Inside AnMed Health: Winter 2020

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

Winter 2020

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

Expert Care.

When and where you need it.

• 50+ Locations • Extended Hours • E-Visits • Urgent Care • Online Appointments Need help finding the right care?

864.512.3748 or AnMedHealth.org/Doctors

Full spectrum of care

From mammo to reconstruction, AnMed Health there for patient’s journey

From patients to partners Local kids grow up to become doctors and join former pediatrician

Life-changing care AnMed Health doctors, nurses making a difference in lives of Clemson’s underserved

2019 Year In Review

FROM THE CEO

My daddy

wouldn’t be here without AnMed Health’s heart care.

Health care is about partnership JUST BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS, I announced my plans to retire in the summer of 2020.

CONTENTS

4 From patients to partners 6 Life-changing care 9 Full spectrum of care 10 Resolve to feel better 11 Brighter outlook 12 A leg up 13 2019 in review 14 In the community 15 Camellia Ball

If you or someone you love has a heart or vascular condition, trust AnMed Health. We offer a range of high-quality heart and vascular services that rival those of world-class urban medical centers.

You’ll have access to a broad range of solutions in our state-of-the-art facilities from skilled, highly-trained doctors, nurses and technologists.

This is why our quality exceeds national standards and why we are recognized – year after year – for the performance and patient satisfaction of our cardiovascular program.

ON THE COVER: Breast

cancer survivor

Linda Gonzalez

Inside

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

CONTACT

Best quality. Best care. Best outcomes. All close to home.

Lee Boggs, Editor 864.512.8739

As I reflect on the growth and change that has taken place since I first arrived in Anderson 39 years ago, I am proud of the remarkable community asset AnMed Health has become, and honored to have worked alongside many talented individuals who have helped to make it so.

Collaboration with both patients and our community has been a central tenet of AnMed Health’s philosophy throughout my nearly 40-year tenure with the organization. Like Kirk Oglesby and John Miller who served as CEOs from 1967-2015, it has been a key part of my role to find the right partners for achieving our strategic goals. Today – in the face of rising national health costs and growing disparities in care across populations – it couldn’t be more relevant.

While community partnerships are not a new idea, it’s one that is evolving. Payers (both private and government) are asking health systems not only to provide care – our traditional role – but also manage costs outside the hospital, and keep patients well – a very new role! We have started an entirely new era of working with patients and community-based organizations to address both health needs and the “social determinants of health.” It is estimated that only 20-30% of a person’s health status is determined by the medical care he or she receives, while genetics, lifestyle, and other social factors have the greatest impact. This means we have to work with patients and the community in entirely new ways to impact wellness and health status. Through implementation of EPIC, our electronic medical records system in 2017, and formation of strategic partnerships on both the local and regional levels, AnMed Health has built an infrastructure (Piedmont Health Partners and Southeastern Health Partners) to support our mission in this new industry environment.

In this new era for collaboration and partnership, and AnMed Health is clearly committed to taking advantage of our history and creating the new platforms required to address the changing needs of our patients and payers. I’m confident that the work we have done in recent years to build a strong physician network, improve clinical care programs, develop a local and Upstate population health program, and look for the right strategic partnerships, leaves AnMed Health in an excellent place to continue to fulfill its mission of optimizing community health well into the future.

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.

864.512.2255 AnMedHealth.org/HeartCare

Bill Manson

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

Inside ANMED HEALTH 3

From patients to partners

AnMed Health Pediatric Associates has served the Anderson County area across generations of children and is accepting new patients.

Drs. Bradshaw and Ford have joined their pediatrician Dr. Keith Hart at AnMed Health Pediatric Associates

By Cindy Landrum MATTHEW BRADSHAW AND RACHEL REYNOLDS FORD are

former patients of Anderson pediatrician Dr. Keith Hart. Today, they are his partners at AnMed Health Pediatric Associates.

“He set an excellent example for me for the kind of pediatrician I wanted to be,” Dr. Bradshaw said. “He’s a caring pediatrician who takes an interest not only in his patients’ physical well-being but in their lives in general.”

Dr. Hart has been a pediatrician in Anderson for 35 years. He decided to practice in Anderson – instead of his hometown of Atlanta – because he thought the city would afford him a better opportunity to care for patients over the long term.

