GSA Health Care Heroes 2011

HEALTH CARE

HEROES Recognition a long-time coming

G

SA Business’ inaugural Health Care Heroes event May 12 was a chance to honor people from the Upstate who dedicate their lives to health care and often go unnoticed.

The event included some emotional moments as those honored humbly described their efforts to save, touch and change lives as little more than responsibility. WYFF Channel 4 news anchor Carol Goldsmith emceed the event and described the nominees’ histories of saving livings, risking their own and dedicating their time, talent and resources to those in need.

GSA Business received more than 60 nominations for the Health Care Heroes program. There were six categories: community outreach, first responder, health care professional, nurse, physician and volunteer. Each category had a two finalists and a hero.

Three judges reviewed each nomination independently, using set criteria to score the overall impact each nominee has at individual and community levels. Judges also consider the challenges they face beyond the call of duty, as well as unexpected sacrifices. Scores are tallied individually, so the judges don’t know whom the winners are. Judges were Eleanor Dunlap of LiveWell Greenville and the YMCA Greenville; Andy Owens, managing editor of SC Biz News; and Dr. Desmond Smith of the Smith Center for Cardiovascular Wellness.

The Smith Center for Cardiovascular Wellness and Spirit Telecom presented the event.

PRESENTED BY

Community outreach Maxim A. Willams, Health Care Hero........................ 13 Leslie Conrad, Finalist.............................................. 13 Lisa Green, Finalist................................................... 13

first responder Daniel Hoxie, Health Care Hero................................. 14 Robert Hurst, Finalist................................................ 14

health care professional Lisa Walton, Health Care Hero.................................. 14 Nancy Dereng, Finalist.............................................. 14 Dr. William Killion, Finalist........................................ 14

nurse Wenda Moore, Health Care Hero............................... 16 Connie Steed, Finalist............................................... 16 Bette Arness, Finalist................................................ 16

physician Dr. Nancy Henderson, Health Care Hero................... 17 Dr. Brian McKinley, Finalist....................................... 17 Dr. David Malpass, Finalist....................................... 17

volunteer Doctors of the Ophthalmic Medical Assiting Program, Health Care Hero...................................................... 17 Angel Flight Pilots, Finalist........................................ 17 Rev. Allen Freeman, Finalist..................................... 17

2

www.gsabusiness.com

HEALTH CARE HEROES

Jun. 20 - Jul. 3, 2011

SALU TE T H E H E R OE S AMO N G US A special section & Awards Event coming May 2012

HEALTH CARE

HEROES

GSA Business will honor people and organizations that have a passion for health care and a compassion for patients during an awards event in May 2012.

Winners will be profiled in GSA Business.

HONOR YOUR HERO Nominate now : CLICK HERE! Categories: Volunteer | Community Outreach | First Responder | Nurse | Physician Health Care Researcher | Health Care Professional

For advertising information and special sponsorship benefits, please contact Lisa Jones, GSA Business Publisher at 864-235-5677 x28 or ljones@scbiznews.com

THE BUSINESS JOURNAL FOR GREENVILLE, SPARTANBURG & ANDERSON

HEALTH CARE HEROES

Jun. 20 - Jul. 3, 2011

www.gsabusiness.com 3

Maxim A. Williams Director, Community Relationship Building Bon Secours St. Francis Health System It has been a long and meandering path to the Upstate for a still youthful Maxim A. Williams. Born in Canada to parents from Jamaica, Williams’ voyage made stops in Florida, Tennessee and California before landing him in Greenville.

His diverse background has prepared him for his position running the Health Communities initiative for Bon Secours St. Francis Health System.

That job begins with the historic Sterling area, a community in decline for decades.

His work involves building the capacity of residents to design, plan, implement and own the changes and developments within their neighborhood. He is doing it the hard way: by keeping his feet, as well as his eyes and ears, in the neighborhood he serves.

