the laudable mission.
THE CATALYST, August 8, 2014 5
MEET WALTZENIA
Waltzenia Jones Department MUSC East Cooper - ENT/Urology How you are changing what’s possible at MUSC Using AIDET training (Introduce yourself, your skill set, your professional credentials and training) with patients and families How long at MUSC 16 years Children Handsome Herbert and Adorable Amanda Heroes in life Daddy and Mommie, whom I love dearly Music in your player right now God Is (Rev. James Cleveland) What food is a must have in the pantry Oreos Greatest moment in your life Marrying my husband, Minister Thomas Freshwater Favorite quote This is the day the Lord has made so rejoice and be glad in it.
6 THE CATALYST, August 8, 2014
Research finds low-cost intervention to lower infection rates The researchers sought volunteers for the study, then screened them for Public Relations staph in their noses. They found that about 20 percent of the employees A new study using MUSC employees tested were carrying staph, which is as subjects strengthens MUSC’s cause in the same prevalence found in the the fight to lower health care-associated general population. Next, they assigned infections with findings that suggest use employees who tested positive for of a nasal sanitizer may protect patients staph to either be swabbed with Nozin from staph germs. or treated with a placebo as part of a Staph, also known as Staphylococcus control group. The researchers reapplied aureus, can cause conditions ranging the treatments during a 10-hour work from boils to pneumonia. day. At the end of that time, they “We were open–minded and checked to see if the nasal sanitizer had wanted to come up with a hypothesis temporarily reduced the amount of staph to determine whether or not a low-cost intervention could reduce staph carriage. in the employees’ noses. In most cases, it had. That means patients who came into It was neat that it worked,” said Shaun contact with the employees who used Nguyen, M.D., the principal investigator Nozin were unlikely to catch staph from for the study and MUSC’s director of them. clinical research in the Department of The test involved about 40 employees. Otolaryngology. Of the people “We were open-minded who were treated with and wanted to come the nasal sanitizer, up with a hypothesis to all but one determine wheter or not a showed a reduction in low-cost intervention could the amount of staph reduce staph carriage.” in their noses. The reduction Dr. Shaun Nguyen in staph was even more dramatic in some cases: Half of The hypothesis was that a low-cost the Nozin subjects had a 100 percent intervention, in this case the nasal decrease, according to results from the sanitizer Nozin, could keep health care study published in the American Journal professionals who tested positive for of Infection Control May 19. staph in their noses, where staph likes Nguyen and his team, including coto hide, from passing along the germs to principal investigator Lisa Steed, Ph.D., patients. a microbiologist and Cassandra Salgado, It is possible to have staph germs in M.D., hospital epidemiologist, plan the nose without feeling any effects. to conduct a larger study on a similar Problems arise when it is passed along population for a longer period to see the to someone else who has a cut, bug bite lasting effect of Nozin. or other skin condition that can allow Since Nozin is an alcohol–based the staph to cause an uncomfortable antiseptic and does not include infection. Nguyen said the group of antibiotics, it is both relatively nurses and technicians his team selected inexpensive and unlikely to contribute was a perfect fit because the employees to the growth of antibiotic-resistant come into regular contact with patients bacteria, a big concern among doctors. but are not normally screened for staph.
BY HELEN ADAMS
photo provided by NIAID
Scanning electromicrograph of the interation of MRSA (blue bacteria) with a human white cell. The bacteria shown is strain MRSA252, a leading cause of hospital-associated infections in the U.S. and U.K. Left photo: The study used Nozin, an alcoholbased aneseptic that is both inexpensive and unlikely to contribute to the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. photo provided
Nozin is already available over the counter, but it can be difficult to find in stores. The company’s website lists it for sale at $14.99 for a box of 10 doses. Nguyen and Steed said that while Nozin appears to be helpful in a hospital setting, it may find its true niche in other places that involve long-term stays. “I think the main benefits will be in nursing homes and places where patients are in there for a long period of time,” Nguyen said. “Rehab facilities, nursing homes – places like that. This is a low-
cost intervention that potentially can impact patients’ health in a significant way.” The study was conducted in collaboration with Ernst Spannhake, Ph.D., of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. The grant was secured by Nguyen and Steed. The research adds to MUSC’s ongoing efforts to prevent health care-associated infections, including a previous study that found copper could play a valuable role in reducing them.
