MUSC Catalyst 2-20-2015

February 20, 2015

MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA

Vol. 33, No. 25

Inside Finding Peace

4

MUSC nurse finds painting fills a void.

new children’s hOsPiTal

8

Darius and Beth Rucker help launch fundraising efforts.

2 Employee Awards 5 Meet Mary Carla 11 Wellness T h e c aTa Online

ly s T

http:// www.musc. edu/ catalyst

photo by Sarah Pack, Public Relations

By Dawn Brazell Public Relations

O

ne number will always stand out for Charlotte Edwards.

It is 110.

That’s the number of steps based on her stride that it takes her to get from the elevator door on the eighth floor of the Medical University of South Carolina’s Children’s Hospital to the double doors of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). She knows because that is where her son, Legaré, was taken after an emergency cesarean section.

Born extremely preterm at only 25 weeks, Legaré weighed only 1 pound, 11 ounces. He had a 1:5 chance of surviving.

That was a number Edwards tried to ignore.

Instead she focused on the number of steps it would take to get to the world of the NICU, where she and her husband would be living

Above, Charlotte Edwards walks a hallway as a nurse that formerly she walked as a parent when her child was born at only 25 weeks. off and on for almost four months.

“The NICU is pretty much its own little world. It is such a rollercoaster ride. You really don’t know what you’re in for until

you’re in the NICU. There are all the beeps and buzzes and highs and lows.”

The lows included being called in twice in the middle of the night along with a minister for support because Legaré wasn’t doing well.

He was not expected to make it.

Edwards would end up living in the surreal world of the NICU for almost four months, steeling herself as she came down the hallway each day for the news she’d receive. One day he would be thriving. The next, close to dying.

“I really had a crash course in nursing for the next 118 days. He received such excellent care and compassion from all of the nurses.

It really inspired me to want to go to nursing school. I truly believe my son wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for the staff. He got sick a lot and they were able to watch his vitals and catch his sickness very quickly.”

See CirCle on page 6

2 The CaTalysT, February 20, 2015

Medical Center

‘Making a difference every day’ Employees of the Month Award Shaunta Adams Access Center

“I called the hand clinic to make an appointment for my husband who has never been seen at MUSC. I blocked off some time and dreaded what I expected to be a long, drawn out process of getting an appointment. Shanta answered the phone and immediately went above and beyond all of my expectations. I had questions about my husband’s symptoms and wanted to make sure the hand clinic was where he needed to be seen. Shanta surprised me by putting me on a brief hold while she asked the clinicians and assured me that I had contacted the right place. When I needed to call her back with some information, she was on the phone with someone else. I left my number and was told she would return my call. Again not expecting a call anytime in the near future, Shanta again surprised me with a return call within 5 minutes. I feel like Shanta really shows MUSC excellence in her service to people. She made this process so easy for me just by taking the time to give me her

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 Dawn Brazell, brazell@musc.edu J. Ryne Danielson, daniejer@musc.edu Helen Adams, adamshel@musc.edu Sarah Pack, packsa@musc.edu Jeff Watkins, watkinsj@musc.edu

undivided attention.”

Physician of the Month Award David Kerek, M.D. Department of Emergency Medicine “I would like to nominate David Kerek for his excellent interpersonal skills with other physicians, nurses, patients, and families, as well as his excellent decision making capabilities. He exemplified these qualities in a recent event which resulted in a positive patient outcome. This patient’s life was changed.

I am an RN on 9 East. This past Sunday, I admitted a patient from the Emergency Department. Upon arrival to 9 East, her neurological assessment had no deficits. I was told to keep an extremely close eye on her, and the patient would be transferred to the ICU for closer monitoring. Dr. Kerek was calm, and explained to the patient and her family the seriousness of her condition. Dr. Kerek collaborated with his boss, Dr. Feng (the wonderful attending) who was also present to 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.

explain the patient’s treatment options.

A few minutes later, upon my assessment I noticed the patient had a new left sided weakness. She was unable to lift her left arm off the bed. I immediately ran to the charting area and told Dr. Kerek.

He rushed to the bedside, and from this point on all staff members: nurses, patient care technicians, physicians, and the attending Dr. Feng worked together effectively. We started several IV’s, administered a large volume of IVF, and did several interventions to provide circulation to the patient’s brain. The stroke doctors made some calls, and Dr. Spiotta the (neurointerventional radiologists) and his team were called in on a Sunday. This patient was a candidate for a thrombectomy. Dr. Kerek helped us to transport the patient to the Neurointerventional Radiology suite. I was told Dr. Spiotta’s team was able to remove the clot in a short amount of time. I went to visit the patient in the ICU after my shift and she voiced her gratitude and stated “It worked! I can lift my arm again.”

Nominated by Caroline Rivera Melissa Cunningham, M.D. Division of Rheumatology & Immunology “One month ago, I had swelling in my joints to the extent where it was prohibiting me from doing daily things

like working out and even walking without limping and also I had difficulty bending my fingers. I got a referral to see rheumatology and was told it would be five weeks before I could be seen.

