MUSC Catalyst 11-01-2013

November 1, 2013

MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA

Vol. 32, No. 12

Pharmacist offers care, expertise compounding veterinary products

By RoBy Hill South Carolina College of Pharmacy

V

eterinary pharmacy is a career choice for a growing number of pharmacy school graduates and traditional pharmacies are filling more prescriptions for animals, requiring more pharmacists who are comfortable with and competent in veterinary pharmacy.

A bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, HR 1406 Fairness to Pet Owners Act, would require veterinarians to give animal owners a hand-written prescription that can be filled at the veterinarian’s office or at a local pharmacy. If it passes, pharmacists likely will have to fill even more prescriptions for pet patients and need to be adequately prepared to do so.

“You have to be aware of the species you’re treating,” said Jessica Gaskins, the volunteer pharmacist with the South Carolina Aquarium and an adjunct clinical assistant professor at the South Carolina College of Pharmacy. “For instance, if a pharmacist is filling a prescription for an oral beta-lactam antibiotic, they need to know to ask what kind of animal it’s for. If it is for a bunny, an oral dose of this medication will cause dysbiosis that can lead to death.”

“There are a lot of differences in care between animals and humans. Legally, we are not allowed to tell patients which over-the-counter drugs to use in their animals.”

Using most OTC drugs with animals constitutes offlabel use and thus requires a prescription, per the 1994 Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act. “I wish I could send every pharmacy a big poster that says ‘Tylenol kills cats’,” Gaskins said. “As pharmacists, we need to be able to step up our game.”

At the SCCP all future pharmacists are instructed on basic veterinary calculations and offered some experience in compounding veterinary products. In addition to the experiential education the college offers, Gaskins teaches an elective that covers anatomy, physiology and pharmacotherapy of approximately 10 animal species, as well as areas of veterinary pharmacy

See Vet on page 10

Inside PrOjeCT Okurase

6

An epidemiologist mom and son connect through research, experiences

healTh

eduCaTiOn

9

photos provided

Top photo: Jessica Gaskins, a clinical pharmacist teaching veterinary pharmacy at the South Carolina College of Pharmacy, volunteers in treating a turtle and other marine animals at the South Carolina Aquarium. Left photo: Gaskins stands with one of her patients at the aquarium.

Tri-county dance program links Spanish-speaking children to health programs

4 Communication 5 Meet Lynn 8 Transporters T h e C aTa ly s T Online http://www. musc.edu/ catalyst

2 tHe Catalyst, November 1, 2013

PrOCeeds helP BreasT CanCer PaTienTs

ApplAuse progrAm The following employees received recognition through the Applause Program for going the extra mile: Medical Center

photo provided

Hollings Cancer Center mammography’s Lindsey Hosey, left, and Holli Jean Hoagland sell baked goods and breast cancer awareness items to raise funds for the Breast Health Patient Navigator program.

HCC’s Mammography team also held MUSC Pink Angels bake sales and fundraisers on Wednesdays throughout October. Pink ribbon items are on sale including jewelry. Proceeds from the fundraisers will go to the Navigator Program.

Children’s Hospital Service of Remembrance 1 p.m., Nov. 1 St. Luke’s Chapel Join the MUSC Children’s Hospital family as they join with families and staff to remember children who have touched the lives of many. The Nov. 1 service will include music, words of comfort, a pictorial music presentation and a family candle lighting for each child. A reception will immediately follow.

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

843-792-4107 Fax: 843-792-6723 Editor: Kim Draughn catalyst@musc.edu Catalyst staff: Cindy Abole, aboleca@musc.edu Mikie Hayes, HayesMi@musc.edu

The Catalyst is published once a week.

Paid adver tisements, which do not represent an endorsement by MUSC or the State of South Carolina, are handled by Island Publications Inc., Moultrie News, 134 Columbus St., Charleston, S.C., 843-849-1778 or 843-958-7490. E-mail: sales@moultrienews.com.

