MUSC The Catalyst

December 2, 2011

MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA

Clearing the Air C

ome March 1, the smoking huts on campus will be history.

MUSC becomes a tobacco-free campus on that day, joining other medical institutions nationwide that have made this move.

Candace Gillespie, director of development for the College of Medicine, will quit smoking Dec. 1, cold turkey, before the deadline. She said she’s glad MUSC is becoming a tobacco-free campus, and she’s especially relieved that the entrances to the hospital will be cleared of smoke.

Though she doesn’t smoke on campus, Gillespie said it still will be a hard change for her. She decided it was time to quit when she learned she was to have surgery in January and that smoking increases her risk of complications by 40 percent. The stakes were just too high, she said.

She thinks it’s important employees who want to quit to encourage each other. She’s tried many times during her 36 years of smoking.

“I’m a creature of habit. I do the same thing over and over. It’s the hardest thing anyone has ever tried to quit in their life.

I see an opportunity here to change that.

Wish me luck.”

Though the policy will not require smokers on campus to quit, it does require that the smoking be off campus. MUSC President Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., said the culture and behavior of a university cannot be changed by policy but rather by a collective effort on the part of all people who work and study on campus.

“We hope that the MUSC family will See Clearing on page 10

DiD yOu kNOW? n Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, and lung diseases (including emphysema, bronchitis, and chronic airway obstruction). n For every person who dies from a smokingrelated disease, 20 more people suffer with at least one serious illness from smoking. n Approximately 70% of smokers want to quit completely. n More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by deaths from AIDS, illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides and murders combined. n Visit MUSC’s tobacco-free campus website at http://www.musc.edu/tobaccofree.

Vol. 30, No. 16

Inside Next Week

Interview with newcomer Dr. K. Michael Cummings, international expert on tobacco control policy.

ResOuRCes available

9

To help smokers quit the habit, MUSC offers tips, programs and products.

2 Campus News 5 Meet Cody 11 Classifieds

C ata ly s t ONliNe http:// www.musc. edu/ catalyst

2 The CaTalysT, December 2, 2011

PeoPle

Around Campus

Angel Tree Parade

Kathy Laber

Kathy Laber, DVM, Comparative Medicine/Lab Animal Resources, was elected president of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. She is the organization’s 56th president. Laber’s plans for the upcoming year include expanding international educational outreach and working to increase public recognition of the importance of biomedical research and the individuals who contribute to the effort.

Patrick O’Neil

The MUSC Angel Tree Toy Parade and toy drop-off event will start at 11:45 a.m. Dec. 9 at Ashley River Tower and end at the Horseshoe. Featured will be vehicles filled with toys, bikes donated by employees and the Burke Highsteppers Marching Band.

Ultimate Coconut Cake

Dr. Michelle Hudspeth, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (at podium) reads names of children at the Children’s Hospital Service of Remembrance as registered nurse Joy Ross, PCICU (right) lights a candle and Child Life specialist Lauren Stump assists. Registered nurse Melinda Biller, PICU, also read names during the service.

Eric Rovner

Patrick O’Neil, Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, was awarded honorary membership by the American Dietetic Association for his work in the field of obesity and weight management. O’Neil also is president of The Obesity Society. O’Neil directs MUSC’s Weight Management Center.

Eric Rovner, M.D., professor of urology, was elected treasurer of the National Association for Continence. Rovner also holds leadership roles for the American Urological Association and the Society for Urodynamics and Female Urology and serves on the editorial advisory panel for the association’s monthly e-newsletter.

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

843-792-4107 Fax: 843-792-6723

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.

Editor: Kim Draughn catalyst@musc.edu Catalyst staff: Cindy Abole, aboleca@musc.edu Dawn Brazell, brazell@musc.edu

evenTs

Tickets are available for the chance to win the Ultimate Coconut Cake.

Proceeds from the drawing will benefit recruitment scholarships for the College of Graduate Studies (CGS).

Tickets can be purchased in Suite 101, Bioengineering Building of the Colbert center. The drawing will be held Dec. 16. For information, call 876-2408.

The CaTalysT, December 2, 2011 3

Employee Wellness

Health at work

seafood purchased locally. Attendees will have the opportunity to sample dishes and purchase items. Dietitians and health experts from MUSC and the community will be on hand to answer questions and provide information on keeping it local, fresh and healthy this holiday season.

