MUSC Catalyst 10-17-2014

INSIDE: President’s Inauguration

Oct. 17, 2014

Inside

MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA

Vol. 33, No. 9

Congratulations President Cole

Inaugural address

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President Cole delivers a message of optimism and unity.

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TO The

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photos by Anne Thompson, Digital Imaging

Top, Newly-installed President David J. Cole, right, receives a hearty congratulations from MUSC board of trustees chairman Dr. Donald Johnson during Cole’s inauguration ceremony on Oct. 9.

In his inaugural speech, President Cole shares his vision for the future of MUSC and commitment to providing strong leadership. To view a video or see photos of the Presidential Inauguration, visit www.musc.edu/ inauguration.

MUSC celebrates the installation of its seventh president.

2 Inaugural Speech 5 Meet Dawn 8 Student Luncheon T h e C aTa ly s T OnlIne http://www. musc.edu/ catalyst

photo by Sarah Pack, Public Relations

Dr. Johnson expresses the board’s confidence in Dr. Cole’s leadership.

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Prominent surgeon installed as MUSC’s seventh president

Cole sets course for new era of leadership

(Editor’s note: The following is the inaugural speech delivered by MUSC President David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, Oct. 9 in the Drug Discovery Auditorium.)

Thank you all for being here today. I am deeply honored to be able to begin my service as the seventh president of the Medical University of South Carolina and I am grateful to have you present for this unique occasion.

I would like to take a moment to thank the board of trustees for their vision, service, and leadership, and for the confidence they have placed in me by selecting me to serve as the next president of MUSC. This position is one I accept with the deepest sense of gratitude, optimism, and respect.

I also want to recognize and thank my two immediate predecessors, Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs for the University of Texas System, Dr. Raymond Greenberg, and Governor James B. Edwards.

Under their leadership, the Medical University has risen from a regionally respected health care center into a rising star on the national platform of academic medicine. I believe that we owe both of them a huge debt of gratitude for their work and vision.

Why are we here today?

For some, perhaps, today may merely be an opportunity to have a break from the daily routine, socialize, and eat great food.

When I was a senior in high school, my friends and I had convinced our fourth period English teacher that we were members of a special assembly crew required to help set up our gymnasium for school gatherings. And, so every time there was to be a pep rally or school band event, she would excuse us from class that day to “go help the principal.”

It was amazing how many special events our school had, which translated into a significant number of free

Editorial of fice MUSC Office of Public Relations 135 Cannon Street, Suite 403C, Charleston, SC 29425.

843-792-4107 Fax: 843-792-6723 Editor: Cindy Abole catalyst@musc.edu Catalyst staff: Mikie Hayes, hayesmi@musc.edu Helen Adams, adamshel@musc.edu

photo by Anne Thompson, Digital Imaging

President David J. Cole delivers his inaugural speech to the audience. periods from English literature.

I have grown a lot since those days; so let’s hope that there is some higher purpose to our gathering today beyond getting out of the MUSC version of high school English.

Actually, from where I stand right now, I should probably issue a blanket apology to my English teacher and claim that we used our time for study hall. Wisely, I was not an English major in college.

So, why are we here today?

It is a question that can be simple to state, but difficult to fully answer without some thought and introspection.

Perhaps I can start at a personal level. Why am I, an academic surgeon who grew up in New Mexico, standing here as the new president of MUSC?

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The mere fact that I am a surgeon is still a surprise to a lot of people back home in New Mexico; perhaps none more than my own family.

My father was an engineer, as are both of my brothers. I think it was generally assumed that I’d do something along those lines. But somehow, that didn’t happen.

I graduated from New Mexico State with a degree in biology and ended up in New York City as a freshman medical student at Cornell Medical School in 1982.

Given my background and pedigree this would seem an unlikely place for me. I believe that I was their token Westerner.

When I first started down this path, I believe I was

See Cole on page 4

MUSC Veterans Day 2014 Celebration 2 to 3 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 10 Drug Discovery Auditorium MUSC President Dr. David J. Cole and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Dr. Mark Sothmann, along with the Veterans Day Committee, invite MUSC employees, students, faculty and staff to the Veterans Day Celebration.

Guest Speaker Col. Dick Sula, USAF (Ret.) Former Commanding Officer, Charleston AFB All veterans will be honored and receive lapel pins. A reception will follow.

