MUSC Catalyst 7-24-2015

July 24, 2015

MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA

Vol. 33, No. 46

Inside U.S. News ranks MUSC as top in state University gets CDO

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Role will oversee diversity and inclusion efforts.

Pay it

FOrwarD

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Patient Accounting honors EVS for its efforts.

3

HCC News

5

Meet Elizabeth

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Humanitas

t h e C ata ly s t Online http://www. musc.edu/ catalyst

Staff Report MUSC was named by U.S. News & World Report as one of the country's best hospitals in the treatment of ear, nose and throat disorders, as well as the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina.

“I am proud to hear that U.S. News & World Report has ranked MUSC as the number one hospital in South Carolina.

This award reflects the excellence the MUSC teams pursue every day to deliver the highest level of quality and safe care for every MUSC patient. At the same time, we are also teaching the next generation of care providers and conducting the latest research innovations in health care so we can help all of South Carolina achieve this excellence,” said Patrick S. Cawley, M.D., executive director and chief executive officer of the MUSC Medical Center and MUSC vice president for clinical operations.

In addition to the national ranking for ENT, MUSC was also categorized as a “highperforming” facility for the treatment of nephrology; neurology and neurosurgery; orthopedics and pulmonology; and urology.

Paul Lambert, M.D., director of the MUSC Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, was pleased his division was recognized as one of the nation’s leading ENT centers.

“It is a nice accolade. I think it reflects the quality of our faculty, our clinical programs and our research enterprise,” Lambert

LIKE US

photo by Sarah Pack, Public Relations

Speech language pathologist Erin McGrattan, center, and laryngologist Dr. Ashli O’Rourke, right, perform an X-ray to examine how patient Lester Lane swallows. MUSC’s Ear, Nose and Throat was recognized as being among the best in the nation. said.

“We’ve got one the largest faculties for a university hospital in the country.

We have great depth at each of the Lambert subspecialty areas and bring depth and diversity to each of the subspecialty areas in terms of training background. Another thing we really do well is we’re probably in the top ten in the country with our involvement in clinical trials. Our department is really at the cutting

edge of investigation of basic science as well as clinical trials.”

U.S. News & World Report unveiled the 26th edition of the Best Hospitals rankings at usnews.com/besthospitals.

Designed to help patients with life–threatening or rare conditions identify hospitals that excel in treating the most difficult cases, Best Hospitals includes consumer–friendly data and information on nearly 5,000 medical centers nationwide. In the 2015–2016 rankings, 137 U.S. hospitals performed well enough in complex care to be nationally ranked in one or more specialties. U.S. News & World Report also identified 520 Best

Medical University of South Carolina — FOLLOW US

Regional Hospitals, ranking them by state and metro area based on their performance in both complex and common care.

The Best Hospitals methodology measures patient volume, risk–adjusted survival rates and adequacy of nurse staffing, among other carerelated indicators. U.S. News & World Report further expanded the number of physicians surveyed for the 2015-16 rankings.

“Patients deserve high–quality information on hospitals,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis at U.S. News & World Report. “We strive to provide

See Ranking on page 3 @ Catalyst_MUSC

2 The CaTalysT, July 24, 2015

PeoPle

Around Campus

Jake Abernathy

Percentage Night

James Abernathy, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Medicine, was selected to serve as the first chairman of the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists Safety and Quality Committee.

Stephen Duncan Stephen Duncan, D. Phil., has joined the Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology as chairman.

Duncan came to MUSC from the Medical College of Wisconsin where he served as vice chair of the Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy. He is a member of the Society for Developmental Biology, American Association for Cell Biology, American Association for the Advancement of Science and International Society for Stem Cell Research. He started at MUSC July 1.

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

evenTs MUSC’s Occupational Therapy Class of 2016 is hosting a percentage night benefitting the Hispanic Outreach to the Family Connection of South Carolina. This program assists Spanishspeaking parents of children with special needs. The event will be from 6 to 9 p.m., at the Americano in Mount Pleasant. For information, email langc@musc.edu.

Ride for Love The medical center’s Beth Reeves, fourth from left, and members of Team Big Truck joined WCBD-TV anchor Carolyn Murray, center, to help raise more than $17,000 for the May 9 Tunes for Tumors Concert benefitting the Department of Neurosciences’ MUSC Brain Tumor Research Fund.

Dirk Elston Dirk Elston, M.D., has joined the Department of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery as chairman. Elston came to MUSC from Ackerman Academy of Dermatopathology in New York where he served as director. Elston previously worked in dermatology at the Brooke Army Medical Center, Wilford Hall Medical Center and Geisinger Medical Center. He is a member of the American Dermatological 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.

Association and is president-elect of the American Society of Dermatopathology.

He started at MUSC July 1.

Michelle Nichols Michelle Nichols, Ph.D., R.N., has joined the College of Nursing as assistant professor and a research scientist. Nichols previously worked as a researcher for the Veterans Administration working with veterans and active duty personnel.

