Inside AnMed Health: Summer 2017

Summer 2017

Sunni Busby gets national honor AnMed Health nurse shows America how to care 2016 at a Glance

Epic Bringing It All Together

New system launches future

You want the best for her. The top specialists, advanced treatments and the newest technologies.

So do we. That’s why we’ve teamed up with an emerging leader in cancer care, Levine Cancer Institute, part of Carolinas HealthCare System.

We’re working side-by-side with some of the country’s top cancer specialists to provide even more advanced expertise and treatment. So you know she’ll get the very best of care – with all the love and support she finds here at home.

To find the best cancer care possible, visit LoveAnMedHealth.org.

FROM THE CEO

Epic brings new era of interaction and access for patient records CONTENTS

4 Epic brings in a new and improved electronic patient record 6 Sunni Busby builds culture of caring in nursing unit 8 Take a look at some of the highlights of 2016 at AnMed Health 11 News briefs 14 There’s a new ENT in town 15 Foundation aims high No matter where you receive care in the AnMed Health system, your electronic patient record will keep your providers aware of the latest developments in your health.

ON THE COVER:

Inside

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

CONTACT

Marketing Department 864.512.3703 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 healthcare quality and community health improvement.

ANMED HEALTH COMPLETED TRAINING for a marathon this summer.

This is a marathon of technology, not running, but it’s one that involves endurance, dedication and a long view of what we need to achieve.

I can make a case that our training began more than 20 years ago when we took our first steps toward electronic inpatient records, and that early system morphed and grew over the years to the multiple systems we were using six years ago when our inpatient vendor announced that they no longer would support the suite of services that kept our inpatient record system operating.

By then, we had bigger expectations for a single integrated system, so four years ago we launched an initiative that would lead us to adopt Epic as the system to lead us into the future. Our marathon training went into Olympic mode then as we mobilized for the massive undertaking of building and adapting to the Epic system.

Implementing the system involved hundreds of people during the buildup and eventually thousands as we approached our go-live dates in March for our ambulatory sites and June for our Emergency Department and inpatient locations.

As CEO and an AnMed Health employee for 36 years, I had seen that moment through a lens that covered decades. As I made rounds that Saturday and Sunday of our final go-live event, I saw another perspective: people facing significant change, but with an incredibly positive attitude about making this work. A completely unrelated snafu handed our IT folks another challenge that day and I was witness to professionals handling two major tasks simultaneously.

In the days and weeks that followed, we identified big and small issues related to the Epic go-live, each one placed into the capable hands of problem solvers.

Change is never easy, but Epic is an incredibly powerful and very sophisticated system, and we are just beginning a 10-20-year journey of making it work to meet our needs and those of the patients we serve. We started seeing benefits from the investment right away. Just three weeks into the Epic era, we were capturing more charges for the services that we provide. It also is satisfying to see so many patients sign up and use MyChart as they take a more active role in managing their health. This powerful technology brings together what were separate records for ambulatory, inpatient and emergency room patients into a single medical record regardless of where a patient enters the AnMed Health system, which allows doctors to see the care and tests patients received in other settings.

See our patient scenario on Pages 4-5.

While the Epic go-live may seem like the end of 20 years of work, from my unique perspective, it is the beginning of a very long and productive journey of seeing how we can better collaborate across the AnMed Health system to improve the health care we provide for our patients.

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

Bill Manson Inside ANMED HEALTH 3

Not very long ago, a visit to the Emergency Department, or any other medical department, meant someone had to retrieve your paper file. Now, Epic makes the process almost instantaneous.

4 Inside ANMED HEALTH

MyChart follows a patient’s journey through the system ANMED HEALTH has invested in

an electronic patient record system called Epic, which includes a patient portal feature called MyChart.

MyChart gives patients quick and secure access to their patient records and an additional way to communicate with their doctors.

But MyChart is more than that. It’s a system that connects you to all of your medical providers, and them to one another in a way that means better health care for you.

MyChart offers you personalized and secure on-line access to portions of your medical records. With MyChart, you can use the Internet to: • Request medical appointments.

• View your health summary from the MyChart electronic health record.

• View test results.

• Request prescription renewals.