Dr. Cunningham was contacted by a friend of mine and agreed to see me two days later on a day when she wasn’t even doing clinic. I was diagnosed with RA which was extremely scary for me at such an early age, she was very good at comforting me and letting me know that everything was going to be okay. She gave me a way to contact her at any time if I had any questions or concerns; I had never had a physician do this at all. If Dr. Cunningham had not seen me, I would have had to live in pain for several weeks.

I have never met an individual who cared so much to help people, especially me.

She continues to go above and beyond to provide services to me and her patients.

MUSC is lucky to have her and most of all I am extremely luck to have her as my physician. It is because of her, I can get back to my life.”

Nominated by Kayla James

The CaTalysT, February 20, 2015 3

E.E. Just Symposium: A celebration of science, discovery The 15th Annual Ernest E. Just Symposium will take place Friday, Feb. 27 at the James E. Clyburn Research Center Auditorium.

Each year, this event celebrates the life and scientific achievements of Charleston native and African-American scientist Ernest Everett Just, Ph.D., who made contributions to the areas of cell biology, cell structure and tissue development throughout his career. Just is recognized for coining the phrase, the “Biology of the Cell Surface” in his book in 1939. The phrase explains how a cell responds to cell to cell and cell to matrix interactions.

The symposium was established in 1990 to recruit minority students to careers in biomedical science and the health professions. It is sponsored by the offices of the vice president Just for Academic Affairs and provost, College of Medicine and College of Graduate Studies.

The event will begin with a history of the symposium titled, “The Ernest Path: The Grit and Determination of Dr. Just’s Early Life,” given by Mary Just Ader, Just’s youngest grandchild. Ader, who is an expert in health care, public health, occupational health and Medicaid, is an executive at Kaiser Permanente and serves as senior advisor for government relations on state legislative issues for the states of Georgia, California and Hawaii.

Symposium keynote speaker will be Steven Mayo, Ph.D., who is the William K. Bowes Jr. Leadership chair of the Division of Biology and Biological Engineering and the Bren Professor of Biology and Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology. Mayo will present a lecture titled “Computation-based Protein Engineering with Applications in the Life Sciences” which is the focus of his ongoing research.

Graduate presenter, Dorea L. Pleasant, a graduate of Claflin University and a Ph.D. candidate in MUSC’s Division of Cardiology will present the topic, “To Connect or Not Connect: Understanding the Multifaceted Role of Beta 3 Integrin in the Heart.”

Afternoon sessions will include presentations from Helen Blau, Ph.D., Simon J. Conway, Ph.D., and Erica Herzog, M.D. Blau is the Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Foundation Professor and director at Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology at Stanford University. Blau’s research and interests focus on cellular and molecular approaches to regenerative medicine, cell plasticity and differentiation. Her lecture is titled, “Reprogramming Stem Cell Fate.”

Conway is the director of the Developmental Biology and Neonatal Medicine program at the Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research and professor of the Departments of Pediatrics, Anatomy and Cell Biology and Medical and Molecular Genetics at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Conway’s research investigates genetic, molecular and cellular causes of birth defects, premature birth and the prevention of infant mortality. His lecture focuses on “Transgenic Mouse Modeling of Critical Congenital Heart Disease.”

Herzog is an associate professor of Pulmonary Medicine at Yale University’s School of Medicine; director of the Translational Lung Research Program and Interstitial Lung Disease Center for Excellence; and co-director of the Yale Fibrosis Program.

Herzog will speak on the “Role of Neuroimmune Molecules in Pulmonary Fibrosis.”

The full program can be found at http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/grad/ ernestjust/.

For additional information, email Keisha Vaughn Brown at brownkn@musc.edu or Titus A. Reaves, Ph.D., reaves@musc.edu.

15th Ernest E. Just Symposium on Feb. 27

Mayo

Blau

This year’s Ernest E. Just Symposium will feature a lineup of speakers including keynote speaker Steven Mayo, Ph.D., who is the William K. Bowes Jr. Leadership Chair, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering at California Institute of Technology.

Event speakers will include Mary Just Ader, grandaughter of celebrant Dr. Ernest E. Just, who is with Kaiser Permanente; Dorea L. Pleasant, Ph.D. (c), MUSC College of Graduate Studies; Helen Blau, Ph.D., Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology at Stanford University; Simon J. Conway, Ph.D., Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research at Indiana University; and Erica Herzog, Yale University School of Medicine.

To register or to view the event’s program, visit http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/grad/ ernestjust/ or email Keisha Vaughn Brown at brownkn@musc.edu.

COLLEGE ADVISING • Find right college “fit” • Financial aid solutions • Summer Enrichment plans

• Private school placement • Learning support programs • Emotional growth schools

Call Chip And Claire Law, IECA Certified Educational Planners

843-278-1271

www.eduave.com claire@eduave.com chip@eduave.com

IP03-1286645

Staff Report

4 The CaTalysT, February 20, 2015

Nurse finds healing through painting, reflection

By J. ryne Danielson Public Relations

M

edicine can be as much an art as a science, but art can also be medicine. This is what Laureen Lattin discovered after losing her child to pediatric cancer four years ago.

