Inside AnMed Health: Summer 2019

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Greenville, SC Permit No. 374

Summer 2019

800 North Fant Street • Anderson, SC 29621 www.anmedhealth.org

The Doctor Is In Expert Care. When and Where You Need It.

Twins take identical paths to becoming doctors

Family enjoys active lifestyle after bariatric surgeries

• Convenient Locations • Extended Hours • Urgent Care • E-Visits

AnMedHealth.org/Doctors 864.512.3748

A calling to community

Foundation News

White Coat Society helps sustain excellent medical care for needy

ammo saved my life.

FROM THE CEO

CONTENTS

4 A calling to community 7 Twins take identical paths to becoming doctors 9 Family enjoys active lifestyle after bariatric surgeries 10 Ask the Doc: An ounce of prevention 11 New linear accelerator technology spares nearby organs during cancer treatment 12 Breathing easier: Patient gets her life back through treatment of rare disease

Gently encourage your mother.

Harass your sisters. Remind your friends.

Mammograms save lives by detecting breast cancer early when it’s most treatable. Combining consistent mammograms with the most advanced diagnostic tools gives you and your loved ones a fighting chance.

Schedule your mammogram today at one of our convenient locations: AnMed Health • 864.512.5400 AnMed Health Cannon • 864.898.1153 AnMed Health Mobile Mammography • 864.512.5400

13 AnMed Health program pays for registered nurses to get BSN degree ON THE COVER: Bariatric

patient Steve Smith and his son, Mason, participate in Little League together.

Inside

ANMED HEALTH Inside AnMed Health is published quarterly for AnMed Health staff, friends and the community.

CONTACT

Lee Boggs, Editor 864.512.8739 MISSION To passionately blend the art of caring with the science of medicine to optimize the health of our patients, staff and community.

VISION To be recognized and celebrated as the gold standard for health care quality and community health improvement.

We’re In This Together.

AnMedHealth.org/Pink

AnMed Health proactively addressing health inequities IN 2001, ANMED HEALTH became one of the first health systems in South Carolina to

dedicate full-time resources to effective diversity management. Since then, our system has evolved far beyond fostering acceptance and respect for individual differences to proactively seeking to identify and address health inequities in our area. The social determinants of health – those conditions in which individuals are born, grow, live, work and age – have been proven time and again to bear an overarching impact on health. Added to the moral and ethical concerns related to these disparities is the growing financial cost. It’s estimated that in the U.S., the combined cost of health disparities and subsequent deaths due to inadequate or inequitable care is $1.24 trillion.

For AnMed Health and the industry as a whole, addressing these health disparities is a critical and central issue.

Since 2014, AnMed Health has worked to improve health care services for the uninsured through South Carolina’s Healthy Outcomes Plan (HOP). AnMed Health’s local HOP initiative is called the Anderson Access to Care Coalition and is made up of a number of community partners collectively working to minimize the number of emergency room visits made for routine, non-life-threatening medical care. Nurses, social workers and other health professionals work with uninsured patients to manage chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes and COPD by ensuring access to primary care and case management. Last year, thanks to a $450,000 grant from the Duke Endowment, the program was expanded to include an even wider cross-section of the uninsured population in Anderson County, and to date has served more than 1,000 uninsured residents in need of care.

As we work to build and develop initiatives like these which enhance our health care delivery infrastructure, communication and dialogue is key. Effective cross-cultural communication builds strong communities regardless of the industry. To that end, I am looking forward to joining other leaders across our community this fall for two events presented by our own AnMed Health Office of Diversity in collaboration with the Clemson University Office of Inclusion and Equity. In September, the Racial Equity Institute (REI) will present a historical, cultural and institutional analysis of how racism has impacted health in our community. By understanding the root causes of disparity in our community, it is my hope that we will further our collective work to establish strategies to improve.

And back by popular demand, AnMed Health and Clemson University, in partnership with other local civic and corporate partners, will again present the CONNECT Symposium in October to anyone in the community who would like to attend. CONNECT 2019 will feature the transformative and collaborative work that’s been done in the Spartanburg community as well as through the Alliance for a Healthier South Carolina. Be on the lookout for registration details on our website.