• Access trusted health information resources.

• Communicate electronically and securely with your medical care team.

Primary Care

Urgent Care

Specialty Care

John goes to his primary care physician with a cough, and talks to his doctor about his overall health. When the doctor prompts, John tells her that he has been taking lorazepam, prescribed by a psychiatrist for treatment of anxiety. The doctor adds that detail to John’s MyChart electronic patient record.

John injures an ankle playing basketball in his friend’s driveway.

At CareConnect – AnMed Health Urgent Care, John doesn’t mention that he is taking lorazepam, but his MyChart does.

The urgent care physician would have considered giving John pain medication for the ankle injury, but thanks to MyChart, a dangerous interaction between the two drugs is avoided.

John is referred to an orthopaedic specialist, and his X-rays from the CareConnect visit, as well as a complete list of his medications, is there when he arrives.

Unfortunately, the ankle will require surgery. Fortunately, MyChart will be there too.

If you wish to participate, you will be given a MyChart activation code during your next doctor’s office visit. This code will enable you to log in and create your own username and password. If you were not issued an activation code, be sure to ask for one during the next visit to your physician’s office. If you have more questions, email MyChart@anmedhealth.org or call our MyChart Patient Support Line at 864-512-3742.

Inpatient Experience John is admitted to AnMed Health after surgery. The physicians and nurses who take care of him over the next couple of days are aware of the special considerations his lorazepam brings to managing John’s pain as he recovers from surgery. The things they need to know are already in MyChart. New information will be added as necessary.

Primary Care The next time John visits his family doctor, they talk about his injury and surgery. John doesn’t have to remember what medications he took during his hospital stay. It’s already there, in MyChart.

Inside ANMED HEALTH 5

Sunni Busby builds a culture of caring on 6 North

By Ross Norton A homegrown nurse keeps a close eye and warm heart on the Adult Medical Surgical Unit.

Sunni Busby became nurse manager of the unit in 2016.

SUNNI BUSBY IS AT HOME on 6 North

adult medical unit, twice as much as anyone else would be. The hometown Anderson native got her first real nursing experiences on 6 North while working on her associate’s degree, and her first nursing job soon followed, again on 6 North.

She strayed, once – two floors and a corridor away to 4 South. But in January 2016, she went home again to be nurse manager, and she returned with a vision for the unit: its staff would earn the love and trust that they automatically receive from each new patient.

“Nursing is a profession where people trust you in advance, before they even know you. They put their care in your hands and they trust you to take good care of them,” she says. “That’s a special relationship, especially in this day and age.”

When she became 6 North nurse manager, she wanted to build a staff that not only delivers quality clinical care, but does it with a heart.

“Whenever I talk to a prospective nurse about working on 6 North, I tell them I want a staff that treats patients just as they would treat a member of their own family,” Sunni says. “I think we owe them that much.”

Sometimes those patients come under circumstances that encourage the staff to be like a family. Sometimes they come with a story that causes them to become the family.

One of those patients came to be known as Sunshine, a nickname Sunni bestowed on her one morning when she looked into the woman’s blue eyes and saw something lovely, yet lonely.

The patient had no children and her husband had died, and before her hospital stay was over, she would also lose her home.

“She became special to the entire staff

6 Inside ANMED HEALTH

right away,” Sunni says. The woman’s condition was already fragile, and then a stroke made it worse. The staff cared for her physical needs as well as social concerns. They helped her fill out paperwork for Social Security assistance and started searching for a place for her to live. They celebrated her birthday with cards and balloons. Sunshine was on 6 North for 40 days before she left for hospice care.

Nobody on the staff wanted to say goodbye.

Sunni didn’t. She went to hospice, too, and sat with Sunshine several times.

During her final visit, Sunni recognized the end was near and she stayed. She was still there, holding Sunshine’s hand, when the patient breathed her final breath.

“Nobody should have to die alone,” she later told the staff of 6 North, those caregivers and the last friends in a woman’s long life.

This extraordinary demonstration of the human side of nursing did not go unnoticed.

