June 10, 2016
MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA
Vol. 34, No. 39
Summer is no picnic for many Lowcountry kids End of the school year signals riskiest time for hungry children By Mikie Hayes hayesmi@musc.edu
T
he school year is over, and most kids are celebrating the end of science projects, pop quizzes and homework for the next 10 weeks. But for low-income children in the Charleston area who rely on their schools for meals, summer can spell the beginning of hungry bellies and fretting about not having enough to eat. To ensure kids in the area have access to a balanced and nutritious breakfast and lunch every day, MUSC is again partnering with Sodexo, a leader in food service operations, to offer Kids Eat Free at MUSC, a program to help reduce food insecurity for children under 18 during the summer months. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds the much-needed program and allows children who receive free or reduced-cost meals during the school year to continue receiving food while school is out. While it’s difficult to imagine there are still children who suffer from hunger in a county as affluent as the United States, the truth is there are too many kids across America who go hungry or eat poorly during June, July and August. In South Carolina, 14 percent of the population is food insecure. The USDA summer meal programs, like Kids Eat Free at MUSC, help bridge the gap for more than 18 million children who lose their most reliable source of nutrition once the school year ends. Typically, less than 20 percent of eligible children participate in summer meal programs, due to a combination of circumstances that include access to safe sites where meals are available, lack of transportation, no parental supervision, even bad weather. MUSC is hoping to ease some of those challenges for families. Being geographically situated in close proximity to both Memminger Elementary and James Simons Elementary Schools,
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Values In Action Awards will celebrate MUSC employees’ good works. LIKE US
photo provided
Above photo: During the Summer of 2015, 2,385 nutritional meals were served at MUSC’s cafeterias. Lowcountry children had plenty of healthy options to choose from at MUSC’s Kids Eat Free locations. Below, Sodexo employees put their hearts into serving balanced meals to kids.
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in addition to the number of children on campus every day in the ambulatory and pediatric clinics or with family members, made offering the free meal program at MUSC a smart move, said Debbie Petitpain, a Sodexo wellness dietitian at MUSC. “We are here every day. We serve food every day. We concentrate on health and wellness every day. It just made sense that we would reach out and help children who are vulnerable and need it most.”
See Meals on page 6
Piccolo Performance
2
Around Campus
MUSC has ties to “Sounds of the Cigar Factory” play.
5
Meet Kirby
8
OCIO Column
Medical University of South Carolina — FOLLOW US
@ Catalyst_MUSC
2 THe CaTalysT, June 10, 2016
PeoPle
Around Campus
Ben Clyburn
evenTs Piccolo Finale
Ben Clyburn, M.D., professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine & Geriatrics, has been named senior associate dean for graduate medical education (GME). Clyburn has served as associate dean for GME for several years.
The Piccolo Spoleto Finale will be held on Saturday, June 11, from 5 until 10 p.m. at Hampton Park, located at 30 Mary Murray Blvd. The vent is free and open to the public. The Piccolo Spoleto Festival will be come to a close with a family-friendly night of good music and food. Local and visiting musicians from a range of genres will perform. For more information, visit www.piccolospoleto.com
Andrew Eiseman
Charleston Farmer’s Market
Andrew Eiseman, M.D., assosciate professor in the Department of Opthalmology, has been named chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology. Eiseman has served as interim chair since December. Eisman joined MUSC in 2012 after having served a distinguished ophthalmology career in the U.S. Army.
The Charleston Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturdays at Marion Square, at the corner of Calhoun and King Streets. With more than 40 vendors, it features everything from farmers and growers to food concessions, artisans and crafters. Leashed dogs (and cats) are welcome.
John Ikonomidis
John Ikonomidis, M.D., chief of the Division of Cardiorthoracic Surgery, was honored with the 2016 CVSA Distinguished Achievement Award by the American Heart Association
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
photo by J. Ryne Danielson
Patients at MUSC’s Children’s Hospital met their favorite Sesame Street characters up close and personal and even joined in with tambourines and maracas for an impromptu musical performance when Elmo and Cookie Monster payed a special visit to the 7th floor atrium May 24. and Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthsesia. The award recognizes an individual who has made major contributions to the CVSA council and has made substantial professional contributions to the field.
Amanda C. LaRue
Amanda LaRue, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Pathology
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., 843-958-7480 or 843-937-4803. E-mail: sales@moultrienews.com.
and Laboratory Medicine, was named chief of staff for research at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center. LaRue is also a faculty member in the Center for Biomedical Imaging at USC. LaRue will lead more than 100 research investigators involved in more than 200 research projects to support veterans patients.