800 North Fant Street • Anderson, SC 29621 864.512.1000 • AnMedHealth.org

Bill Manson Inside ANMED HEALTH 3

A calling to community

Dr. James Smith has touched many lives in Honea Path as the community’s longtime family physician and town fire chief.

AnMed Health Honea Path Family Medicine builds on founding physician’s devotion.

By Nick Charalambous DR. JIMMY SMITH’S PASSION AND DEDICATION to family

medicine was tested early.

Dr. Smith and a fellow physician started their Honea Path medical practice in 1984. That winter, the flu hit the area hard, and the cases of sick patients quickly grew into the hundreds.

For most people, flu is a miserable illness. In a town of farmers and blue-collar workers, that was bad enough. But Dr. Smith knew that for some of those, especially the elderly, flu could be deadly. So he worked day and night – including house calls – to make sure his patients received the care they needed until the epidemic was contained.

“It’s a small town, and you have to take care of people,” Dr. Smith said.

From 1989 to 1996, Dr. Smith was tested again. As the only physician in town, it was common for him to see as many as 100 patients a day. Feeling overburdened, he considered leaving family practice. Fortunately, he crossed paths in Charleston with a former medical school colleague, who told him he was making a mistake.

“The older you get, the more you’re going to find you need the patients as much as they need you,” his friend told him.

That chance encounter was divine intervention that changed his life, Dr. Smith said. That calling to community – his friends and neighbors – kept him going.

Dr. Smith said that first, difficult flu season helped build his practice, but it was after he joined AnMed Health’s network in 1996 that it really began flourishing. That partnership created AnMed Health Honea Path Family Medicine and eventually led to the addition of Dr. Marion “Kent” Jenkins in 2001 and Dr. Grayson Jordan in 2019.

Another nurse practitioner was added as well. Stacey Branyon and Candace Whitfield have been longtime nurse practitioners at the practice, and they were joined by Gerald Brown Jr. in 2018. Like Dr. Smith, Branyon and Whitfield are Honea Path natives. Branyon started there as a teenager, working after school as a file clerk.

AnMed Health is investing $1.1 million to expand the facility this year. Honea Path Family Medicine will provide greater access for patients in a larger, state-of-the-art facility. Patient rooms are being added, the lobby enlarged and parking lot expanded.

It’s another example of Dr. Smith’s and AnMed Health’s commitment to serving the residents from the mostly rural area of Anderson, Abbeville, Laurens, Greenwood and Greenville counties.

“This expansion is much needed,” Dr. Smith said. “It’s got to be a big organization to make this kind of investment. An individual can’t make this kind of investment.”

Even before the expansion plans were on the drawing table, Honea Path Family Medicine has long stood out among smalltown family practices. Local residents have access to general family care, newborn and geriatric care, and a wide array of

4 Inside ANMED HEALTH

screenings and office procedures. There’s also on-site laboratory and X-ray services, giving patients diagnostic care close to home.

But even as the practice has gotten more sophisticated, Dr. Smith said success comes down to simply “loving people.” His patients are like family, and he typically knows their health history even before he opens their medical charts.

“You have to want to help people. You have to be available to your patients. You have to get to know your patients,” he said.

“When you can feel your patients’ satisfaction, it leads to your satisfaction.”

Dr. Smith’s love for the people in his community extends beyond the practice. He works full-time as chief of the Honea Path Fire Department, where he’s served since he was a teenager.

Not surprisingly, Dr. Smith’s patients respond to his kindness and friendship like friends and family do — bringing turkeys for Thanksgiving, farm-grown vegetables and eggs. The retired Rev. Carroll Plemmons and his wife, Elizabeth, have received care from all of the providers at some point since becoming patients over 20 years ago.

“The nurses and doctors are just all first class,” Rev. Plemmons said. “Every one of the doctors is kind, compassionate and caring and has time for you.”

After 37 years of practicing medicine and serving his community, Dr. Smith’s passion for helping people remains strong.