Sunni was named AnMed Health’s 2016 STAR of the Year. She was chosen for an AnMed Health Gold Standard Nursing Award in 2016 and then received a 2017 Palmetto Gold nurse award from the South Carolina Nurses Foundation, an honor given to only 100 South Carolina nurses each year. Most recently she won the Spirit of Caring award from the American Nursing Association, an honor earned by the votes of the organization’s 3 million members nationwide.

Each honor and award resulted in a round of photos and write-ups.

Sunni admits that all of the attention has made her a little uncomfortable. But she remembers that Sunshine once told her they would always remember each other. And that’s what Sunni does when she looks at the awards and the pictures that come with them.

In each of them, she sees a little Sunshine.

“Nursing is a profession where people trust you in advance, before they even know you.”

Inside ANMED HEALTH 7

2016 at a glance AnMed Health is a 700-bed five-hospital system founded in 1908, anchored by AnMed Health Medical Center.

AnMed Health Medical Center, AnMed Health Women’s and Children’s Hospital, AnMed Health Rehabilitation Hospital, AnMed Health Cannon, Elbert Memorial Hospital

4,000 With almost 4,000 employees, AnMed Health is the largest employer in Anderson County.

800+

A staff of 834 nurses took care of patients around the clock, every day.

Hybrid Operating Room The nursing school class of 1966 was among the first to tour a new three-story structure that opened on the front corner of AnMed Health Medical Center in 2016. It included a muchimproved access point for Admitting with a generous canopy area for dropping off patients and families. The second floor includes shell space for future growth, but the heart of the project is the large hybrid operating room on the third floor. The hybrid OR puts AnMed Health on the cutting edge of healthcare design and capabilities with extremely detailed imaging technology in the same room where surgeries are performed. The hybrid OR means greater efficiency for staff and patients.

61%

The percentages of nurses with a BSN has increased sharply, jumping from about 53 percent to better than 61 percent in just a year. The goal is for 80 percent of staff nurses to have a BSN by 2020.

8 Inside ANMED HEALTH

170 employees used AnMed Health’s employee tuition program in 2016.

Of those, 89 were in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing while 33 were pursuing a master’s level nursing degree.

60

Sixty people are registered in medical education programs at AnMed Health. There are 34 family medicine residents, 24 third and fourth-year medical students from MUSC and VCOM, and 2 sports medicine fellows.

AnMed Health was the first, and remains only the 4th Magnet® designated hospital in the state.

The Radiologic Technology Program at AnMed Health celebrated two perfect scores during its 69th year preparing students for careers:

100 percent of the graduates passed the national registry exam and 100 percent of them found a job.

5

Year Low 200 people (37 more than the year before) were treated for STEMI – ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction, known to most as a

heart attack.

9,024

Falls with injuries are in decline at AnMed Health.

Driven largely by a Falls Prevention Committee and its initiatives such as “Call, Don’t Fall” signs in patient rooms, falls with injuries hit a fiveyear low in 2016.

people registered to donate blood products through the AnMed Health Blood Center.

7,498

A total of blood products were collected.

Minutes Matter Door-to-balloon time is a way of measuring how quickly a heart attack patient receives percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The quicker, the better to prevent loss of heart muscle.

90

The national standard for door-toballoon time is 90 minutes.

51.5

AnMed Health door-to-balloon time averages 43 minutes.

81.1

Even when adding EMS, the time from first contact with EMS to PCI is 77 minutes.

31.5 minutes

The AnMed Health/Carolinas HealthCare System Levine Cancer Institute began construction on a new third floor space to add more than 18,000 square feet of space and double the amount of infusion bays already in service.

Average alert time to the cath lab, which includes those with long transport times from areas like Hartwell and Elberton, Georgia.

5

minutes The mean time it took ANY patient arriving with chest pain to receive an electrocardiogram (ECG).

Inside ANMED HEALTH 9

M.D. MINUTE

A conversation with Dr. William S. Buice William S. Buice, MD, FACS, is a board certified surgeon with a focus in general, thoracic and oncologic surgery and endoscopy. He is in practice with AnMed Health Piedmont Surgical Associates.

Q. Why did you decide to become a doctor?

A. While in high school, I was invited to observe surgery by my uncle who was a surgeon in Rock Hill. I observed five surgeries that day and still vividly remember the satisfaction and enjoyment that he showed while providing surgical care to his patients. I went home that night, told my parents that I was going to become a surgeon. I’ve never looked back, at least not often.