For information, email muscempwell@musc.edu or call 792-1245.

Employee Wellness events q Wellness Wednesday: Visit Josh Brown and Tonya Turner from the Weight Management Center at the Wellness Wednesday booth from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dec. 7 in Children’s Hospital lobby. q Worksite screening: The next screening will be held Dec. 8 in 2W Classroom in the university hospital.

Register at http://www.musc.edu/ medcenter/ health1st.

Email johnsusa@musc.edu to become involved in employee wellness at MUSC. Events, speakers, classes, or any other ideas are welcome.

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MUSC Employee Wellness and Sodexo are joining together to host a live cooking event, Healthy Holiday Live! Adding Local Flavor to Your Holiday Celebrations at noon, Friday, Dec. 2 on the plaza of the new Clyburn research complex.

Last year MUSC and Sodexo joined Susan Johnson the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA), Live 5 News and other area hospitals to promote a healthy holiday campaign focusing on healthy cooking to avoid holiday weight gain. In support of that campaign, the first annual Healthy Holiday Live! event took place the week before Thanksgiving.

This year’s theme focuses on choosing fresh, local, and sustainable food for holiday celebrations and will feature dishes prepared with produce and

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4 The CaTalysT, December 2, 2011

DMD-PhD student tapped with investigator award

By Cindy aBole Public Relations

I

t’s not every day that a researcher’s presentation is so outstanding that it brings an invitation to visit Japan.

That’s what happened to Alfred C. Griffin III, a fifthyear Dental Scientist Training Program (DSTP) student, in mid-September. Earlier this year, Griffith was selected as a Young Investigator Award winner by the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR). He was invited to present his abstract research work on the regulation of vitamin D and its effects on cell signaling in bone at the group’s 33rd annual meeting in San Diego, Sept. 16-20.

Griffin’s presentation went so well that he and three other presenters received an invitation to present their research at the 6th Bone Research Seminar at the University of Tokyo Medical School in Japan next February. He will be accompanied by lecturers from Washington University, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Texas Health Science Center.

Since his arrival on campus, the Virginia native has been expanding his interest in bone biology research and understanding of the body’s inflammation process so that someday his work can be further applied to a greater comprehension of specific disorders in oral health and disease.

“I believe there is a need for dental clinicians who possess a strong knowledge of how bone is remodeled and how it responds to various inflammatory and mechanical stimuli,” Griffin said.

Griffin, who previously presented with the ASBMR, gave an oral presentation titled, “MKP-1 in Canonical 1,25 (OH)2D3-signaling and Skeletal Homeostasis.” His talk was among 1,500 scientific abstracts presented at this scientific meeting which gathered more than 5,000 researchers and clinicians from around the world.

Each year, the ASBMR Young Investigator Award is presented to 60 national scientists who submit topranking abstracts to its annual meeting. Recipients receive a $1,000 honorarium award and plaque.

Griffin’s invitation to lecture as an ASBMR Young Investigator is a distinction rarely bestowed to predoctoral students, according to DSTP program director Keith Kirkwood, DDS, Ph.D. “This is an extraordinary honor for Alfred and our program. Basic science research is about understanding predictable findings and matching that with novel observations. Alfred’s interests focus on understanding the biological processes of bone and what happens with gene regulation and its effect on surrounding tissues,” Kirkwood said.

Griffin’s start with the program in 2007 also timed well with the arrival of Kirkwood, who relocated to Charleston to manage Dental Medicine’s research

Dental Scientist Training Program student Alfred Griffin III, right, receives the ASBMR Award from Dr. Keith Kirkwood in San Diego.

“This is an extraordinary honor for Alfred and our program.

Basic science research is about understanding predictable findings and matching that with novel observations.”

Dr. Keith Kirkwood initiatives and serve as the institution’s director for the Center for Oral Health Research (COHR), based in the dental school. Kirkwood, who is a periodontist and translational scientist, conducts research in chronic inflammation, chemotherapeutics and cell signaling.

.

Since his arrival, he’s promoted COHR’s three research priorities — inflammation/cell signaling, cancer biology and tissue engineering — with translational research faculty and students.

Kirkwood, who is Griffin’s research mentor, praised the dual-degree dental scientist trainee for his dedication and achievements so far in his basic science work and clinical investigation.