“Drew was the greatest and most fun child in the world,” Lattin said. “He had Down syndrome, but he was very wellspoken. He had to be to keep up with his mother. He loved wrestling and rock and roll. He had a drum set — he loved playing the drums. I’m a night nurse, so I sleep during the day. He was always very respectful of letting me sleep, but as soon as I got up in the afternoon, he would start wailing on those drums.”

Drew was diagnosed with rhabdomyocarcoma, a pediatric cancer, on his 18th birthday. “It’s an awful kind of cancer,” Lattin said. “But, we were so grateful for the love and care we received at MUSC. The staff was impeccable. I was a mamma watchdog when we first brought Drew in, but by the third day, I knew my son was in the best of hands.”

After Drew died, Lattin began painting “as a way to escape the grief,” she said. “I had always wanted to paint, but I never had the time. Then suddenly, there was

Lattin hopes her paintings brighten the space and cheer patients and families.

this hole in my life, and I had too much time on my hands.”

Lattin said she has tremendous respect for the doctors and nurses at MUSC including Dr. Michelle Hudspeth, Dr. Jacqueline Kraveka, and Michelle Cooper, RN. We were overwhelmed. We didn’t know what to do for our son, and they gave us honest answers. We asked them, ‘what would you do if it were your child?’ and they told us. A lot of medical professionals wouldn’t have done that.”

Lattin said that even after Drew was discharged into hospice care, his nurses at MUSC’s pediatric oncology clinic didn’t stop thinking about him. “When some wrestlers came to visit the hospital, the staff at the clinic had them call Drew.

That meant so much to him.”

Lattin continued: “The doctors and nurses at MUSC gave us two more years with our son. I could never repay that.

But, I wanted to do something.”

Lattin decided to donate some of her artwork to MUSC’s pediatric oncology clinic. “We spent a lot of time in that

photos provided

NICU nurse Laureen Lattin is joined by her son, Drew, right, and husband, John, during a visit to the South Carolina Aquarium. clinic, and it’s not always the happiest of places,” she said. “I wanted to add some color and whimsy — to be able to bring a moment of fun and escape for the children and their families.”

“Drew was an amazing person,” said

Cooper, the nurse manager of the pediatric oncology clinic. “He was fun.

He loved Elvis. He loved John Cena — that was his man.”

See Painting on page 12

The CaTalysT, February 20, 2015 5

Meet Mary Carla

Mary Carla London Department 7C — Pediatric Intermediate Care Unit How you are changing what’s possible at MUSC I am a charge nurse for the unit. I precept new graduate nurses and RNs new to MUSC. I am a certified pediatric nurse (I took the two-day review course offered by MUSC and sat for the exam last summer).

How long at MUSC 2.5 years Family Mom, Sandy and dad, Hal — I’m an only child, plus a brown miniature schnauzer, Paisley What is your idea of a dream job Interior designer What food is a must in your pantry Pasta Greatest moment in your life Getting my BSN and passing the NCLEX Words of advice A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor.

—English Proverb

6 The CaTalysT, February 20, 2015

CirCle Continued from Page One A former real estate agent, Edwards discovered she had a gift for offering peer support to other families. Nurses noticed her gift and encouraged her to follow her calling to become a nurse.

“I’ve come full circle,” she said in a recent interview as she tended to one of two twin girls. She’s back on the eighth floor of the Children’s Hospital as a nurse now, helping other parents in their journeys. Edwards’ son is an active second grader who plays soccer, and she’s grateful they have made it this far.

Every year, about 450,000 babies are born too soon in the U.S. Even if a woman does everything “right” during her pregnancy, it can happen. Most women never see it coming. Edwards certainly didn’t.

“As a child, I always thought when you grow up it would be easy to have a baby. Until something happens to you, you don’t realize how many things can go wrong. Having a baby is a miracle in itself. There is a human being growing inside of you, but you can have a lot of complications.”

She found that out on a cool, clear day with bright blue skies on Feb. 17, 2007. Edwards had just entered her third trimester of pregnancy and was celebrating a growth spurt that merited getting some new maternity clothing.

She then went to dinner with her family but began experiencing stomach pains.

Going to St. Francis Hospital to get it checked out, doctors found her son’s heart rate was dropping. Edwards’ vitals were unstable.

The next thing she knew she was having an emergency C-section. She later found out that she had severe HELLP syndrome, a life-threatening obstetric complication involving a condition thought to be a variant of preeclampsia. (‘HELLP’ stands for the three major elements or the syndrome: H – hemoloysis, EL – elevated liver enzymes and LP – low platelet count.)

“Two days later on my 30th birthday I remember waking up and not knowing what had happened. I just remember bleeding out in the OR. They were trying to let me see the baby before they transported him to MUSC because they weren’t sure if he was going to make it

photo by Sarah Pack, Public Relations Charlotte Edwards and her son Legaré enjoy a day at Brittlebank Park.

Below, Edwards checks on a patient in the neonatal intensive care unit.

or if I was going to make it. That was my last memory until a couple of days later.

We’re both pretty lucky.”

Edwards was on a ventilator for several days while her son was fighting for his life. Her husband, Adam, was going back and forth between hospitals. When she was able, Edwards was at her son’s side.