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Cole

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motivated by a general thought that I could possibly do some good in a field that I found interesting.

What I discovered as I continued in this career was a simple truth- medicine is about people, not achievements, surgical procedures, grants, or clinics.

As health care providers, we are given the unique opportunity and privilege to have a direct and lasting impact on an individual’s life.

I have been a successful surgical oncologist for 20 years and consider myself to be an excellent technical surgeon. But I will tell you that it took me 10 years to come to understand that what makes the difference — or not — is your ability to connect with your patient as a person, in other words… your humanity: for them to understand that you actually care and that you will do everything in your power to help.

Furthermore, in academic medicine we often stand at the crossroads of innovation and application with an opportunity to tangibly change the future practice of medicine.

So, as I evolved, I became more focused. I dedicated my career to taking care of people. And, through my research, I have tried to change what is possible for their futures.

As a surgeon, I am used to immediate results, but from that perspective, I started to understand that perhaps my greatest impact is not always defined by surgical outcomes.

About seven years ago, by random chance, I had to attend a noon meeting on the 10th floor of the hospital.

Typically, I would never attempt to fight the noon crowds at the hospital, but nonetheless I found myself in a packed elevator stopping on every single floor on its way from the first to the tenth.

As the elevator rose, the crowd thinned until, at the top floor, there was just a young couple and me. As the elevator doors opened, the young man spoke: “Dr. Cole, do you remember me?”

Before I could respond, he continued, “You operated on me seven years ago when I was just 17, to remove a cancer from my abdomen. The team gave me months of chemotherapy after the surgery. But I recovered, moved forward,

and graduated from college last year.

He then introduced me to the young woman. “This is my fiancé, I wanted her to see in person the place and teams that changed my life and gave us our future.”

What an honor to be on that elevator.

I still wonder at the circumstances that placed me there on that day.

Contemplating that moment led me to another realization: Like ripples in a pond, the work of one individual can — and in medicine, often does — spread out and touch many lives.

Further, the ripple of a team is far more lasting and potentially significant than that of one individual.

James Foley captures this imagery in his poem, Drop a Pebble in the Water: Drop a pebble in the water: just a splash, and it is gone; But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on, Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out to the sea.

And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.

Drop a pebble in the water: in a minute you forget, But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's ripples circling yet, And those little waves a-flowing to a great big wave have grown; You've disturbed a mighty river just by dropping in a stone.

So, when given the opportunity to be considered for the position of president, why did I step forward? Because when it is all said and done, I want to make a difference, to have a real impact.

Whether as a surgeon, or president, health care is about people: That is ultimately the most meaningful dimension. As the leader of a university that is blessed with talented and hardworking individuals at all levels, I saw an opportunity to lead a team that together could make increasingly larger ripples in the pond.

Remarkably, my professional journey has evolved to the point that I am standing here in front of you — your new president. Although one might argue that my presence on that elevator on that day years ago was random happenstance, I assure you that today I am standing before you with purpose.

I am committed to providing the leadership needed for us to be successful

photo by Anne Thompson, Digital Imaging

President Cole addresses the audience during the Oct. 9 event. in the future.

Together we can make a difference. I believe that.

So, why are we here today?

Historically speaking, we’re here today because in 1824, seven physicians shared the bold belief that our state should be second to none with its own well-trained doctors so that our citizens would have access to the best health care possible.

And, as history would bear out, that vision turned out to be a powerful, guiding force.

I imagine those seven men would be astonished by what MUSC has become in the years since then: A comprehensive academic medical center that is recognized as one of the best in the country, consisting of not one, but six comprehensive colleges.

A dedicated staff and faculty of nearly 12,000, serving more than 2,700 students and 1.2 million patients each year.

Our investigators are on the cutting edge of innovations in patient care, generating more than $230 million dollars in extramural research funding each year.

We have a cadre of gifted and caring people from all over the world, eager to share their talents, interests, perspectives, and backgrounds with each

other — in an effort to make a difference: to change what’s possible.

I think those seven would marvel at the richness of our evolving cultural fabric: A close–knit and supportive family that values diversity, inclusion, and equity. As a forward thinking institution, we are committed to the continued development of a culture that is by definition diverse and inclusive.