Q. What do you wish more patients knew about surgery?

A. It’s really surprisingly stressful to do a surgery. Even the “simplest” procedures have the potential for serious complications and every good surgeon that I know worries constantly about their patients. I’ve been doing this for more years than I’ll admit and I still lose sleep when I’m worried about a particular patient or difficult procedure. I thought that I would eventually grow out of that, but if anything, I fret more now than I did when I first entered practice.

Q. Surgeons are lured to all parts of the country. Why do you choose to remain in Anderson?

A. I was born and raised in Anderson and so was my wife. It was natural to return here. I’m the product of public schools in this community and I’ve been glad to be able to raise our kids here in the same environment in which my parents raised me. I think that Anderson is a terrific place to live.

Q. What is the best lesson you have learned about being a doctor?

A. Absolutely the best thing about being a doctor is having patients confide in you their innermost concerns, thoughts, and the most intimate details of their lives and give you their trust to try and help them the best way that you can. I teach medical students from two medical schools and this is the one lesson that I try to teach

10 Inside ANMED HEALTH

them. It’s an unbelievable privilege to be able to have that opportunity.

Q. What advice do you find yourself giving most often to patients?

A. I think that the best advice that I give most patients is simply trying to do their best to take care of themselves.

Eat healthy, don’t overindulge, don’t smoke, exercise regularly and wear your seatbelt – the same things most parents teach their kids. A very high percentage of the maladies that I treat arise from not following their parents’ advice!

Q. What is the best advice you have received?

A. The best advice I ever received as a doctor was from an attending surgeon when I was a surgical resident. I had neglected what seemed to be a small detail prior to surgery. Although it didn’t result in any issues, he gave me a disappointed look that I can still see in my mind as if it were yesterday. He told me that “it’s the little details that separate the winners from the also-rans” (his term). He was right; it’s all about paying attention to the details. Every few years I see him and thank him for that lesson. One other useful piece of advice occurred when I had just assumed the job of being chief resident. I unsuccessfully attempted to attend to every detail of every patient of our entire service. He said to me (in front of our team), “Bill, you got to learn to use your boys.” It was good advice and it has served me well in my career to try and find hard working talented people to work with and to trust them to share the tasks at hand.

These two bits of advice almost seem to contradict each other but as long as you surround yourself with people that you trust, it’s a recipe for success.

Q. What makes a good doctor?

A. Caring about your patient, trying to put their interests above all else, paying attention to the details.

Q. If you had not chosen medicine, what would you be doing?

A. I was planning on architecture prior to observing surgery when I was in high school. I suppose that’s what I would be doing. I had really wanted to be a pilot or astronaut but I’m color blind, which rules me out for that.

THE 411 ON DR. BILL BUICE Specialty: Surgery -- General, Endoscopy, Advanced Laparoscopy, Vascular Practice: AnMed Health Piedmont Surgical Associates Location: 2000 East Greenville Street, Suite 2500 Anderson, SC 29621 Phone: 864.224.1111

NEWS BRIEFS

AccessOne partnership gives patients more options for medical bill payment

The Mobile Mammography Coach delivered its first mammogram on July 17.

Mobile mammography hits the street Mobile mammography debuted for Anderson this summer when the AnMed Health Mobile Mammography Coach rolled up to the annual Cancer Survivors Day celebration at the AnMed Health Cancer Center on June 25.

The vehicle is the result of a fund-raising campaign that showed wide support for finding and defeating breast cancer in Anderson area women. The first mammogram was delivered on the coach on July 17.

Mobile mammography will expand the number of women who find breast cancer early by taking radiology services to people who were underserved previously.

The bus is operated by AnMed Health’s Radiology Department and will connect women who need a doctor to the comprehensive services at AnMed Health Cancer Center, where treatments include surgery, medical oncology and radiation, as well as supportive and integrative services ranging from bra and wig fitting to yoga, herbal therapy, counseling, a resource library and more.

Too many women simply are not getting the mammograms that can detect breast cancer early, says Judy Wilson, director of radiology at AnMed Health.