Cassie Lin, Meduflex Team; Jackie Crosby, Meduflex Team; Jen Marshall, Neurosurgery; Nicole Gasper, Cannon WH Ultrasound Genetics; Sharon Bond, College of Nursing Administration; Andrew Stec, Urology; Queen Haynes, Family Medicine; Michelle Turner, Women’s Health Registration; Anthony Dunbar, Department of Public Safety; David Adams, GI and Laparoscopic Surgery; Darian Epps, DDC 6W; Josiah Smalls, Patient Transport Services; Evelyn Polite, OR; Shatora Williams, ART Endoscopy; Christi Ferguson, ART Endoscopy; Melissa Youngblood, ART Endoscopy; Talarico Davis, Guest Services; Karen Legare, ART Holding; Dale Sanders, 4E; Fred Holston, 4E; Krutesha Prime, 4E; Patricia Singleton, 4E; Danielle Williams, ART Patient Admissions; Gabriel Martz, Neurology; Ana Rosa Virella-Pena, Cannon WH Ultrasound Genetics; Casey Howett, Cannon WH Ultrasound Genetics; Cathy Quashie, Womens

Health Registration; Lucretia Wilson, Endoscopy/GI Clinic; Estelle Ashby, ART Patient Admissions; Stephanie Severance, Bone Marrow Transplant; Lisa Dooley, Radiology Mammography; Jennifer Page, Otolaryngology; Melissa Fluharty, Neonatal ICU 8 CHE; Michelle Aydlette, ART EKG; Jessica Wiegel, DDC 6W; Sarah Fath, DDC 6E; Cynthia Brown, DDC 6E; David Marcum,DDC 6W; Victoria Cairco, Meduflex Team; Bridgette Burch, Labor and Delivery; Ashley Kelly, Postpartum; Martha Krauss, Lactation Center; Rebecca Robinson, Postpartum; Vonda Aiken, 3W; Karen Wildes, 7A Infant Care; Patrice Williams, Meduflex Team; Rainey Causey, Medical Records Coding and Incomplete; Clarice Dorsey, Radiology Nursing Services; Elizabeth Finch, 7A Infant Care Unit University VeLonda Dantzler, Human Resources Management; Donna Rychwa, University Payroll Services; Marilyn Stark, Dental Faculty Practice; Lisa Summerlin, College of Dental Medicine; Kathleen Williams, University Payroll Services

8D nurse honored with award The DAISY (disease attacking the immune system) award winner for October is Laura Shieder, R.N., 8D, Pediatric Cardiology. Shieder was nominated by Bryna Rickett.

Below is her nomination: “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Laura for seven years on 8D. During this time, I have always admired her nursing skills and her dedication to pediatric cardiology. She has always served as a role model and taken the time to teach her skills to others. Physicians trust her and nurses admire her. She puts her patients first and is relentless in advocating for them.

These traits and qualities were even more evident with one of our most recent patients. This particular patient came to 8D without any previous visits or established heart defects.

He developed cardiomyopathy and became very sick very fast.

Throughout his 53 days that he stayed at MUSC, Laura was dedicated to being with him every Shieder step of the way.

Exemplary nurses stay by their patient’s side through the good and the bad, and Laura is no exception to this. She was able to get him the treatment he needed by staying vigilant in communicating with the medical team, while soothing him and making him feel safe and cared for. She is a vital team member on 8D and a nurse that inspires me daily.”

tHe Catalyst, November 1, 2013 3

MUSC celebrates National Eating Healthy Day On Wednesday, November 6, MUSC will celebrate National Eating Healthy Day with the American Heart Association.

On this day, Americans are encouraged to make small, healthy changes and raise the awareness of the importance of good nutrition. Give your family, friends and co-workers a friendly push toward a healthier life. Join in the celebration by Susan Johnson submitting a photo of your healthy meal on Nov. 6 MUSC’s My Plate Challenge. Check broadcast messages now through Nov. 6 for healthy eating tips. Participants will be entered into a random drawing to receive one of the following great prizes: $10 gift card for lunch at Verde, a $25 gift certificate for Fields/Pinckney Farm or a $25 gift card from Sodexo for use in MUSC’s cafeterias.