Williams knows change won’t happen quickly, but he also knows it won’t happen at all if someone isn’t pushing. Williams learned the importance of relationships and asking for help during high school, when a since-healed condition temporarily impaired his eyesight. “I learned that any one of us can be put in a situation where we may need the service and kindness of another,” he says.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH - health care HERO

Leslie Conrad Director, Clemson University Outdoor Lab Ever hear about the girl who left for summer camp … and … never ... came home … again? It’s not a nightmare campfire ghost story — not for Leslie Conrad. For her, it’s a dream job. Conrad moved to the Upstate in 1991 for a summer gig working at the Clemson University Outdoor Lab’s summer camps. She never left. Conrad oversees residential camps for children, teenagers and adults, most of whom have disabilities. The Outdoor Lab is a summer camp and retreat center on Lake Hartwell and the summer home of Jaycee Camp Hope, Camp Sertoma and Camp Lions Den.

How did you get involved in your profession, when and why?

I grew up going to camp and loved the experience. I was at a place where I could be myself without pressure from any other circumstances. I wanted to offer that experience to others, so I aspired to be a camp director. As I started working with kids and adults with special needs, I realized even more the value of a positive camp experience — how much it helps them grow and develop often beyond what they think they can do.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH - FINALIST

Lisa Green South Carolina Director, March of Dimes A coma couldn’t stop Lisa Green from supporting the March of Dimes. Really. The Greenville native has been walking for the March of Dimes since she was a child. Back then, that walk was called WalkAmerica. Today, it’s March for Babies and is still raising money to help the organization’s mission of improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Green joined March of Dimes 12 years ago after a brief career in sales became unfulfilling. “It is not the money that matters; it is the difference you make,” she says. A couple years ago, Green spent several weeks in a coma. She still made a brief appearance at the walk that year.

Congratulations to our health care heroes The employees and volunteers of Bon Secours St. Francis that bring good help to the community each and every day. A special thanks goes to our Health Care Hero finalists, Maxim Williams and Rev. Allen Freeman.

We are proud and honored that you are a part of our family.

What continues to excite/inspire you?

Our amazing volunteers – the people who give selflessly and compassionately so that our future can be brighter. I am inspired by the mission of the March of Dimes every day – the hope on the faces of the families we help. But volunteers are our lifeline and without them, we would not be able to accomplish our mission.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH - FINALIST

stfrancishealth.org

4

www.gsabusiness.com

HEALTH CARE HEROES

Jun. 20 - Jul. 3, 2011

Daniel Hoxie

Robert E. Hurst

Paramedic Instructor, Upstate EMS Council

Engineer, Simpsonville Fire Department

Former firefighter Daniel Hoxie didn’t stop when the flames were out. After helping fight a structure fire that left a family homeless, he quickly found a home for the family and organized an effort to repair and prepare the home for the family. As the son of a firefighter, Hoxie’s early steps were already leading to a career in emergency services.

He became a junior firefighter at 15 and a career firefighter within three months of high school graduation. Now as a paramedic instructor for the Upstate EMS Council, a training institute for emergency medicine, he works vigorously to create a tandem relationship between fire departments and EMS units.

Hoxie admits his zeal for constantly improving the processes can be a bit much for some people, but he makes little apology for excellence, especially when it leads to another life saved.

An off-duty firefighter hears calls for help while at a motorcross race. He quickly calls 911 for help and administers CPR to a man suffering from cardiac arrest. By the time EMTs arrive, the man has regained consciousness thanks to quick action by the off-duty firefighter. That man is alive today. That’s the work of Robert Hurst, an engineer with the Simpsonville Fire Department. It is a job that requires preparation and sacrifice; Hurst spends his days preparing the Simpsonville Fire Department’s equipment, and his own mind and body, for service. And every third day, he is away from his young family for 24 hours. “I’ve missed countless memories, such as hearing their first words, [seeing them] taking their first steps and seeing their faces on Christmas morning,” Hurst says. It is a sacrifice he makes willingly for the people of Simpsonville.