“For many reasons, such as transportation issues or lack of insurance, some women just don’t get screened for breast cancer,” she said. “We hope many more of them will be screened if it is offered at their neighborhood, church or business through our mobile diagnostic bus. Our mission is to save lives by bringing mobile mammography to the patient.”

The goal is to achieve approximately 10,000 new breast cancer screenings each year, to save or prolong an estimated 100 lives due to early detection and treatment of breast cancer, to educate more than 10,000 women on how to perform breast self-examinations between screenings, and to provide underserved patients access to cancer specialists.

“We are very excited about the opportunity to take our mobile unit out to the communities,” said Wilson, who manages the mobile mammography program. “We will go to businesses, community centers, senior centers and other locations to reach the underserved in Anderson, Abbeville, Pickens and Oconee counties.”

In addition to its central purpose of providing breast cancer screening and education, the mobile diagnostic unit also will serve as an entry point for health care, providing opportunities to connect women to wider health care services.

AnMed Health has partnered with a company called AccessOne to provide more options for patients who struggle with rising out-of-pocket medical expenses.

The partnership gives patients sustainable payment options, with financing available for patients facing even extreme challenges due to medical costs. The program offers all patients an interest-free option and a low-interest option based on the size of the account balance.

The program offers benefits that include: • No credit reporting or fear of collections • Everyone is accepted • No hidden fees • Easy payment methods: online, phone, check, auto pay • Combined statements that include other medical bills and family members The payment options provide AnMed Health patients the flexibility to make affordable payments over the life of their account.

To learn more, visit www.accessonemedcard.com

Camp Asthmania Kids taking part in Camp Asthmania had a chance to explore the LifeFlight helicopter and take part in other activities such as arts and crafts, water slides and more. The camp takes place each year to provide a traditional day camp experience to children living with asthma, many of whom are turned down by other camps.

Camp Asthmania completed its 18th year this summer.

Inside ANMED HEALTH 11

Physician Network welcomes new doctors

The Outpatient Infusion Center opened on the third floor of the AnMed Health Cancer Center and doubled the capacity for delivering infusion services.

Partnerships spark action at AnMed Health Cancer Center Collaboration is making a difference for patients served by the AnMed Health Cancer Center.

Bringing together the resources of AnMed Health, Levine Cancer Institute and the Cancer Association of Anderson has created an environment of partnership at the Cancer Center. The Carolinas HealthCare System Levine Cancer Institute, based in Charlotte, has recruited new personnel, including Drs. Jay Nayak and Jeffrey DeLo. Opening up new space for them also created space for some Cancer Association of Anderson efforts that complement the integrative medicine initiative of Levine Cancer Institute and AnMed Health.

Integrative medicine stresses wellbeing and balance in a relationship-centered approach to medical care. It incorporates both conventional and evidence based complementary therapies in caring for patients. This approach to health and wellness respects the body’s natural ability to heal itself and offers treatment for the patient – mind, body and spirit. In addition to physician care, integrative medicine can include strategies for improving quality of life such as proper nutrition, relaxation techniques and herbal therapy.

The collaboration with Cancer Association of Anderson brings art therapy, massage, yoga and aromatherapy to the AnMed Health Cancer Center for patients and their caregivers.

“The integrative approach can complement standard chemotherapy treatments by utilizing a variety of therapies designed to uplift a patient’s mood, wellbeing and overall health,” said Dr. DeLo who is in practice with Dr. Nayak at AnMed Health Oncology and Hematology Specialists, along with Dr. David Griffin.

Their practice moved to a new space on the third floor of the Cancer Center earlier this year at about the same time a new and expanded infusion center opened in the same area. AnMed Health Oncology and Hematology Specialists connects patients to a comprehensive cancer program that includes specialized nurse navigators, highly trained and certified infusion nurses, the latest research trials, powerful technology, radiation oncology and supportive care.

Dr. Nayak says the comprehensive nature of the cancer program and the AnMed Health commitment to work through Levine Cancer Institute attracted him to Anderson.

The partnership Levine Cancer Institute partnership “brings cutting edge cancer care right to our door step and, when needed, an easier and faster access to the resources at Levine Cancer Institute for second opinions, treatment recommendations and clinical trials,” he said.