New MUSC cafeteria app BITE by Sodexo is a free, downloadable app from the app store and Google play. It tells you what’s on the daily menu in MUSC’s cafeterias, meal specials, hours of operation, calorie and nutritional information of food choices. It even syncs to your Fitbit.When you launch it for the first time, enter M5K29 to link to MUSC. For more information, contact Debbie Peitipain at petitpa@musc.edu.
Courtenay Drive Garage extends service hours beginning June 4 Attended service at the Courtenay Drive garage will be extended from five days a week to seven days a week starting June 4. Employees who want to park in the garage while working at night and on weekends and who are not currently registered with the Office of Parking Management for after– hours parking privileges should
register as soon as possible. For registration information, visit the Office of Parking Management website at www. academicdepartments.musc. edu/vpfa/operations/Parking/ afterhoursprogram.htm, email Debby Humbert at humbertd@ musc or call 792-3665.
THe CaTalysT, June 10, 2016 3
President’s Values in Action Awards celebrate excellence acts of compassion at MUSC every day. But the purpose is to put an exclamation point on them.” Nominations will be accepted until Sept. 30 and require a letter of recommendation explaining why the nominee is worthy of the award. Both individuals and teams are eligible, but self–nominations will not be accepted. Special priority will be given to diversity and inclusion as a criteria for the award in order to recognize employees from a variety of backgrounds across all departments. “With all the positive and proactive efforts for employee recognition that are already in place, the Values in Action Awards are yet another opportunity to highlight the good work of an individual or a team at an institutional level,” Cole said. Cole will choose five winners, one representing each value, in October. Once chosen, each award will be given in person by the president, when scheduling allows. All winners will receive a memento, a letter of appreciation from the president, and a feature article in The Catalyst. A nomination form can be accessed online at http:// academicdepartments.musc.edu/leadership/president/ values-in-action.html.
MUSC President David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, launched the President’s Values in Action Awards at Employee Appreciation Day May 13. “Kathy [Cole] and I would like to express our personal thanks for everything that you do on a daily basis at MUSC,” he said. “We truly believe that MUSC is a family. And one way we express that is by supporting each other, recognizing the values we stand for.” Cole said that MUSC’s values are critical to its overarching vision: leading health innovation for the lives we touch. “Our five values are compassion, respect, innovation, collaboration and integrity,” he explained. “They are what define us as an institution. They are who we are, and hopefully, what we demonstrate on a daily basis.” The Values in Action Awards, Cole said, are a way to reinforce those values and recognize people who have demonstrated one or more of them in extraordinary ways. “What we intend to do is take the opportunity to celebrate those individuals on an annual basis. This doesn’t mean, for example, there aren’t thousands of
photo by Anne Thompson, Digital Imaging
MUSC President Dr. David Cole unveils details about his new Values in Action Awards recognizing extraordinary employees at the 2016 Appreciation Day event on May 13.
Employees urged to review state-mandated changes to NetID password process South Carolina’s Division of Information Security has developed a set of policies to establish a common framework of information security for all state agencies and institutions. These policies are designed to improve the confidentiality of patient health information and other restricted data. Some of the more significant policy changes to NetID (username) passwords are: q NetID user account passwords must be changed every 180 days. q Each password must be at least eight characters long. q An updated password cannot be the same as any of the past six passwords. q Each updated password must have at least four changed characters from the previous passwords. Anyone who uses a NetID account, including faculty, staff, students and contractors, will be required to follow these new policies. Failure to do so will result in losing access to all MUSC
applications. To minimize impact on work flow, there will be a phased rollout of the new NetID password process. Starting in June and rolling out in alphabetical order based on NetID, groups of users will receive an email notifying them it is time to change their password. The email will contain the date you last changed your password and the date by which you must change to a new password. It will also provide instructions on how to change your password. To ensure you are not replying to a phishing email, please check for these details: • The email will address you by your NetID. • The email will provide links to web addresses, but please note it will NOT ask you to click on any links in the email. • To be 100 percent sure you are not responding to a phish, open a new internet browser window and type the link into that browser window. For a complete list of the new policies and other important information, visit netid180.musc.edu.
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By J. Ryne Danielson daniejer@musc.edu
4 THe CaTalysT, June 10, 2016
Leadership Meets
photo provided
Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg and MUSC President Dr. David Cole met May 16 to continue their ongoing discussion about ways the City Charleston and MUSC can work together to build healthy communities.