“You care for your patients, but your patients care for you,” Dr. Smith said. “They are like friends and family. You form that kind of bond with them.”

To make an appointment with Honea Path Family Medicine, call 864.512.3748.

3D VIEW - PRESENTATION

HONEA PATH FAMILY MEDICINE EXPANSION

3D VIEW

AnMed Health Honea Path Family Medicine expansion rendering 02/22/19

Inside ANMED HEALTH 5

Twins take identical path to become doctors

By Cindy Landrum EVEN WHEN THE ODDS seemed against

Dr. Kerry Fincher

Dr. Kristy Fincher

them, identical twins Dr. Kristy Fincher and Dr. Kerry Fincher never stopped working to achieve their dreams of becoming doctors.

“Twelve years ago, it was a dream that seemed impossible,” Kerry said.

“Everybody told us it was impossible.”

But the Finchers, who are from Easley, proved them wrong – together.

They both graduated with honors from Erskine College with degrees in biology.

They both graduated from Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) in Spartanburg. Now, they both are residents in the AnMed Health Family Medicine Residency Program, a three-year postgraduate program for physicians.

“Nobody will fight for your dream like you will,” said Kristy, the older sister by one minute.

During high school, Kristy thought she wanted to be a veterinarian because she liked animals and enjoyed science.

Ironically, she decided she wanted to be a doctor during an internship at a veterinary clinic when she saw animals being euthanized because there were no other treatment options.

“I realized that I was hesitant to do human medicine because I was afraid of the sad part of it. How do you tell somebody bad news? How do you watch somebody die?” she said. “I realized that I enjoyed taking care of people, and I desired to advocate for others with kindness the way our family primary care physician had. Sometimes you feel like you are meant to be something, and I felt I was meant to be a doctor.”

Kerry credits her decision to become a doctor, in part, to the compassion and kindness shown by her family doctor during a medical scare her father, Steve Fincher, had when she was 18.

“I wanted to be that person to be there for those families and patients one day because I knew what it felt like,” she said. “Truthfully, I just felt like it was my calling to be an advocate for those patients and those families.”

Their path to becoming doctors was not a typical one.

“When you look at who goes to college and medical school, it doesn’t look financially or socio-economically like our family,” Kristy said. “We even had guidance counselors and teachers say, ‘You can’t go to medical school,’ ‘You can’t go to college.’

I had an adviser tell me my application wasn’t good enough to get into medical school. We were met with that time and time again. But we refused to accept it.”

The Finchers attended Erskine College on softball scholarships – Kristy played left field, Kerry right – and a work study program. After graduation, the Finchers moved back home to work and take care of family while continuing to work on their dream of becoming doctors.

“People said it would be impossible for us to get into medical school, statistically speaking,” Kristy said. “But we’ve been defying the odds our entire lives. We never stopped working toward our dream.”

Getting into medical school seemed daunting at times. During the Finchers’ second interview at VCOM, they were told they needed a letter of recommendation from a doctor of osteopathic medicine. The problem was that they didn’t know any. Dr. Matthew Cannon, the school’s associate dean for clinical affairs, put Fincher in touch with a doctor – Dr. Darlene Myles – who agreed to let her shadow. Dr. Myles would continue to positively impact their medical school journey.

“It seemed like doors opened because we needed to be at VCOM,” Kerry said.

“Nobody will fight for your dream like you will.”

Dr. Kristy Fincher 6 Inside ANMED HEALTH

Drs. Kerry and Kristy Fincher were outfielders for the Erskine Flying Fleet softball team before joining the AnMed Health Residency Program, which they will complete in 2020.

The Finchers applied. During the application process, the school threw out one of the twin’s applications because they thought it was a duplicate. But they both were admitted.

Now, they’re starting their final year of residency at AnMed Health.

“I think we’ve been more successful because we’ve got a built-in support system,” Kristy Fincher said. They also push each other, something they’ve been doing since their travel softball playing days. “We’re constantly challenging each other to get better,” Kerry said.

After it ends, both would like to do sports medicine fellowships before going into private practice.