THE CATALYST, August 8, 2014 7
photo provided
Dr. Walter Renne, left, joined MUSC dental, medical, nursing and health profession students and volunteers during their two-week medical outreach trip to Morocco in May.
TRAVEL Continued from Page One Fewer than a third of Moroccans have health insurance and Morocco’s own minister of health labeled his country’s standard of care inadequate. In May, nearly 50 people from MUSC, including Renne, went to Morocco to do what they could to help. They are part of the Charleston chapter of Medical Campus Outreach. MCO is a national organization that brings together teams of health care experts to do volunteer work in countries with need, such as Morocco. “We had a team of people from MUSC from almost every discipline you can imagine,” Renne said. That team included dentists, physicians, physicians’ assistants, nurses, pharmacists, occupational and physical therapists, and students. The MUSC team worked for two weeks in a clinic in Marrakesh, where a line of patients waiting to be seen stretched down the street. The team helped everyone from the very old to the very young. Renne described the circumstances facing some of his younger patients. “So many children in pain with their teeth, with abscesses, just coming in crying
and in pain. To be able to remove that pain for them and send them home happy was just incredible,” Renne said. The MUSC team found the work personally rewarding, and it served another purpose as well: it offered the chance for MUSC students to work one–on–one with mentors in a fast-paced environment and allowed them to see what experts from other disciplines do. “The students benefited greatly from this,” Renne said. “Take for example just the dental team, which is the team I was with. We’re together with everybody else, and so for the first time, the dental students might get to see exactly what physicians’ assistants do, and nursing and pharmacy. We rely on everybody. We come together as this great big team and get a new and profound appreciation for the rest of the medical profession.” Renne plans to participate in future international medical volunteer trips with the MUSC team, despite the fact it will involve getting back on an airplane. “It’s everything to reach out to the rest of the world in my opinion. There’s nothing like traveling to a different area as a team of people with the same goal to bring together the various disciplines all working together and see the miraculous teamwork that happens.”
8 THE CATALYST, August 8, 2014
MUSC employees give back through yearly campaign This year’s Yearly Employee Support (YES) Campaign raised more than $313,000 to 276 funds within the MUSC Foundation. Thank you to the following employees: Julie Acker, David Adams, Deborah Adams, Jayne Ahlstrom, Mary Albano, Jennifer Aldrich, Carrie Allen, Leona Anderson, Richard Anderson, Shirley Anderson, Vertonya Anderson, David Annibale, Anonymous, Lucy Arnold, Pamela Arnold, Sharlene Atkins, Teresa Atz, Julie Aubrey, Lynne Barber, John Barry, Analina Bayag, Wanda Bazemore, Howard Becker, Julie Benke, Ann Benton, Alan Berendt, Jessica Berry, Allyson Bird, Robin Bissinger, John Blake, Jennifer Blalock, Jeffrey Blice, Galina Bogatkevich, Nicole Bohm, Gilbert Boissonneault, Joan Bonaparte, Sharon Bond, Heather Bonilha, Sarah Book, Carol Bostwick,Ted Bouthiller, Jonea Boyd-Givens, Alice Boylan, Barbara Bozarth, Andrew Bracken, Darby Brass, Amy Bredlau, Karen Bridgeman, Deborah Brooks, Robert Brooks, Debora Brown, Joshua Brown, Lauren Brown, Kevin Bruce, Brenda Brunner-Jackson, Juanita Brunson, Deborah Bryant, Linda Bunch, Lisa Burkhardt, Joy Burns, Jeffrey Bush, Paula Butler, Deborah Byrd, Tara Campbell, Yue Cao, Shana Caporossi, Amy Carter, Patrick Cawley, Marcella Chambers, Edward Cheeseman, Sandra Coates, Joel Cochran, Kristin Cochran, Patricia Coker-Bolt, David Cole, Stefanie Cole, Michaela Coleman, Brian Collins, Kristy Collins, Hope