Health at work

MUSC My Plate Challenge q Two ways to enter: On Nov. 6, post a photo of your healthy lunch (or dinner) on Twitter or Pinterest using hashtag #MUSCeathealthy. Or email a photo of your healthy lunch (or dinner) on Nov. 6 to mrkt-social@musc.edu. Include name and phone number for contact information. q Photos should be submitted only from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., Nov. 6. q One entry per person.

q Meals should be healthy. Please use the USDA’s MyPlate Guidelines as well as a list of 10 healthy tips for building your healthy lunch/dinner. q MUSC employees, students and nonemployees are welcome to participate. q MUSC team members will be available in the main hospital and ART cafeterias from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Nov. 6, to take photos and submit entries to the challenge. q MUSC will post all submitted photos on its Pinterest Board “MUSC Eat Healthy Lunches. q Five random entries will be chosen to receive a gift certificate from either Verde, Fields/Pinckney Farm or Sodexo. q Winners will be notified via Twitter@ MUSCHealth, Pinterest (via Facebook or Twitter) or by phone or email. q All winners’ names and lunch photo entries will be posted on MUSC’s Community Blog Employee XPress Memberships to Wellness Center q Employees can join a one-year membership for $25 per month with a $15 enrollment fee. In celebration of the Gold Medal Award, the enrollment fee has been waived until Nov. 10.

Membership will not extend to spouses or dependents and will be offered during limited hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday and 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Monday through Thursday; and 6 to 8 p.m., Fridays. The fee can be paid via credit card, check or payroll deduction.

Employees may sign up at the Wellness Center membership desk.

Flu shots at Wellness Wednesdays

q Oct. 16: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., first floor, Ashley River Tower, Oct. 30, Nov. 6, Nov. 13, Nov. 20 and Dec. 4: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Children’s Hospital lobby.

Employee Wellness Events q MUSC Employee Fitness Series: Spin Class, from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 20 at the MUSC Wellness Center. This free class will feature a warm-up to sprints and climbs and will be led by fitness expert Katie Blaylock from the MUSC Human Performance Lab. Free daypass to MUSC Wellness Center for all participants. Free day pass to the Wellness Center for all participants.

Email musc-empwell@musc.edu to register. q Chair massages: Free massages are offered to employes on Tuesday nights and midday Wednesdays. Details can be found in broadcast messages. q Worksite screening: The next worksite screening will be held on Nov. 15, at the Wellness Center Auditorium This screening, valued at approximately $350, is available to employees with the State Health Plan for $15 (covered spouses can also participate for $15).

Employees and spouses without this insurance can participate for $42. The screening includes: height, weight, blood pressure and a blood chemistry profile, hemogram, and a blood lipid profile.

Optional thyroid panel is available for $10. Add this test by alerting the staff at the screening.

To register, go to musc.edu/employee wellness and click Worksite Screening Appointment.

q Farmers markets: Fresh fruits and vegetables are available from local farmers from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesdays in the Harborview Office Tower lobby; from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday at Ashley River Tower; and from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday at the Horseshoe. Look for new vendors at the Horseshoe.

MUSC Urban Farm q Lunch & Learn: The next Lunch and Learn will be held from noon to 1 p.m., Thursdays under the oak tree. The topic is cultivating collards, a Carolina treat. q Work & Learn: 4 to 5 p.m.,Thursdays q Work and Learn with child-friendly activities – First and third Saturdays from 9 to 11 a.m., Nov. 2. Bring a plastic bag and take home some fresh produce in return for work efforts or help gather for donations on certain days. No experience or prior knowledge necessary. Open to all MUSC employees and students and the general community. Families welcome on Saturdays. q Early Bird Maintenance, 7:30 to 8:30 am., Oct. 16.