Dear MUSC Family, As you know, James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine Dean John Sanders, DDS, has announced his retirement, effective June 30. I previously expressed my appreciation for Dean Sander’s achievements, and while we will move in a deliberate manner to begin the recruitment process for our next dean, it is equally important to name an interim dean to continue the advancement of the CDM in key ways. After consultation with the CDM faculty, staff, and students, and in discussion with President David Cole, M.D., FACS, and interim provost designate Lisa Saladin, Ph.D., I am pleased to announce the appointment of Patricia L. Blanton, D.D.S., Ph.D., as interim dean. This appointment is contingent upon MUSC Board of Trustees approval, which will be sought at its August meeting. Dr. Blanton is an individual enjoying national respect in her profession of academic dentistry and has been a professor in the Department of Stomatology since 2014, while also serving as a practicing clinician. Dr. Blanton spent the large part of her academic career at the Baylor University College of Dentistry and the University Graduate School and is now professor emerita. During her tenure at Baylor, she demonstrated notable achievement as an academic administrator, educator, Blanton extramurally funded researcher, and clinician. Her primary fields of academic and clinical interest are periodontics, oral medicine and anatomy, in which she has mentored numerous colleagues at the start of their academic careers. Her service presence nationally is evident in the numerous roles she has assumed such as an American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) commissioner, consultant for the American College of Dentists Foundation Board, president of the American College of Dentists, vice president of the American Dental Association, member of the ADA Presidential Taskforce on the Commission on Dental Accreditation and a member of the editorial board of The Journal of the American Dental Association, among many other accomplishments. She is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions during her tenure at Baylor University, including nomination to the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame for Health and Research, the Baylor College of Dentistry Distinguished Alumni Award, the Dallas County Dental Society Dentist of the Year Award, Dallas County Dental Society Lifetime Achievement Award, the Student Clinicians of the American Dental Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the American Association of Women Dentists’ 2008 Woman Dentist of the Year/Lucy Hobbs Taylor Award, and the Commanders Award from the Europe Regional Dental Command. The Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry biomedical sciences library was named in her honor. Dr. Blanton will assume her tenure as interim dean beginning July 1, 2016 and continue until a successful recruitment for a permanent dean is named. She will work closely with Dean Sanders and his leadership team to ensure a smooth transition. I anticipate we will activate the search and screen process for a new dean in the weeks ahead. We are fortunate to have Dr. Blanton available to us for this critical appointment, and I appreciate her willingness to serve. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Blanton in her new role. Sincerely,
Mark S. Sothmann, Ph.D., Provost
THe CaTalysT, June 10, 2016 5
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Meals
Continued from Page One
Hunger is a growing public health problem that has caught the attention of health systems like MUSC. And rightly so. Last year when Petitpain, a registered dietician, learned not a single hospital in South Carolina was participating in summer meal programs for kids — Pettipain even though USDA funding was available — she took that as a personal challenge and set a course to do something about it. Quickly, she helped make Kids Eat Free at MUSC a reality. And a successful one. While she thought they might serve in the neighborhood of 10 to 20 meals a week, MUSC was soon serving 250 meals a week, for a total of 2,385 meals last summer. This year, with greater awareness and a number of new locations and special features added to the program, Petitpain can’t say with certainty how many will be served – but she hopes it will help make an even greater difference for kids in the area.
No chiLd turNed away Petitpain said that while the program is geared toward children who are food insecure – meaning they experience limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food – anyone 18 years or younger on the MUSC campus is eligible to receive free meals as part of this program regardless of financial need or what brings them to MUSC. The program has been designed so no child will feel self-conscious receiving free meals. No questions are asked of the kids, and they do not need to sign up or show any type of registration, documentation, ID or proof of need to receive their meals. MUSC qualifies as a USDA open site because nearly 90 percent of kids who attend nearby public schools qualify for free or reduced-cost meals during the school year. Kids Eat Free at MUSC uses an “offer versus serve” format, which Petitpain said is a beautiful thing. “Normally a child is served whatever is available. ‘Here is a free meal – hope you like it.’ I love that we can offer choices, because it allows the child to select which option he or she prefers to eat that day,” she said. The USDA has strict guidelines on what can be served, ensuring the children receive enough food and the right types of healthy and nutritious foods. The process is easy. The kids follow the
Sodexo employees are ready to serve children at the MUSC Urban Farm for the June kick off of the Kids Eat Free at MUSC program.