Colyer, Brian Conner, Carrie Cormack, Lilia Correa, Andrea Cothran, Linda Cox, Cameron Craft, Heather Craven, John Crawford, Karen Crawford, Bruce Crookes, Sandra Crosby, Bruce Cross, Catherine Cummins, Melissa Cunningham, Hiram Curry, Camilia Darby, Virginia Davis, Claudia Davis-Dickerson, Kathy Daw, Sharon De Grace, Jesse Dean, Deborah Deas, Luciano Del Priore, Kahlil Demonbreun, Lauren Dickerson, Melva Dobson, Cynthia Dodds, Anne Marie Donato, Barbara Donnelly, Carmmen Dooley, Arly Douglass, Harry Drabkin, Megan Draper, Kim Draughn, Erin Drevets, Julie Driggers, Rhonda Driggers, Mary Dubis, Ragan Dubose-Morris, Kelley Dubosh, Susan Duckworth, Bonnie Dumas, Heather Easterling, Megan Edge, Andrew Eiseman, Dallas Ellis, Constance Elrod, Aaron Embry, Juanita Epps, David Evatt, Kimberly Fairchild, Weimin Fan, Stephen Fann, James Fant, Hugh Farris, Amy Ferguson, Charles Ferguson, Pamela Ferguson, Kay Fernandes, Larry Field, Ashton Finley, Mary Fischer, Wayne Fitzgibbon, Phyllis Floyd, Pamela Fogle, Stephanie Ford, Vera Ford, Joyce Foster, Elizabeth Fountain, Terri Fowler, Donald Fox, Robyn Frampton, Carla Frichtel, Matthias Frye, Jeanine Gage, Meredith Gale, Sandra Garner, Kelli Garrison, Shelley Garvin, Andrew Gelasco, Margaret Gethers, James Getsinger, Gary Gilkeson, Candace Gillespie, Sharon Gilliard, Theresa Ginn, Frances Glanville, Patrice Goletz, Jie Gong, Leonie Gordon, Valda Grant, Vickey Grant, Charles Greenberg, Susan Greene, Leondra Green-Marshall, Chris Gregory, Dena Gregory, Hol-
ly Griffin, William Griffin, Carrie Hackett, Janet Hall, Stephanie Hall, Julie Ham, Adam Hamilton, Charles Hammond, Daniel Handel, Amy Haney, Jason Haney, Myra Haney Singleton, Catherine Hanhauser, Siobhan Hansen, Elizabeth Harmon, Sharon Harmon, Karen Harper, Anita Harrell, Kimberly Harrelson, Donna Harrison, Megan Hatfield, Carlton Hawkes, Laura Hayre, Latha Hebbar, Robert Hedin, Jane Heeg, Gail Heitman, Kelly Hewitt, Elsie Hill, Kristina Hill, Lakilya Hill, Robert Hill, Tammy Hill, Karen Hiott, Cynthia Hipp, Susan Hoffius, Stanley Hoffman, Nancy Holbach, Ann Hollerbach, Gloria Holloman, Beverly Horne, Gregory Horres, Linda Howard, Sharon Hudson, Sallie Hutton, Clint Infinger, Kayethe Infinger, Richard Jablonski, Leigh Jaimes, Marilyn James, Sheila Janikowski, Sarah Jantzen, Edward Jauch, Nicole Jefferson, Kelli Jenkins, Walter Jenner, Toni Jernigan, Wanda Johnson, Darcy Kalles, Diane Kamen, Steven Kautz, Bruce Keck, Teresa Kelechi, Sally Kennedy, Kelly Kercher, Elizabeth Khan, Jaemyung Kim, Stephanie Kirk, Jade Knapp, Janis Koenig, Masahiro Kono, Ioannis Koutalos, Laurie Krafsig, Jessica Krasny, Steven Kubalak, Katy Kuder, Daniel Lackland, Marilyn Laken, Chitra Lal, Nancy Lamble, Carol Lane, Joanne Langdale, Lisa langdale, Michael Laskavy, Patricia Latham, Michelle Lattimore, Stacey Laws, Richard Lee, Allison Leggett, Morris Lent, Christine Lewis, Katherine Lewis, Charlene Lisi, Wendy Littlejohn, Mardi Long, Yolanda Long, Carlos Lopez, Susan Lucas, Judith Luden, Nancy Macaulay, Lauren Magaldi, Gayenell Magwood, Lucinda Magwood, Amanda Mahaffey, Robert Malcolm,
Stephen Malley, Catherine Martin, Peter Martin, Ashley Martindale, Bonnie Martin-Harris, Susan Master, Matthew McCoy, Debbie McCravy, Paul McDermott, Marisa McEntire, Marshall McFadden, Amanda McGarrigle, Dianne McGarry, Nancy McKeehan, Whitney McLuen, Dixie McMahan, Karen McPherson, Linda Meehan, Gary Melancon, Donald Menick, William Merrill, Cami Meyer, Jamie Meyer, Sherry Miller, Maryann Milligan, Verna Mitchell, William Mitchell, Paul Moss, Patrick Mulholland, Erika Murphy, Karen Murphy, Christine Murray, Margaret Myers, Margaret Myrick, Krista Mysock, Jennifer Nall, Jean Nappi, John Nash, Marie Nealy, Lynn Nemeth, Alonzo Nesmith, Jennings Nestor, Susan Newman, Colleen Nichols, Paul Nietert, Pamela Nobles, Matthew Nutaitis, Stephanie Oberempt, Terrence O’Brien, Daniel O’Donnell, Kathryn O'Neal, Deborah O’Rear, Carolyn Page, Pamela