And so we draw our strength from the rich tapestry of cultures, ideas, and talent provided by a community we call MUSC. If they were in the audience today, I am certain that they would proudly realize that all these things came through our pursuit of their singular vision: to work together to create the best health care possible, to make a difference in the lives of the people of this state and nation.

Although we need to celebrate our history and shared sense of purpose, MUSC is a dynamic part of the present and future, and so we also need to prepare for the challenges and opportunity that lie ahead.

I believe, therefore, that this inauguration highlights an inflection point for us. We are gathered here today as an institution, community, and state, not to merely celebrate our prior success, but to embrace a common vision as we move into our future.

So how do we visualize a future when we all recognize that storm clouds are on the horizon?

Nationally, this is a time of dramatic change in health care with significant financial pressure on clinical providers, dwindling resources for researchers, and pressure to change models of health care without much of a roadmap. This reality is far-reaching and affecting academic health centers nationwide.

So how do we face the future? We face it together, boldly, with confidence, remaining true to our core values and mission.

To state it: Our common purpose is to generate breakthrough research, educate for the future, and provide the best patient care possible. That is our directive.

But if we’re going to do that… stay on

See Cole on page 10

The CaTalysT, Oct. 17, 2014 5

Meet Dawn

MUSC tackles issue of low health literacy Staff Reports

Dawn Sader Hartsell

Department President’s Office

How you are changing what’s possible at MUSC By supporting and reinforcing the MUSC vision, mission and values and by striving to provide excellent support for patient care, academics and research through my new role as assistant to our president.

Hometown I was born in Santa Rosa, Ca. and raised in California’s Central Valley. I moved to Charleston in 1996.

Family and pets Husband, Tim; son, Sam; daughters, Chelsea and Kaela; and our fur-baby, Lilli Favorite fall memory My family walks to get our Christmas tree just after Thanksgiving every year. Dressed in shorts and flip flops, we pull it home in a wagon while trying to remember the words to all of the best Christmas carols.

Favorite quote “In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.” — Buddha

Health literacy has been defined as the degree to which an individual has the capacity to obtain, communicate, process, and understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health decisions. It is essential in improving diagnosis, treatment, post treatment adherence and outcomes.

Ninety percent of adults have difficulty understanding basic health information that is routinely given by health care providers.

Older adults, who utilize twice as many medical services and acquire more chronic diseases are more at risk. According to the American Medical Association: q 71 percent of adults older than age 60 have difficulty using print materials q 80 percent have difficulty using documents such as forms or charts q 68 percent have difficulty interpreting numbers and performing calculations q 67 percent are unable to understand information about their medicines Other groups who are at the “below basic” health literacy level include minorities, immigrants and low income populations. Even those with a good education, income and command of English may misinterpret basic instructions. For example, is taking medicine twice daily the same as once in the morning and once in the evening? Doubling up in the morning with a heavy narcotic pain killer, for instance, could be dangerous.

Under the leadership of Kathleen White, R.N., chair of the Patient & Family Education Committee, a consortium of MUSC departments, the Health Literacy Action Team, will create policies and tools to assure MUSC providers — including students, faculty and staff — are effectively communicating and that the patients fully understand post–treatment instructions and are able to comply with them. Danielle Scheurer, M.D., medical director of quality, will serve as senior leadership advisor.

During Health Literacy Month in October, look for a series of activities, including weekly tabling events at ART, Main and the Children’s Hospital to educate staff about health literacy, informal surveys to discover staff awareness and their best practices, and the Action Team to provide links to Health Literacy resources. Watch Broadcast messages or visit https://mcintranet.musc. edu/health-literacy.

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Inauguration of MUSC President David J. Cole

By Mikie hayes Public Relations

A

fter having assumed the office of president on July 1, inauguration day for MUSC’s seventh president, David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, had finally arrived, and Oct. 9 was a picture perfect day: Cool breezes, mild temperatures and a clear blue sky provided a welcoming Lowcountry backdrop for the day’s events.

An air of anticipation could be felt around campus as venues quickly filled up with family, friends, guests, and members of the MUSC family. Shortly after 2 p.m., the ceremony began and speakers congratulated Cole and bid him good luck as he formally accepted the “noble task of leading MUSC,” as the Rev. Gary L.R. Bullard, senior pastor of Cole’s church, Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church, phrased it during the invocation he delivered.