Celebrating survivorship Cancer survivor Arah Glenn, right, celebrates with nurse Cindy McMahan during AnMed Health’s observance of Cancer Survivors Day. Cancer survivors celebrated at a new location this year when the event moved to the Cancer Center. Held at the Anderson Civic Center for the last several years, the format also changed so that attendees could check out some of the integrative medicine components of the program.

12 Inside ANMED HEALTH

The AnMed Health Physician Network welcomed several new physicians over the last several weeks following a recruitment push to attract more primary care physicians to the area.

More access to primary care medicine gives area residents a better chance to maintain good health and avoid hospital stays.

• Robert “Robby” Bryant, MD, joined the staff of AnMed Health Wren Family Medicine. He is a family medicine doctor with a degree from the Medical University of South Carolina.

• Vipin Verma, MD, joined AnMed Health Internal Medicine. He completed an internal medicine residency at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital/Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., and a fellowship in geriatric medicine at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.

• Sarah Wheat, DO, in a new member of the AnMed Health OBGYN medical staff. She earned a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

• Megan Witrick, MD, joined AnMed Health Pediatric Associates. She completed a residency in pediatric medicine after earning a medical degree from Mercer University School of Medicine campus in Savannah, Georgia.

• M. Francie Finney, MD, has joined the staff at AnMed Health Anderson Family Medicine. She is a family medicine physician who earned her medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine.

• David W. Finney, MD, joined the staff at AnMed Health Clemson Family Medicine. A family medicine physician, he earned his degree at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine.

• Caitlyn Collier, MD, joined AnMed Health Hartwell Family Medicine. She earned her medical degree from the Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, Georgia.

• Dorenda D. Truesdale, MD, has joined AnMed Health Williamston Family Medicine. She was awarded her Doctor of Medicine from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia.

The first group of faith community nurses are (front row, l-r) Debbie Harnesburger, Christina Hornbeck, Lynne Ramsey, Ann Cothran, (back row) Kristie Rucker, Amy Goodson and Lisa Moss.

Faith community nursing serves congregations While faith communities work to enrich their spiritual lives, some of them are getting physical help from a unique group of nurses.

A program called faith community nursing (FCN) utilizes faith communities to improve the physical health of people within their congregations. FCN is a specialized practice of professional nursing focusing on care of the spirit as well as health and prevention or minimization of illness within a faith community.

“In many neighborhoods, the churches or synagogues are the anchor of the community,” said Amy Goodson, AnMed Health faith community nurse coordinator. “In African American, Hispanic and other communities we’re trying to build the program to help more people and promote better health.”

These nurses touch individual lives by organizing services such as meals, rides to medical appointments, and addressing home safety issues and other needs. They promote the health of their congregation overall through education, screenings and facilitating access to resources. Most volunteer their time, although a few are paid.

Like a nurse in a hospital or doctor’s office, they must document care while maintaining patient confidentiality, dignity, and spiritual beliefs and practices. Each FCN is encouraged to complete the Faith Community Nurse

Foundations course and must adhere to the American Nurses Association’s Scope and Standards of Practice for Faith Community Nursing.

There are limits to what a faith community nurse can do. They cannot replace home health or a primary care provider. Their care is considered “hands-off,” meaning they cannot administer medications, change dressings or any other “hands on” procedures.

Churches also must make a commitment to be part of the FCN. Each signs a covenant with AnMed Health, which provides access to resources and education. They must develop a wellness committee, provide private work space for the FCN, and supply basic equipment and supplies.

“These requirements may be difficult for some small churches that don’t have many resources,” Goodson said.

“I eventually would like to link some of the bigger churches with the smaller churches to help them.”

The health ministries can also have volunteers who aren’t trained health care providers, but they must understand the role of the FCN program. Volunteers can assist providing meals, transportation and other needs as directed by the FCN. One important goal Goodson has is for FCNs to work with the hospital’s “transitions of care,” to ensure people leaving the hospital receive resources

they need to properly heal and prevent re-admittance.