“People ask me whether we’d go into private practice together,” Kristy said.

“Why not? I trust her completely.”

Her sister agreed.

“She’s a tried and true teammate,” Kerry said, reflecting on family. “One of my favorite inspirational quotes from my dad is ‘Life is not a problem to solve but an adventure to live.’ I would not be where I am today without the love, prayers and support of my family.”

Inside ANMED HEALTH 7

Family enjoys active lifestyle after bariatric surgeries

By Cindy Landrum

“It has completely changed my life, and it has changed my family’s life, too.

My quality of life is so much better.”

8 Inside ANMED HEALTH

BEFORE HE HAD BARIATRIC SURGERY at AnMed Health in August 2018, Steve Smith had trouble keeping up with his 6-year-old son.

“Before my surgery, I couldn’t keep up with my son,” Smith said. “He kept losing out because he wanted to play ball and run around, and I just wanted to sit on the couch.”

Smith always battled weight, something he said stemmed from terrible eating habits that began in his childhood. However, he knew he had to make changes if he wanted to see his son Mason grow up. Both of Smith’s parents died in their early 40s. His brother died at 30.

“I didn’t want to be like that. The last thing I wanted to do was die and leave my son as a young man without me to guide him through life,” the 40-year-old said, who started considering bariatric surgery the year before. “My wife needs me, too.”

He decided he had to do something. Diets alone weren’t working, so he talked to his doctor about bariatric surgery.

After attending a seminar to learn about the different types of weight-loss surgery offered by AnMed Health Piedmont Surgical Associates, Smith decided to have a sleeve gastrectomy, also known as a gastric sleeve. During the sleeve gastrectomy, the surgeon removes about 75 percent of the stomach, leaving a narrow banana-shaped tube, or “sleeve.” The procedure is done laparoscopically and is not reversible.

Candidates for sleeve gastrectomy have a body mass index (BMI) – a formula based on height and weight – of 40 or more, or a BMI over 35 with a significant obesity-related health problem.

Dr. Peter Bechtel, who performed Smith’s surgery, called obesity a “whole body disease” that is replacing smoking as this generation’s risk to a long life expectancy. Bechtel said research has shown that patients who have bariatric surgery live seven to nine years longer than people with similar profiles who don’t have the surgery.

“There’s no part of the body that obesity doesn’t affect,” he said. “It affects the brain, the eyes, the lungs, the heart, the digestive system, the nervous system, emotions. It affects everything.”

Surgery is only the first step, however.

Dr. Peter Bechtel Portion control, healthy foods and exercise are essential to successful surgery.

“Weight loss surgery is not the easy way out,” said Joy Vaughn, AnMed Health bariatric program coordinator. “It is both physically and mentally one of the most challenging things you can do. It is not permanent if you don’t change your lifestyle.

You have to be highly motivated. You have to want to be healthier.”

She said she knows somebody will be successful when they’ve already changed their diet and started exercising but can’t

The Smith family enjoys outdoor activities, like riding bikes on the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

lose the weight they need. “Steve started long before we got involved. We just helped him get over the hump,” she said.

Smith agreed, saying he doesn’t think he could have achieved his weight loss by dieting alone. After his surgery, Smith started walking every day at lunch. Eventually, he started riding a bike and running. His workouts vary. One day he might bike 20 miles, another he may go for a 4-mile run or swim 800 yards. In the spring, he was working with a triathlon coach and training six days a week. He had multiple triathlons on his calendar at that time with a singular goal.

“Right now, I pray I finish,” he said. He and his supporters planned to wear custom-designed shirts to spotlight his success.

Dr. Bechtel calls Smith an “absolute icon of what we want” because of the lifestyle changes he and his family have made.

Smith’s wife Brandie had bariatric surgery two months after he did and is also doing well. Dr. Bechtel said there are a lot more “Steves” out there that would benefit from weight loss surgery.

“Another Steve needs to hear his story,” he said.

Smith said he wants to serve as inspiration for people who were in his shoes a year ago.