photos provided
Committed to making a difference, corporate partners kicked off the opening of Kids Eat Free at MUSC June 4 at the MUSC Urban Farm. friendly purple octopus, located in all three hospital cafeterias, that leads them to MUSC employees who help them make their food selections and gets them to the proper cashiers. This year, kids are able to eat anywhere on campus, but for their own protection and to make sure someone isn’t taking their food away from them, they are not able to remove food from campus or give it away.
good call. On opening day, June 6, not only was it swamped, they went through 1½ times the normal amount of food. Rutledge Tower, which is closed on weekends and holidays, will follow its normal schedule and serve breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday. MUSC’s Urban Farm, too, has gotten involved and will be serving lunches for one hour on Saturdays.
New LocatioNs, expaNded scheduLe One change this year that Petitpain is excited about is the addition of meals being served on weekends. She calls it a huge win. The University Hospital and ART cafeterias have gone to a seven days-a-week serving schedule for breakfast and lunch. This adds 20 extra days of meals for kids in the area. Petitpain said weekends are the riskiest time of the week in terms of kids’ access to food. “Even kids who are in summer camps only receive meals on weekdays. But weekends are often an iffy time for meals for many children,” she said. Another exciting element to this year’s program is the addition of two new sites. Petitpain explained that the Rutledge Tower cafeteria has been added to the list, as many children are there for appointments or accompanying family members every day. Adding Rutledge Tower already seems to have been a
partNeriNg agaiNst huNger On June 4, a family–friendly kick-off event was held at the Urban Farm to promote MUSC as a summer feeding site and to celebrate the return of the Kids Eat Free at MUSC summer program. Petitpain feels this will bring more of the community children to MUSC. “That’s the part I find most exciting of all,” she said. “Last year, we were really focusing on kids who were here already. We’ve never really extended the invitation into the community – but now we’re saying, ‘You’re in a neighborhood right next to us. Why don’t you come?’ I’m excited about adding this community piece.” Petitpain explained that MUSC, which is providing the physical site, is partnering with the Lowcountry Food Bank, which will be preparing and delivering nutritious meals to campus; I
See Meals on page 7
THe CaTalysT, June 10, 2016 7
Meals
Continued from Page Six
Summer Kids Eat Free at MUSC June 4 to Aug. 13 q University Hospital and Ashley River Tower Cafeterias (Monday through Sunday) Breakfast is served from 7 to 10 a.m. Lunch is served from 11 to 2 p.m. q Rutledge Tower Cafeteria (Monday through Friday – No Holidays) Breakfast is served from 7 to 10 a.m. Lunch is served from 11 to 2 p.m. q The Urban Farm (Saturdays) Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to noon
Jackson Silverman pedals the smoothie bike with Sheila Smith of Molina Healthcare. Heart Hungry Kids, which mobilizes young volunteers to pass out the meals and play games; and Molina Healthcare, the group responsible for administering Medicare and Medicaid in SC, which will provide nurses to do health checks. “We couldn’t have asked for a better group of organizations to partner with,” Petitpain said. “Recognizing that hunger is a health issue, and that MUSC is positively impacting the health of their clients, it was a no-brainer when Molina Healthcare asked how they could partner with us.” She also had high words of praise for the Lowcountry Food Bank. “The meals they make are amazing. The kids love them.” The meals that will be offered on Saturdays will be delicious cold meals, and volunteers from I Heart Hungry Kids will hand them out. Gabe and Riley Silverman, the younger twin brothers of Jackson Silverman, who founded I Heart Hungry Kids, will manage the volunteer effort for the summer program. Petitpain explained that when Jackson, now 11, was 9, he learned about hunger in the Charleston community. No community organization would take a 9–year–old volunteer, so he started I Heart Hungry Kids to allow children to be involved in service and to impact hunger in the community. He recruits kids to help kids. For his efforts, he recently won the Brady Stop Hunger
Scholarship from the Sodexo Foundation — an honor bestowed on only five people a year, between the ages of 5 and 25, across all of North America. Every Sunday during the school year, Jackson, Gabe, Riley and their team of volunteers pack backpacks of food for kids to take home to eat on the weekends. Petitpain marvels at the fact they can pack an unbelievable 1,500 in less than 30 minutes. The program goes on hiatus for the summer. Petitpain said, “I told Gabe and Riley — ‘I need volunteers for summer, and y’all need something to do,’” she said laughing. “It is a perfect partnership. The twins took ownership of the summer program, and they are really excited about introducing play — providing physical activity to the kids. Often hunger and obesity go hand in hand.” She believes this partnership will lead to even greater things. “It just shows that complex issues like food insecurity in the community are too complex to be solved