“We would like to work with faith community nurses to keep these patients healthy and help them with whatever they need. We also would like nurses to reach into the community to help patients who don’t necessarily go to church,” Goodson said. “A lot of people move from elsewhere, and they don’t have family here to support them.”

Mike Johnston, AnMed Health director of Spiritual Care, wanted to revive faith-based community nursing after a program from the early 2000s fizzled from lack of funding. He felt the model would benefit the Anderson area and he knew the most successful programs work under the umbrella of a hospital.

In late 2016, AnMed Health’s Faith and Health Ministry hired Goodson to grow the program. She began with three nurses who were already working in local congregations. Since then, the program has grown to 12 churches that sponsor an FCN. AnMed Health’s Faith Community Nursing program supports the local nurses by providing training, ideas, resources and educational materials.

Goodson hosts a monthly meeting where FCNs can exchange information, participate in a devotional and pray with each other. The meetings are a way of nourishing the faith community nurses in mind and spirit so they can do the same for their congregations.

New physician joins Carolina Cardiology AnMed Health has brought an Anderson native home to practice cardiology.

Jay Meehan has joined AnMed Health Carolina Cardiology.

After earning a medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina, he completed residencies in pediatrics and internal medicine at the University of Kentucky and a fellowship in interventional cardiovascular medicine and cardiovascular medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Inside ANMED HEALTH 13

N E I G H B O R S AnMed Health has more than 50 clinical sites, most of them in Anderson County, but some in our neighboring communities, too. This is a look at one of them.

Summer allergies keep Clemson’s newest ENT busy JUST BECAUSE SPRINGTIME blooms are

Dr. Kim Ostrowski

AnMed Health Cannon Medicus ENT 885 Tiger Blvd. Suite A Clemson SC 29631 864.897.0390 HOURS:

Monday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Friday: 8:30 a.m. to noon

long gone doesn’t mean seasonal allergies went with them.

Often times people think allergies are associated with spring only, but seasonal allergies can affect people all year.

Summer often brings ragweed and other weeds while fall brings mold and mildew to South Carolina as residents and visitors deal with heat and humidity.

Dr. Kim Ostrowski of AnMed Health Cannon Medicus ENT in Clemson says mysterious coughs are often related allergens.

“Cough can be a troublesome symptom for some people this time of year,” she said. “There’s a whole host of things that can cause it, allergies and the ENT side of acid reflux.”

Millions of Americans suffer from nasal allergies. An ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist who manages allergy can help determine what is causing your discomfort. The ENT can develop a management plan that will help make life more enjoyable.

Allergy symptoms appear when the immune system reacts to an allergic substance – the allergen – that has entered the body as an unwelcome invader. The immune system produces special anti-

Tips for reducing the exposure to common allergens • Wear a dust mask when mowing grass or cleaning house • Change your air filters regularly.

• Keep windows and doors closed during heavy pollen seasons.

• Rid your home of sources of mold and mildew.

• If you have a pet, ask your ENT for suggestions to allow you to enjoy your pet while also enjoying a life free of allergies.

• Remove carpet from bedrooms.

• Use daily nasal saline.

• Use over-the-counter antihistamines and decongestants as needed and as tolerated. However, you should talk to your ENT to make sure they are safe.

14 Inside ANMED HEALTH

bodies capable of recognizing the same allergic substance if it enters the body at a later time.

When an allergen re-enters the body, the immune system rapidly recognizes it, causing a series of reactions. These reactions often involve blood vessel dilation, and production of many inflammatory substances, including histamine that produces common allergy symptoms such as itchy and watery eyes. It can also produce sneezing, stuffy nose, runny nose, scratchy throat, hives, cough and shortness of breath. Other symptoms are eye irritations, skin problems such as eczema, and even breathing problems like asthma.

Dr. Ostrowski’s practice is new to Clemson. She is board certified in otolaryngology and cares for both adult and pediatric patients. She completed medical school at the Michigan State University (MSU) College of Osteopathic Medicine and residency training in otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery at the MSU McLaren Oakland Medical Center.

Her interests as an ear, nose, and throat specialist include management of sinus disease, allergy management, laryngology, pediatric ENT care, and salivary diseases and masses.

Visions

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 our donors and supporters for improving the life and health of your community.