“Having two of my former patients join the practice and continue the reputation of what we’ve built here is so rewarding,” Dr. Hart said.

Dr. Hart doesn’t believe he’s the sole reason Drs. Bradshaw and Ford – both Anderson natives – decided to work for the practice where they were formerly patients.

“I think it’s the practice as a whole. It’s what we’ve been able to build over the years, our alliance with AnMed Health, and the people who work here,” he said. “Obviously, we have a personal relationship, and that was an advantage from a recruiting standpoint.”

Dr. Bradshaw said he has modeled his practice after Dr. Hart.

“When you go to the doctor’s office as a kid, you don’t feel good. When I was very young, I’d get so upset going to the doctor that I would literally get sick in the waiting room,” he said. “But he was always very kind and reassuring. He never got flustered. I think I have a similar bedside manner. It’s because of the example he set.”

When Dr. Bradshaw was in high school, Dr. Hart asked him about his college plans. After Dr. Hart found out he planned to be a doctor, Pediatric Associates hired him to work in the front office.

“Even then, he incorporated me into the practice,” Dr. Bradshaw said. “It planted the seed that there would be a place for me here,” he said.

Dr. Bradshaw graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston and completed his residency in pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital in Greenville.

When Dr. Bradshaw’s parents found out he would work in the same practice he grew up in, they were ecstatic.

“It was partly their dream, too,” he said.

Dr. Ford originally thought she would become a physical therapist like her neighbor, who convinced her to go to medical school instead since both professions require a significant amount of time in school.

A medical mission trip to Honduras during her senior year in high school inspired her to become a doctor.

“They weren’t going to let high school students go on that trip because they didn’t think it was age appropriate. I convinced my

4 Inside ANMED HEALTH

Anderson natives and former patients of Dr. Keith Hart over 20 years ago, Dr. Rachel Reynolds Ford and Dr. Matthew Bradshaw have returned to practice at AnMed Health Pediatric Associates.

mom to go so I could go. The trip was life changing,” Dr. Ford said.

After she graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, she completed a pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital in Greenville.

She said Dr. Hart kept in touch with her while she was in medical school. When he found out that Ford chose pediatrics and would do her residency in the Upstate, he called her to congratulate her.

“He definitely influenced me, being here all the way through without me realizing it, just from all his encouragement and support through the years,” she said. “I think I was a little nervous about coming home. But it’s been a great experience.

There are so many people I had a connection with here.”

That includes Dr. Megan Witrick, another pediatrician hired

by AnMed Health Pediatric Associates in the past four years.

She joined the practice in 2017 after completing her pediatric residency in Greenville. Dr. Witrick was in her last year of residency when Ford was in her first.

“She was one of my guiding doctors,” said Dr. Ford, who went to high school with Dr. Bradshaw’s brother. “It was nice to be able to go into a practice where I had so many connections rather than going to a practice where I knew nobody.”

Both Dr. Ford and Dr. Bradshaw hope to develop similar relationships with their patients and their families as Dr. Hart has with his.

“He’s a great example of what to do to be a great pediatrician,” Dr. Ford said. “The town absolutely loves him. That’s my goal.”

“Having two of my former patients join the practice and continue the reputation of what we’ve built here is so rewarding.” - Dr. Keith Hart

To learn more about Pediatric Associates or to schedule an appointment, please call 864.224.1055 or visit PediatricAssociates.AnMedHealth.org.

Inside ANMED HEALTH 5

Life-changing care AnMed Health doctors, nurses making a difference in lives of Clemson’s underserved

By Cindy Landrum BEFORE SHE STARTED GOING to the Clemson Free Clinic,

Tenice Fair’s blood pressure was dangerously high and her allergies were out of control.

“I thank the Lord they are here,” she said. “I’m so blessed to have the Free Clinic. I got my life back because of it.”

AnMed Health played a critical role in founding the Clemson Free Clinic 15 years ago. Today, providers from AnMed Health Clemson, along with many other volunteers, are crucial to the Free Clinic’s ability to meet the needs of the community.

“We have a close connection to AnMed Health,” said Sandy Smith, the executive director of the Free Clinic. “We could not operate without the professional services AnMed Health and its physicians provide.”