by any one organization. No one organization has all of the strengths required. We gathered a group where each one of us is bringing our best to the table, and it all fits together like a perfect puzzle.” At the Urban Farm, kids 18 and under can participate on a first–come, first–served basis. The kids were excited to learn they could harvest their own bag of vegetables to take home with them. New chaNges Last year, Petitpain learned that MUSC was the first hospital in the southeast to participate in a summer feeding program and only one of six hospitals in the entire country. “We received a USDA grant to develop an implementation guide and have had eight programs across the country call us to pick our brains. We’re now seen nationally as blazing a trail in this space. It’s amazing,” she said. Childhood hunger is real and it’s widespread, Petitpain said. She shared that recently a USDA representative recounted the story of a straight-A student who in April started failing on purpose so he’d have to take summer school and would be able to receive summer meals. It’s one of the many reasons Kids Eat Free at MUSC is so important to her. With her background as a dietitian, the subject of child hunger is a subject that is particularly close to Petitpain’s heart. She feels blessed to be heading up such an important initiative that helps so many children on a day–to–day basis, building healthy communities and putting patients first. “This feels like Grace to have stepped into it,” she said. “It’s just a beautiful thing. Our staff loves it. The staff in the cafeteria — the people who serve the children every day. If they didn’t have buy–in with all of their heart, this program wouldn’t have happened. And if it didn’t happen here, it wouldn’t be happening anywhere. The success comes down to the people interacting with these families. It’s so neat. It’s just so neat,” she said with a quiver in her voice. For more information about the Summer Kids Eat Free program, visit: www.musc.edu/kids-eat-free. Tom Lindquist, right, Molina Healthcare president, right, explains why his company is involved in summer feeding and partnering with MUSC. Lindquist is joined by Dr. Cleo, Molina Healthcare’s mascot for the kick-off event. photos provided
8 THe CaTalysT, June 10, 2016
Predictive analytics improves operations, patient care of administrative staffing data, MUSC clinicians can better duties to allow clinical identify kidney transplant patients managers more time to focus that are at higher risk of early graft on patient care and staff loss (i.e., losing the transplanted mentoring. kidney). IBM’s Watson Health (the The software will be rolled supercomputer that beat Jeopardy out in a phased approach champs in 2011) is now providing across both medical center valuable information from the and ambulatory sites. electronic medical record to better Phase I: Inpatient, manage patient care and make emergency department, predictions based on “big data,� or perioperative, and inpatient sets of information gathered from procedural units will go live larger and more complex sources. in September 2016. This collected and compiled big Phase II: All other clinical data fills in gaps and captures Megan Fink support and ambulatory the relationship of biological and clinics will go live in early socioeconomic factors that can 2017. help with decision making, as it did In addition to saving unit leaders and for Titte R. Srinivas, M.D., director of staff significant time, Smart Square is transplant nephrology and the MUSC accessible from any computer or mobile analytics team. device. This past year, a team of IT, analytics and clinical employees participated in iBM watsoN heaLth a pilot with the IBM Watson Health By developing predictive models using system to address risk scores of patients a combination of MUSC and national for early graft failure. The team is
Making IT Great
hopeful this assessment of risk scores will ultimately improve the lives of transplant recipients. Their work and study findings were presented the week of June 12 to the American Transplant Congress in Boston. Editor’s Note: The Making IT Great series is a monthly addition to The Catalyst from the Office of the CIO highlighting new
Microsoft Office 365 coming to MUSC q Office Online is a web–based version of Office 2016. You can now create, edit and share work directly in your web browser (cloud) from anywhere across multiple devices. q Office 365 includes applications you’d expect (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Skype, and One Drive), some you may not know (Yammer, Delve and Sway). q Visit www.musc.edu/office365.