“It has been completely life-changing. I always thought I would be stuck being fat, and I’d never be able to do this. But once you get your mind right, there’s dang near nothing you can’t do,” he said.

To learn more about AnMed Health weight loss surgery options, please visit AnMedHealth.org/WeightLoss. If you are considering weight loss surgery, Vaughn advises attending one of the weight loss seminars offered the first four Tuesdays of the month. Call 864.512.6255 to register for an upcoming seminar.

Inside ANMED HEALTH 9

ASK THE DOC

NEWS BRIEFS

An ounce of prevention

New linear accelerator technology spares nearby organs during cancer treatment

The Outdoor Foundation reported in 2018 that nearly half of Americans participate in outdoor activities. Running and walking are the most common, while hiking, fishing and camping continue to increase in popularity.

By Liz Carey

The long, sunny days of summer see the number of people spending time outdoors increase by as much as 400%. With so many people enjoying outdoor activities, injuries are bound to occur. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the most common injuries resulting from outdoor activities are fractures and sprains. Insect bites, allergic reactions, sunburn and dehydration round out the list.

What can you do if your fun in the sun turns painful?

Q: How can a person avoid injuries related to outdoor activities?

cream or calamine lotion can ease the discomfort.

A: Injury prevention begins with planning and preparation. Know your fitness, experience and skill levels. Make sure equipment is in good working order, and always let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to return.

Keep a first-aid kit on-hand in the event of an emergency. Expect the unexpected.

Q: How can a person treat reactions to poison ivy or poison oak?

Q: What is the best way to treat sprains or broken bones?

Q: What’s best for sunburn?

A: For sprains, the best option is rest and elevation. Icing the affected area will help with swelling and discomfort. Wrapping the injury with an elastic bandage that comes with most first-aid kits can also help with swelling. For a minor broken bone, immediate treatment is basically the same.

Stay off the injured area, elevate and ice until you can seek professional care.

Q: What is the best treatment for insect bites or stings?

A: Move to a different location to prevent further bites or stings. Remove the stinger if still attached. After washing the area with soap and water, apply a cool compress to help alleviate some of the pain. Applying hydrocortisone 10 Inside ANMED HEALTH

A: A poison ivy or oak rash will usually go away after two or three weeks, but to cope with itching, apply hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion. A cool bath with an oatmeal-based product may also offer relief.

A: Getting too much sun is a common side effect of outdoor activities. A cool bath or shower will provide temporary relief. An aloe vera moisturizer or one that contains soy can also help. Overthe-counter pain relievers containing aspirin or ibuprofen may ease discomfort.

When it comes to sun exposure, prevention is the best medicine. Use sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, and reapply regularly.

Water is best, but sports drinks containing carbohydrates and electrolytes can be helpful. For severe dehydration, a health care professional may need to deliver fluids intravenously.

Q: What if professional health care is needed?

A: To schedule an appointment, contact your primary care provider. If you need a primary care provider, please call AnMed Health Wellness Connect at 864.512.3748 or visit AnMedHealth.org/Doctors.

Q: How can one avoid dehydration?

A: Drink, drink, drink water. An ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. If you’re going to work or play in the heat, drink plenty of water. If you do get dehydrated, start fluids immediately.

Dr. Caitlin Collier

AnMed Health Hartwell Family Medicine Hartwell, GA 30643 706.376.9852

Newly introduced technology at the AnMed Health Cancer Center will not only improve treatment accuracy but also spare nearby organs from radiation exposure.

A new linear accelerator equipped with Surface Guided Radiation Technology (SGRT) increases the options available to AnMed Health’s highly trained team of radiation oncologists, physicists, dosimetrists and therapists for fighting cancer.

While radiation is one of the most commonly used treatments for cancer, it can impact the health of normal surrounding tissue. In some cases, such as cancer in the left breast, which is so close to the heart and left lung, radiation treatment may negatively impact those organs.

SGRT is combined with the patient’s own breathing, called Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH), to move the heart away from the breast during therapy. Combining SGRT and DIBH helps ensure that the patient’s heart is protected.