Describe the challenges you have faced beyond the call of duty.

What continues to excite/inspire you?

I am very passionate about my job and have a tendency to step on toes when I am told I can’t improve the quality of emergency care for the citizens I serve because of dollars. How do you put a price on a life?

Having the knowledge to help people in their time of need.

What are your future plans and goals?

Continue to serve and protect the citizens of Simpsonville, improve my knowledge in my position through education and teach others through my experiences.

Continue to bring the fire service and emergency medical services closer together to better serve the public.

What are your future plans and goals?

first responder - health care HERO

first responder - FINALIST

Lisa Walton

Nancy Dereng

William K. Killion

Medical Technologist, Oconee Medical Center

Executive Director, Interim HealthCare Hospice

Executive Director, Rescare Homecare

Six years ago, Lisa Walton nearly drowned in the Horsepasture River above Rainbow Falls in North Carolina. In February, she endured five days of injections and painful side effects to undergo a four-hour procedure to donate bone marrow to a leukemia patient she had never met. During her acceptance speech at the Health Care Heroes event, Walton talked about how things happen for a reason and that maybe she was saved so that she could save another. She says she is simply privileged to help.

In her role now at Oconee Medical Center, Walton performs diagnostic medical tests in hematology. She also assists in training new employees and students, and teaches medical laboratory technology at TriCounty Technical College. “It is challenging to do both at times, but it allows me to be a better instructor and a better medical technologist,” Walton says.

If the lucky ones love their work, Nancy Dereng may be the luckiest of us all. To her, success is measured by lives touched and love shared.

The executive director of a hospice program draws little distinction between nursing and ministry, and Dereng calls it her bliss to serve patients at the end of their life. “When you are working in your bliss, you are inspired by your vision and personal mission,” she says. Dereng’s first experience caring for someone at the end of life came when she was just 9 and helped take care of her grandfather as he succumbed to Parkinson’s disease. Dereng now is not just an enthusiastic employee of Interim HealthCare Hospice, she is an ambassador for the entire industry, building relationships and stumping for the cause at every opportunity.

William Killion has spent his life working to help people with developmental delays and specials needs live independent and functional lives. For Killion, the key to job success is simple: “show up, be a part of the team and contribute,” he says.

His job, however, is not so simple. Killion, who began his career as a speech pathologist in 1974, is executive director of Rescare Homecare, assisting people with autism and dementia. Rescare is a nationwide company providing homecare and residential services for people with developmental disabilities as well as homecare for the elderly and those with developmental disabilities.

What continues to excite/inspire you?

What continues to inspire you?

Possibly pursuing a master’s degree, and always striving to use the talents and gifts God has given me to be a positive influence in my profession ...

… When you work with patients who have limited days, you also realize that every day is a gift and that we can do many things to be a blessing to others. The people that I work with at Interim and the patients that we come into contact with every day are my inspiration. I am inspired by our caregivers and the experiences they share. They work hard and put a lot of love into their care. …

Sometimes I yearn for the opportunity to make visits to families (I don’t get to do that as much anymore) because every time I am in the home of a hospice patient, I come away so inspired and blessed to have had the honor of being a part of their journey.

health care professional - health care HERO

health care professional - FINALIST

Having the opportunity to share my knowledge with students. Also, hoping I can be a positive influence both inside and outside the laboratory. The important role we (the lab) play in health care seems not well appreciated. I would love to help the medical laboratory be held in higher esteem in the medical community.

What are your future plans and goals?

What does a typical day at work consist of?

There is no typical day, which is one of the reasons that the job never gets boring. I might visit a client in home, help to start a new case or participate in administrative functions.

Describe the challenges you have faced beyond the call of duty.

So many times the reality of an impairment can only be softened and not cured.

What continues to excite/inspire you?