The Clemson Free Clinic is open for three hours every Wednesday evening to care for medically underserved patients from Clemson, Central, Six Mile and Pendleton. The clinic sees patients between the ages of 12 and 64 who are not covered

by Medicaid, Medicare or other health insurance. Their total household income must be less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

Last year, the clinic had 374 patient visits. Most of the Free Clinics’ patients are between the ages of 50 and 65. Most either work part-time jobs and have no access to employer health insurance plans or work full time at low-wage jobs and can’t afford insurance. The majority have chronic conditions such as hypertension, heart disease and diabetes, and they have no way to get the medication they need to treat their conditions without the Free Clinic, Smith said.

“Free Clinics are at their very best when treating chronic conditions,” she said. “It keeps people out of the ER, which is the most expensive way to get health care. We tell our patients to look to us as their medical home.”

Dr. Harold Morse, a retired internist who was on the AnMed Health residency faculty for 37 years, played an integral role in the clinic’s founding. Morse had done medical mission work in Haiti through Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Clemson and the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina. An Easley church invited him to speak about that work. After his talk, the late Clemson Mayor Larry Abernathy approached him and said Clemson needed a free medical clinic.

“I didn’t think of Clemson being a community that would need one,” said Morse, who was the medical director of the Anderson Free Clinic at the time. “But it’s embarrassing how many people in that area have no access to health care.”

The Clemson Free Clinic was modeled after the Anderson Free Clinic, which is now 35 years old.

“We already had 20 years of experience to draw upon,” Morse said.

Dr. Byron Harder, who was the team doctor for the Clemson University football team, was the Clemson Free Clinic’s first medical director.

6 Inside ANMED HEALTH

Tenice Fair and Produce RX Program Director Beth Kunkel discuss the fresh produce that is available at the Clemson Free Clinic, where AnMed Health’s doctors and nurses volunteer their time and talents.

Dr. Glen Quattlebaum of AnMed Health Clemson is one of many local providers who help patients like Tenice Fair gain access to top-quality health care through the Clemson Free Clinic.

Dr. Glen Quattlebaum, a physician at AnMed Health Clemson who has served as the clinic’s medical director for the past four years, called the Clemson Free Clinic “medicine at its purest form.”

“When I’m working at the office, there’s insurance, prior authorizations and pre-certifications. At the Free Clinic, you don’t have to worry about the bureaucratic part of medicine,” he said. “The folks you see are delighted to be able to see a doctor.

It’s you and the patient.”

Over a dozen doctors and nurse practitioners volunteer at the Free Clinic. The majority are from AnMed Health, Smith said. When a patient needs lab work or radiology tests, AnMed Health provides them for free, she said.

“We value our partnership with AnMed Health,” Smith said.

Jennifer Leonard, a nurse practitioner at AnMed Health Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine who has been volunteering at the clinic since 2014, sees patients at the Clemson Free Clinic.

“I believe it’s one of our jobs in life to discover our unique talents and gifts and use those to serve others. The Free Clinic is a wonderful organization and one small way I can serve my community,” Leonard said. “The Free Clinic is a special place.”

In addition to providing medical care, the Free Clinic also offers patients fresh produce and nutrition counseling every other week through its Produce Rx program.

Quattlebaum said the Free Clinic serves as a bridge until patients can get insurance, either through Medicare or through an employer.

“There will always be plenty of people who need medical care,” Smith said. “I don’t see us going out of business any time soon.”

For more information visit ClemsonFreeClinic.org and AnMedHealth.org/Clemson.

Inside ANMED HEALTH 7

Full spectrum of care From mammo to reconstruction, AnMed Health there for patient’s journey

By Cindy Landrum Patient Linda Gonzalez with Melissa Kimbrell, nurse navigator, who helped her throughout her cancer journey.

8 Inside ANMED HEALTH

LINDA GONZALEZ had just picked up

the keys to her house in Liberty – after a cross-country move from California – when she received the life-changing news that she had breast cancer.

“Our goals when we got here were to go to work, buy a house and be with my husband’s family,” she said. “You expect one thing, and then everything changes.”