“If you have left breast cancer, we take extra precautions to make sure that your heart receives minimal radiation exposure during your treatment,” said Dr. Tomlinson, medical director of radiation oncology.

Multiple camera units monitor thousands of points on the skin. Any motion can be detected as the patient holds their breath with sub-millimeter accuracy, and if the patient moves out of position, the radiation beam turns off, safeguarding the surrounding organs, Dr. Victor Tomlinson Dr. Tomlinson said.

“Because patients may breathe differently depending on the circumstances, SGRT can detect any motion as you hold your breath and your body moves in various directions. If you move out of position, the movement is detected and the radiation beam switches off.

Your cancer is treated while your heart is protected,” Dr. Tomlinson said.

SGRT is good for many other cancer types as well. Because of the accuracy of the

dosing, radiation can be delivered directly to various tumors. The treatment is effective in treating brain tumors, prostate cancer, lung cancer, head and neck cancers, and sarcomas.

“With brain tumors, for example, this technique is different from traditional methods in that it uses a frameless solution and has an open face mask which makes it more comfortable for the patient. In addition, position monitoring is in real time, and it enables high positional accuracy with a focus on the patient’s overall well-being,” Dr. Tomlinson said.

Implementation of tools like these is one of the reasons why AnMed Health has earned Accreditation with Commendation from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons – an honor given to only one in four cancer hospitals in the country.

At AnMed Health Cancer Center, highly skilled professionals, state-of-the-art technology, and expert outpatient care are combined to provide nationally recognized treatment under one roof. AnMed Health provides access to specialist consultations, clinical trials, and support program offerings and services.

To learn more about radiation treatments, please call 864.512.4600 or visit AnMedHealth.org/radiation-oncology.

ABOVE: A feature of Surface Guided Radiation Technology used at AnMed Health Cancer Center is that it is motion sensitive. Radiation beams automatically switch off if movement is detected, limiting dosage to only the affected area while protecting surrounding organs and tissue.

These scans illustrate how effective Deep Inspiration Breath Hold is in adding space between the left breast and the heart. The organ-sparing technique, implemented at the AnMed Health Cancer Center, protects the heart from radiation exposure.

Inside ANMED HEALTH 11

NEWS BRIEFS

NEWS BRIEFS

Breathing easier: Patient gets her life back through treatment of rare disease

AnMed Health program pays for registered nurses to get BSN degree

By Liz Carey

BELOW:

Clay Hall, patient navigator, reviews educational material with Tina Lisenby

For years, Tina Lisenby struggled to breathe.

Getting from one place to another left her breathless; walking exhausted her; participating in leisure activities with family and friends was a struggle.

But a diagnosis from AnMed Health’s Pulmonary Hypertension Care Unit helped Tina do more and breathe easier, not just through medication but through support and encouragement.

For more than three years, physicians in Atlanta told Tina that her problems stemmed from her asthma and that she was making it worse by not losing weight. Despite their diagnoses and efforts, however, Tina’s condition worsened with continuing sinus infections and persistent shortness of breath.

“Just walking from my car to a building would wear me out,” she said.

Dr. Abhijit Raval “Sometimes, I would have to stop and catch my breath in order to make it. They gave me an inhaler and never looked for anything else.”

In 2009, Tina was referred to Dr.

12 Inside ANMED HEALTH

Abhijit Raval, director of interventional pulmonary and pulmonary vascular disease at AnMed Health. After a battery of tests, Raval diagnosed Tina with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a rare disorder that impacts blood flow through the lungs.

Essentially, Tina’s arteries were pumping blood through the lungs too quickly, which decreased the amount of oxygen entering the blood. This, in turn, made the right side of the heart work harder to get oxygen to the rest of the body.

Symptoms of PAH include dizzy spells, shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling and chest pain. Diagnosed early, the disease’s progression can be slowed and its symptoms managed. Left untreated, it can lead to heart failure and death.

There is no cure, but the disease can be managed through treatment.

Dr. Raval put Tina on a course of treatment to deal with the disease.

“They put me on medication and oxygen therapy immediately, and I began feeling better,” she said. “It was like my lungs just opened up.”