Progress of the people we serve is very rewarding.

health care professional - FINALIST

HEALTH CARE HEROES

Jun. 20 - Jul. 3, 2011

www.gsabusiness.com 5

Smith Center

for Cardiovascular Wellness The Smith Center for Cardiovascular Wellness’ primary focus is providing a better understanding of how to prevent cardiovascular diseases - strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, screening for aneurysm and kidney failure.

This office is unique in that it is certified as a Cardiovascular Laboratory for performing Echocardiograms and vascular studies. Therefore, patients can receive most of their care in one location. Dr. Smith also specializes in patients that have difficulty controlling their blood pressures, diabetes and heart failure. He is a Board Certified Internist, Geriatrician and Hypertension Specialist. He is also a charter member of the Hypertension Specialty Board and is recognized as a Doctor of Excellence.

Desmond E. Smith, MD Recognized as a Doctor of Excellence 30 Years in Practice as a Preventive Cardiovascular Specialist American Board of Internal Medicine Board Certified in Internal Medicine & Geriatrics The American Society of Hypertension Certified Hypertension Specialist & Charter Member of ASH Practice Certifications Inter-Societal Commission for the Accreditation of Echo cardiography/Vascular ICAEL Certified as an Echocardiography Laboratory ICAVL Certified as a Vascular Laboratory

45 Creekview Court, Greenville, SC 29615 Phone: (864) 234-7474 | Fax: (864) 234-8836

www.smithcentercardio.com (Please join our practice on line through the secure patient portal at our website)

“Prevention is the key to longevity”

6

HEALTH CARE HEROES

www.gsabusiness.com

Jun. 20 - Jul. 3, 2011

Wenda Moore

Connie Steed

Registered Nurse, Shriners Hospital for Children

Director, Infection Prevention and Control, GHS University Medical Center

Wenda Moore never stops. She’s a nurse at work, as well as a nurse at home to her special needs foster children. Moore was inspired to pursue a career in health care at age 31 as her mother was fighting breast cancer. She spent many hours in the hospital with her mother at the time and was reminded of her childhood desire to become a nurse. So Moore, whose son was 9 years old at the time, enrolled in the nursing program at Trident Technical College in 1990 and graduated four years later. Today, she cares for pre-op and post-op pediatric orthopedic patients at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Greenville. Some patients are in critical condition, saddled with invasive IV lines and heart monitors and requiring one-on-one care from Moore. She also helps educate patients’ families about care and collaborates with therapists and other specialists to provide the highest level of care to her patients.

There is a reason your doctor sanitizes both hands and the stethoscope before examining you. Meet Connie Steed. She thinks small when she thinks big, and very tiny things can cause big problems in a hospital. Her job is to implement infection prevention and control at Greenville Hospital System.

Her mission is to prevent it everywhere. Steed leads a team of infection preventionists that keep the hospital system on top of it all by holding infection at bay. A nurse by training, Steed became interested in her field early when she realized she could help not just a few patients, but all of them throughout the hospital by preventing infection. Steed works to ensure that GHS medical professionals deliver the goods without spreading infection, and she is part of national and statewide initiatives to improve methods and practices, and to monitor the spread of hospital infections. Her involvement includes service to the national Association for Professionals in Infection Control and the Centers for Disease Control National Healthcare Safety Network.

What types of things have you done to impact the health care community?

Not only am I a full-time RN employed at Shriners Hospital for Children, but I am also a full-time foster parent for special needs infants and children. At this point in time, I have cared for 11 children who have all either returned home with family or have been successfully adopted.

Describe the challenges you have faced beyond the call of duty.

The excitement of accepting another foster child, not knowing all the circumstances and conditions they have witnessed. Receiving calls in the middle of the night from family and friends concerning their ill children and providing them sound clinical advise and peace of mind in their times of need.

Describe the challenges you have faced beyond the call of duty.

