Catalyst 7-5-2013

July 5, 2013

MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA

Vol. 31, No. 45

Inside Lung EXCELLENCE IN ACTION

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Two Institute of Psychiatry nurses come came to the aid of aa patient visitor after after he he appeared to be having a heart attack.

cancer patient urges politicians to fund research

BY ASHLEY BARKER Public Relations

N

early six years ago, John Sanders was diagnosed with stage-3B lung cancer.

After 12 weeks of chemotherapy, he went into remission. But within a year and a half, he was diagnosed with lung cancer again. This time it was stage 4, and it had spread.

The administrator of the MUSC Children’s Hospital, who has been a life-long nonsmoker, is approaching a scary milestone.

Statistics say that about 90 percent of stage-4 HEALTHY RESEARCH VENDING lung cancer patients don’t make it past the SERVICE OPTIONS LINE five-year mark. Sanders is planning to join the 10 percent who do. He hopes that continued research for a cure will help him survive much longer.

Sanders, who had two lobes of his right lung removed, spoke to legislative aides and the Nexus Three new will media during a press conference on June 21 at Hollings Cancer Center. During his speech, machines enhance placed he urged politicians to provide funding for translational on campus researchers to develop a cure for cancer. provide researchsnacks and “My prognosis is bad. This disease is going likeserve Pirate’s as Booty, an to kill me unless something else gets me first. extended Sweet Leaf partner Tea It’s not a fun thing to think about,” he told and for medical Brothers the crowd.

Fruit discoveries.

Crisps.

New medications and a successful clinical trial that he participated in for nine months Stroke care safety costs have enabled Sanders to keep living a 24 Firework relatively normal life. Even though he has 5 Meet TJ chemotherapy infusion every three weeks, something he has to psych himself up for, Candy stripers 11 Applause 10 he rarely misses work. He also spends each evening after infusion on a bike, peddling at least 15 miles around the Mount Pleasant T H E C ATA LY S T area.

ONLINE “I feel kind of crappy after chemo. It’s http://www. almost like a challenge to ride the bicycle,” musc.edu/ he said. “I’m just trying to prove something. catalyst Cycling has been something that I actually

6

Children’s Hospital administrator John Sanders stressed the importance of clinical trials, new medications and federal funding during a June 21 press conference.

“My prognosis is bad. The disease is going to kill me unless something else gets me first. It’s not a fun thing to think about.”

John Sanders picked up after my surgery. I absolutely love it.

For some reason, I can do that. I can’t run. I can cycle because I can regulate the speed. As long as I don’t have to go up a hill, I’m pretty good.”

Each time he returns home, his wife of 27 years asks how the ride went.

“My feeling is if I finished I had a good ride,” he said. “So I’ll say, ‘I got back, so it was good.’”

There have been times along this road that Sanders has struggled when thinking about the future. His career goals, even retirement plans, are very different now. He and his wife sold their home and downsized recently because of the reality that she will probably live longer than he will. He has also made peace with the fact that he will most likely not meet any of his grandchildren.

“Those kinds of things get to you. But it’s a part of my life now. I just do it,” Sanders said.

See Fund on page 8

2 THE CATALYST, July 5, 2013

Alcohol consumption also increases firework injuries Fireworks safety tips T

he use of fireworks is synonymous with summer fun. But according to consumer safety experts, firework injuries in 2012 sent more than 5,000 people to hospital emergency departments in the month surrounding the Fourth of July holiday.

Of the 5,000 reported injuries, more than half involved burns to people’s hands, head and face. Almost 1,000 of these injuries involved sparklers, bottle rockets and commercial fireworks usually considered safe for children.

According to Inez Tenenbaum, chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, these figures are representative beyond these numbers.

“They represent the lives of real people who have been affected well beyond the Fourth of July,” she said.

At MUSC, Emergency Medicine director Edward Jauch, M.D., reported that the most common firework injuries involve hands and eyes as well as other general burns throughout the body.

“Consumption of alcohol increases people’s chances for risky behavior, resulting in accidents involving boating, swimming, bicycling and ATV [all-terrain vehicle] use.

It also increases the risk of dehydration, trauma and injury from falls, drowning, etc.,” he said.