The Ride For Love sponsored by Low Country Harley-Davidson event will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, July 25. The event will honor and benefit the Mother Emanuel AME Church and includes ride stops to honor each of the nine victims of this tragedy. Register at Low Country Harley-Davidson. First 100 people to register get a free T-shirt. Food trucks will be on site with all proceeds will benefit victim’s families.

Bazaar at the Point This free monthly community event will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday, July 26 at the Outlook Pavilion, Charleston Harbor Resort in Mount Pleasant. The event focuses on locallysourced products, arts and crafts. Call 284-7022 for more information.

Repairs to Jonathan Lucas Patient Garage As part of the ongoing efforts to maintain our parking facilities, waterproofing and masonry repairs to the Jonathan Lucas patient parking garage are scheduled until September.

This project will take 77 of the 365 spaces in the garage out of service for two to three months.

In order to minimize inconvenience to our patients and visitors, efforts to reduce unauthorized employee parking in this patient facility are underway.

Beginning June 15, employees entering the Jonathan Lucas garage during the patient day may be asked to present their OPM parking authorization.

In the absence of current OPM authorization, employees will be redirected to their personal parking locations. Employees authorized to park in the garage at night and on weekends should make every effort to vacate the garage prior to 8:30 a.m.

Monday through Friday.

The CaTalysT, July 24, 2015 3

New hematology-oncology director expands services, research Staff Report Carolyn D. Britten, M.D., a noted expert in Phase I cancer clinical trials, has been named director of the Hematology/Oncology Division in the Department of Medicine.

Britten, the Charles Westfield Coker Endowed Chair in Gastrointestinal Oncology, will continue to serve in her current role as associate director for clinical investigations at Hollings Cancer Center.

Britten, who specializes in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers, spearheaded the development of the Phase I Clinical Trials Program that now includes a portfolio of more than 20 actively accruing trials for patients with advanced cancer. Britten was recruited to MUSC in 2012 from the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she held several leadership positions including associate director of the Signal Transduction and Therapeutics Research Program.

Patrick Cawley, M.D., vice president for clinical operations and chief executive officer for the MUSC Medical Center, applauds the announcement.

“I am excited to have Dr. Britten join the oncology senior leadership team in MUSC Health. She has a collaborative, approachable and persistent style that makes her a successful leader. In addition, she is a noted scientist and clinician, and she will continue the Hollings Cancer Center tradition of bridging the research lab and clinical care which is vital in the care of cancer patients today.”

Interim director of the Hollings Cancer Center, Anthony J. Alberg, Ph.D., noted that Britten quickly became a sought–after collaborator among the scientists at Hollings.

“With a keen insight into the latest scientific underpinnings of cancer, she has been able to work with our scientists to translate their laboratory findings

Ranking

Continued from Page One

them with the most comprehensive data available so they can make more informed decisions together with their doctor about where to undergo treatment.”

The specialty rankings and data were produced for U.S. News & World Report by RTI International, a leading research organization based in Research Triangle Park, N.C. U.S. News & World Report used both the specialty rankings and its recently published Best Hospitals for Common Care ratings to produce the Best Regional Hospitals.

U.S. News & World Report first began publishing hospital rankings in 1990 as part of an expanding group of consumer advice products. During the past 26 years, the Best Hospitals rankings have helped guide millions of patients and their families to high–quality hospital care when they need it most.

photo by Sarah Pack, Public Relations

Dr. Carolyn Britten plans to greatly expand clinical services and research in MUSC’s Hematology–Oncology Division in the Department of Medicine. directly into the clinic via clinical trials. Not many places in the country can claim to have this capability, but the scientists at the Hollings Cancer Center, with Dr. Britten’s insight and leadership, have done this.”

In her new role as director of the Hematology– Oncology Division, Britten’s vision is to greatly expand the clinical services and research within the division. She plans to do this by doubling the number of clinicians committed to clinical and translational research; leading the development of partnerships with regional community-based cancer programs to extend the specialized oncology services of the division; and refining the training within the division’s fellowship program to yield a new generation of medical oncologists equipped to practice in an era of targeted therapies.

Don Rockey, M.D., chairman of the Department of Medicine, is pleased Britten will be leading this effort.

“We launched a national search for this critical leadership position within the department and the Hollings Cancer Center, and it became clear to the search committee early on that we had one of the best and brightest talents in the field of medical oncology already in our own ranks,” he said. “Dr. Britten brings great energy, passion and leadership to this position, and we all anticipate great things for both her and the division. I look forward to working with her, and I am certain that she is going to have a great impact within a short time frame not only within the institution, but also for the community we serve, in delivering the very best in patient-oriented cancer care.”

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4 The CaTalysT, July 24, 2015

Program helps overlooked victims of addiction Social worker, therapist helps families by teaching skills to improve impact of addiction

By Dawn BRazell Public Relations

I

t's not unusual for Karen Perlmutter to make people cry.