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avaNtas sMart squareŽ MUSC Health operations and the Office of the CIO are working with the company Avantas to improve workforce planning solutions through the use of predictive analytics and resource management to optimize the health system’s workforce. The project will improve our ability to accurately budget for staffing, reduce the time managers spend scheduling and managing staffing changes and provide staff a better experience. Avantas’ solution, called Smart Square, will replace portions of the current scheduling system for some staff beginning this September. Smart Square’s improved forecasting provides more accurate predictions of staffing 30 days from each shift. It’s all about putting the right staff in the right place at the right time. Inpatientacute care areas, outpatient clinics, as well as all ancillary and support services will all benefit from the Smart Square solution. A Resource Management Center will support the coordination
THe CaTalysT, June 10, 2016 9
MUSC employees make stage debut at Piccolo Spoleto By J. Ryne Danielson daniejer@musc.edu The Footlight Players Theatre hosted an original play Sunday, May 29, written and narrated by two of MUSC’s own. The show — part of the Piccolo Spoleto performing arts festival — was a surprise hit, with people clamoring for even standing–room tickets to the one-night event. Luckily, “Sounds of the Cigar Factory,” based on the book “The Cigar Factory, A Novel of Charleston” will likely be staged in Charleston again and is already scheduled for the Pat Conroy Literary Festival in Beaufort this fall. As the play was in final dress rehearsals the first week of Spoleto, there were 40 people on a waiting list to read one of the 36 copies of “The Cigar Factory” already checked out from the Charleston County Library, said Michele Moore, the author of the book and play. Despite the book’s popularity, Moore was unsure if the auditorium would be full as Tropical Storm Bonnie was predicted to hit the South Carolina coast that weekend. “We were so thankful the storm didn’t hit and cancel more than half a year of planning and rehearsing,” she said. Moore, a former MUSC physical therapist, served on the hospital’s burn, medical–surgical and rehabilitation teams from 1982 to 1984, working with patients who had sustained spinal cord injuries and amputations. Since leaving MUSC, she has continued to work as a PRN (as needed) physical therapist in addition to devoting herself to writing. Moore’s short works of fiction have been broadcast on Georgia Public Radio and published in several literary magazines. But she had always dreamed of writing a novel based on Charleston’s rich history, she said. Her first novel, “The Cigar Factory,” was published last year by the University of South Carolina Press’s Story River Books, an imprint started by Lowcountry author Pat Conroy in 2014. The novel was adapted to the stage and first performed for Eastside Day Spirit Week held at Trident Technical College’s Palmer Campus on the eastside of Charleston — next to the cigar factory. “The performance was then accepted to Piccolo Spoleto and scheduled for the
photos provided
Above photo: The full cast of “Sounds of the Cigar Factory” perform “We Shall Overcome,” a song first sung in Charleston by striking cigar factory workers and later popularized as the anthem of the civil rights movement. Right photo: MUSC nurse Marvetta Daniels was the play’s narrator. Footlight Players Theatre,” Moore said. “And from there it will take on a life of its own.” Set between the World Wars, Moore’s novel tells the story of two Charleston families: the McGonegals, who are white, and the Ravenels, who are black. Cassie McGonegal and Meliah Ravenel both work in the American Tobacco Co.’s Charleston factory, the largest cigar factory in the Unites States and the largest private employer in Charleston at the time. Cassie works upstairs, rolling cigars by hand, while Meliah works downstairs, stemming tobacco. “While both white and black workers suffer in the harsh working conditions of the factory and both endure the sexual harassment of the foremen, segregation keeps them from recognizing their common plight until they are at last united in the cigar factory strike of 1944,” Moore said. “The two women come to realize how much they stand to gain by joining forces, creating a powerful moment in labor history that gave rise to the anthem, ‘We Shall
Overcome.’” A current MUSC employee, Marvetta Daniels, RN, by day a clinical nurse coordinator with the transitional care unit, narrated the performance. Daniels said she hadn’t acted since she was a little girl, but felt very comfortable on stage. “The performance was enlightening for me,” Daniels said. “I really did not know what had transpired during that time. It also solidified in my mind the class system that was very prominent back then and even today. Some of those names mentioned on stage are the very same ones you hear today.” Daniels said the most impactful moment of the evening for her was meeting a 93–year–old former employee of the cigar factory, who attended the performance. “I took a picture with her and asked her if what we were saying was truth, and sure enough it was. For me, it was a come to terms with myself moment. I was overjoyed to be a part of it.” Conroy wrote the foreword to Moore’s
novel, which was published just weeks before he died. “‘The Cigar Factory’ is transcendent,” Conroy wrote. “A large–hearted novel with a cast of characters wholly original in the vast, tempestuous literature of Charleston. It is a courageous book that takes chances with language. I will always be grateful that Michele Moore took as her ambitious objective to tell a story in which the truth of the language and the truth of the lives hold equal sway.” The next performance of “Sounds of the Cigar Factory” will be held at the Pat Conroy Literary Festival in Beaufort, scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 20 to Oct. 23. The novel is available online, at local libraries and wherever books are sold. The next local event featuring Michele Moore is a lecture at Charleston Library Society, July 7 at 6 p.m. For additional information, call (843) 723-9912 or email mstokenberry@charlestonlibrarysociety. org to reserve a seat.