From her initial mammogram at AnMed Health Women’s Diagnostics to her cancer treatment at the AnMed Health Cancer Center to reconstructive surgery at AnMed Health Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery, Gonzalez received comprehensive breast health care services, starting in April 2018.

Gonzalez was 37 and living in California when she first noticed a lump in her right breast in October 2017.

She went to her gynecologist, who she said didn’t seem overly concerned. The doctor told her to come back in a couple of months unless the lump started to grow. In December, Gonzalez saw another doctor in the same practice who told her the same thing.

“Based on what they said, I didn’t think it was anything bad,” she said.

In March 2018, Gonzalez noticed that her right breast felt warm and was a little larger than her left. When she did a self-examination, Gonzalez discovered another lump. She saw her doctor the next Monday, which was the day before she was supposed to move. Gonzalez had two choices – she could stay and have a surgical biopsy there or see a doctor as soon as she got to South Carolina.

After she arrived in the Upstate, Gonzalez went to AnMed Health Cannon Liberty Family Practice for an assessment.

She had a subsequent mammogram at Women’s Diagnostics, where a biopsy confirmed that Gonzalez had Stage 3 breast cancer.

“By the time I moved here, I already had the lump for six months,” she said.

Melissa Kimbrell, AnMed Health’s manager for cancer support services,

gave Gonzalez her diagnosis and served as her nurse navigator. Nurse navigators help patients throughout their cancer journey by answering questions, providing resources and serving as a point person throughout the continuum of care.

“Nurse navigators know how the hospital works inside and out,” Kimbrell said. “The health care system is complicated. It’s a great relief to patients to know there’s somebody there to help them navigate the system.”

A cancer diagnosis is often overwhelming for a patient, said Deecy Howard, a breast cancer nurse navigator at AnMed Health. The breast cancer nurse navigator schedules a breast MRI if needed, makes an appointment with a surgeon, sets up genetic counseling if criteria are met and informs the patient of Cancer Care 101, a class for those who are newly diagnosed.

“We’re their point person,” she said.

“Having a point of contact relieves some of their anxiety and decreases the stress.”

Kimbrell worked to eliminate barriers to care and connect Gonzalez with resources. She also helped her communicate what was happening to her family back home in California.

“She was not only navigating through a scary diagnosis but through major life changes as well,” Kimbrell said.

Treated by a variety of specialists, Gonzalez underwent chemotherapy before she had a double mastectomy. Thirtytwo radiation treatments followed the mastectomy. Gonzalez also decided to have breast reconstruction, a process that started at the time of her surgery.

“I wanted to feel whole again,” she said.

“I wanted to have my breasts.”

Breast reconstruction can be done at

the time of the mastectomy or delayed.

Immediate breast reconstruction produces better results and may reduce the number of required surgical procedures, said Dr. Terrence Bruner, Gonzalez’s plastic surgeon.

“I often tell patients that breast reconstruction is a gift to themselves,” Bruner said. “They didn’t have a say when they got Dr. Terrence Bruner breast cancer, but they do have a say in what happens after that.”

Gonzalez, who is now 39, said her latest scans showed no signs of cancer. While it’s been a long process, she said it was made easier by the people at AnMed Health.

“I’ve never been one who likes going to the doctor, but you feel comfortable when you are there. I actually looked forward to my appointments,” she said.

“It’s difficult to find out you have cancer, but there are a lot of people there who are helpful and kind. That means a lot.”

To schedule a mammogram at AnMed Health, AnMed Health Clemson, or the AnMed Health Mobile Mammography Coach, call 864.512.5400. To schedule an appointment at AnMed Health Cannon, call 864.898.1153.

For more information, visit AnMedHealth.org/Pink.

For more information about AnMed Health Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery, please call 864.367.0197.

“It’s a great relief to patients to know there’s somebody there to help them navigate the system.”

Melissa Kimbrell, BSN, RN, OCN

Inside ANMED HEALTH 9

ASK THE DOC

NEWS BRIEFS

Resolve to feel better

Brighter outlook: Cancer trials, $14.4 million grant help patients get cutting-edge treatment close to home

Setting a personal goal is a great way to start the new year. Everybody wants to feel better, and improving diet and exercising more are the most common New Year’s resolutions.