AnMed Health’s help didn’t stop there though. As one of only six accredited pulmonary hypertension care centers in the United States, AnMed Health’s pulmonary hypertension care center and staff,

like Clay Hall, the pulmonary disease navigator, helped Tina battle PAH. Hall, a respiratory care practitioner, works with patients to help them along the path the disease will take them, including education, financial assistance and medication updates.

“This is a hard disease, and there’s a lot to do,” Hall said. “I am there to help and fight that battle with them.”

Tina said having AnMed Health nearby to help her deal with PAH has been a life-changer.

“You have to stay on top of a disease like PAH. It can take its toll on your psyche,” she said. “Having a doctor and staff who understand the disease and what you’re going through is invaluable.”

To learn more about pulmonary rehabilitation, please visit AnMedHealth.org/Pulmonary-Rehab or call 864.512.6625.

Kayla Phillips knew early on she wanted to work in health care.

“I wanted to help people,” said Phillips, who participated in HOSA - Future Health Professionals, an international student organization designed to promote career opportunities in the health care industry and to enhance the delivery of health care while in high school.

She started out as a certified nursing assistant, a job she did for nine years for several companies. While she was working, she attended Tri-County Technical College to earn her associate degree and become a registered nurse.

“I enjoyed being a CNA, but I wanted to become a nurse,” said Phillips, who started working as a nurse for AnMed Health in February 2017. She now works on 7 South, AnMed Health’s neuroscience surgery floor, and serves as a charge nurse every other weekend.

Phillips is now working on her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Anderson University thanks to a new program that allows RNs at AnMed Health to go back to school and earn their four-year degree for free if they agree to continue working at the hospital for a certain period of time after graduation. Phillips, who is one of the first nurses to start the ADN to BSN program, expects to graduate in spring 2020.

“I never thought I’d graduate from a university,” Phillips said. “It’s been a blessing.”

AnMed Health Human Resources Manager Stephanie Collins said the reason behind the ADN to BSN program is twofold: to help address the universal nursing shortage and to allow AnMed Health to continue to provide excellent patient care.

“The ADN to BSN program gives our nurses a flexible and affordable way to advance their education,” she said.

By Cindy Landrum

AnMed Health nurse Kayla Phillips is among the first participants in an AnMed Health program that allows nurses to earn their bachelor’s degree in nursing from Anderson University for free.

“It prepares nurses for the increasingly complex demands of the profession and helps them provide excellent care for patients while advancing their careers.”

Going to Anderson University for free is not the only advantage of AnMed Health’s program. It allows ADNs to

“It prepares nurses for the increasingly complex demands of the profession and helps them provide excellent care for patients while advancing their careers.”

Stephanie Collins, AnMed Health Human Resources Manager

make money and gain valuable work experience while earning their BSN, allowing them to jump-start their careers.

Phillips, who had been looking at nursing programs at the University of South Carolina Upstate and Western Governors University before her manager asked her to apply for the Anderson program, said she appreciates that all classes are online. As a mother of two young children, she’s able to fit her classwork around her work schedule and duties.

Inside ANMED HEALTH 13

Visions

IN THE COMMUNITY

F O U N D AT I O N N E W S

Because of contributions to the AnMed Health Foundation, hopelessness is replaced with promise. Thanks to all of our donors and supporters for improving the life and health of your community.

White Coat Society helps sustain excellent medical care for needy THE ANMED HEALTH FOUNDATION

The AnMed Health Epic Team, above, and Young PROs, top, regularly participate in charity events. Both employee groups made generous contributions to The LOT Project, which helps meet the needs of Anderson’s most vulnerable residents. The Epic Team donated 6,106 personal care items and the Young PROs donated 130 pairs of shoes.

AnMed Health employees and volunteers from the Chest Pain Center, Trauma Services and the Emergency Department participated in the Clemson University Employee Resource Fair. They trained faculty and staff on “Hands Only CPR” and “How to Stop the Bleed.” AnMed Health was participating in a statewide CPR challenge to train 200 people and far exceeded that goal, training 350. AnMed Health Clemson also attended.