10 THe CaTalysT, June 10, 2016
Step It Up MUSC pilot winners credit leaderboard “We liked to see our team in the lead” offered Katie Von Ruden, captain for the winning team the ‘Walkie Talkies’ in the Step It Up MUSC! pilot. She admits that the competitive nature of their team was the biggest factor in their success during the test period. Five teams of six to 12 employees competed over two weeks in May to test out the challengerunner software for ease of use including team set up and daily step entry through various methods. The response was overwhelmingly positive for both the tracking system and the program leading to the campuswide role out that began June 1. Von Ruden kept her team motivated by having the participants share how many steps they had taken and talking about any difficulties they encountered. “It reminded us to move more when we talked about it” she shared. Setting specific times for daily walks like during lunch, proved to be the winning strategy as well as the benefits experienced after walking. “I find I am in a better mood after walking.” Winning team members include: Brenda Coaxum, Dianna White, Katie Von Ruden, Carolyn Colavita, Erinn Healy, Laurie Combs, Missy PignataroBoxx, Kristen Lucas, Nell Piedmont, Gillian Meyer, and Sandy Bruorton. Sixty-one teams are now competing in the Step It Up MUSC! June challenge. Answers to some of the most common inquiries follow. For a complete list of “Frequently Asked Questions” and details about the program, visit musc. edu/ohp/step-it-up. How are my team’s steps calculated? Members of team ‘Walkie Talkies’ representing the Controller’s Office and MUSC Health payroll are continuing with their efforts throughout June.
this program but will provide recommendations and group discounts as identified.
The program averages the total steps per month for the entire team (walked/run) divided by the number of teammates, to help make the teams more equitable.
Employee Wellness Events
q Step It Up MUSC! Challenge – A new Can teammates see each program developed by the other’s steps? MUSC Office of Health In order to prevent any Promotion, MUSC Wellness pressure being applied to other Center and MUSC Health members on the team to “step Innovation Center to Susan Johnson up their game” participants promote a physically active can only see their own steps. workplace and culture of health. To enter: Form a team consisting How can steps be entered for previous of 6-12 colleagues, designate a team days? captain and register the team at musc. Steps can be entered up to seven days challengerunner.com. Teams will afterward, but all steps must be entered compete for most steps walked/run on by the last day of the month. To add steps from a prior day, click on Log Date, a monthly basis for prizes. Start where click on the calendar day, then fill in the you are — all fitness levels welcome. Team steps are averaged to make it more number of steps in the space after Steps equitable. Visit musc.edu/ohp/step-it-up Walked/Run and press enter. for more information. The first challenge begins June 1. How is the leaderboard calculated? The leaderboard shows the cumulative q MUSC Employee Fitness Series Class — Abs, 4:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., average of all the participants in a team. So, if each member of a team is averaging Wednesday, June 15, Wellness Center. Katie Blaylock from the MUSC Human 20,000 steps per day and the challenge Performance Lab leads this free class that is three days old, the cumulative average involves cardio and resistance training to would show 60,000 steps. target the abdominal core using props. Free day pass to MUSC Wellness Center Are devices like Fitbits required to for all participants. Sign up online at participate or being provided for the musc.edu/ohp/musc-moves/employeechallenge? No. There are various ways participants can track steps without a device. Please visit musc.edu/ohp/step-it-up/resources. html for information. MUSC will not be providing devices or pedometers for
Health at work
fitness-signup.html q Nutritional coaching at worksite screening — have your nutrition questions answered by MUSC Wellness Center Registered Dietitian, Keely Flynn, efficiently and conveniently. Learn tips and tricks to improve your eating habits and transform your health. Stop by for information, even if you aren’t participating in the screening. q “Miles to Change” is an MUSC running/walking group to improve employee wellness and support a culture of health. For details on upcoming events, T–shirts and joining the group, email milestochange@musc.edu, visit http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/ ohp/musc-moves/Miles-to-change/ or join the Facebook group, MUSC Miles to Change. q Adventure Out: 9 a.m., June 11, YOGA with Gail at the Hampton Park gazebo. For information, visit http:// academicdepartments.musc.edu/ ohp/adventure-out or Facebook.com/ muscadventureout/. q Chair massages: Free massages are offered to students and employees Wednesdays. Check broadcast messages for varying locations and times. q Farmers Market: Fresh fruits and vegetables are available from local farmers Friday from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Horseshoe. Master Gardeners will participate in first Friday’s from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 1, Aug. 5 and Sept. 2.