“I remember thinking he just had to grow, that he was just really tiny and had to be in this incubator. I didn’t grasp just how sick he was and all the things that can go wrong. His life was very fragile at that point. It’s a delicate balance realizing that and trying to remain positive and hopeful.”

Legaré had pneumonia twice, several different blood infections, urinary tract

infections and respiratory issues. Getting him off the ventilator was important.

Friends reassured her, telling her not to worry, but Edwards knew what hung in the balance.

She treasured his good days — days when she could do kangaroo care, which meant she got skin-to-skin with Legaré just to cuddle with him. It’s a therapeutic practice with wonderful healing benefits for these babies, one she now, as a nurse, encourages her patients’ families to do.

‘Kangarooing’ gave her moments when she could just let the hospital monitors fade away and indulge in feeling like a mom.

Edwards keeps a show-and-tell bag she uses to give people perspective about just how fragile these babies are. She pulls out Legaré’s first outfit that would fit a baby doll, but it still was a little large for him.

“It raises awareness that the NICU isn’t just a place to grow. These are sick babies. All of their organs are immature, and a lot can happen in the NICU. We had a couple of good weeks and when everything looked great, I would kangaroo. Then he got pneumonia and he had IVs coming out of his head, his arms – all over the place. You can tell people it’s going to be a rollercoaster

photo provided Legaré enjoys an active life now with his parents Adam and Charlotte Edwards. ride, but you have no idea what that means until you’re on it yourself.

You just jump on and hold on. It’s a complicated and long road to recovery.”

It’s a journey that doesn’t end at discharge, either.

Legaré faced multiple appointments with health professionals, including occupational and physical therapists and a nutritionist to help him, especially since he was diagnosed as failing to thrive. Edwards sweated over trying to get her 6-month old son to eat a meager 3 ounces – just 100 ccs.

“I can remember at night trying to feed him and crying because I knew if I couldn’t get him to eat and we’d be going back to the hospital to get a feeding tube. Every week someone would be coming in to do some type of therapy.

It was like a revolving door. It was a whirlwind of doctor’s visits for the first year of his life.”

While other parents were celebrating other types of milestones, Edwards was celebrating that her son at 9 months wouldn’t have to get a feeding tube. He would have to have antibody infusions, though, to help fight infections to which he was more susceptible. The first several years were difficult seeing if he was going to have delays and if he was

See CirCle on page 11

The CaTalysT, February 20, 2015 7

Patients affect design of new children’s hospital

By Dawn Brazell Public Relations

W

hen Charlotte Edwards joined a design team for a new $350 million Children’s Hospital and Women’s Pavilion at MUSC, she never imagined designers and architects would take her seriously.

After all she’s just a parent of a child who was born a preemie. Edwards’ son was born at 25 weeks with slim chances to survive. The profound experience she had while in the neonatal intensive care unit led her to switch careers. She has come full circle and is back in the neonatal unit, but this time as a nurse. (See her story on page 1.)

“I’m really enjoying it,” she said of her new job and getting to be a part of the planning for the $350 million hospital expected to open in 2019. The new facility will replace the current 28-year-old MUSC Children’s Hospital, providing space for additional patients, expanded services and more spacious, family-centered amenities.

“It’s amazing that the architects and the planners really do take into consideration what the families have to say,” Edwards said. “They have changed some room designs and moved a room to another location because of family input. They have us involved in the process and are listening to our opinions. It’s been a thrilling experience.”

Matt Wain, chief operating officer of MUSC’s medical center and chairman of the steering committee for the new hospital, said having parents on the design teams is critical to the vision of optimizing patient and family-centered care.

“For a long time in health care, we’d just say, ‘Sit down, buckle up, and we’ll tell you when we get there.’

When in reality we’re all in a better place by including patients and families – our consumers if you will – as part of that care continuum.”

There are 20-plus design teams involved in the planning for the new hospital and every one of them, without exclusion, has a nurse, a doctor and a parent serving on them, he said.

“We think that’s the best way we can reflect the futuristic state of care that has to exist in our hospital.

Our goal isn’t to replicate what we do today. It’s to build on the success that we’ve already had and transform care in a way that takes better care of kids and our families for tomorrow.”

The teams are debating details – big and small – of just what exactly does a family-centered design look like.

So far, there are creative answers to that.

For example, many services are being centralized to save parents time and energy. One entire floor will be dedicated to the care of children with cancer. This unit

photo by Sarah Pack, Public Relations

Nurse Charlotte Edwards working in the MUSC Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. will be located on the top (10th) floor of the hospital, providing these longer-term patients and their families with the hospital’s best views of the Ashley River.

Another floor will be dedicated to the care of children with heart problems. This cardiac floor will provide a comprehensive array of services, including two cardiac operating rooms, two catheterization labs, a cardiac clinic and the state’s only pediatric cardiac intensive care unit and step-down unit.

Recognizing that it can be very challenging for families whose children are hospitalized several weeks because of an illness or accident, common areas are being integrated into the plans. There will be family respite rooms, children playrooms, and shared areas with kitchen, laundry and shower amenities.