Contact Johnson at johnsusa@musc. edu for more information on the Office of Health Promotion at MUSC and Suzan Benenson Whelan at whela@ musc.edu for specific information about Employee Wellness. Events, speakers, classes or any other ideas are also welcome. Like the Employee Wellness Facebook page and keep up with all the wellness events at MUSC. To receive the weekly newsletters, email a request to musc-empwell@musc.edu for Wellness This Week or urbanfarm@musc.edu for Friends of the Farm.

4 tHe Catalyst, November 1, 2013

MUSC medical center communications corner Organizational Goals Update Throughout this past quarter, MUSC Health has been working hard on our organizational pillar goals. As we review our current progress for each of the five pillar areas (service, people, quality, finance and growth), it’s important to recall our strategic intent of becoming a Top 25 academic medical center by 2015.

This year is the first time that our organizational goals are aligned throughout the medical center, college of medicine and MUSC Physicians.

The goals and our current performance on these goals is listed below.

Clinical Enterprise Goals Patient Satisfaction Faculty and Employee Satisfaction Quality and Safety Finance

Achieve a score of 3 on the ideal service measure (This is a composite measure that includes HCAHPS, CG-CAHPS, Avatar, and Children’s Hospital Patient Satisfaction) COM - Improve Mean Commitment Score MUHA - Improve Mean Commitment Score MUSC-P - Improve Mean Commitment Score Achieve a score of a 3 on the ideal care measure (This is a composite measure that includes mortality, readmissions, selected hospital acquired infections, meaningful use, CMS core measures and Culture of Safety) COM - Achieve Clinical Operating Margin goal MUHA - Achieve Operating Margin goal MUSC-P - Achieve Operating Margin goal

Growth

Achieve growth of new outpatients (Each component will establish a growth goal based on the percentage of new patients at its clinics).

As part of MUSC Health, the medical center is held accountable for the goals listed below; here is an update on our progress. There are tactics linked to each goal to help improve our performance in these particular areas.

Medical Center Goals Service Pillar Goals

Selected Tactics

Achieve Ideal Patient Service Weighted Composite Score of 3.0 Goal = 3.0 Current = 1.95

• AIDET • Hourly Rounding • Bedside Shift Reporting • Discharge Phone Calls • Quiet Time

People Pillar Goals

Selected Tactics

Achieve Overall Employee Commitment Score of 3.95 Goal = 3.95 Current = 3.90

• Thank you notes • Reward & Recognition • Leader Rounding • HSL

Achieve Overall Physician Engagement Score of 3.94 Goal = 3.94 Current = 3.89 Quality Pillar Goals

Selected Tactics

Ideal Care - Achieve Weighted Composite Score of Outcome and Process Measures of 3.0 Goal = 3.0 Current = 2.7

• Reduce foley, central line, and vent days (reduce hospital acquired infections) • Exception based reporting and patient safety rounding (improve culture of safety) • Evaluating frequently admitted patients (reduce readmission rates) • Improve VTE prophylaxis (improve core measure compliance)

Achieve Average Inpatient Hand Hygiene Compliance ≥ 90% Goal = ≥90% Current = 90%

MUSC Health 2014 Strategic Goals

Target: 50% of Specialities Ranked in the top 50

Target: Ranking of Top 25

Finance Pillar Goals

Selected Tactics

Achieve FY’14 Direct Cost per Adjusted Discharge of $8,575 Goal = $8575 Current = $9348

• MUSC Performance Excellence

Achieve Margin Percentage of 3% Goal = 3% Current = 4.9% Growth Pillar Goals

Selected Tactics

Achieve .5% Growth in all Inpatient Discharges (excludes observations) Goal = .5% Current = 1.84%

• PATH • AIDET • Hourly Rounding • Improve discharge time • Discharge Phone Calls

Achieve 3% Growth in New Patient Visits (includes hospital based, outreach, CFC and unbundled ancillaries) Goal = 3% Current = 13.9%

tHe Catalyst, November 1, 2013 5

meet lynn

Lynn Williams, R.N. Department Specialty Nursing How you are changing what’s possible at MUSC As a registered nurse, I continue to learn.