Of course, that’s not the goal, but it sometimes happens in her work in reaching out to what she feels is an underserved portion of the population — caregivers of loved ones with addiction issues.

On a Friday morning a group of a dozen participants gathers to share war stories of what life can be like when addiction affects family dynamics. Perlmutter, a substance abuse therapist at MUSC’s Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs (CDAP), wants to hear the stories.

But this is not solely a support group.

She’s also here to arm the participants with skills to preserve their sanity. One of the topics on the table today: resentment and guilt.

“How many of you feel like you’re beginning to make some progress?” she asks the members attending this session of Families in Recovery Skills Training, known as FIRST. Some hands rise around the table.

Others avoid eye contact.

“We don’t unravel years of family patterns in one 1-1/2 hour session,” she says, and some of the tension eases in the room. She poses a question.

“How do I protect myself and my little square of sanity and still show love and support?” she says, explaining that guilt and resentment are two sides of the same coin that caregivers experience. “If we have anger, where do we direct it?”

Her suggestion: at the disease.

“You can say, ‘I hate this disease for what it has done to my child or my husband.’ The addict is combatting this, and the family is combatting it, too.”

Because the stakes are high, with addiction possibly leading to job loss, jail time and even life and death situations, sometimes the family becomes too involved.

They need to rethink what their true role

is in helping their loved one.

“I can do my part, and my part is not all that big,” Perlmutter says, as many participants who seem to have learned this the hard way nod in consent. “We love that child so much, but with that love comes vulnerability. We’re not as powerful as we wish. We learn to co-exist with uncertainty.”

As soon as the words are out, the newest member of the group bursts out in tears. Others in the group comfort her, with one woman adding that she’s had to learn to live in the “shaky-quaky” and how learning to let go of control is a freeing place.

For Perlmutter, that shared insight is a win.

Breaking CODePenDenCy Perlmutter describes the FIRST program, which is offered on a rolling, open-admissions basis during its 10-week cycle, as her “baby.”

The clinical instructor in the Addiction Sciences Division of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences is drawing from a curriculum she has written based on a decade of experience in the field of substance abuse treatment. The licensed independent social worker came to MUSC in 2011 after working at a methadone treatment clinic in Wilmington, North Carolina.

She admits she was naïve at first, but her experiences have taught her how significant the role of the family is in recovery.

“When I came to CDAP, it was unbelievably eye opening to see not only the impact of family dynamics on the addiction but also the impact of the addiction on the family. Over and over again I was seeing families with heartbreakingly raw stories, and they felt so isolated and helpless.”

When she began researching existing evidence-based, family recovery curriculums, she was surprised to find virtually nothing. She decided to write her own, incorporating concepts from

photos by Sarah Pack, Public Relations

Therapist Karen Perlmutter uses an innovative curriculum in the Families in Recovery Skills Training program at MUSC’s Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs to help what she sees as an underserved population: caregivers with loved ones struggling with addiction.

The FIRST program focuses on teaching clinical skills to help families overcome the shame, guilt and codependency involved in the family dynamics of addiction.

a combination of treatments, including cognitive behavioral therapy, 12-step programs, dialectical behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing.

She also decided to harness the power of the family.

“In some cases, it was evident that the family members were the more motivated ‘patients’ and were desperate and ready to get started on change. I wanted to offer clinical services to whomever was ready and willing to come to the table.”

Perlmutter knew the hot spots she wanted to cover in her curriculum.

Patients were asking for help developing coping and communication skills, setting boundaries, restoring identity, doing better self-care and being intentional about grief and trauma work that always

comes in tandem with addiction issues.

“I hate the disease of addiction and what it does to people and families. I am passionate about helping people feel empowered. It is overwhelming and can make you feel helpless to watch a loved one suffer with this disease and to have no idea if what you’re doing is helping or hurting.”

This confusion leaves family members feeling conflicted, guilty, angry and fearful. “I don’t feel that it’s my job or, or frankly my right, to tell people how to handle their loved one’s addiction. Some choices families have to make can be life or death, and I have no right to meddle in these intimate choices.”

See First on page 9

The CaTalysT, July 24, 2015 5

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6 The CaTalysT, July 24, 2015

New chief oversees diversity across campus

By J. Ryne Danielson

Dr. Willette Burnham, former executive director of student programs and student diversity, stepped into the newly-created role of university chief diversity officer, effective July 1.

Public Relations Willette Burnham, Ph.D., has been appointed chief diversity officer for the Medical University, a newlycreated position that will complement the existing role of chief diversity officer for MUHA. “MUSC is an ever–growing organization,” said Lisa Montgomery, executive vice president for finance and administration. “The scope of the job is such that it makes sense to have two complementary positions overseeing diversity across the enterprise. Diversity is a priority for the entire organization, and we think we have one of the best, most comprehensive diversity and inclusion plans of any organization, particularly in higher education or health care. We’re very excited about it. And as we enter the implementation phase of that plan, we felt it was time for the university to have a dedicated chief diversity officer.