Jauch advises people to be cautious as it relates to fireworks safety, alcohol

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

843-792-4107 Fax: 843-792-6723 Editor: Kim Draughn catalyst@musc.edu Catalyst staff: Cindy Abole, aboleca@musc.edu Ashley Barker, barkera@musc.edu

q Only use fireworks outdoors. q Obey all local laws regarding the use of fireworks. q Never give fireworks to children. q Wear safety glasses when shooting fireworks. q Always have a bucket of water or water hose nearby. q Do not hold fireworks in the hand or try to throw them. q Do not look down the barrel of aerial shells, especially if they don't go off at first. q Do not approach unexploded fireworks; fuses are not perfect. q Never point Roman candles and other fireworks toward people or combustible items. q Do not play with homemade fireworks.

use and summer activities. He reminds people that a visit to the hospital in the event of an emergency may seem unnecessary or inconvenient, but he urges people to seek medical care especially when there is a threat of life, and limb injuries or open wounds that require an X-ray, stitches or removal of a foreign object.

For more information from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, visit www.cpsc.gov.

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.

EXCELLENCE IN ACTION

Institute of Psychiatry nurses Stanisha Vick and Damian Millet worked together to save a patient.

Nurses help save patient’s life

BY MONICA FABUNAN Public Relations With keys in hand, ready to go home after a long day of work, two nurses clocked out and were walking out of the Institute of Psychiatry when the unexpected happened.

A patient, scheduled for an appointment at the IOP June 4, had a heart attack at the entrance. Stanisha Vick, R.N. II, and Damian Millet, R.N., charge nurse on 3 North, stepped up to help.

“I noticed this man holding the door. It looked like he was entering the building. But after I passed him, I turned around, and he sat down and collapsed,” said Vick.

Vick rushed to the man and started evaluating his condition. The new patient was unresponsive and having seizures. At the same time, a therapeutic assistant rushed inside to grab Millet, who was heading out.

Millet and Vick worked together to try to stabilize the patient. Vick eventually noticed that the patient’s ears and mouth were turning blue. The patient wasn’t breathing.

“Stanisha initiated CPR, and I told people that were standing around that

I needed a crash cart, an AED machine and for someone to call Meducare, and tell them to hurry because this man isn’t doing too well,” said Millet.

With MUSC’S medical transport system on the way, Millet used the automated external defibrillator to administer an electric shock through the chest and to the heart to obtain a normal rhythm. After one shock, Vick continued to perform CPR compressions.

Millet and Vick also hooked up oxygen from the crash cart to help the patient. After trading off compressions, Meducare arrived, hooked up their AED for another shock and started an IV while Millet still performed compressions. Shortly after, the patient’s heart rhythm returned to normal, and he began breathing on his own. Meducare then rushed him to the Chest Pain Center for further evaluation and care.

Later, clinical director Harriet Cooney, R.N., provided updates about the patient to Vick and Millet.

“I didn’t sleep well that night because I wondered if he lived, and Harriet Cooney called me the next day since I had to work, and she said he made it,” Vick said.

THE CATALYST, July 5, 2013 3

Fund honors sons, helps patients facing challenges

BY ALLYSON BIRD Office of Development & Alumni Affairs Betty and Bill Tysinger endured the unimaginable, losing both their sons to the same disease only three years apart – almost to the day.

John Tysinger died from cystic fibrosis at age 36 on Oct. 13, 2007. His younger brother, Jeff, died from cystic fibrosis at age 37 on Oct. 16, 2010.

The Tysingers had their sons tested for the disease when John was 3 and Jeff was 9 months old, after learning of a cousin’s diagnosis. Both boys were misdiagnosed, though, and more than two years passed before physicians at Duke University properly identified the problem.

Cystic fibrosis causes thick, sticky mucus buildup in the lungs, digestive tract and other parts of the body.

The Tysingers had no family history of the disease, yet both parents carried the recessive gene that causes CF. Their sons’ diagnoses meant frequent trips from their Spartanburg home to see specialists, first at Duke and then at MUSC, to care for John and Jeff.

The Tysingers realized, over time, that the logistical challenges of the disease – travel, lodging and equipment – proved to be among the most draining.

Health insurance covered the big expenses, but the time and money in between added up.

From left: John, Jeff, Betty and (seated) Bill Tysinger celebrate Jeff’s wedding in 2000.

Betty and Bill Tysinger established the John and Jeff Tysinger Patient Assistance Program in 2012 to benefit people carrying the same burden.