I thrive on sharing what I learn with other staff and faculty. Teaching is the most rewarding part of my job!

How long at MUSC More than 18 years Dream job Being a nature lover, I would like to work with animals.

Favorite summer activity Walking the dogs on the beach. I have four rescue animals.

Favorite restaurant Sermet’s on Daniel Island Meal you love to cook I’m not much of a cook, but I make a mean pot of chili!

Favorite sport Tennis Dream vacation Spend more time in Barcelona, Spain, and vacation in Hawaii.

6 tHe Catalyst, November 1, 2013

Epidemiologist takes teenage son on trip to Africa By allyson BiRd Office of Development, Alumni Affairs Sarah Logan decided to take her teenage son to Africa in a moment of exasperation.

Austin, 14 at the time, slammed down his laptop, annoyed by the sluggish Internet connection. Then when Sarah asked him to unload the dishwasher, he told her she was ruining his life.

Sarah, an epidemiologist with a Ph.D. from MUSC in Biomedical Science, recently had returned from Tanzania, where she watched someone steam bamboo to create an emergency shunt to drain water from a child’s brain. She worried about her own four children, accustomed to private school education, medical care whenever they needed it and food whenever they were hungry.

“My worst fear is to raise my children with a sense of entitlement,” she said.

Inspired by her Tanzania trip, Sarah had applied for a travel grant to work with Project Okurase, which aims to improve health and curb poverty in the woodcarving village of Okurase in Ghana.

Some women and children there spend as long as 20 hours a day searching for water in the dry season.

Charleston’s connection with Project Okurase began with a children’s West African dance company called Djole, a program launched in 1998 by the MUSC-based Family Services Research Center to keep kids out of trouble in a high-crime North Charleston neighborhood. The dance group connected with a drum maker named Powerful in Ghana and, after two years of fundraising, 21 kids traveled to the village of Okurase in 2006 to learn about their heritage and to provide HIV/AIDS education through dance and drama.

The dance group went to eat lunch in a field one afternoon with the Okurase performing artists and spotted village children watching them, hungrily, from the perimeter. The South Carolina kids refused to eat until a volunteer divided up the food among everyone. Villagers asked Djole to return to Africa and help tackle problems. Through Project

photos by Lambert Kumi

From left: Sarah Logan, photographer Lambert Kumi, Austin Logan, drum instructor Joe (last name unavailable) and Doug Logan take a break together in Ghana.

Okurase, members of Djole, other Charleston residents and people around the world travel to Ghana each year to provide services to the villagers.

Sarah Logan learned about Project Okurase after researching grants for overseas opportunities. If financially feasible, she decided, she would pay to bring her son along, hoping he would benefit from the experience. Instead, Austin found something to contribute.

Austin became obsessed with the possibility of the trip but, to get there, he had to overcome one major hurdle.

Austin has autism, and Project Okurase co-director Cynthia Cupit Swenson, Ph.D., wanted to conduct a home visit to decide if he could handle the overseas trip.

Sarah and Austin practiced answering possible questions before Swenson’s visit, and he nailed the interview. He spent several months working with a former teacher to develop a science curriculum for children in the village. He taught them about static electricity with balloons and capillary action with dye.

He showed them how to make Oobleck, a slime made famous in Dr. Seuss’ fiction.

“I was worried about how people would take him and if they would think he’s rude,” Sarah said. “They caught on, and everyone in Okurase went out of their way to make him feel comfortable.”

They even got Austin dancing with the drum circle one night.

When they came home, Sarah realized the challenges of bringing home scientific data collected by Project Okurase volunteers. Some of the data collectors avoided sensitive questions; others wrote illegibly.