He hopes to continue his research and studies in a post-graduate orthodontics residency program just as his parents did. Griffin’s mother is a general dentist and his father is an orthodontist.

“Having a mentor like Dr. Kirkwood who is someone well established in the field of inflammatory bone turnover was very fortuitous as our research goals were well aligned and resulted in me being the recipient of this extraordinary award and opportunity,” Griffin said.

As Griffin has already completed much of his graduate research work, he will now turn to animal research to validate his laboratory observations. He returned to the classroom to continue his clinical training and integrate learned research skills resuming the second-year, laboratory-based dental classes and curriculum.

Griffin is a 2006 graduate of the University of Virginia where he conducted orthopaedic surgery research. For two summers, he worked at the National Institutes of Health-National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research molecular biology of bones and teeth section working with Marian Y. Young, Ph.D. With MUSC’s DSTP, he worked a research rotation with the osteoclast biology lab with Sakamuri Reddy, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Pediatrics.

Griffin is a student representative of College of Dental Medicine’s (CDM) research committee. He placed locally in the Perry V. Halushka MUSC Student Research Day and CDM Scholars Day competitions for his research work. He also was part of a team winning third place in the 2008 Clarion (Clinician Administrator Relationship Improvement Organization) Interprofessional Case Competition and an MUSC Presidential Scholar.

The CaTalysT, December 2, 2011 5

Meet Cody

Cody Chiuzan Department Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Ph.D. student Pets Turkey, an American Shorthair cat, my everyday trouble Dream job Interior designer Meal you love to cook Stuffed peppers — a Romanian family recipe Last book read “Social Intelligence” — Daniel Goleman Music in your CD player “The Fall” — Norah Jones What can you not live without My faith

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Kenyans work to ensure all children are successful By daniel odongo

S.C. College of Pharmacy, MUSC Campus

Paleontologists believe that Kenya was first inhabited 2 million years ago. Archeological findings in Kenya through the years have led many scientists to conclude that Kenya has played a significant role in the evolution of mankind.

This conclusion has been supported by recent suggestions by a group of scientists that “Mitochondrial Eve” may have originated from Kenya and the East African region. Regardless of the controversy around this issue, Kenya has played a significant role in the evolution and history of mankind.

Ancient Arab traders are believed to have been the first foreign inhabitants in Kenya. They settled along the coast intermarrying with some of the local communities. This led to the birth of Swahili — one of the most widely spoken languages in East, Central and Southern Africa.

At a population of 40 million, Kenya is home to 42 different tribes that speak 69 different languages and dialects. In spite of the cultural and traditional beliefs and differences among the various tribes, Kenyans are remarkably friendly and peace-loving.

In no place in Africa is the popular adage, Hakuna matata or no worries, more true than in Kenya. Because of this peace-loving and easy-going culture, it is no wonder that in spite of being in the middle of conflict zones in Africa, Kenya has maintained peace and achieved prosperity throughout its history.

The spirit of Kenya is captured by the Swahili word ‘Harambee,’ which means to pull resources together.

I personally believe that it describes our culture succinctly. After independence, Kenyans embarked on rebuilding a country that had a unique identity and authenticity — free of the elements of colonial rule that centered on dividing and conquering the people. As a result of the Harambee spirit, Kenyans have always taken great interest in each other’s welfare, pulling resources together to educate children within the community, help individuals start businesses and meet medical expenses.

The health and quality of life in Kenya have been significantly influenced by the economic and cultural practices of the various tribes. Economically, AIDS has had the worst impact, killing the most productive age group in society and consequently leaving behind a generation of orphans. In Africa, there is a popular saying that a child belongs to the community. And this is one area where Kenyans have — as a result of the Harambee spirit — pulled their resources

In Kenya, children receive every advantage possible to succeed, socially and economically.

The flag of Kenya consists of three horizontal stripes. The black stripe represents the African people; the red stands for the struggle for independence; and the green represents Kenya’s agriculture and natural resources. The thin white stripes symbolize peace and unity. The emblem in the center of the flag consists of a Masai warrior’s shield and spears.

together and stepped in to ensure that the orphaned children continue to get every advantage — social and economical — to succeed in life.