Parris, Julie Parrish, Nichole Pastis, Steve Paterniti, Robert Peiffer, Shawn Phillips, John Pigott, Elizabeth Pilcher, Tiombe Plair, Lynn Poole Perry, Sally Potts, Robert Poyer, Bradley Presley, Susan Presnell, Charles Proctor, Martha Propst, Melanie Puckhaber, Lee Putney, Kelly Ragucci, Sharon Rakes, Paula Ramos, Jon Rampton, James Ravenel, Jennifer Redfern, Bruce Reeves, Diane Reeves, Melinda Repphun-Harvey, Deborah Reynolds, Beth-Ann Rhoton, Carmen Rice, Lauren Richey, Hazel Rider, Sandra Risher, Barbara Rivers, Sylvia Rivers, Phallan Robbins, Dawn Robertson, Willliam Robinson, Amanda Robison, Karolinne Rocha, Benjamin Rogers, Catherine Rogers, Baerbel Rohrer,
See CAMPAIGN on page 10
EMPLOYEES DONATING $1,000+ Anne Abel, Elaine Amella, Thomas Anderson, Raymond Anton, Jane Ariail, Prabhakar Baliga, Thomas Basler, Darwin Bell, Ronald Bell, Deborah Bordeau, John Bosso, Kathleen Brady, Leslie Brady, Gwendolyn Brown, Ruth Campbell, Steven Carroll, Christopher Cassidy, Carolyn Cavanaugh, Eugene Chang, Laurine Charles, Alexander Chessman, Katherine Chessman, Salvatore Chiaramida, Neal Christiansen, Robert Cina, Stephanie Collins, Philip Costello, Fred Crawford, William Creaseman, Craig Crosson, Betsy Davis, Anna Delamar, Brenda Dorman, Becky Dornisch, Jonathon Edwards, Betts Ellis, Samir Fakhry, John Feussner, Jim Fisher, Patrick Flume, Marvella Ford, Melissa Forinash, Dennis Frazier, David Garr, Marion Gillespie, John Glaser, Michael Gold, John Gough, Philip Hall, Stephen Hargett, James Harris, Langdon Hartsock, Andre Hebra, Sherron Jackson, Tariq Javed, Jill Jenkins, Donna Johnson, Arnold Karig, Michael Keels, Michael Kilby, Eric Kimchi, Sarah King, Paul Lambert, Jody Latham, John Lazarchick, Gwen Lazenby, Madeline Lewis, Zihai Li, Walter Limehouse, Louis Luttrell, Leigh Manzi, Mary Mauldin, Lisa
Montgomery, William Moran, David Morrisette, David Neff, Brad Neville, H. Biemann Othersen, G. Shashidhar Pai, Murray Passo, Krisha Patel, Vincent Pellegrini, Mae Millilcent Peterseim, Etta Pisano, Eric Powers, Paul Pritchard, Rana Pullatt, Shannon Ravenel, Scott Reeves, Gretchen Reinhart, Michael Ricciardone, Charles Rittenberg, Maxine Robinson, Don Rockey, Lisa Saladin, John Sanders, Richard Saunders, Margaret Schachte, Stephen Schaer, Marilyn Schaffner, Lynn Schnapp, Claudio Schonholz, J. Bayne Selby, Sally Self, Darlene Shaw, Priyattam Shiromani, Richard Sillivant, Richard Silver, Chloe Singleton, Sabra Slaughter, Charles Smith, Daniel Smith, Edward Soltis, David Soper, Mark Southmann, David Soutter, Titte Srinivas, Terry Stanley, Gail Stuart, Robert Stuart, Steven Swift, Marian Taylor, Fred Tecklenburg, Bruce Thiers, Kenneth Thomas, Frank Treiber, Paul Underwood, Matt Wain, Charles Wallace, Patrick Wamsley, Robert Warren, Sally Webb, Michelle Wiles, Jeffrey Wong, Catherine Wood, Shane Woolf, Cathy Worrall, Patrick Woster, James Zoller and Peter Zwerner.
THE CATALYST, August 8, 2014 9
Summer program gives college students valuable experience BY EMILY UPSHUR Public Relations As the fall semester approaches, students who have been working at MUSC for the summer will return to their colleges with much more than they arrived with. The MUSC College of Graduate Studies offers a Summer Undergraduate Research Program, inviting students from various colleges across the United States to participate in a 10–week research internship with MUSC faculty in their laboratories. This year MUSC received more than 350 applications from promising candidates, 72 of which were accepted into the program. To qualify for acceptance into the program, students need to be either rising juniors or seniors. Rising sophomores may also be considered if they have completed the required number of science courses. Each student receives a $4,000 living allowance and 15 credit hours. “The SURP is designed to