When Donald Johnson, M.D., chairman of the board of trustees, asked Cole’s two immediate predecessors, James B. Edwards, D.M.D., and Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., to stand and be recognized, Edwards stood and waved his mortarboard around in the air like a lasso, eliciting a hearty laugh from Cole and the audience and a big bear hug from Greenberg.

Their camaraderie set a celebratory tone for Cole’s message of commitment, hope and triumph.

photos by Anne Thompson, Digital Imaging

First lady Kathy Cole places the MUSC Presidential Medallion around her husband’s neck.

See Inaugural on page 7

Above, The Coles, board members and speakers listen as Dr. Donald Johnson delivers his opening remarks during the installation event. Right photo, President David Cole, center, is joined by former MUSC presidents Dr. James B. Edwards, left, and Dr. Ray Greenberg.

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Tom Smith, Ph.D., president of the MUSC faculty senate, expressed the faculty’s support of Cole and how pleased they are to have a “leader of such incredible stature.” Rowena Sobczyk, M.D., president of the joint alumni board, said, “The alumni take great pride in MUSC’s accomplishments and know they will continue under Dr. Cole’s leadership.”

Regina Brown, vice president of programs for the Student Government Association, spoke on behalf of MUSC’s students and detailed a day she spent in the operating room with Cole. She explained how he engaged everyone in the room in the process of the surgery and ensured each person present was an integral

part of the team. “In his O.R.,” she said, “he was a teacher, mentor, leader, and president.”

Fred Crawford, Jr., M.D., Distinguished University Professor of Surgery, introduced the new president and spoke of their 20–year relationship. Credited with recruiting Cole from the NIH to MUSC, Crawford took an opportunity to brag about his friend and shared with the audience that few realized Cole had received 14 consecutive years of NIH funding. He admitted that he was obviously biased when it came to talking about Cole’s accomplishments.

Cole’s wife, Kathy, placed the official MUSC medallion around his neck, representing the mantle of leadership that would now rest squarely on Cole’s

See Inaugural on page 11 photos by Anne Thompson, Digital Imaging

MUSC’s Dr. Thad Bell congratulates the new president and first lady. Below, President Cole receives congratulations from Children’s Research Institute’s Dr. Inderjit Singh during the tent reception.

photo by Sarah Pack, Public Relations

At the reception following the inauguration, guests Rebecca and Dan Miklancic, good friends of the Coles, share a light moment during the festivities.

Dr. David and Kathy Cole’s families join them for a warm reunion to celebrate the inauguration.

Far right, The MUSC family congregated at satellite locations around campus to view the inauguration.

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Students celebrate inaugural week with President Cole

photos by Anne Thompson, Digital Imaging

MUSC’s Student Government Association hosted President and Mrs. Cole for an old-fashioned Lowcountry barbeque with all the fixings on the greenspace grounds adjacent to the MUSC Urban Farm on Oct. 6.

Nearly 1,000 students turned out to celebrate with the new president who told them, “You are our future.”

President Cole greets first-year medical student Katie Wood at the event.

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course, even emerge better and stronger, then we have to set our compass by a shared navigation point.

So, what is that true north? That common purpose? Our vision? To put our patients first — now and in the future. First in clinical care, first in research, first in education.

This sounds simple, but it is actually quite complex. We have to solve this fractured, inefficient, and siloed structure called academic health care in order to accomplish this reality.

We need to evolve and adopt a new culture — one in which we are collectively focused not on a system, or ourselves, or our respective colleges or departments, but on our fundamental reason for being: our patients.

“We need to evolve and adopt a new culture — one in which we are collectively focused not on a system, or ourselves, or our respective colleges or departments, but on our fundamental reason for being: our patients.”

David J. Cole If we do this correctly, everything else will follow.

Furthermore, I fully believe that if we work together with common purpose, we can and will emerge as a truly preeminent leader amongst academic health centers.