These efforts have been especially successful as a result of education and awareness efforts by the government to remove a lot of the social stigmas attached to the disease. As the tide continues to turn on this deadly disease, Kenya, like many other countries afflicted by AIDS, can look forward to unleashing its full potential and making more contributions to the global community.

q Many tourists visit Kenya for a safari at one of the many renowned national parks. Incidentally, safari is a Swahili word for journey, and most tourists enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience on this “journey.” In fact, Kenya is one of very few countries in the world that is home to the “Big 5” game — lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant and rhino. q Mount Kenya is the highest peak in Kenya at 5,199 m (17,057 feet). Kenya is named after the mountain. q The Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa.

Interesting Facts q Kenyan runners have historically done well in long distance races. Most runners come from the higher altitude parts of Kenya. Because of the thin air and high altitude, their bodies are adapted to carry oxygen more efficiently giving them a natural advantage in long distance races. They also train very hard. q The late professor and environmentalist, Wa'angari Maathai, is the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace prize for her efforts to conserve the environment. q The staple food of Kenya is ugali — a type of corn bread that is unique in that it can capture the flavor of almost any dish. This makes it easy to cook with any other meal. q Every tribe has its own rite of passage — a transitionary stage of life where the history and values of a tribe are passed down to the younger generations.

At this time, boys become men and girls become young ladies. Traditionally, during this time the future head of a clan is identified. He would be expected to accomplish a great feat. In the Masaai community for example, one would have to kill a lion and return with its mane, a feat that was considered the ultimate sign of a warrior.

Editor's note: The Global Health page focuses on raising awareness of international health issues through an academic venue with the purpose of improving the quality of care for patients. E-mail globalhealthnews@musc.edu.

Clinician’s corner A 55-year-old male with a recent history of travel to the western area of the Masai Mara game reserve presented to the emergency department with complaints of fever and a headache. His lodging was a tented safari camp on the banks of the Mara River.

He recalls being bitten by many mosquitoes and flies.

During the exam you notice a necrotic chancre about 8 cm in diameter on his left leg. He also had some palpable posterior cervical lymph nodes.

The most likely cause of this patient’s symptoms is which of the following?

A. Malaria B. Dengue Fever C. African Sleeping Sickness D. Rift Valley Fever For the correct answer, see page 8

The Catalyst, December 2, 2011 7

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8 The CaTalysT, December 2, 2011

Medical school is like family, a second mother

Medical musings

is active, fun, and exciting: exactly what my mother wanted me to see is possible in the senior community.

Present your research project! No, I can’t. I won’t.

This time I’m putting my foot down mother! Yet she waves off every objection I have. I have no choice. I push myself late at night to complete a poster that I was sure my mother would understand I shouldn’t have to do. I am angry at her; doesn’t she see how tired I am? I present and win in my category. I thank her for pushing me once again.

MUSC is a demanding governess. She is unrelenting with her towering expectations of me and my siblings.

Yet my siblings constantly exemplify how well these requests can be fulfilled, and they too motivate me.

Cumulatively, we are an overachieving, hardworking family that I love despite the hardship of being a member.

CliniCian Continued from Page Six

The answer is C. African Sleeping Sickness is caused

by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and transmitted by the tsetse fly. The clinical presentation typically includes a high fever, a chancre, skin rash, headache, myalgia and lymphadenopathy. Treatment drugs include suramin, malarsoprol and eflornithine.

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I've come to look forward to the cool rush of the pool at the Harper Student center. I am no expert, in fact, I can be rather clumsy. Regardless it feels so unconstrained, my only thoughts: stroke arm, kick leg. I’m like a child escaping what can feel like the constant dictatorship of a hyperactive, know-it-all mother: Medical School. While I love Chelsey Baldwin her and know that she means to do well by me; I still make faces behind her back and refuse to get out of the pool when she calls for me.

She always wins. I feel guilty disobeying her. I pull myself from the pool each time and go find my chore list for the day. My mother has made a schedule from now until Christmas break of a list of obligations. Read this. Be there. More times than not, she’ll send me an email with something new that she has either forgotten or wants me to do in a different order.

Yes ma’am, I’ll do it.

There are times when I just can’t take her constant bossiness. I just want to tell her no. I want to walk off in a storm of rebellion. And sometimes I do, I just don’t walk too far. Now and then I slip under her radar and let Chinese food and movies take priority over her nagging. As my primary care doctor warned me before school started, “You know Chelsey sometimes they’ll ask more of you than you’re able to give, and sometimes you just can’t do it. And that’s all right.”