By Nick Charalambous and Lee Boggs

The bad news, though, is that most people abandon their resolutions before really getting started.

According to Business Insider, a whopping 80% of resolutions fail by February. That’s partly due to lack of education.

Dr. Harper Richey, who has lost 80 pounds, shares some tips and techniques for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Q. What do beginners need to know?

A: It’s never too late to make a lifestyle change. Eating a balanced diet – low in processed sugar and saturated fats – can produce noticeable results in a short time.

When it comes to exercise, set reasonable goals. The first step is simply starting.

Q. Which foods should be avoided to lose weight?

A: Avoid complex carbohydrates, simple sugars and preservatives. Yes, the good stuff: French fries, chips, candy bars, cakes, cookies, ice cream, pizza, white bread, and sugary sodas, fruit drinks and alcohol (especially beer). Remember that prepackaged, processed foods are loaded with salt and sugar.

Q. Which foods have good nutritional value?

A: Fresh fruits and vegetables and lean proteins are always best when it comes to eating a balanced diet. Lean beef, fish, chicken, eggs, beans, nuts, whole grains, fresh fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy provide nutritious options and help you stay healthy.

Q. How can cravings be controlled?

A: Drink plenty of water. Eat foods high in protein. Plan your meals in advance.

Nuts or fresh fruit make great snacks.

10 Inside ANMED HEALTH

Q. What role does exercise play?

A: According to USA Today, only about 20% of Americans get enough exercise. Regular exercise – walking, running, strength training – should be an important part of our routines. Staying physically active leads to happiness, stronger muscles and bones, healthier skin, improved memory, the ability to fight off infections and better sleep.

Regular exercise also reduces the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, depression, obesity and some cancers.

Q. How much should someone exercise?

A: In the beginning, aim for 30 minutes a couple of days a week of moderate aerobic activity and strength training.

Start with walking, stretching and simple body weight exercises. Even ride bikes with the kids. The goal is to get moving.

As you progress, you can add on more challenging activities.

Benjamin Franklin said, “Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.” Those New Year’s resolutions might wear us down, but realizing the need for a healthy change, starting a manageable program, and sticking to it will generate results. It may not be easy, but it will be worth it.

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. What if weight loss stalls?

A: Don’t get discouraged. Everyone experiences a setback. Remember that the goal is a healthy lifestyle, and changes don’t always come easily; they take time. Find a partner, someone who is experiencing the same struggles. Start slowly with a small goal to eat better and get some exercise each day.

Harper Richey, M.D.

AnMed Health Pendleton Family Medicine 1005 Meehan Way Pendleton, SC 29670 864.646.7522

Angie Stringer joined a cancer research trial in 2013, just weeks after being diagnosed by doctors at AnMed Health as having the uncommon HER2positive breast cancer.

HER2-positive has a high recurrence rate, and it is aggressive.

“That scared me. And when I started looking at the results of people who had HER2 cancer…my future didn’t look very promising,” she said.

Stringer’s chemotherapy included two drugs that could cause heart and lung problems. So when the opportunity arose to participate in a clinical trial at AnMed Health Cancer Care to test a possible remedy, she signed up.

“The trial would not deal with the cancer, but the drugs being tested could potentially protect me from the damage the chemo would have done otherwise,” said Stringer, who is the director of the Cancer Association of Anderson.

Her two-year trial included taking medicine every day, keeping a journal, and getting blood pressure checks and heart scans. For the trial, Stringer was given either one of two actual medicines or one that had no effect called a placebo, which allows researchers to measure the success of the real medicine.

“I’m thankful that AnMed Health found me for the study,” she Angie Stringer said. “They felt like it would be a good fit, and what did I have to lose?”

Stringer does not know if she took the actual medicine or the placebo, but good reports from her heart and lung doctors have given her a brighter outlook on the future.

“I feel very fortunate, going from somebody that was diagnosed in September to not knowing if I’d be here at Christmas that year,” she said. “I don’t know the results of the trial yet,

Patient Karen Countryman and RNs Cindy Haguewood (right) and Penny Argo discuss clinical trials at AnMed Health Cancer Care.

but I’m pretty sure I was on something that helped.”