“Willette Burnham has extensive experience in this area and has done an outstanding job co-chairing the Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Planning committee.

She brings a lot of talent to the position.”

As part of the Strategic Planning committee, Burnham spent almost a year reviewing diversity and inclusion plans at institutions similar to MUSC, Montgomery said. “She’s done a tremendous amount of research, looking at what others have done, determining their successes that we want to emulate and their shortcomings that we want to improve upon.

“Not a lot of academic health centers have enterprisewide plans, but we believe diversity and inclusion should be cornerstones for any organization. If we want to be successful in our missions — in health care, education, and research — this has to be a focus. We have faculty, students and staff from around the world, and we want to ensure they feel included and that they can be successful here. We also have a responsibility to ensure our patients and their families feel welcome.

It makes us a richer community, and it’s just the right thing to do.”

MUSC President David Cole, M.D., FACS, said he is delighted to welcome Burnham to the senior leadership team as she begins her new role. “Having co-chaired the Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Planning committee over the past two years, she is uniquely qualified to head up this effort. Not only is her heart in this work, her wealth of experience makes her the ideal person to tackle this important position. She and Anton Gunn, chief diversity officer for MUHA, will make a formidable team as they work together to implement the D/I strategic plan and create a more diverse MUSC community where every member is, by definition, respected and valued.”

Burnham joined MUSC in 2006 and previously served as executive director of student programs and student diversity. “The position of university chief diversity officer has never existed for the organization,”

photo by Anne Thompson, Digital Imaging

she said. “Because it’s new, there will be opportunities for the position to evolve as we determine the needs of the organization and the best way to achieve them.”

Burnham stressed that the roles of chief diversity officer for the university and the hospital are complementary and that she would strive to avoid redundancies between the two positions. “We want to use our resources as efficiently and wisely as possible,” she said.

In Burnham’s previous role, her focus was on student diversity. The new role expands her responsibilities to include faculty and staff, as well as external constituents. “I’ll be working with community leaders and building partnerships,” she explained. “We’ve created a community advisory council, and we’ll be getting the members’ feedback on how we’re doing, where we need to be held accountable, where we could be doing a better job, where we’re doing a great job — as well as listening and responding to their needs and expectations. We’re also strengthening existing partnerships to build our recruitment and pipeline initiatives in order to hire the best faculty and employees for the organization.”

Burnham said MUSC is currently working toward meeting the goals she helped to set in her work on the Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Planning committee.

“One of the success stories that I’m most proud of is the new employee orientation that went into effect on June 15. Every new employee across the entire organization participates in a presentation on the values and expectations of the organization they’re

joining, with respect to diversity and inclusion. They are provided with material that asks them to reflect on the unique value they bring to MUSC. We don’t collect those; it’s just a way of saying ‘We value what you bring to the organization. You are welcome here because of who you are, not in spite of it.’ It’s been well-received by our new employees.”

Burnham said an ongoing review of all MUSC policies and procedures is currently underway as well.

“We’re doing a thorough read–through of all polices that relate to our employees, making sure they’re inclusive in terms of language, that they make sense to the lay reader and that there is nothing in them that would make an employee feel unwelcome here.”

Burnham said she is excited to tackle the challenges and opportunities of the new role. “It’s exciting to come to work every day. No two days are the same, just like no two employees are the same. It would be a very boring place if we were all the same, if MUSC didn’t reflect the world that we live in and the community that we serve.”

Burnham said her first priority is always to listen.

“The Diversity and Inclusion Plan doesn’t identify every problem, so I’m going to spend a great deal of time listening and making an assessment about where we can be most effective.”

Diversity is defined very broadly at MUSC. As Burnham explained, that is intentional. “Diversity means diversity of socio-economic status, diversity of

See Chief on page 11

The CaTalysT, July 24, 2015 7

Hospital Patient Accounting ‘pays it forward’ to EVS

By Mikie hayes Public Relations

Left photo: EVS team members show off the bracelets the Mother Emanuel AME Church staff gave them after helping to clean the church. Right photo: EVS volunteers take a moment to pray for the nine lives lost on June 17. photos provided to honor them. We all did.”

After speaking with Starkey about something that might be meaningful to the group, Stephens decided to give each person who volunteered that day a Subway gift card, as the restaurants stay open at MUSC during all shifts. When she mentioned her idea to coworkers, they immediately said, “That’s a great idea. Can I give you some money? I want to help.”

Stephens spoke with her superior, Suzanne Makin, director of Patient Accounting and Revenue Systems, who was fully on board. It became a department project to buy lunch for every EVS volunteer.

Makin was not surprised in the least that Stephens would take the lead in doing something special for the volunteers as it is just in her nature, she said. “The

enormity of the event that has resonated throughout Charleston and the world, inspired many acts of kindness and love,” Makin explained. “Marie read Dr. Cawley’s message about the EVS team’s contribution

See Team on page 11

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Less than 24 hours after the tragic shootings at Mother Emanuel AME Church, Angela Starkey, an assistant director with Environmental Services, went down to the historic church and handed out her business cards, offering to bring a team from her department to do a thorough cleaning of the areas inside the church where nine lives had been lost.