“We know that letting kids be kids allows them to get healthy faster. We know that families in many cases didn’t expect to end up at MUSC Children’s Hospital that day. It changed their lives due to a horrific accident or a diagnosis in a doctor’s office that they hadn’t expected. It really comes down to helping families heal, opposed to singularly looking at just caring for their child,” said Wain.

General amenity areas in many hospitals, such as the cafeteria and other open spaces, typically are located on the ground floor. “Our patients have told us, ‘No, lift that up. Let us have more natural light and see outside.’

So we’re going to put our public areas on the seventh floor so they have commanding views of the harbor and the marsh areas in the distance – the things that are so Charleston and that people feel great about.”

Edwards said she she’s excited about new plans for the NICU, where rooms will be changing from an openbay style to a single-room unit, where families will have more space and privacy.

“We were able to able to create quiet respite rooms in the NICU,” she said, adding that the 118 days she spent with her son in intensive care taught her how scary and overwhelming an experience it can be. There were days she wanted to be close to her son, but needed a little quiet, too. The respite rooms allow for that.

“It’s for when you need to get away from all the beeps and buzzes to take a moment to just reflect – whether you needed to say a prayer or whether you just need some space to yourself.”

Family-centered care isn’t just about design and aesthetics, it also involves providing structure and space for health professionals to implement policies that support families. Edwards likes it that the new private, spacious rooms will make it easier to do kangaroo care or “kangarooing” that involves getting a mother or father to cuddle skin-to-skin with their

See Design on page 10

8 The CaTalysT, February 20, 2015

Children’s Hospital launches largest ever goal for fundraising campaign Musician Darius Rucker and wife, Beth Rucker, ask community to join in effort to build new hospital

By Dawn Brazell Public Relations

D

arius Rucker may have been sporting a new tux, but 14–year–old Zion Thomas commanded center stage at the end of the 5th Darius Rucker Big Band Concert Feb. 17 where he addressed the sold–out auditorium without missing a beat.

“I want to say thank you to MUSC for everything they’ve done from building this new children’s hospital to taking care of all these kids and patients and parents. Just being a family,” Thomas said after he and Emma Grace Bostian, 7, presented Darius and Beth Rucker with a thank you poster and construction hats celebrating the official start of a building campaign for a new Children’s Hospital and Women’s Pavilion.

Thomas worked the crowds Tuesday night at the benefit concert with the practiced ease of a politician. He was thrilled to be asked to go on stage where the Ruckers announced that $265,000

from concert proceeds would go to the MUSC Children’s Hospital. The sickle cell patient and aspiring actor has faced extreme pain and weeks in the hospital that has led to him only being able to spend four Christmases at home.

It didn’t stop the teenager from rallying the troops, though.

“Even if you don’t go to MUSC or it’s your first time there, they are going to treat you like family. It’s just one of their rules. I don’t know why, but I love MUSC and the new children’s hospital, and I hope I can keep on going, living a healthy life,” said Thomas.

The concert marked the official kickoff of the largest fundraising effort in the Children’s Hospital’s history. MUSC President David J. Cole, M.D., said the $350 million hospital will require raising $50 million in philanthropic support.

Cole said MUSC sought a campaign chairman who would have strength of character, connectivity to South Carolina and great passion for the hospital and the children and the care that is provided. “In our conversations over MUSC President David Cole chats with South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, right, and MUSC Government Relations director Pat Votava at the party before the Darius Rucker Big Band Concert at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center.

photos by Sarah Pack, Public Relations

Charleston native Darius Rucker and his wife, Beth, presented a check to MUSC President Dr. David Cole for $265,000 from the Darius Rucker Big Band Concert fund. The money is going to help fund the new MUSC Children’s Hospital.

and over, the same names kept coming up. It’s my privilege to introduce the chairmen of our new fundraising effort – Beth and Darius Rucker,” he said, getting a resounding roar from the crowd.

State and local dignitaries, including Gov. Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott, attended the event. Proceeding the concert, Charles Darby Jr., M.D., was recognized for his contributions as one of the founding fathers of MUSC’s Children’s Hospital, which opened in 1987. Darby received a standing ovation when introduced.

Cole said the campaign is gaining momentum. The new hospital is expected to open in 2019 on Courtenay

Drive. It will replace the 28–year–old Children’s Hospital currently located on Ashley Avenue, providing space for more patients, expanded services and more spacious, family–centered amenities. To date the new hospital has raised $14.7 million in support from the community.

“That’s a great place to be, but we still have a lot of work to do,” Cole said. “We’re now in the roll–up–your– sleeves phase. For us to be able to get pillars in the ground by this time next year, we have to raise $50 million in philanthropic support. It’s this kind of support that is going to transform the lives of our children, our women and our future. I thank everybody involved in this. It’s really humbling to be standing here like this.”

MUSC board of trustees chairman Don Johnson, M.D., echoed that theme in his opening comments to concertgoers where he revealed the most current draft of the hospital’s exterior design, which will now go before the City of Charleston for approval. He also showed a video of the passionate work that goes on to create a healing environment for children and the difference that specialized, pediatric care can make.