give students who are interested in or majoring in biomedical sciences the opportunity to experience research first-hand. The College of Graduate Studies uses it as a recruitment tool. We’re looking for some students who are interested in applying to graduate school and continuing their research areas,” said Stephanie Brown–Guion, director of Summer Research Programs of the College of Graduate Studies. Students are able to select their top four interests from 22 research areas. After the student accepts the internship, he or she will be assigned a mentor in one of the four chosen areas and the mentor will give the student a project to research. The mentors teach students how to conduct experiments, handle lab animals, write with a science focus, and keep looking for answers. This guidance helps students grow in their scientific knowledge and mature on a professional level, said Brown– Guion. Ka’Dedra Creech, a 20–year– old junior from the College
of Charleston, studied the subject of pre–eclampsia and its association with hypertension, with her mentor Kyu Ho Lee, M.D., assistant professor of pediatric cardiology. Pre– eclampsia is a condition in pregnant women characterized by high blood pressure and proteinuria, urine that contains an abnormal amount of protein. If left untreated, pre–eclampsia can adversely affect the mother and child. Creech was particularly interested in this research due to her desire to enter the field of cardiology. Creech said of the experience, “I’ve done research before, but having Dr. Lee as my mentor was amazing. He made sure I understood why I used a particular method or made a certain decision about the project. He helped me understand the materials and how important our research was. The other members of Dr. Lee's lab, Elizabeth Favre, John Brooker and Hudson Sealey were extremely welcoming and helpful when it came to better grasping complex concepts.” College of Charleston student Christopher Austelle gave a persentation July 30 on his research focusing on how visual cues affect alcohol use. He explained how visual cues can stimulate a craving sensation in the brain of an alcoholic. Austelle worked with his mentor, Dr. Colleen Hanlon of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. photo by Emily Upshur, Public Relations
photo by Anne Thompson, Digital Imaging
Scott Becker, left, of the University of South Carolina, and William Duffy, of Clemson University, collaborate in the laboratory. Becker studied under Dr. Marion Cooley, Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology. Duffy conducted his research on space-related health with Palmetto Academy. Robert Gemmill, M.D., the Melvyn Berlinsky Chair of Cancer and professor of hematology and oncology, is a SURP mentor. He believes the program is valuable in that the faculty involved in the research benefit along with the students. “Their questions force you to think about your work in a different light, and that reflection is always good. Sometimes it can lead you to new avenues of exploration,” said Gemmill. The SURP students gave their final presentations to their fellow students and mentors July 29–31, describing what they had learned during their time at MUSC. Students spoke with confidence as they explained how their experiments either served to prove their hypotheses or, as in several cases, found their hypotheses to be false. Ultimately, all results
provided valuable learning experiences. Joshua Palmer, who came to the SURP from the University of Connecticut, was one such student. In an experiment aimed at determining how stress affects alcohol consumption, Palmer tested how stressed lab mice responded to intermittent and continuous access to ethanol. Palmer originally thought the stressed mice would drink more ethanol, not less, but his research proved otherwise: The stressors actually decreased the animals’ alcohol consumption. Palmer felt the process presented a valuable learning experience, particularly thanks to Rachel Anderson, a postdoctoral fellow who worked in the lab of Palmer’s mentor, Howard Becker, Ph.D.,