“We really wanted to help other families of children

and adults with cystic fibrosis,” Betty said. “We thought John and Jeff would like it, too.”

The Tysinger Patient Assistance Fund offers as much as $500 for a patient identified by doctors, social workers and others involved with the MUSC Cystic Fibrosis Center. A committee within the center then reviews applications and makes recommendations on how to distribute the money.

The sons’ pulmonologist at MUSC, Patrick Flume, M.D., treated both John and Jeff for nearly 20 years. He said the fund reflects Bill and Betty Tysinger’s support for their sons and desire to extend that support to others.

“Both Jeff and John taught me a great deal about what it is like to live with CF, and truly influenced me to listen more closely to my patients,” Flume said. “It helped me know what best to do for them, but I learned some things that I could take to other patients as well.”

John and Jeff never let their disease define them.

John, the athletic brother, played on his high school soccer team and, after his health deteriorated, he took up pool and poker. He studied holistic medicine and the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun, and he worked as a personal trainer.

Jeff, the techie, graduated from the College of Charleston and worked with his father in the computer

See Honors on page 8

4 THE CATALYST, July 5, 2013

What you don’t know about stroke can kill you

BY DAWN BRAZELL

DID YOU KNOW?

Public Relations With razor-sharp precision, without a hint of hesitation, MUSC neurologist Bruce Ovbiagele, M.D., drops the statistics.

Stroke care costs are expected to rise 130 percent from 2010 to 2030. During that same time, the occurrence of stroke is expected to rise 20 percent. Almost 4 percent of American adults — nearly one in 25 — will have a stroke. That translates into an additional 3.4 million people with stroke in 2030. Forty percent of stroke survivors have moderate to severe impairments requiring special care, and it’s the leading cause of disability.

Ovbiagele knows all of this off the top of his head because of what he sees his patients endure, but also because he’s lead study author of “Forecasting the Future of Stroke in the United States,” a policy statement released in May from the American Heart and Stroke Association. The study’s objective was to project future annual costs of care for stroke from 2012 to 2030 and to discuss potential cost-reduction strategies.

It’s a wake-up call, he said.

Ovbiagele, professor and chair of MUSC’s Division of Neurology, was invited to conduct the study and WATCH hopes that the THE VIDEO statement will lead to more http://tinyurl. public awareness, com/ns5dyqg especially among all levels of policy makers. “We know that strokes are going to rise, so it’s extremely important that policy makers try to start to do things right now to avert this tsunami of strokes and the costs associated with it in the future.”

Currently, there are about 4.4 million stroke survivors in the United States with 750,000 new stroke patients each year.

“The population, of course, is aging.

Stroke is one condition that rises with age. For every new decade after the age of 55, the risk of stroke doubles. The older one gets, the more likely you are to experience a stroke.”

Women are more likely to experience

MUSC neurologist Dr. Bruce Ovbiagele discusses statistics about strokes and how they are on the rise in the United States. a stroke and die from it than men, primarily because women tend to live longer, and race ethnic minorities, African-American and Hispanic groups in particular, are disproportionately at risk for stroke than their age-matched white counterparts, he said.

A surprising finding for him is that Americans currently 45-65 years old are expected to have the highest increase in stroke at 5.1 percent. “Our explanation for this is that we know society is changing and the portion of race ethnic minorities are growing, and they are more susceptible to stroke. We also know that, even though we are controlling blood pressure better, we are beginning to have an obesity and diabetes epidemic.

That is especially affecting younger and middle-aged people. Being obese and having diabetes are major risk factors for having a stroke.”

Another factor coming into play is that many middle-aged people may not have insurance and get regular health checks and screenings likely to detect such risk factors as high blood pressure.

“We have people in the prime of their lives being at high risk of stroke.

That’s the prime segment of society contributing to the economic engine of

the country. These folks in middle age are at risk for experiencing stroke and being at risk for dying, and if they don’t, of being disabled.”

The news is not all doom and gloom though. The policy outlines strategies at the federal and state levels to deal with the crisis. Ovbiagele said he empowers his patients to take charge of their own health as much as possible.

Prevention is key better than cure. It’s highly preventable – up to 80 percent of strokes are preventable. There are certain medical conditions that pose a risk, including hypertension, heart disease, atrial fibrillation, high cholesterol, diabetes and having had a prior stroke or TIA, a transient ischemic attack or “mini-stroke.” Other behaviors that factor in are: Smoking, heavy alcohol use, physical inactivity, obesity and an unhealthy diet.