14 Inside ANMED HEALTH

Hundreds of children attended the free 2019 AnMed Health Teddy Bear Clinic at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. With parents in tow, children carrying their favorite stuffed animals came out for the interactive, fun-filled, educational event. The clinic was designed to minimize the fear that children may have about receiving medical care.

Nine departments from AnMed Health attended the YMCA Senior Health & Fitness Day, sharing educational material about the services that benefit seniors and their families. Employees dedicated their time to provide blood pressure readings, nutritional information, healthy living tips and much more.

White Coat Society recognizes the extraordinary support of donors who contribute $100,000 or more.

Membership to this society is based on major gifts, declared planned estate gifts and/or lifetime cumulative giving. White Coat Society Members recognize the importance of AnMed Health providing excellent medical care to anyone in need, regardless of their circumstances.

The newest member of the White Coat Society is the Columbia-based New Morning Foundation, which partnered with AnMed Health in the Choose Well initiative. Choose Well is a multiyear, statewide contraceptive access initiative launched in January 2017 by New Morning Foundation, a South Carolina grant-making foundation. Its mission is to reduce unintended pregnancies that

Jessica Draisen, NP, AnMed Health OB Navigator, with Daniel Burton, NHA, of New Morning Foundation.

women report as mistimed or unwanted.

In fact, over half of all births in South Carolina (54%) are unintended.

Choose Well aims to reduce unintended pregnancies by disseminating medically accurate and culturally appropriate information about all FDAapproved birth control methods, by increasing women’s and men’s access to contraceptive counseling and clinical services, and by removing cost barriers so that low-income women can have equitable access to highly effective birth control methods if they desire.

Choose Well includes 52 participating organizations and is embedded in 153 clinical sites throughout the state, including AnMed Health, which joined in January 2018. New Morning Foundation’s grants have funded additional personnel and free contraception, which in turn has enabled AnMed Health to fulfill its commitment to provide contraceptive care to all women, regardless of their ability to pay.

AnMed Health’s initial approach was to embed Choose Well on Labor & Delivery only. However, contraceptive care services are now also available at Carolina OB-GYN, AnMed Health OB/ GYN Associates and AnMed Health Family Medicine Center. This illustrates AnMed Health’s commitment to making high-quality contraceptive care available to more of its patients.

“We are delighted to have AnMed Health as a grantee and a Choose Well partner,” said Bonnie Kapp, President and CEO of New Morning Foundation.

“AnMed Health’s leadership is clearly supportive and committed to improved health care access and innovation in reproductive health.”

2018 Inductee: New Morning Foundation

White Coat Society Members: Anderson Emergency Associates, P.C. AnMed Health Auxiliary AnMed Health Family Medicine Residency Faculty AnMed Health Rehabilitation Hospital affiliated with Encompass Health Bonitz Flooring Group, Inc. James and Katie Campbell Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated The Duke Endowment First Citizens Bank The Anne J. Gambrill Foundation John and Kim Glenn Dr. and Mrs. John R. Hunt M. J. Harris Construction Services, LLC Kathryn and Bill Manson McKesson Provider Technologies McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture Michelin North America, Inc. Julie and John A. Miller, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Harold G. Morse Mr. and Mrs. Everette H. Newman New Morning Foundation Mr. and Mrs. R. Martin Owen, Jr. Callie and John Rainey Foundation Robert Bosch LLC Greg and Bunny Shore Mr. and Mrs. Swain N. Thompson, Jr.

Please visit AnMedHealthFoundation.org, click on “How to Give” and then “Planned Giving” to find in-depth information about the ways you can give a legacy gift to the AnMed Health Foundation or call 864.512.3477.

About The AnMed Health Foundation: Established in 1985 and re-organized in 2012 as an independent organization, the AnMed Health Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that provides fundraising support for community programs and initiatives at AnMed Health. The Foundation welcomes donations from individuals, families and corporations to further our mission and to ensure that AnMed Health can continue to provide services that improve the health and lives of the people in our community.

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