The biggest challenge is time. There isn’t enough time in the day to get everything done. I take projects home and work late sometimes.

What continues to excite/inspire you?

Seeing fewer infections in patients. Less infection means less pain and suffering. We still have work to do, but you feel empowered and excited when you see success.

NURSE - FINALIST

NURSE - health care HERO

Elizabeth “Bette” Arness School Nurse, Thomas E. Kerns Elementary School Sometimes a hug will do; sometimes a child needs much more. Whatever the need, Elizabeth “Bette” Arness delivers.

Everyone needs a hug sometimes. At an elementary school, some need it daily. Fortunately for the hug-dependent at Thomas E. Kerns Elementary School, hugs are easy to come by if you know how to play your cards. A little tummy ache gets you a few minutes with the one they call “Nurse Bette.”

And that is where you get a hug. Arness has served as school nurse for the Title 1 elementary school for three years. Her reputation among the staff is solid, but it is stellar among the little ones. Like most schools, especially those with Title 1 designation, Thomas E. Kerns Elementary has challenges beyond the strictly academic. Getting through a day of school often takes more than mastering reading and math. A Registered Nurse with a background in pediatrics, Arness serves a post that requires her sometimes to be part mom, part counselor, part cheerleader. She routinely goes beyond the call, buying clothing for children or taking them to local entertainment events for children, like Disney on Ice. She’s even taken them to meet Santa Claus.

What continues to excite/inspire you?

As cliché as it sounds, the children who continue to smile despite the challenges they face.

What does a “typical” day at work consist of?

Band-Aids, ice for “bumps” and lots of hugs.

NURSE - FINALIST

Jun. 20 - Jul. 3, 2011

HEALTH CARE HEROES

www.gsabusiness.com 7

Nancy Henderson

Brian McKinley

David G. Malpass

Medical Director, Division of Forensic Pediatrics GHS University Medical Center

Surgical Oncologist; Cancer Liaison Physician to American College of Surgeons GHS University Medical Center

Pediatric Cardiologist, GHS University Medical Center Children’s Hospital

A doctor. A counselor. An advocate. A sleuth. That’s Dr. Nancy Henderson, medical director for the Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center’s Division of Forensic Pediatrics, charged with treating and hopefully even preventing child abuse.

Henderson is there to help children though the worst part of their lives. She identifies abuse, treats injuries, organizes conferences, champions advocacy and spreads the word among medical professionals, law enforcement agencies and the general public. Her duties take her from emergency medical care to courtrooms and her strategies touch the lives of her patients and their families well into the future.

What is the best career advice you’ve ever been given?

I think finding a job that I am passionate about because even when the work becomes very difficult and stressful you still can’t picture yourself doing anything else. Also being in a job where you can make a huge impact on someone’s life is very rewarding.

PHYSICIAN - health care HERO

Doctors of the Ophthalmic Medical Assisting Program Greenville Technical College

The volunteer doctors of the Ophthalmic Medical Assisting Program at Greenville Technical College didn’t need eye glasses to see the need to prepare a workforce of ophthalmic medical assistants. They are among a group of doctors who donate several hours each week, along with office space and medical equipment, to train students at Greenville Tech for careers in the eye care field. The program was founded in 2000, and many of the doctors who participate have hired students who have completed it. Doctors include Hal Shaw, John Siddens and James Culclasure of Jervey Eye Group; Thomas Tucker, David Weaver and Billie Skinner of Greenville EyeCare; Don Glaser of Clemson Eye; Michael Baldwin of Eastside EyeCare; Nick McLane of Piedmont Retina Associates; Michael Phillips of Advanced Eye Care of the Upstate; Derek Van Veen of TLC Laser Center; Randall Baughman of McGregor & Associates; and Mitch Wolin of the Center for Advanced Eye Care.