Austin, who began playing with website coding in fifth grade, is now a junior in the advanced computer science track at Porter Gaud School.

After hearing his mother’s frustration, he went up to his room for about an hour and wrote a data entry system that would work with an ad hoc wireless network that he could create. Not only did Austin develop a solution to Sarah’s problem but an idea that could transform medical care in the village.

Sarah, her husband Doug and Austin returned to Okurase this summer, and Austin rolled out his data entry program.

“People liked what he was doing,” Sarah said. “When we arrived in the village, he stepped out of the van, and they called him ‘my man.’”

The system sputtered at first but, after three days, it became fully functional.

Austin wants to return to Okurase every year to perfect his system. Dr. Swenson said volunteers such as Austin leave the greatest impact on the village.“You’ve got Austin, who has struggled his whole life,” Swenson said. “And he still gave back.”

tHe Catalyst, November 1, 2013 7

denTal exCellenCe

photo provided

James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine Dean Dr. John Sanders congratulates Veronica Cohen and Donald Howard as third quarter 2013 recipients of the college’s staff recognition program. The college staff honored them both during a Oct. 22 luncheon and listened to a speech delivered by Sanders.

8 tHe Catalyst, November 1, 2013

photos by Tyler Nance

Members of MUSC’s inpatient transport team gather to celebrate National Patient Transport Week, Nov. 3 to 9.

Patient transporters recognized

Staff Report

MUSC medical center and the National Association of Healthcare Transport Management recognizes National Patient Transport Week, Nov. 3 to 9.

As the hardworking “feet” of Rutledge Tower, Children’s Hospital, University Hospital, Clinical Sciences Building, Hollings Cancer Center and the Ashley River Tower, the internal hospital patient transporters move approximately 120,000 patients a year and support patient transport services seven days a week.

Tyler Nance, Business Operations & Support Services manager, works closely with the 37-member team. “Each one is a pivotal member of the patient care team and support patient flow at MUSC. I truly hope everyone will join me in recognizing and celebrating their tireless

efforts to provide great patient care, day in and day out.”

Members of the Patient Transport Services Department team include Nairobi Alston, Joan Ancrum, Michael Andaya, Lavonnia Bennett, Stevie Betros, Bernard Brown, Sheila Bryant, Jimmy Bowman, Michael Buckingham, Glennie Davis, Georgina Dukes, Bryce Ferry, Teana Franklin, Tony Gentry, Darren Gordon, Barry Green, Paulette Green, Brennan Grooms, Zach Halewood, Reggie Harney, Carolyn Jamison, Millie Jenkins, Felecia Jones, Will Kirkland, Leandra Neal, Deborah Mitchell, Marquita Mungin, Lance Orechevosky, Clara Phillips, Lee Russ, Phillip Sewell, Josiah Smalls, Fletcher Springer, Sam Williams, Daniel Williams and Steven White.

For information call 876-0411.

Pink Glove 2013

Voting begins at noon, Oct. 25 through Nov. 8 MUSC entered the Medline Pink Glove Dance Competition for a chance to win a $25,000 donation to a local breast cancer charity and international social media attention — and needs your vote.

This year, MUSC chose a storyline that follows a “pink glove guardian angel” set to the allowed 90 seconds of Fun’s “Carry On.” With group dance scenes and the portrayal of a

cancer patient by MUSC’s Children’s Hospital’s Melissa Martin, R.N., and her family, MUSC uses pink-colored exam gloves to raise awareness about the importance of early detection through mammograms.

To vote for MUSC’s video, visit http://www.pinkglovedance.com/ videos/2013-video-contest/medicaluniversity-of-south-carolina/. Winners will be announced Nov. 15.

tHe Catalyst, November 1, 2013 9

Program for Hispanics links children to health care Staff Report

T

he MUSC Alliance for Hispanic Health celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 through Oct. 15) with a four-week speaker series on topics related to health care needs of the Hispanic community.