MUSC Children’s Hospital is almost 30 years old. In a year’s time, it services

See Campaign on page 11

The CaTalysT, February 20, 2015 9

ThrOw Me sOMeThing, MisTer

photos by Julia Duda, Public Relations

Left photo: Graduate Studies student Rachel Weber, middle, and nursing student Alyssa LaFond, right, prepare to place strings of beads on a fellow MUSC student as part of MUSC’s Fat Tuesday on the Horseshoe event Feb. 17. Above: Various students helped out with the event, which was sponsored by MUSC Student Government Association, Student Programs Office and MUSC Cultural Projects Council.

Nominations for diversity awards being accepted MUSC’s Office of Student Diversity is accepting nominations for the Earl B. Higgins Award 2015.

Nominations are being accepted for the Earl B. Higgins Achievement in Diversity Award and the Student Leadership in Diversity Award.

Nominees should be individuals who have contributed significantly to diversity.

Matt Poole 843-830-0027

498 Albemarle Road Charleston, SC 29407

9, 90

EEric i A A. D Draper

Broker In Charge ABR, BPO, CNE, GRN, SFR

(843) 442 7118 Cell ( 844) 231 7253 Off Of f ic e • (8 4 4 ) 2 3 5 72 5 3 F a x • w ww.West A shl e y P r o p e r t ies . c o m

IP07-1279634

5 bed 3 full bath 2 half baths 3062 sq ft.

Beautiful hardwood floors, a high-end kitchen with granite counters & stainless steel appliances, a dining area and a spacious living area with fireplace & beautiful molding and powder room...this is currently the only available townhome unit at the Albemarle.

Fully Renovated Lakefront home in the gated community of Ashley Harbor. Located on a stocked 32 acre fresh water lake with community boat ramp to the Ashley River, this home is in immaculate condition. The master bath is amazing with jetted tub & stand-up shower with frame-less shower. The back yard is spacious with panoramic lake views from your screened porch and the deck areas.

C H A R L E S T O N P I E R PA R T N E R S 1265 Folly Rd | Charleston, South Carolina | (843) 209-9667

IP07-1285469

Brand New Construction!

• Stiles Point Plantation subdivision on James Island • Only 7 minutes away from MUSC! • Award-winning elementary school!

$595,000

0

$491,000

Randall Sandin 843-209-9667

1676 Seignious Drive Charleston, SC 29407

5$ 2

750 Old Plantation Road

Entries must include the nomination form and two letters of endorsement for each nominee.

All submissions should be received by 5 p.m., Friday, Feb. 9 to burnham@musc.edu.

For information, visit http:// academicdepartments.musc.edu/esl/ studentprograms/studentdiversity/ ebhiggins/nominations.html.

10 The CaTalysT, February 20, 2015

Design Continued from Page Seven

John Lewis gets examined by Dr. Sherron Jackson at the Sickle Cell Clinic in Rutledge Tower at MUSC. MUSC’s Children’s Hospital has a wide range of pediatric specialtes, including more than 160 sub-specialities. sick or premature baby. Research shows the practice can have substantial health benefits for the baby.

“It’s wonderful for the babies for developmental milestones. It helps regulate their temperature, heart rate and breathing patterns. For the parent, it’s a moment you can bond with your child and, for a moment, feel like a mother.”

In a family-centered model, nurses help families learn as much as they can about caring for their baby before they leave the hospital. This is especially true in Edwards’ specialty since preemies tend to have more developmental issues. It’s important for the parents to feel like they are part of the care and to develop the best skills they can before taking their babies home. Nurses love that the new hospital will be based on family-centered care, she said.

“We’re good at promoting for parents to be patient advocates. We want them to be the voice of their baby. I think that’s something we do very well in the NICU. We encourage families to ask questions.

They are the ones at the bedside every day. Staff can come and go, but they are the ones who know their baby.”

Wain agrees. MUSC has a wide array of pediatric specialists, a Level 1 pediatric trauma center, which is the highest, and the new hospital will have

the highest Level 4 NICU. Parents will have the support of the best of the best in pediatric specialties in state, but when parents walk out of the hospital they become, by default, a medical provider on the spot.

“The real test is our ability to create patient family-centered care, where family members are at the center of the decision-making process for their children’s health and are getting the knowledge to better understand the needs of their child, who may be very fragile, when they go home.”

Though design teams have made great progress in pinning down details of making the family-centered vision a reality, it will take a community effort to get the hospital built, Wain said.

“We know we’ll need $50 million in philanthropy at a minimum in order to be able to open the doors. To me there’s nothing more that represents everything that’s great about a community than a children’s hospital. The success of a children’s hospital is best reflected in the community it serves. It’s a wonderful partnership.”

Darius Rucker, a long-time supporter of the children’s hospital, held a Big Band benefit concert for the new hospital Feb. 17. Wain said he’s thrilled to see the momentum start to build.

“We appreciate people who are able to help us through whatever their means might be and, as a result of that investment, to feel that they stand beside us.”

Professionally, Wain said, the new hospital will be one of his proudest accomplishments.

“This might be the most exciting thing that we as health professionals will ever do and that is to design a brand new hospital that is built on a history of success, a history of our care teams doing great work with nationally-recognized outcomes and quality, and taking all that success and rolling it into a new state-ofthe- art environment that focuses on the patient and their family,” he said.