VOLUNTEER - health care HERO

As a surgical trainee years ago, Brian McKinley was impressed with two surgical oncologists’ ability to marry medical science with the art of caring for people. “What I try to do every day is bring compassion and enthusiasm to my patients to infuse them with hope during some very difficult and trying times,” he says. McKinley describes himself as wide-eyed when considering the potential for transforming health care in the Upstate and heartbroken by the financial limitations to some people’s care and his powerlessness to help.

What types of things have you done to bring attention to challenges in the health care community and what has been the result?

I have been actively involved in a GHS program to provide free breast cancer screening for underserved populations and have been awarded two grants to increase awareness about colorectal cancer among African Americans.

PHYSICIAN - FINALIST

Fittingly, the schedule of Dr. David Malpass looks as much like a cardio workout as it does a doctor’s hectic routine. Malpass is in the office at 7 a.m. each day and the work doesn’t stop until well after he’s home, where he completes records, researches clinical problems and prepares for the next day’s clinic. In the meantime, he is engaged in the personal and clinical mission of delivering cardiac care for patients, from young adults to fetuses. In addition to work with the Piedmont Women’s Center and Palmetto Hearts, a support group for families affected by congenital heart disease, Malpass does mission work in Liberia, Africa, where long lines of people eager for medical attention last past sundown.

Malpass has delivered medical care, and even emergency treatment, with flashlights and candles for illumination, often in make-shift clinics made of mud walls and thatched roofs. He sometimes covers surgeries out of his own pocket. He is working now to bring a 3-year-old boy to the Medical University of South Carolina for life-saving heart surgery.

PHYSICIAN - FINALIST

Angel Flights Pilots

Rev. Allen Freeman

S.C. Branch of Angel Flight Soars Inc.

Associate minister, Lincoln Street Missionary Baptist Church

Not until later in life did Bo Bowman follow the best advice he ever heard. “Make your job your fun,” his father had said. Only after retiring from Westinghouse did the engineer spin his other passion — flying — into a rewarding mission to connect far-away health care to people who need it urgently.

The volunteers of Angel Flight Soars Inc. transport patients free to distant medical facilities, deliver supplies to disaster areas and reunite families during desperate times. They use their own planes, fuel and time to help those who may not be able to afford the care they need. Bowman is one of the volunteer pilots, an ambassador for the service and director of the Georgia organization’s South Carolina branch.

Pictured: Mo Scott accepted the award on the group’s behalf.

What are your future plans and goals?

To continue directing the Angel Flight Soars activities in South Carolina. To grow the use of our program and our volunteer pilot list as much as possible as long as my health and abilities allow.

VOLUNTEER - FINALIST

Rev. Allen Freeman may have discovered the fountain of youth. The 79-year-old begins many mornings at the grocery store, picking up food to deliver to the Project Hope Soup Kitchen, Greenville County Recreation and Loaves and Fishes. All agencies serve the homeless, disabled and disadvantaged.

His schedule escalates from there. He works with the Sterling Community Club, which looks after the welfare of senior citizens, and he’s involved in the Sterling Neighborhood Association. Freeman serves as an advisory board member of Community Action/ Greenville RSVP. He spent more than a decade with Neighborhood Housing Corp., which builds houses for low-income families. His volunteer efforts are too many to list in this space. Through it all, he has logged more than 4,000 hours of volunteer service at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital, praying with patients and providing spiritual care in perhaps their most dire times of need. “It’s part of me,” Freeman says of his community service. “Some people have told me to slow down and take time for myself. Well, I have the time and I enjoy doing it. I’m going to continue doing it as long as I am physically able.”

VOLUNTEER - FINALIST

8

www.gsabusiness.com

HEALTH CARE HEROES

Jun. 20 - Jul. 3, 2011

Reliability. Dependability. Communication.

We know what it takes to become an outstanding service provider.

We have built our business, and our reputation, on trust and mutual respect. And just like you, we believe our customers come first.

Congratulations to all the Healthcare Heroes!

1.864.517.1200

www.spirittelecom.com