She didn’t hear back immediately; the church was understandably a scene of turmoil. Thousands of well–wishers and teams from local and national media outlets blocked streets and sidewalks, and inside, church staff were being inundated with flowers, special deliveries and, most of all, phone calls.

On Monday morning following the mass shooting, having sifted through the countless messages of support and hope, the church secretary called Starkey back, gratefully accepting the kind offer.

Starkey and her fellow assistant director, John Lawyer, knew they and their team had particular experience cleaning sensitive areas like operating rooms, emergency rooms, and trauma units. Lawyer felt certain they could offer their expertise, while at the same time, tangibly help at a time when most people had no idea how to be of assistance.

Responding immediately, Lawyer and Starkey went down to the church to see what they were dealing with.

“Once we saw what we had to do,” Lawyer said, “I said, ‘We are going do this today.’” And back to campus they went to assemble a team.

They recruited a team of 17, who, out of nothing but the goodness of their hearts, devoted their time and poured their energy into spotlessly cleaning Mother Emanuel to help erase – at least physically – reminders of the tragedy.

They had no idea, however, that their generosity of spirit would touch so many hearts and trigger an outpouring of support.

Marie Stephens processes paper claims for the Hospital Patient Accounting Department. As a child growing up in Charleston, she lived on George Street, in the heart of the College of Charleston campus.

Her dad worked at the college for 37 years. While she attended St. Andrew Lutheran Church on Wentworth Street, many of her playmates attended Mother Emanuel AME church on Calhoun, and on several occasions the churches did activities together. She has fond memories of those special times.

Like most Charlestonians, Stephens took the news of the nine deaths at the AME church hard. So when Stephens read that 17 MUSC employees had volunteered their time to clean the church, she wanted to do something special for them. “I was so touched by their hard work,” Stephens said. “What they must have seen. I know it was hard. I just wanted to do something

8 The CaTalysT, July 24, 2015

Future surgeon sees the human body as her canvas

By J. Ryne Danielson Public Relations

HUMANITAS 2015

Untitled by Caroline Cox, College of Medicine

and didn’t have a lot of money to decorate, so I decided to try out some watercolors on a big canvas to decorate

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Caroline Cox, a rising second-year student in the College of Medicine, sees the human body as her canvas. She is the winner of the 2015 Humanitas Award for Creative Excellence in Visual Art and she hopes one day to be as comfortable with a scalpel as she is with a paint brush.

Cox is from Lexington, South Carolina, and comes to MUSC with a degree in biology from Clemson University. She said she was drawn to surgery because of the hands-on aspect of the field. “Being a surgeon is almost like being an artist,” she explained. “One of my mentors told me, ‘Every person you operate on is like your canvas, and each stitch is like a stroke from your brush.’”

That mentor was Charles William Harmon, M.D., a surgeon in Cox’s hometown. She was introduced to Harmon through her grandfather, William Speaks, M.D., a general practitioner who often referred his patients to Harmon, one of the only surgeons operating in that part of rural South Carolina in the mid-1970s.

Both Harmon and Speaks went to medical school at MUSC, Cox said, adding, “It’s cool how it’s come full circle.”

Cox said a nursing assistant class, which she took her senior year of high school, was a transformative experience. “I was taking care of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients as an 18-year-old, and it put a lot of responsibility on me and made me realize medicine was something I wanted to do with my life.”

She is specifically drawn to surgery for the creative aspect she believes it requires, as well as the immediacy of its effects. “You get such tactile results,” she said.

“And you actually see people getting better. It’s not that you just prescribe them medication and then wait. With family doctors, if the patient doesn’t comply with his or her orders, the patient doesn’t get better. With surgery, you’re in charge of the treatment.”

Cox said her love of painting blossomed in high school. She considered pursuing a career in the arts, but eventually shied away from the lack of job security.

“I love working with my hands,” she said. “I don’t have any formal training. I just paint because it’s relaxing, and I enjoy it. But, I’ve always loved science as well, so medicine seemed like the best of both worlds.”

Watercolor is Cox’s favorite medium. She explained why: “Colors blend a lot more easily. You can fix mistakes more easily. You can also make them very vibrant or very muted, depending on what you’re trying to do.”

The untitled piece Cox submitted to Humanitas was painted solely in watercolor.

“I didn’t expect anything from this painting,” she said. “But, so much good has come from it. I was moving into my apartment at Clemson my junior year

my room. Imagining the shadows and the lines of the woman’s face helped me draw her with a pencil first, then I went back and applied color. I didn’t really have an end goal in mind, but I liked how it turned out.”

Finding the time to paint in medical school can be challenging. “I usually wait until the end of one of our tests or during Christmas or Easter break. I’ve found it’s easier to do smaller pieces while classes are going on. I remember one night I came home really stressed out.