One presentation featured this year was “Alegría: A Dance-Based Health Education Program” for Spanishspeaking children with special needs and their families which served more than 100 participants this summer.

MUSC employee and Alegría volunteer Martha Gomez said, “The opportunity to work with these children and these families during the past four weeks has filled my heart with joy and hope for them and their siblings. It is an honor to be part of this experience.”

According to the Pew Research Center, the 2000 U.S. Census and the 2011 American Community Survey, South Carolina had the second fastest growing Hispanic population among the 50 states from 2000 –2011.

In this group, 44 percent were born in foreign countries, according to the Pew report. Within this population is a subgroup of families of children born (many as U.S. citizens) with disabilities and special needs including autism, cerebral palsy, genetic disorders, vision and hearing impairments and a variety of other physical, cognitive, and developmental challenges. Access to traditional resources has been limited due to language, social and economic barriers, transportation difficulties and limited understanding of the health care system. Few resources exist in the Lowcountry to accommodate the unique needs of these families.

Alegría was created to promote “joyfulness” for Spanish-speaking children with special needs and their families through a dance-based health education program. This program took place for four weeks in the summer of 2013 through an interprofessional collaboration of representatives from multiple nonprofit organizations and local businesses.

Participants enjoyed nightly food, demonstrations, participation in group-led dance and movement activities, piñatas, and other special events. Select nonprofit organizations were featured each night, including the Seacoast Church Dream Center, ABRAZOS program, PASOS program, and Family Connections Spanish Outreach program. Educational materials were distributed in Spanish each night including American Heart Association brochures on physical activity and cooking healthy food, resources on recommendations for video games and television and a list of additional local resources. Participating parents frequently reported that the most beneficial aspect of the program was increased knowledge of strategies to interact with and help their children with special needs.

photo provided Occupational therapy student Pamela Vesely, right, helps out with the Alegria summer program. It was free to Tri-county Spanish-speaking children with special needs and their families. The dancebased, community health education program is partly sponsored by MUSC’s Alliance for Hispanic Health.

MUSC Occupational Therapy student Pamela Vesely volunteered for the program each night and described it: “Alegría is a great opportunity to get involved with the community and has taught me how little it can take to bring a smile to someone’s face. Everyone deserves the opportunity to celebrate the joys of life, and Alegría makes that happen!”

Coordinators of Alegría included MUSC alumna and adjunct instructor Cristina Reyes Smith, OTD, in the College of Health Professions’ Division of Occupational Therapy, Spanish interpreter Michelle Robinson from Hanahan Elementary School, speech therapist Monica Mason, community health worker and bilingual Patient Services representative Martha Gomez at MUSC Children’s Care in North Charleston, and MUSC Alliance for Hispanic Health advisor Laurie Charles, Ph.D. Initial funding was provided through the MUSC Alliance for Hispanic Health to make the Alegría program possible. In addition, more than $1,500 in in-kind donations were provided to support the program including meals from local Latino restaurants, dance and gymnastics demonstrations, face painting and animal balloons, therapy dogs, piñatas, and other special events.

The future of Alegria holds many possibilities

“The opportunity to work with these children and these families during the past four weeks has filled my heart with joy and hope for them and their siblings.”

Martha Gomez including potential for becoming a non-profit organization; additional community events and programs such as dances, Respite Nights, or interpreterfacilitated access to traditional events for children with special needs; potential for future MUSC student learning opportunities; and pursuit of community grants to expand the program.

Individuals interested in becoming involved can visit www.vidabellaservices.com/Alegria.html or contact Reyes Smith at smithcris@musc.edu or 792-5312.

10 tHe Catalyst, November 1, 2013

Teddy Bears shared in memOry Of yOung Teen Medical University Women’s Club members’ Catherine Cummins, from left, Debbie Lambert, Megan Zwerner, Charlotte Gillespie, Maria Cordova-Salinas, Jane Locke and Laura Patrick gathered on Oct. 10 to distribute more than 150 stuffed teddy bears and other animals to MUSC adult inpatients. The Todd Carter Memorial Teddy Bear Day is conducted annually by the club in memory of Todd Carter, son of Dr. James and Debbie Carter. Todd died in a car accident in 2001.