“This will be the finest children’s hospital in America from a facility and quality standpoint the day it opens.

What better investment is there than that?”

PrOPOsed highlighTs

The following are some of the highlights of the new Children’s Hospital and Women’s Pavilion slated to open in 2019.

Private, spacious rooms q All patient rooms will be private, equipped to comfortably accommodate short or long stays by patients and their families. q Patient rooms in the intensive care unit (ICU) will double in size. q Square footage in other patient rooms will grow by 80 percent.

Supportive family design q Each patient floor will have play spaces filled with natural light, which is thought to promote healing. They also will feature respite areas and shared spaces designed to promote a supportive community of care. q Families staying for extended periods will have access to kitchens, laundry facilities, showers and other conveniences. q The cafeteria will be located on a mid-level floor in the patient tower, a more centralized location that features views of the Ashley River and outside terrace seating.

Empowering families as partners in care q Each patient floor will have a conference room where medical teams can consult and collaborate with families in developing their patients’ care plan. q Expanded wireless capability will ensure that families remain connected to outside sources of health information, as well as doctors and nurses on their children’s caregiver team.

Expanded patient-care units and amenities q An entire floor will be dedicated to the care of children

with cancer. This unit will be located on the top (10th) floor of the hospital, providing these longer-term patients and their families with the hospital’s best views of the Ashley River. q An entire floor will be dedicated to the care of children with heart problems. This cardiac floor will constitute the most comprehensive, dedicated heart center in South Carolina, with two cardiac operating rooms, two catheterization labs, a cardiac clinic, and the state’s only pediatric cardiac intensive care unit and step-down unit. q An entire floor will be designated for non-cardiac surgical procedures. It will house eight operating rooms, procedure suites and MRI scanners specifically designed and managed for the care of children.

On the same floor will be a noncardiac pediatric intensive care unit and step-down unit.

q The Advanced Fetal Care Center will serve as a portal of entry to a continuum of integrated, specialized care for children born with congenital birth defects. q The hospital will house an expanded neonatal intensive care unit with private patient rooms, including some that can be easily reconfigured for the care of twins. q The NICU will include six “couplet” rooms, where newborns and mothers can spend quiet time together while in intensive care. q A dedicated “stork” elevator will transport mothers in labor from the hospital’s entrance directly to the fourth-floor maternity pavilion. q An express elevator connected directly to the Level 1 dedicated pediatric trauma center and nationally ranked pediatric emergency room services a rooftop helicopter pad.

The CaTalysT, February 20, 2015 11

Campaign Continued from Page Eight

Rental Property 2 upstairs BR avail in 5 BR house. WA. Fncd in backyard. $600/mo + utilities. 303-2212.

Homes For Sale James I. 5min. from Dntn & Folly Beach 3Br. 2.5 ba Large Den w/FP, Completely redone Kitchen. New Appli., Brand New Granite Counter Tops & Cabinets in Kitchen & Bath. 2 Car Garage, 1st floor all new Hdwd Floors, Brand New Stain Master Carpet Upstairs w./10 yr warranty. Front & Back Professionallly Landscaped. All fixtures are new. $299,800. 843-830-1900

Furniture Fully-reclinable chair w/zero gravity tech. & heat/massage.

843-402-5962 $200obo King Size Plush Set New, will sacrifice for $275 843-270-4283 Full Mattress Set with Euro Pillow Top New $140.

Please Call: 843-270-4283 A-Queen Pillowtop that is Brand New in Plastic. Will take $150. Please call 843-270-4283

CirCle Continued from Page Six going to get a lot of infections.

After Legaré turned 18 months old, Edwards decided to start a parent partner program to offer bedside support for families in the NICU and to help them navigate what can be a complicated medical labyrinth. “You can feel very isolated. I just felt parents needed to meet other parents in the same situation. I started coming back and giving bedside support and just offering resources to them.”

That outreach confirmed her calling to go to nursing school and she joined MUSC 1.5 years ago.

She’s also on one of the design teams planning the new $350 million Children’s Hospital and Women’s Pavilion slated to open in 2019. The teams all have a doctor, nurse and parent representative on them. Edwards said she’s been pleasantly surprised that the parent input is weighed so heavily.

6,000 hospitalized children, has 100,000 outpatient visits and 22,000 pediatric emergency room visits. It does this with less than 1 percent of its budget supplied by the state, he said.

“That’s where this fundraising comes in and why it’s so important to the operations of the children’s hospital,” said Johnson.

The state having such a facility is critical. “It is the state’s pediatric burn center. It’s the state’s pediatric organ transplant center. It’s the state’s pediatric bone marrow center. It’s the only Level 1 pediatric trauma center in the state. And it’s the state pediatric heart surgery program. This is a program that ranks No. 1 or No. 2 in the United States every year. Imagine what we can do if we had some more space.”

Johnson thanked the Ruckers for their support.

Counting the night’s proceeds, Rucker’s big band concerts have raised nearly $915,000 since 2004.