See SURP on page 11
10 THE CATALYST, August 8, 2014
Horizon Project seeks input The Horizon Project Foundation and its development team are Wellness Events contemplating retail and commercial q Chair massages: Free options for the future Horizon massages are offered to District as an exciting transformation employees on midday set to begin shortly. They have Wednesdays. Look for partnered with the Office of Health broadcast messages for Promotion to engage the MUSC locations and times. community in this process. q Farmers Markets: Enjoy Together we have developed a fresh fruits and vegetables survey to provide employees and from local farmers on students the opportunity to be Tuesdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. part of the conversation about (Harborview); Wednesdays Susan Johnson how this transformation can best and Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 6 benefit those who work and study at p.m. (ART); and Fridays, 7 MUSC. At completion, the district a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Horseshoe). will cover about 25 acres and provide a q Employee Fitness Series: Wednesday, mix of residences, office and research Aug. 20, 4:15 to 4:45 p.m. Body Bar: use space, laboratory space, and retail and a bar for weighted exercise movements restaurant options, as well as parking. for a great total body training. Instructor This site is located downtown along is Katie Blaylock from the MUSC Huthe Ashley River and adjacent to MUSC. man Performance Lab. Free day pass to The vision is that the businesses the Wellness Center for all participants. and retailers who locate here will serve Check in at the Wellness Center memcurrent users and residents as well as bership desk for information or email those who may choose to be a part of musc-empwell@musc.edu to register. Horizon in the future. q Worksite screening — Thursday, Aug. The MUSC community is an 28, University hospital, room 109, important group and this survey is an Colbert Library.The screening, valued opportunity for you to help refine the at about $350, is available to employees vision. of the State Health Plan (including A critical component of the master the MUSC Health Plan) for only $15 plan is managing parking needs (covered spouses also can participate within the site. All existing parking for $15). Employees and spouses commitments will be provided for without this insurance can participate throughout all phases of construction. for $42. Register at www.musc.edu/ Understanding commuters’ wants employeewellness. and needs will help result in the most rg or call 556-8451 user–friendly commuter experience possible. The second major focus of this MUSC Urban Farm survey is to collect information on those q Sunset Work & Learns – Thursday, preferences. 4 to 5 p.m. Take home fresh produce Please take a few minutes to complete in return for work efforts. Open to all this short survey and provide your employees, students and the community valuable input on how this exciting q Third Thursday Lunch & Learn new development can best serve —12:15 to 12:45 p.m., Aug. 21. Join you. https://redcap.musc.edu/ Debbie Petitpain, RD, for “Conquering surveys/?s=zknwm3QEoq. Carbs - so you can have your cake and eat For more information on the Horizon it too!” District and the work of the Horizon q Third Saturday Family Friendly Work Project Foundation, please visit www. & Learn —9 to 11 a.m., Aug. 21. Bring a CharlestonHorizon.com. A contact plastic bag and take home fresh produce form is provided for any questions not and please wear closed toe shoes. Open answered on the website. to all MUSC employees, students and For questions concerning the survey or the general community. other wellness-related issues at MUSC, q Early Bird Maintenance —7:30 to 8:30 please contact Dr. Susan Johnson at a.m. Get your day started at the farm. johnsusa@musc.edu.