Vet

Continued from Page One

including drug information, laws and ethics of veterinary pharmacy, various disease states and proper treatment, toxicology and parasitology and case-based medication dosing regimens.

Veterinary pharmacy was not an unusual choice for Gaskins. She grew up around horses in Charleston and volunteered with an equine veterinarian when she was in high school. She found she liked veterinary medicine and pharmacology and decided to see if she could find a career that combined the two.

After receiving her PharmD in 2011 from the MUSC campus of SCCP, she completed a veterinary medicine residency at North Carolina State University, one of just two specialty residencies in the country offering a veterinary pharmacy program. An elective course on fish veterinary medicine led to an introduction to Shane Boylan, the veterinarian with the Charleston Aquarium, and eventually her position there.

As a veterinary pharmacist, she has to be able to recalibrate dosages of a human drug for administration to an animal or compound drugs to make them palatable to particular species. At the aquarium, Gaskins participates in different procedures and surgeries, and takes care of drug dosing and interactions and provides all related information.

Recently she worked on developing a novel agent,

photos provided

Clinical pharmacist and S.C. Aquarium volunteer Jessica Gaskins developed a novel agent for treating bacterial infections in horseshoe crabs. extracted from bee propolis, to help treat chitinolytic disease in horseshoe crabs. Medications for the bacterial infection have proved troublesome for crabs and other aquatic invertebrates because the medications are not waterproof; the new anti-microbial bandage she has developed is.

“All animals have different physiologies, anatomies and drug metabolisms,” she said. “You’ve got to really search the pharmacy literature and there are a lot of

gray areas, especially with exotics. It’s pretty much limited to case studies. But if somebody has a sick or injured $150,000 show koi, they are not going to flush it down the toilet! They want to get it treated.”

Gaskins played a key role in preserving the life of Chuck Norris, as she has christened a particularly rugged yellow-bellied slider. The female turtle had been run over by a car on Johns Island and a friend brought it to Gaskins’ house.

Gaskins provided initial treatment, consulting with Boylan on a late-night call, and brought the animal into the Aquarium.

Despite a grim prognosis, they operated and inserted 23 pins to rebuild the turtle’s shell. Chuck Norris is recovering well.

As a veterinary pharmacist, Gaskins is faced with a constantly changing clinical pharmacy challenge, requiring innovative thinking and an unusual interaction between patient and pharmacist.

“I love it when my patients try to bite me,” she says.

While biting, noted in reptiles and other exotic non-domesticated species, is a unique sign of recovery, it is unlikely many pharmacists share that sentiment.

However, veterinary pharmacy is a needed service the pharmacy profession has to provide and can open a world of opportunities for many pharmacists entering the field.

tHe Catalyst, November 1, 2013 11 Tennis Tourney supports HCC patients

Items for Sale

Rental Properties

15’ trampoline $250, Visio 37” tv $300, 24”monitor $250,iPad2 64GB $500,Dell Laptop $500 OBO Cindy 9064750/shieldsc777@yahoo.com

37ft Liveaboard Sailboat, Fully Furnished Ashley Marina 33 Lockwood Ave.$750 per month Utilities included 843-860-6961 6mo lease 12/13 to 6/14

The Pine Forest Ladies Tennis Association in Summerville is sponsoring its Racquets for Recovery Tennis Tournament Nov. 1-3 at the Pine Forest Country Club.

Participants can join in the men’s, women’s and mixed doubles tourney action. Entry fee is $40 per player for the first event and $20 for the second event.

On Saturday, Nov. 2, the group will sponsor its A Diamond & Denim Affair featuring a silent auction. Proceeds will support recovering breast cancer patients and MUSC Hollings Cancer Center.

12 tHe Catalyst, November 1, 2013