“If you can treat them, you can reduce a person’s chance of stroke substantially.

I always tell my patients, the best stroke is the stroke you never had because of the five Ds.” Stroke’s five Ds are: Death: Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death with a stroke death happening every three minutes.

Stroke occurs when part of the brain gets injured because it doesn’t get enough blood supply. This can be because of a blockage in a blood vessel or a vessel that has broken open causing bleeding into the brain. q More than 750,000 new strokes happen each year. It occurs every 40 seconds. q Stroke kills more than twice as many American women every year as breast cancer. q More women than men die from stroke. q Women over age 30 who smoke and take high-estrogen oral contraceptives have a stroke risk 22 times higher than average. q African-Americans are twice as likely to experience a stroke and die from it. q 90 percent of stroke survivors have a lingering reminder of stroke effects. q 25 percent recover with minor impairments. q 40 percent experience moderate to severe impairments requiring special care. q 10 percent require care within either a skilled-care or other long-term care facility. q 15 percent die shortly after the stroke.

Disability: Stroke is the No. 1 cause of disability among adults in the United States. Ninety percent of stroke survivors have lasting effects.

Dementia: It is the second cause of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease.

Depression: Fifty percent of people who have a stroke will suffer from major depression, and it leads to suicide in 7 percent of cases.

Dear as in costly: Total annual costs of stroke are projected to increase to more than $240 billion by 2030, an increase of 130 percent.

See STROKE on page 10

THE CATALYST, July 5, 2013 5

MEET TJ

Terrance Jennings Department Trade Specialist Shop/Air Conditioning How you are changing what’s possible at MUSC Serving MUSC employees to make sure they are comfortable and cool How long at MUSC Almost one year Meal you love to cook Macaroni and cheese What do you do on rainy days Watch movies with my wife Favorite restaurant Wasabi Advice you would give a homeowner to reduce air conditioning unit costs Change filters once a month and have the unit serviced at least twice a year.

Best thing about living in Charleston All of my 12 siblings, except one, live here, even my triplet sisters.

Greatest moment in your life When I married my wife Favorite quote Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Who in history would you like to meet Bishop Gilbert E. Patterson for his service to family, church and community

Women’s care OB/ GYN practice moves MUSC’s Women’s Care Obstetrics and Gynecology practice moved from West Ashley to the North Charleston area, effective July 1.

The practice moved from 2125 Charlie Hall Blvd. Suite 2B, in West Ashley, to its new location across from the Northwood’s Mall.

Patients can now be seen at 2070 Northbrook Blvd., Suite B9, in the North Rivers Business Center.

The facility is near the Sports Authority and Dollar General off Rivers Avenue.

The physicians will continue to provide complete OB/GYN services with deliveries at MUSC, and the new office will not be shared with another specialty.

For more information about Women’s Care, call 876-0880 or visit http://www.

MUSCwomenscare.com. The facility also has a Facebook page. Search for “MUSC Women’s Care – North” for details.

6 THE CATALYST, July 5, 2013

Three new vending machines added to campus

BY ASHLEY BARKER Public Relations

T

here are now more options around the MUSC campus for snacks from a vending machine.

ANM Enterprises, LLC president and CEO Nathaniel Mercer signed a contract last year to place three fresh! Healthy Vending machines on campus – two in the Wellness Center and one in the library.

Within the contact, he also has the option to expand his business to other locations.

The vending machines can offer more than 300 items, including Kettle Baked Potato Chips, Pirate’s Booty, Hansen’s strawberry soda, Brothers Fruit Crisps, Fruit 2day, Sweet Leaf Tea and bottled water. The items range in price from $1 to $3.

“There is going to be a niche for everybody,” Mercer said. “Some people are going to prefer Coke. Others are going to prefer something healthier to eat. My machines are often referred to as Whole Foods in a box.”

Mercer, who is a franchisee for the San Diego based company, said he joined the business because of the growing obesity problem.

“We live in a fast-paced society, and we often need food on the go. My machines provide a healthy alternative to traditional snack food,” he said. “Many times a vending machine is our quickest resource.”

Mercer also noticed that many vending machines only accept cash, and sometimes products get stuck in the machines.

Meghan Herbert, program coordinator for student services at the College of Health Professions, selects a snack from the fresh!