Health at work
CAMPAIGN
Continued from Page Eight
Elizabeth Romaine, Beverly Rosen, Cynthia Rosenblatt Suzanne Rosenthal, Steven Rosenzweig, George Rossi, Eldridge Rowell, Kenneth Ruggiero, Teresita Ruz, Gena Ryan, Ashley Sabo, Joseph Sakran, Cassandra Salgado, Deborarh Salvo, Naomi Simpson, Cheryl Samuels, John Sanders, Catherine Sandifer, Derek Sanford, Nicolas Sarji, Christine Scheub, Sharon Schuler, Sharon Schwarz, Bernice Scott, Laurie Scott, Suzanne Scott, Richard Segal, Gretchen Seif, Christian Senger, Jeannifer Shearer, Pamala Shoaf, Mary Shoemaker, Wanda Shotsberger–Gray, Ann Shuler, Elizabeth Sidebottom, Debra Jo Siler, Gerard Silvestri, Annie Simpson, Jennifer Singian, Dale Skinner, Anna Skipper Karen Sloggatt, Amanda Smith, Cristina Smith, Edwin Smith, Georgette Smith, Jennifer Smith, Lauren Smith, Rebecca Smith, Reece Smith, Rosanne Smith, Stanley Smith, Thomas Smith, Jenny Ann Smoak, Corigan Smothers, Mary Snell, Helen Snow, Michael Snyder, Ida Spruill, Kelly Stegall, Karen Stephenson, James Sterrett, George Summerford, Rebecca Sustek, Jennifer Swigart, David Sword, Barbara Taylor, June Taylor,
Michael Taylor, Susan Taylor, Cynthia Teeter, Jacqueline Tepper, Paula Thies, Brenda Thompson, Vernell Threat, Betty Tilley, Maria Toler, James Tolley, Elena Tourkina, Rupalben Trivedi, Edward Trudo, Rebecca Truesdell, Thomas Trusk, Tanya Turan, Lynn Uber, Walter Uber, Michael Ullian, Lori Upshur, Odessa Ussery, Shawn Valenta, Ana Vining, Konstantin Voronin, Karen Wager, Jeffrey Waite,Debbie Walters, George Waring, Kelly Warren, Annette Washington, Simon Watson, C. Wayne Weart, Katie Weas, Holly Weekley, Gregory Weigle, Larry Werstler, Andrea Wessell, Susan Wetherholt, Kathleen White, Nancy White, Elizabeth Whiteside, Melodye Whitfield, Theodore Wickman, Donald Wiest, Richard Wigfall, Velma Wigfall, Kathryn Wiita-Fisk, Amy Williams, Kathy Williams, Sharon Williams, Deborah Williamson, Carole Wilson, Marion Wilson, Terry Wilson, Melissa Wimberly, Tonia Windham, Shari Wise, Christopher Wisniewski, Daynna Wolff, Michelle Zapanta, Zhi Zhong, Sophia Zimmermann and Mercedes Zubizarreta.
THE CATALYST, August 8, 2014 11
SURP Continued from Page Nine
photo by Anne Thompson, Digital Imaging
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SURP students from Clemson University, Voorhees College and other institutions work with members of the biofabrication team for their summer experience. professor of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. “Dr. Anderson was absolutely instrumental to my success at MUSC. She worked extremely closely with me and I’m really thankful for her guidance throughout the entire process,” said Palmer. Another student, Tyler Cheek of the College of Charleston, had part of his hypothesis disproved in his work on embryonic methamphetamine exposure. Reflecting positively on the outcome, Cheek said, “Learning that you can be wrong in science and that it’s not the end of the world is a big step. My mentor, Dr. Sherine Chan in the Department of Drug Discovery, helped me learn that what we are looking for in science are answers, even if they weren’t what you were expecting.” To find out more about SURP visit http:// academicdepartments.musc.edu/grad/summer_ research_program/.