I had a lot to do, but I decided I needed to take a time out and paint something. Sometimes I just have to step back from the school work, from all the studying and science, and release some stress through painting.”

Cox said she has been drawn to the human form in her painting, but lately has been venturing into the abstract. “I start with painting lines on the canvas, then filling in with different colors and textures. You just have to go for it and see what comes out of it.”

Proper proportions are the hardest to master, Cox said, especially with landscapes. Doing so requires a fine-tuned eye. And, like a painter, a surgeon must have a fine-tuned eye as well, she said. She believes painting has helped her develop just that. A surgeon must also be able to improvise and adapt, to accept that outcomes are always uncertain and never predetermined. Here too, painting serves as her guide. “I never have a full vision or know the final outcome of a painting,” Cox said. “I just do what feels right.”

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The CaTalysT, July 24, 2015 9 Continued from Page Four

Instead she gives people tools, resources, strategies and a framework through which to weigh their choices.

“Families feel empowered when they are confident in their approach, when they relax into the realization that they can’t fix everything for their loved one and when they know they are taking into consideration both their addicted loved one’s needs and also their own.”

Perlmutter says she has great respect for the families with whom she works because addiction is a complex disease, something she explores in detail during the FIRST course and in private sessions with patients.

Families have to develop a plan of how to function in the face of a chronic disease. She teaches the neuroscience of addiction and how to interact with a “hijacked” addicted brain, the skills needed to decrease chaos and the psychology of effectively influencing chance and creating a united family strategy. She also teaches how to do contingency contracting designed to hold the entire famiy to a healthy standard of functioning with well-defined consequences. “I know that loving someone comes as a package deal with worrying about them, resenting it when they make bad choices, second-guessing how we interact with them at times. These aren’t only addiction issues. These are human issues. Addiction just complicates them.” healing Paths

photo by Dawn Brazell, Public Relations

In the class, Perlmutter discusses the types of ‘amends’ caregivers and their loved ones with addiction issues have to make to aid healing.

As the 90-minute group session begins to come to a close, participants digest all they have learned about the biological, psychological, social and spiritual underpinnings that can lead to vulnerability toward addiction.

Perlmutter reminds everyone that though genetics forms 50 percent of the equation, there are many other factors that can tip someone toward an addiction.

“It’s a big hot mess called life with multiple variables that interact with each other.”

For example, some people have what’s known as a “tipsy” gene, where they feel the effects of alcohol sooner. Others have a high tolerance for it. Then there are the compounding factors of pain, injury and illness, which can increase a person’s vulnerability and exposure to forming an addiction.

In her work with cancer survivors with addiction issues, it’s often not the treatment that causes the problem, but the emotional impact. “Those are the unspoken stories of pain, injury and illness.”

Another factor is childhood trauma. “When trauma happens at a young age, it messes with our brain chemistry,” she says, referring to a growing body of research linking addiction and trauma.

Sometimes people just do what they have to do to make it through the day, she says. Some go for the quick fixes and then get caught in a shame spiral where they cope through addictions and then feel ashamed,

get stressed out and scared and use again. For many families, there is a lack of learned healthy coping skills and communication strategies. In the social realm, people may have job stress and lack fulfilling relationships. There tends to be a cult of self-reliance, where people have systematically ruled out the social support systems, whether it’s friends, family or faith.

“It’s such a tender relationship with life that just one little variable can change things.”

On the topic of resentment, one participant admits it makes her angry that her loved one takes the risks she does. A group member nods: “You beat your head against the wall. It’s not rational.”

Perlmutter sums it up. “It’s not a rational disease.”

As the time draws to an end, one group member says she wishes she had the information she’s learning now 50 years ago and wonders if it would have made a difference. Perlmutter refers to a quote from writer Maya Angelou: “I did then what I knew how to do.

Now that I know better, I do better.”

Perlmutter tells them to treat themselves with care, to remember that they cannot fix the past, but that starting today, they can live better with what they know now.

“We clean up our side of the street to the best of our ability to make clear, reasonable decisions. You’re healing as a recovering family member. We do the best we can with what we know. The goal is to expand what we know to increase the chances for healthy solutions.

We come up with solutions from what we know.”

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10 The CaTalysT, July 24, 2015

Summertime advice: A tan is ‘pretty,’ but it isn’t glamorous The June Monthly Mindful Winner Kimberly Brown offers her perspective on the aftermath of that summertime glow. Sun safety is a year–round concern but even more so in the summer months. “Even if you have olive skin or tan easily — this is not a get– out–of–jail–free card from skin cancer. Your skin will tell on you via age spots, moles and wrinkles.”