As much I may feel spiteful toward my mother, I am constantly reminded that I need to be pushed, more than ever in my life. Up to this point, initiative has always been self-derived. No one could ever ask more of myself than I, not until MUSC took on the role of my mother. Now I feel like I’m repeatedly asked to push myself further and as much as I sometimes begrudge telling her no, I am better for it.

Go meet your senior mentor! She scolds me for procrastinating. I don’t have time I complain. Yet I manage to make the trip out to see Joan with my medical school siblings. Not that I ever fully forget, but I do enjoy being reminded how lucky we were to have Joan as our senior mentor. This time she tells us about her upcoming trip to Brussels. She exemplifies what it means to age not only gracefully but fantastically. She

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The CaTalysT, December 2, 2011 9

Tips to help kick smoking habit

online Internet-based programs can provide individualized support and the advantage of a social community. q Quit for Life Program – Developed by the American Cancer Society and Alere Wellbeing and offered by The State Health Plan and BlueChoice to subscribers and their covered dependents: http://www.eip.sc.gov/ prevention/index.aspx?p=4&s=5. q American Lung Assocation’s Freedom From Smoking (FFS) — Includes a curriculum, as well as the ability to download relaxation exercises and access to the FFS Online Community. Three months of access to FFS’s online version for $15: http://www.ffsonline.org.

By Phone q The Tobacco Quit Line is a free service to S.C. residents. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669) to talk to a trained tobacco treatment specialist: http://www. scdhec.gov/health/chcdp/tobacco/quitforkeeps.htm.

in Person Many classes and clinics are available at MUSC and in the community. For more information on smoking cessation programs, email musc-empwell@musc.edu. q Smoking Cessation Clinics – Monthly three-session cessation clinics facilitated by physicians, psychologists and wellness staff free of charge for MUSC employees,

students and family members. Classes begin in January.

To register, email musc-empwell@musc.edu. q Tobacco Free Tuesdays – Free one-session classes created to provide employees and students the opportunity to learn about cessation options during their lunch break. Classes are scheduled at noon every other Tuesday beginning Jan. 3. Email musc-empwell@ musc.edu to register. q Freedom From Smoking — Freedom From Smoking (FFS) Clinic is a program developed by the American Lung Association that provides a group setting for adults to work through the quitting process. There are eight group sessions led by trained facilitators and physicians who are also MUSC employees.

This clinic is open to all MUSC employees, students and spouses. For information, e-mail musc-empwell@ musc.edu. q MUSC Institute of Psychiatry: 792-5200. “The Non-Smoking Section” 5 - 6 p.m., every Wednesday, 4 North, Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs, Institute of Psychiatry. Four educational groups. Cost is $25 per group. q Trident Health System, Summerville Medical Center: 797–FIND (3463). American Cancer Society Fresh Start Program. Cost is free. q Roper St. Francis Health Care: 402–CARE (2273).

Three one-hour classes offered by Roper Heart & Vascular Center staff based on Duke University’s “QuitSmart” system. Cost is $25. q Pharmacy: MUSC pharmacies have several products that aid in smoking cessation. Stop by any of the campus pharmacies to ask questions and purchase items to help quit smoking. Pharmacy locations include Rutledge Tower, University Outpatient, Hollings Cancer Center and Ashley River Tower Outpatient. q Websites and Resources: http://www. smokefreelowcountry.com; http://www.sctobacco.org; http://www.protectlocalcontrol.org/state.php?sid=41; http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco; http://www.lungusa. org; http://www.scdhec.gov/health/chcdp/tobacco/ smokefree.htm; http://doingyoudamage.com; http:// doingyoudamage.com/truthaboutyoursmokes. htm; http://roswell.tobaccodocuments.org; http:// www.tobaccovideos.com; http://roswelldocs.com/ hall_of_shame.htm; http://roswelldocs.com/ashes/ ashestoashes.html; http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu. q Visit http://www.musc.edu/tobaccofree for MUSC’s tobacco-free campus website that features the approved policy and educational resources.

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Quitting smoking is both a mental and a physical undertaking. Mentally, a person should be ready and relatively stress-free. Physically, one needs to commit to exercising daily and getting plenty of sleep. A person trying to quit must overcome two obstacles: a physical addiction to nicotine and a habit. The American Academy of Otolaryngology and the American Lung Association offer the following tips to help users quit using tobacco products: q Think about why you want to quit and pick a stressfree time to quit. q Ask for support and encouragement from family, friends, and colleagues. q Start doing some exercise or activity each day to relieve stress and improve your health. q Get plenty of rest and eat a balanced diet. q Join a smoking cessation program, or other support group.