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TRANSPLANT Continued from Page Three transplant. For example, researchers at the institute study targeted delivery of drugs. Side effects from immunosuppression drugs number among the top causes of death for transplant recipients, according to transplant surgeon Satish Nadig, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Surgery. He investigates ways to target that medication specifically to an organ to keep the patient healthier. Bob likes to tell his children that if they need kidneys later on, they can just grow their own. His joke isn’t far from the truth. Bioengineer Michael Yost, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Surgery another member of the Living Donor Institute team, designed a printer that makes it possible to take a sample from a donated organ and use it to fabricate multiple copies. Yost put it simply: “You can have more than one recipient from a donor.” When Roseann first learned about the gift that her uncle made in her honor – and the work that it supports – she didn’t entirely understand the magnitude, and she still struggles to find words to describe the feeling. “I’m awestruck,” she said. “If anything, living
Social media channel debuts, Elevate MUSC photo by Sarah Pack, Public Relations
Bioengineer Dr. Micheal Yost designed a 3-D printer, which could provide a future alternative to transplant.
donation and organ transplant are lucky to have Uncle Bob. He's going to be their best champion. He will put his heart and soul into transplant and living donors, and that’s something that the South, as a whole, needs.” Editor’s note: Reprinted with permission from Thank-You Notes, Office of Development and Alumni Affairs.
MUSC’s Office of Development and Alumni Affairs recently launched a new social media effort called Elevate MUSC. It is described as a place where friends of MUSC can visit for news and information every day. The plan is also to use these channels for future micro-fundraising campaigns. Please like us on Facebook (Facebook.com/ elevateMUSC), follow us on Twitter (Twitter. com/elevateMUSC) and follow us on Instagram @ elevateMUSC. And please share with your friends. Have an idea for a post? Send us a suggestion at crowella@musc.edu.
12 THE CATALYST, August 8, 2014
Global Health kicks off speaker series The MUSC Center for Global Health will present its Global Health Speaker Series on Sept. 12 from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Storm Eye Institute auditorium. The event’s guest lecturer will be Margaret Bentley, Ph.D. Bentley is the Carla Smith Chamblee Distinguished Professor of Global Nutrition and serves as the associate dean of Global Health and associate director for the Institute of Global Health and Infectious Disease at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her presentation is titled the MaMi Project: HIV, Nutrition and Anti–retroviral Therapy for Mothers and Infants in Malawi. Bentley’s research focuses on women and infant nutrition, infant and young child feeding, behavioral research on sexually transmitted disease, and HIV
MAGNET NURSING MILESTONE
Dr. Margaret Bentley, far right, will be the guest lecturer at the Sept. 12 event. Limited lunch is provided for attendees who RSVP by Sept. 5 to wileykk@musc.edu. and community–based interventions for nutrition and health. She is an expert in both qualitative and quantitative research methods and the application of these for program development and evaluation. Currently, Bentley is working on an HIV behavioral intervention prevention trial in Chennai, India, a communitybased intervention to improve child growth and development in Andhra Pradesh, India, and an intervention to decrease maternal to child transmission of HIV during breastfeeding in Malawi.
Pediatric Emergency’s Dr. Joseph Dobson, right, and MUSC nurses gather in the University hospital lobby to receive a cupcake from Magnet Nursing leaders celebrating the Aug. 1 milestone marking when MUSC submitted the Nursing Excellence Magnet document to the American Nurses Credentialing Centers Magnet Program. According to Andrea Coyle, Nursing Excellence Program Manager, “Placing an emphasis on improving quality care outcomes for our patients and families and creating a collaborative and professional work environment at MUSC is reflected in the over 350 page document. I am proud of what we have accomplished.” Main OR Nursing Excellence Champion Sonya Spruill said, “The successful submission of our Magnet document means the culmination of a team effort to create a place where nursing has achieved a pinnacle in its practice and recognition. This is great for our patients and MUSC.” photo provided