The June challenge invited staff and students to protect themselves from excess exposure to the sun, including making sunscreen part of their morning routine. The Skin Cancer Foundation (SKF) reports that people who use sunscreen daily show 24 percent less skin aging than those who do not use sunscreen daily. Kim decided to participate as the prevention of skin cancer is a cause that is very important to her. “It is one of the most preventable types of cancer if you take certain steps to protect yourself. I lost a family friend to melanoma and have a vivid memory of caring for a patient with melanoma when I was in nursing school. It truly impacted me in a profound way. The pain my patient suffered was unimaginable. So, when I read about the challenge, I wanted to see if I was doing everything in my power to protect my own skin.”

Given her Scandinavian heritage, this case manager in the Utilization Review department burns easily, which makes sun safety a priority and a challenge. ”I come from the days where you put baby oil on your skin to tan and can remember a few horrible sunburns as a result.” (The SKF notes that just one blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person’s chance of developing melanoma later in life.)

“One night or two I wanted to sleep hanging like a bat.

We get one body,and it’s up to us to take care of it.”

MUSC’s Department of Dermatology recommends: q Wear sunscreen daily, even if you don’t plan to be outside and reapply it frequently. Makeup and moisturizers with built-in SPF are acceptable for most ambient light exposure (walking from the car to work, etc.,) but a dedicated sunscreen underneath the makeup or moisturizer is advisable for extended direct sunlight exposure. q Choose a sunscreen marked “Broad Spectrum,” meaning it is designated to block both UVA and UVB rays, in order to best protect against the negative effects of UV exposure. q Minimize your exposure during the intensive heat of the day — sun avoidance during the hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. is the best way to protect against UV exposure. qWear a hat and sunglasses as well to protect your eyes.

A wide brimmed (4” or more) hats are recommended to help protect high-risk skin cancer sites like the scalp, ears and nose from UV light.

Sobering statistics from the American Cancer Society indicate one person dies of melanoma (every 57 minutes, with an estimated 73,870 new cases of invasive melanoma diagnosed in the U.S. in 2015. Yet positive results from clinical studies cite regular daily use of an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen reduces the risk

of developing squamous cell carcinoma by 40 percent and the risk of developing melanoma by 50 percent. The sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays can affect skin 365 days a year, even on cloudy, overcast, foggy and rainy days. So don’t put away the sunscreen with the pool toys.

Employee Wellness

3:30 p.m. at the Horseshoe.

MUSC Wellness Center

Health at work

q July Monthly Mindful Challenge — Make sleep a Susan Johnson priority. Begin by taking the challenge’s first survey at http:// tinyurl.com/qgv5dfk. A link to the final survey will be sent at month’s end to those who take the first survey. q Chair massages — Free massages are offered to employees from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 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

q HITS (High Intensity Training System) — Make yourself faster, stronger and more agile through this sixweek program. Sign up at the membership desk. Visit www.musc.edu/hsc or 792-5757. q Adventure Out is a yearlong outdoor fitness campaign to encourage residents to visit city parks for exercise. Free fitness classes with the purchase of an Adventure Out T-shirt or tank ($10/$15) for the entire year. T-shirts purchased from previous years are valid.

Classes are designed for all ages and fitness levels. For information, visit www.musc.edu/adventureout.

MUSC Urban Farm

q Early Bird Maintenance — 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., Wednesdays q Saturday Work and Learn — 9 to 11 a.m., Aug. 1 and Aug. 15 For information, email Susan Johnson, Ph.D. at johnsusa@musc.edu or Susan B. Whelan at whela@ musc.edu.

The CaTalysT, July 24, 2015 11

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Continued from Page Six

gender, region, personal life experience; it’s whatever you bring to the table. Everyone brings value to the organization. And we need everyone to be successful.

It’s important to stress that I can’t do this alone. This isn’t a one-woman show. I will lead by example, I will hold people accountable, I will remain committed to the work, but at the end of the day, every one of us must make a commitment.”

Montgomery said the organization has made that commitment at the highest levels. “The board of trustees, the president and senior leadership have given diversity and inclusion their full support and are providing the resources necessary for its success. Add in two talented leaders in the field of diversity and a plan that we believe is one of the best in the country—there may be challenges along the way, but we’re confident we’ll be successful.

“Our goal, ultimately, is to be leaders,” Montgomery continued. “We want other institutions to look to us for best practices. We also want to be a leader in addressing disparities in health care and improving the health of everyone in our community. We want to be a strong partner to the communities that we serve. We want to be the organization that people look to when they’re in need.”

Dr. Willette Burnham writes a quarterly column in The Catalyst called Diversity and Inclusion Impact. Watch for the next one scheduled in September.

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Continued from Page Seven

and connected with that team spirit and the love. Marie brings the same spirit to her own team in Hospital Patient Accounting within the Commercial Collections Unit. She works behind the scenes to promote good deeds and cares deeply about the well–being of MUSC, including our patients, their families and employees of the MUSC Medical Center.”