Rucker, who has been on the board of the Children’s Hospital for years, said he understands the importance of having a new hospital and that it will be a resource for children in the community, state and country. He enjoys making visits to the hospital and seeing children who’ve gotten well.

“That just makes you feel even better. When a kid leaves the hospital and they’re OK, that makes you

“I think it’s wonderful that the new hospital will be based on family-centered care. When your baby is in there, it’s still your baby even though you don’t feel you have the right to change a diaper or take a temperature. Sometimes you feel you have to ask permission to be part of their care. It’s important for the parents to feel like they are part of the care team and to develop the skills they need for when they take their babies home.”

Though nurses already practice family-centered care, the new hospital will allow more privacy and space for families to be with their babies. The design will better facilitate practicing family-integrated care, a cause dear to her heart.

“We’re good at promoting for parents to be patient advocates.

We want them to be the voice of their baby. I think that’s something we do very well in the NICU. We encourage families to ask questions.

They are at the bedside every day.

Staff can come and go, but they are

the ones who know their baby.”

Edwards exudes a sense of calm in the NICU. Obviously, nursing suits her.

“I like being a part of the nursing staff, and really enjoy the interactions with the family members. It helps that I can relate to their stories. For example, a mom crying because she has to leave her baby, or when there is a setback regarding their baby’s health. The nursing staff really takes pride in the care we give. ” Edwards recently spoke to physicians at grand rounds to tell them her story and remind them of the human element that drives all of their work. She shared with them just how long that walk down the eighth floor hallway was for her.

And when she finds herself rushing down the eighth floor hallway going task to task, she slows herself down.

“I remind myself that the people I am walking next to – this could also be the longest hallway of their life.”

photo by Sarah Pack, Public Relations

Darius Rucker answers questions from the media before his Big Band Concert on Feb. 17. want to help even more. So I think this new hospital we’re building is going to expand that and help MUSC Children’s Hospital help more people,” Rucker said in an interview before the concert.

“For me kids are the future, but they’re also the people I think are the most helpless so you try to help them as much as you can. It’s our job to raise kids and make sure kids can be well.”

On stage during the presentation, his wife, Beth, put it simply.

“Let’s build it.”

For more information, visit imagine.musckids.org.

MUSC Wellness Events

q Take the Monthly Mindful Challenge and be eligible for prizes by completing a short survey at the beginning and end of the month. One employee will be featured in our “Spotlight on Wellness” column in The Catalyst. q Fried–free Fridays — Sodexo's Got Heart!

Each week during Heart Month, the cafeterias will support the health of MUSC employees by offering tasty, baked sweet potato fries and other heart-healthy side items. q Quit Smoking in 2015 — MUSC is conducting a research study to see if magnetic stimulation can reduce nicotine cravings and make it easier to stop smoking. Payment for participation is provided and free parking is available. For information, contact Scott Henderson, 792-5560. q Chair massages — Free massages are offered to employees midday on Wednesdays. Check broadcast messages for locations and times. q Farmers Markets — Fresh fruits and vegetables are available from local farmers on Fridays from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Horseshoe.

MUSC Urban Farm

q Midday Work and Learn — 12:15 to 12:45 p.m., Tuesdays q Early Bird Maintenance — 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.

Wednesdays

12 The CaTalysT, February 20, 2015

painTing Continued from Page Four

Cooper said it was hard losing Drew, but that she has developed a close friendship with Lattin. “When you take care of a child, you take care of the whole family,” she said. “I was out of the country when Drew passed away, but I cut my trip short to attend Drew’s service.”

“He was an exceptional kid,” Cooper continued. “I don’t like to pick favorites, because there are a lot of families I care for, but he’s up there.”

All of Lattin’s paintings feature a yellow ribbon for pediatric cancer awareness.

photos provided Playing the drums was one of Drew Lattin’s favorite hobbies.

After the death of her son, Laureen Lattin turned to painting to cope with grief. Some of her paintings now grace the walls of the Pediatric Oncology Clinic.

Cooper’s favorite painting, which depicts a turtle, has special significance. “I arranged for Drew to visit the aquarium after his treatment one day, and he loved the turtles,” she said. “All of Laureen’s paintings have something that reminds her of her son, and they all incorporate a yellow ribbon for pediatric cancer

Join us for an evening of music and mingling, dinner and learning more about the Diocese of Charleston’s missionary work in Guatemala.

Saturday, the twenty eighth of February two thousand fifteen at six-thirty in the evening. Cocktail Attire

To Purchase Tickets: Contact Teresa Garcia 843.531.5540 I tgacia@catholic-doc.org Or visit our website: http://sccatholic.org/guatemalangala

IP02-1280325

Blessed Sacrament Church, 5 Saint Teresa Dr., Charleston SC 29407

awareness.”

Lattin is a vocal advocate for cancer awareness.

“Don’t turn away and assume it’s nothing,” she said, warning others who may one day find themselves in her position.

“Drew led a full life,” Lattin said. “He got to graduate high school, which he was extremely proud of. He loved life, and he knew how to appreciate every moment.”

Lattin plans to donate more paintings in the near future, and Hudspeth, who is division chief of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, said that the paintings are definitely going with them when the clinic moves to the new children’s hospital.