MUSC Employee Wellness is focused on helping employees who use tobacco find ways to quit, on increasing knowledge of lung health, and on raising awareness about the importance of establishing a tobacco-free workplace.

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10 The CaTalysT, December 2, 2011

embrace this change as one that reinforces our shared values and helps promote our role as caregivers and educators. Ultimately, whatever success we achieve with this effort will be directly related to the level of support it engenders within our community.”

The change is part of a long process that started with resolutions passed by the Student Government Association (SGA) and the faculty senate.

“After hearing of the strong support for this change from both of these constituent groups, and based upon the recommendation of the administration, our board of trustees approved making the campus completely smoke-free,” said Greenberg. “As the state’s academic health center, we have an obligation to lead by example. Since smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in our state and in our nation, it is incumbent upon us to create a healthy environment for our patients, their families, our employees and our students.”

Darlene Shaw, associate provost for

education and student life, said the SGA president addresses the board at each meeting and the board is quite supportive of the students’ concerns.

SGA President Carol Brown announced that a tobacco-free campus remained a high priority for the SGA at the Aug. 12 meeting and the board embraced the goal and promptly passed a resolution in support of the initiative.

“The Student Government Association has been interested for many years in MUSC becoming a tobacco-free campus. They believe that as an academic medical center, we should foster healthy behaviors among our students, employees, patients and visitors. As is the case for many members of the MUSC community, students have been particularly concerned about the smoking huts near the hospital entrance.”

Shaw said the SGA is proud to have played a role in this change and grateful for the support of the board and efforts of a large group of MUSC employees who are putting in place the myriad

steps needed for the campus to become tobacco-free.

That includes efforts of MUSC’s Employee Wellness, which in conjunction with the implementation date will be offering several opportunities for employees to learn more about resources available to them or for those who are ready to quit, to explore options that may help them succeed. See the related story on page 9.

Susan Johnson, Ph.D., wellness program coordinator, said tobaccofree policies in all sectors of business and industry are becoming a national trend with hospitals acknowledging how tobacco use does not fit into their mission of promoting good health. One of her colleagues at Wake Forest Baptist Health, which went tobacco-free in 2007, said that as a result of the policy change more than 500 employees chose to quit tobacco with a high percentage of that number indicating that family members and friends joined them.

“We have the opportunity to not only protect the health and wellbeing of the MUSC community while on our campus, but also impact smoking habits,” said Johnson. “Evidence has shown that tobacco-free policies in workplace settings both indoor and outdoor are associated with reduced daily cigarette consumption and increased cessation among employees.”

The goal is to provide a comprehensive tobacco cessation program to support the efforts of those people who wish to quit and to create the culture and environment that will motivate behavioral change among smokers at MUSC, she said.

“We are asking for smokers and

nonsmokers alike to support our tobacco-free initiative. The decision to go tobacco-free is not an attempt to force anyone to quit smoking. We understand that this is a personal choice and the behaviors employees choose to engage in on their own time is not our concern as long as they do not have a negative effect on their ability to perform their job. However, we value and support healthy lifestyles among our employees and students and will attempt to provide as many resources as necessary to anyone who makes the decision to quit.”

Greenberg said this policy shift dovetails with MUSC’s goal of putting more resources into preventive care.

MUSC has a growing number of clinical programs focused on prevention, such as the Weight Management Program, the Wellness Center, the Healthy Charleston Challenge, the Lean Team, the Seinsheimer Cardiovascular Prevention Program and a proactive Employee Wellness Program.

In October, MUSC brought on board one of the world’s leading authorities on tobacco policy, K. Michael Cummings, Ph.D., to lead research on tobacco control, public policy and smoking cessation within the Hollings Cancer Center’s Cancer Prevention and Control program.

“Hopefully, the message that it sends is that MUSC is committed not to just treating illness once it develops, but in preventing it from occurring in the first place,” said Greenberg. “We have to practice what we preach. We cannot speak with credibility about reducing risks of cancer, heart and lung disease in the community if we do not start in our own back yard.”

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The CaTalysT, December 2, 2011 11

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12 The CaTalysT, December 2, 2011