THe CaTalysT, June 10, 2016 11
New 3-D mammograms give women peace of mind By Helen aDaMs adamshel@musc.edu
J
ewell Ladson–Jenkins’ latest mammogram at Hollings Cancer Center sounded a little Hollywood: It was 3–D. No funny glasses needed, though — just a radiologist experienced in reading high–tech breast exams. It was perfect for her. “My breast tissue is very dense,” Ladson–Jenkins said. Density doesn’t have anything to do with how breasts look or feel. It means they have a lot of fibrous or glandular tissue and not much fat. Having dense breasts puts women at a higher risk of breast cancer, and the cancer can be harder to spot on mammograms. Studies have shown that 3–D mammograms, also known as breast tomosynthesis, can increase breast cancer detection by 10 to 30 percent. MUSC now offers 3–D mammograms in Hollings Cancer Center, which is the only center in the state with National Cancer Institute designation, and an MUSC Health East Cooper. Breast imaging radiologist Rebecca Leddy, M.D., said they give a more in-depth view than 2– dimensional exams by taking multiple images of the breasts, then creating a 3–D view in Leddy 1–millimeter “slices” that the doctor can scroll through like pages in a book. “It gives us more confidence,” Leddy said. “The things we see that concern us, we’re able to see them a lot more clearly in 3–D mammograms. On the other hand, when we just take a 2–D image, there is a lot of overlapping tissue that could mask an underlying cancer.” The 3–D exams don’t replace the 2–D version. They’re done in addition to it. Leddy said, “They not only can improve cancer detection, but also reduce the callback rates, decreasing the patient anxiety." And they aren’t just for women with dense breasts. They’re also recommended for women at increased risk of breast cancer and women having their first mammograms. “In fact, 3–D mammograms can benefit anybody,” Leddy said. That includes women who have breast implants. She said women should check with their insurance providers to see if 3–D mammograms are covered. If they aren’t, the out-of-pocket cost is $75. Leddy said all women should start getting annual mammograms after they turn 40. Women at higher risk of breast cancer may need to start mammogram screening even at a younger age. “Getting your mammogram is important, whether it’s 2–D or 3–D.”
photo by Sarah Pack
Mammography supervisor Teresa Harrison works with a patient who’s having a 3-D mammogram in Hollings Cancer Center. Ladson–Jenkins said the 3–D version isn’t any different from the 2–D version in terms of how the exam physically feels. The breasts are compressed for just a few seconds longer but the psychological
difference is huge for her. “I felt really good after this one,” Ladson–Jenkins said. “It felt like it was more specific and targeted to my situation.” To make a mamogram appointment, call 792-1414.
12 THe CaTalysT, June 10, 2016
Construction Update:
Charleston Center Drive: Closed indefinitely
Due to the ongoing construction activity for the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital, Charleston Center Drive, located between Courtenay and McClennan Banks drives, will be closed for the duration of the construction project. A pedestrian tunnel will be maintained along the south side of Ashley River Tower (ART) so pedestrians can continue to use this pathway to the Courtenay Garage, Roper Hospital and other destinations. Service vehicles can continue to access the building via the space under the building. All vehicles authorized to park under ART will
share a single entrance and exit on the Ralph H. Johnson Boulevard side of ART. Caution entering and exiting this area is essential. Visitors and patients with diabilities will not be allowed to self–park under ART in the handicap parking area. Patients and visitors are directed to park in the Courtenay Garage (third floor and above) and utilize the third floor pedestrian connector between the Courtenay Garage and ART. Drop–off and valet parking services will continue to be available on the ART Horseshoe arrival drive.
Mobile Mammograms on MUSC campus on Wednesday, June 15 The Hollings Cancer Center Mobile Health Van will be providing digital mammograms for MUSC employees, from 8:45a.m. to 5 p.m., on Wednesday, June 15 behind the Clyburn Research Center off President Street. Appointments are required and should be made at least one week before the event. Please call 792-0878 for an appointment.
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