Stephens began collecting funds and received enough to buy $10 cards for each person. She and her friend and coworker, Ed Fonvielle, who Makin describes as “thick as thieves,” then created a special card for all 17 of the volunteers and anyone in their department who wanted one as a reminder. The sentiment inside each card read: "Start by doing what's necessary, then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible," — Francis of Assisi “We offer our heartfelt thanks to you for your contribution of humanity by your unselfish act of kindness. You embody the MUSC Excellence. The cleaning of Emanuel AME church was voluntary. Your actions make all of us proud that you work with us.

It was signed from the members of Hospital Patient Accounting Revenue System.”

They planned to make a presentation at the department’s all-staff meeting which was to be held in a large venue. But when the space didn’t work out as hoped, Lawyer and Starkey came to Makin’s area, representing the team members who work all shifts.

Stephens believes that having a smaller venue worked out for the best, as it led to a very emotional bonding experience for both departments.

Lawyer addressed the group that was assembled to hear about the experience that day and thank them.

“Angie went to the church on Thursday and again on Friday. There were thousands of people, and she handed out cards. On Monday morning, the church secretary calls us and asks if are still willing to volunteer.

I said, ‘Yes. That’s a blessing for us.’ For us to get to do that? For someone to ask us to do that?” he asked, shaking his head, choking back tears. “’Let’s go.’ I said.

‘We’re going to clean a church.’”

Lawyer said they piled the back of his truck up with equipment and cleaning supplies donated by MUSC and he, Starkey and 16 others went back to the church that Monday afternoon. He was happy MUSC was so supportive of the effort. “They allowed us to use whatever we needed,” he said proudly.

Starkey, too, shared her recollections of the day with all in the room: “For two hours we did what we were born to do – make a difference. We talk about diversity and love and peace in a lot of our town halls,” she explained. “We wanted to give back from MUSC and give back from us – as human beings. That could have been any of our family members in that church. It could have been us. We wanted to reach out. We wanted to give back to those families and tell them that we are all one. It wasn’t about race. It was about love, peace and unity.

“It was such a humbling experience,” she continued,

Environmental Services volunteers were presented with Subway gift cards and pins as a “thank you” for their help at Emanuel AME Church. photo provided

referring to being in the church where the shootings took place. “Where the pastor had gotten killed,” she said, pausing to fight back tears. “It was a heavy scene.

I’m passionate about what we do and so is Law. To see people giving honor and worshipping God.” Lawyer shared that he removed two chairs that were inside the room where the shootings happened. They had bullet holes in them. “You open up the chairs and you see the bullet holes,” he said. “The bullet hole went through a plant. I am going to regrow the plant and give each family member part of the plant.”

He was supposed to dispose of the chairs, but something in his spirit told him not to. He was glad he didn’t. He got a call the next day and the chairs were needed for evidence. That small experience struck him.

He knew God was involved.

Lawyer added, “When I say I am grateful – I am truly grateful.”

When it came time for the presentation, the mood became very solemn. Stephens had asked Fonvielle ahead of time if he would make the presentation on behalf of the department. “I like to do things behind the scenes,” she said. “And Ed, he’s a wonderful public speaker.”

Speaking of the shootings at Mother Emanuel, Fonvielle said, “There wasn’t one person in this room who wasn’t touched by it. You can feel it right here,” he said pointing to his heart. “I’m kind of like Mr. Lawyer, I get emotional about certain things: God, family, friends. This is our family here. All of MUSC is family.”

He gave credit to the person who headed up the effort. “Marie Stephens, having read and heard so much, had an idea that we could something for the people who helped these families. Having experienced what you had to do is a situation that is beyond belief,” he said to Lawyer and Starkey. “To understand what you had to see and had to do is incomprehensible.

Marie took it upon herself to contact all of us.”

“We‘ve got something for you to remember,” he continued. “To say thank you. It’s a remembrance of what you had to go through. So that we will know who all did all the work.”

Lawyer added his signature brand of humor at just the right moment, saying, “This is a bunch of crybabies.” Everyone laughed.

See Team on page 12

12 The CaTalysT, July 24, 2015

Fonvielle read the names of the volunteers and added, “These are the seventeen people who volunteered their time and their hearts to do the unthinkable and the unspeakable. From the bottom of our hearts, to your hearts, we can’t thank you enough for representing MUSC.” When he had difficulty continuing, he ended it there.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the room and tissue was in full supply.

“It was very emotional,” Stephens said. “Everyone was crying. We all hugged and kissed afterward. It was an opportunity for them to talk about what they’d seen.”

The speeches and presentation of the gifts and handmade cards were taped, and Stephens plans to have it all put to music and the pictures of the day added. She will then make a copy for everyone involved.

Starkey was moved by the tribute and the kindness of the Hospital Patient Accounting staff. “Although so many people — Dr. Cawley being one — have reached out and thanked us for being thoughtful, we certainly felt special being honored and recognized by the passionate and heartfelt employees in the HPA department. We were truly humbled by the experience and would do it again if we had to. Our goal was to clean the church, but also to bring unity and togetherness in a room that was once filled with so much hurt and pain. Our act of kindness embraced the motto of MUSC and that’s ‘Changing what’s possible.’”

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