Patients first. What does that look like? It means connecting to your care team when you actually need them. It means not having to worry whether your records will make it from one office to another. It means building an educational curriculum that promotes interprofessional care that focuses on the patient. It means fast–tracking translational research efforts — ensuring novel treatments and cures make it to the bedside faster. It means being able to assure that the patient gets the right care at the right time at the right place, and not wasting millions of dollars on care that is often redundant, unnecessary, or

photo by Sarah Pack, Public Relations

President Cole and wife, Kathy, during a prayer in his inauguration ceremony. ineffective. none of us individually could hope to And in this reality, if you stopped accomplish. anyone who was a part of MUSC and Patient first, now and in the future. asked why they helped someone find Embracing this possibility will enable the information desk, or spent the extra us to transform who we are and become hours to make the grant deadline, they’d one of the preeminent academic health say it’s because at MUSC, everything we centers in this country that will have do puts our patients first. a lasting impact on this state and its Every single one of us on MUSC’s citizens. campus in some way has an impact on After 190 years, MUSC deserves our patients. preeminence. Our colleagues demand it, So, for me the fundamental question is not whether we will have challenges, but rather how will we respond to them.

We can be consistent, inclusive, and strategic in our decisions. We can demand excellence from ourselves and expect to recruit the best people and leaders for this institution. We can choose to evolve as an integrated health care organization that is well positioned for the future. We can choose to develop strong partnerships with our community and across the state that leverage our strengths. We can succeed by taking an honest look at what is working with a willingness to discard what isn’t.

We must become a culture of transformational thinkers, team builders, and fully–committed partners who value what each member brings to the table.

If we respond as who we are: a closeknit family and community that cares for each other, we can turn these challenges to our own advantage and become stronger as a result.

I said earlier that I stand here with purpose, that I am committed as a leader. Now I call on you, MUSC, and leaders at all levels. If we work together, we can create a lasting legacy that

our patients need it, our state expects it, and the nation will be surprised by it.

I could not be more excited about the road that lies in front of us. The triumphs, the challenges, the decisions, the rewards, the possibilities — even the setbacks.

As I bring this address to a close, I would like to pause to give special thanks to my family who is here today for this occasion — my mom and dad, Joan and Ken; my sister, Lynn; my brothers, Bob and Brian. My other mom and dad and sister and brother, Jack — who I am sure is watching and smiling from above — and Virginia and Cindy and George.

You have all shaped and loved me and provided unquestioning support and guidance as a family. To my wife of 26 years Kathy, my soul mate and partner; my sons, Andy and Bryan; and my daughter, Paige. Know that I love you all dearly. You, along with my faith in God, are the source of my strength and inspiration.

So in closing, I ask for your support, confidence, prayers, and encouragement as I humbly lead MUSC forward. Thank you and God bless.

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photo by Tim Roylance, Digital Imaging

President and Mrs. Cole greet and pose for photos with employees during the reception.

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shoulders. The two shared a tender moment, as the first lady wiped away the lipstick left from the brief kiss they exchanged.

The new president was welcomed enthusiastically by the audience. From the podium, he shared his pride, reflections and hopes for the future.

“Patients first” was the clear directive Cole delivered to the audience. “So, what is that true north? That common purpose? Our vision?” he asked. “To put our patients first — now and in the future. First in clinical care, first in research, first in education.”

Cole’s speech was one of vision, as he touched upon the road ahead; inclusion, as he reiterated his commitment to diversity; and promise, as he reminded everyone that MUSC could achieve preeminence by working together as a team and putting patients first.

He shared a favorite poem, Drop a Pebble in the Water, by James Foley, that spoke to the extraordinary difference even the smallest positive act could produce.

“As the leader of a university that is blessed with talented and hardworking individuals at all levels, I saw an opportunity to lead a team that together could make increasingly larger ripples in the pond,” he said.

In addition to funny anecdotes from his childhood, Cole shared an emotional side as he recalled a moving story about serendipitously running into a former patient on an elevator, whose life he had saved years before. The young man was on campus to introduce his fiancé to the team who gave them “their future.”

Cole also recognized his family and shared how special and important they are to him.“You have all shaped and loved me and provided unquestioning support and guidance as a family,” he told them.

“To my wife of 26 years, Kathy, my soul mate and partner; my sons, Andy and Bryan; and my daughter, Paige. Know that I love you all dearly. You, along with my faith in God, are the source of my strength and inspiration.”

Following the inauguration, a reception was held on the grounds of the green space adjacent to the Urban Garden. Well–wishers stood in line to congratulate the Coles and guests seemed to enjoy the plentiful spread, beautiful weather and festive atmosphere.

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