Stringer is just one of many patients who have participated in research trials at AnMed Health since 1998. A recently awarded, $14,402,940 grant promises to triple the number of clinical trials currently available to patients, said Rhonda Ballew, manager of AnMed Health’s Oncology Research and Data Management Department.

The grant resulted from a longstanding collaboration between AnMed Health, St. Francis Hospital System and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, forming the Upstate Carolina National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP).

NCORP connects cancer patients in the Upstate with the most up-to-date clinical trials. Currently, NCORP has 80 active trials, and between 30 and 40 trials are open in Anderson at any given time, Ballew said.

“In the world of oncology, the great equalizer to access to cancer care are clinical trials,” said Dr. Leander Cannick III, affiliate responsible investigator who leads the research for AnMed

Health. “Without the participation of patients, clinicians, nurses and support staff in clinical trials, many of the breakthroughs that we celebrate today would not be possible.”

The grant comes with fast-track approval that cuts the time a patient has to wait to start a trial from months to just 24 hours, giving patients access to needed trials much quicker, Dr. Leander Cannick Ballew said.

“We are blessed to have a phenomenal research department led

by Rhonda Ballew,” Dr. Cannick said.

“Clinical trials are the starting point for all oncology treatment decisions. Our realignment as the Upstate Carolina NCORP will further advance our mission of curing cancer.”

To learn more about cancer clinical trials, call the Oncology Research Department at 864.512.4650.

Inside ANMED HEALTH 11

2019 Year In Review

NEWS BRIEFS

Dr. Matthew George and Nicole Portela, NP, have opened a new vein clinic.

A leg up: New treatment removes spider and varicose veins

By Liz Carey

To help patients with varicose and spider veins, AnMed Health Vascular Medicine opened a vein clinic last year.

Dr. Matthew George and Nicole Portela, NP, started offering the vein procedure last year, expanding the services available at the practice.

Currently, the practice provides vascular procedures from vascular surgery to arterial bypass procedures to thoracic aneurysm stenting. Adding sclerotherapy, which is an injection that closes the veins, to the list of services makes the practice a comprehensive vein treatment clinic.

12 Inside ANMED HEALTH

“It just kind of completes the Vein Clinic. It was the one little piece that we weren’t covering,” Portela said. “It gives us the full scope of treatment for patients.”

Varicose veins are swollen, enlarged and twisted, usually colored blue or dark purple; spider veins are smaller, thinner, and form web-like patterns and are blue, purple or red; reticular veins are the smallest and are blue or green. The clinic started with the latter two and will add varicose veins soon.

For patients who may have spider veins or reticular veins, sclerotherapy collapses the veins and decreases their size by 60 to 80%, Portela said. Handled

as an outpatient procedure, nurses sterilize the area and then make a small injection into the vein. It is relatively painless and quick, she said.

“There’s really no premedication or anything. They just come and we have a little procedure room where they will put their feet up,” Portela said.

“It’s really a very, very, very tiny needle.

Patients usually don’t feel anything at all, and if they do feel anything, it’s just kind of a small pinch.”

The clinic is accepting patients through self and physician referrals.

Sclerotherapy can give patients relief from various leg conditions.

“Anyone who has discoloration of the legs or is seeing all the discoloration of those smaller veins in the feet and calves or who may have ankle swelling or whose legs are uncomfortable and they just can’t seem to figure out why, we can help them,” she said. “It may also be done simply for cosmetic reasons, and that makes people feel better too.”

Spider veins may also be a signal of a much bigger problem. Spider and varicose veins are frequently a symptom of underlying conditions called venous insufficiency and venous reflux, which can cause pain and swelling of the lower legs as well as itchy skin and ulcers.

“When you have those spider veins on the surface, there’s a good chance that you have some reflux in the veins that are under the skin,” she said.

Dr. George and Portela will consult and work with patients to identify any underlying medical problems. In addition, some people are more likely to have the condition than others due to age and heredity. Generally, spider and varicose veins will continue to worsen over time, becoming larger in size and number. Nevertheless, Portela said the clinic’s staff makes the procedure easy for patients.

“I think we have a really great office staff,” Portela said. “They all have such a positive attitude and everyone is willing do to everything they can to make the patient comfortable.”

For more information or to schedule a consultation, please call the Vein Clinic at 864.225.8671.