The scholarships will pay up to $10,000 toward the tuition of Medical University of South Carolina students who study at AnMed Health.

Mike Shoemaker, manager of Respiratory Care Services and Pulmonary Diagnostics, reviews pediatric resuscitation skills in a simulation lab with David Roper and Casey Holmes, the first graduates of the MUSC AnMed Health Clinical Campus.

AnMed Health Foundation building support for MUSC scholarships THE ANMED HEALTH FOUNDATION

is gearing up to fund scholarships for MUSC students who choose to complete medical school at the MUSC AnMed Health Clinical Campus.

The scholarships will pay up to $10,000 toward the tuition of Medical

University of South Carolina students who study at AnMed Health. AnMed Health Foundation Executive Director Tim Self says the goal is to fund annual scholarships right away and build toward a permanent endowment.

The Duke Endowment has been

funding a partnership between AnMed Health and the Medical University of South Carolina for the last three years.

Since 2015, MUSC has utilized AnMed Health as a campus for medical students to complete their third and fourth years of medical school. The arrangement was on a provisional basis.

AnMed Health has made upgrades at the North Campus to create a learning environment equal to the facilities offered in Charleston, enabling AnMed Health to become a permanent campus for MUSC. Through the support of the AnMed Health Foundation, the medical education program has worked to attain Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) designation.

By attracting medical students to complete their studies in Anderson, AnMed Health hopes to attract future physicians, including home-grown talent, to bolster membership in the local medical community. It’s another way AnMed Health is working to create more access to primary and care for the people of Anderson County and surrounding communities.

To find out how you can support the AnMed Health Foundation’s scholarship program or how to support local medical education in other ways, contact the Foundation at 864.512.3477 or visit the Foundation office near the lobby of the AnMed Health Medical Center.

About The AnMed Health Foundation: Established as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1992, The AnMed Health Foundation develops fundraising opportunities in support of healthcare programs and services at AnMed Health. Areas of support are Camp Asthmania, Cancer Care Assistance Fund, Robert B. Claytor Patient Assistance Fund, Peggy G. Deane Nursing Professional Development Fund, Doclink, Employee Financial Assistance Fund, Freedom Link, Mobile Diagnostic Unit, Pediatric Therapy Works and Safe Kids.

Inside ANMED HEALTH 15

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

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

First class of Project SEARCH interns complete year at AnMed Health

BY THE TIME the first year of Anderson County Project

SEARCH came to an end with a graduation ceremony at Westside High School, five young residents had marketable job skills and experience. Four of them found employment right away.

Undertaken as a partnership among AnMed Health, Anderson School District Five and South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation, the program prepares high school seniors with special needs through total immersion in the working world. In this case, the workplace was AnMed Health, where interns spent part of their time in classroom study and the rest of their time learning the skills and social mores of being a valuable employee.

They rotated through various departments at the hospital, fulfilling roles ranging from food service and engineering to laundry.

Of the four interns who stepped out of the program and into a job, two of them found work at AnMed Health.

Anderson Mayor Terence Roberts recognized the occasion with a proclamation from the city, and the keynote address was delivered by Randy Lewis, author of No Greatness Without Goodness. A retired senior vice president for Walgreens and an advocate for disability hiring, Lewis brought nationwide change to the workforce when he led a Walgreens initiative to hire more workers with disabilities. WYFF News 4’s Geoff Hart served as emcee.

AnMed Health CEO Bill Manson thanked and congratulated the interns – Aron N. Gilliam, Elizabeth N. Gonzalez, La-Keisha S. Logan, Trenton L. Pate and Dillon K. Worley.

“Thank you for reminding us to look beyond the usual,” Manson said. “Thanks for giving us a lesson on how to reach out instead of down. Thank you for reminding us the value of empathy. And thank you for giving us your valuable time, your effort and your enthusiasm for a day’s work.”

16 Inside ANMED HEALTH

Trenton Pate walks across the stage after receiving his certificate of completion as a member of the first class of Anderson County Project SEARCH.

Plans are underway to expand Project SEARCH to all districts in Anderson County for the coming academic year and to engage other business and industry partners to develop other internship opportunities beyond health care.