AnMed Health reached many milestones last year, highlighting the system’s dedication to excellence in health care. A small sample of those accomplishments are featured here.

Increased the number of conditions that can be treated through E-Visits to

12.

Launched educational programs to help patient care techs earn state certification from Tri-County Technical College and nurses to earn bachelor’s degrees from Anderson University.

Broke ground on a

$1.1 million addition at Honea Path Family Medicine.

The Auxiliary funded the purchase of Bob, a state-of-the-art training tool, for the Medical Education Program.

Opened the first , Became the first Pulmonary Hypertension Care Center in S.C. and one of only six in the U.S.

which provides breast-feeding support in S.C.

Became the only hospital in South Carolina to use the CardioInsight mapping vest to treat irregular heartbeats.

AnMed Health Cannon honored as the Rural Health Provider of the Year by the South Carolina Office of Rural Health (SCORH).

Safely disposed of

270 pounds of unused and expired medications in the spring.

AnMed Health and Piedmont Health Partners teamed with Bright Health to offer new health plans for eligible Medicare Advantage patients as well as individual and family plans.

Received a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence certification.

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.

Camellia Ball: Supporting AnMed Health programs like Pediatric Therapy Works AnMed Health teammates participated in a home cleanup day in Belton organized by Piedmont Health Partners.

AnMed Health teammates and their family members gathered three times to pack snack packs for the United Way Weekend BackPack Snack-Pack program aimed at making sure children do not go hungry on the weekend.

THE ANMED HEALTH FOUNDATION is

AnMed Health Lab Billing and Client Services (top) collected donations for Hospice of the Upstate and the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Lab collected donations for Anderson County PAWS, the local animal shelter.

excited to announce Phil Ashley and the Bonitz, Inc., team as the chairs for the 26th Annual Camellia Ball, the premier charitable event of the Electric City, presented by Glenn Constructors.

Ashley serves on the AnMed Health Foundation board of trustees and is a member of the Gilmer Society, which recognizes the Foundation’s leadership donors who contribute $1,000 or more annually. He’s been involved with the Camellia Ball since 2003 after being asked to serve on the sponsorship committee.

Jane and Phil Ashley

“We have a phenomenal group of volunteers who come together year after year to make this event such an incredible success, and we are honored to have Phil Ashley and his team driving the vision for the 2020 Camellia Ball,” said Tim Self, executive director of the AnMed Health Foundation.

The Camellia Ball will take place Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020, at the Bleckley Station in historic downtown Anderson.

The theme of this year’s ball is a modern twist on the ‘20s, diving underground with a prohibition-style event, highlighting a decade of great uproar and extraordinary changes. Guests will be entertained by the Shimmer Band and will be treated to a gourmet menu catered by Sullivan’s Metropolitan Grill.

As Anderson’s premier philanthropic event, the black-tie evening sells out every year. Sponsorship tickets and a limited number of general admission tickets are available. Please contact the AnMed Health Foundation at 864.512.3477 or visit CamelliaBall.com for more information.

With outstanding community support

ABOVE: Pediatric and partnerships Therapy Works over the last 25 is one of many years, the Camellia projects supported Ball has raised by the AnMed Health Foundation. more than $2.7 Pediatric Therapy million for the Works provides benefit of AnMed physical, speech Health patients. and occupational therapy services to Most recently, the children needing funds raised have specialized care. helped thousands of children to receive physical, occupational and speech therapy services from Pediatric Therapy Works (PTW).

PTW currently serves more than 550 children in our community, and the cost of this specialized care often exceeds the ability of what most families can pay. The funds raised through the Camellia Ball and other AnMed Health Foundation events help offset the difference in sustaining a vital program for the Anderson community. It is invaluable to the children and families in our community to have access to the therapy they need close to home.

Please visit AnMedHealthFoundation.org and click on “How to Give” for more information about how you can get involved with supporting the AnMed Health Foundation or call 864.512.3477.

AnMed Health Rehab Services collected items for Safe Harbor, which provides emergency safe shelter for victims of domestic violence and their children.

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Members of AnMed Health’s Young Professionals Employee Resource Group served meals to children through the Anderson Interfaith Ministries (AIM) Summer Food for Kids program.

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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