Healthy Vending machine at the library.

Fresh! Healthy Vending machines accept credit cards and have a guaranteed delivery system in place.

“It’s very high-tech. The design of it is different,” Mercer said. “For example, if you vend a Cliff Bar but,

for some reason, the coil gets jammed and it can’t fall down, there will be a computer to your right that will say, ‘Please make another selection.’ You can then select another item or request your money back.”

The built-in computer system makes it easy for Mercer to track sales in real time, allowing him to stock the machines more often and with the most popular items.

He said each location is different, but usually the most frequently purchased items at the Wellness Center are the beverages like water and Muscle Milk. At the library, bottled water and Pirate’s Booty are the most popular choices.

Mercer became a franchisee in February 2011 and went into business with Ashley Hall School, First Baptist School and Joint Base Charleston in North Charleston.

Mercer said MUSC began testing his machines on campus around that same time. His bid won, and he signed a contract with MUSC in November 2012.

Now his goal is to add an additional 15 to 20 machines in places that are convenient and requested by customers.

“It really depends on requests. I’ll put a machine where there is a demand for healthy snacks,” Mercer said.

To request a fresh! Health Vending machine, visit http://www.healthyvendingmachinescharlestonsc.com/.

Roy Dingle, who handles all of the vending machine contracts at MUSC, can also take requests. He can be reached at 792-9787 or dingler@musc.edu.

Paving project to begin at Harborview Office Tower driveway

A

project to repair and repave the visitor parking areas and the driveway serving Harborview Office Tower will begin on July 8. The project, funded by the MUSC Office of Parking Management, will be completed by Sept. 15 assuming no weather delays.

The project will be carried out in three phases.

Phase I: Phase I includes the parking area and drive way on the west end of the garage from the right side of the garage exit lane along the back side of the garage to Hagood Avenue.

During phase I, exiting traffic from the garage and from HOT’s visitor parking area will be through the Lockwood parking lot. The entry gates into the Lockwood lot from HOT and the exit gate from the Lockwood lot onto

Lockwood Drive will be in the open and upright position during this phase of the work.

Parking enforcement will monitor the Lockwood lot to prevent unauthorized parking in Lockwood during the period that the exit gates are open.

Phase I is estimated to take two to three weeks, depending upon the weather.

Phase I-a: This phase includes the garage exit lane and ramp. The first weekend following the completion of phase I, the garage exit lane and ramp will be repaired.

The schedule is to complete this phase on the weekend to prevent disruption of the garage’s normal operations.

Phase II: Phase II includes the parking

area and driveway to the left of the garage exit lane up to the main driveway and parking gates.

This phase will take approximately one to two weeks, depending on the weather.

During this time the exiting traffic from the garage will be restored to its normal traffic pattern. Lockwood gates will be in the closed and operating mode.

MUSC and Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority buses will continue to exit in the usual way through the gate into the Lockwood lot. Visitors exiting from the visitor parking area will be directed out the same way they came in. Appropriate traffic controls will be established to ensure the safety of all bus and vehicle traffic.

Phase III: During the final phase, the main driveway and visitor parking area

will be completed. This phase will take approximately three to four weeks to complete. The contractor will attempt to keep one lane of traffic open to support the shuttle bus operations. Visitor parking will be relocated to the student parking lot at the entrance to the main driveway.

Adjustment of the shuttle bus pick-up and drop-off area may be necessary if the contract work is interrupted or the safety of the buses is jeopardized. In that event, appropriate signage and a Broadcast Message will be promulgated.

For information on the paving project, contact Mike Bouissey, OPM maintenance and repair supervisor, at 792-7698 or bouissml@musc.edu.

Melinda Anderson is also available for questions at andersme@musc.edu or 792-2597.

THE CATALYST, July 5, 2013 7

Donation given to Heart & Vascular in honor of nanny

BY CINDY ABOLE Public Relations Call it an act of love.

When Buist Academy student Maggie Berlin turned 12 years old, she chose a project that was close to her heart as she celebrated her bat mitzvah.

Three years earlier, she experienced the loss of her family’s nanny and caregiver, Laverne Wilder, who died suddenly of complications from a blood clot.

The 65-year-old James Island native, who had a family history of blood clots, cared for Maggie and her sister, Helen, since they were toddlers. Maggie, now 13, has fond memories of Wilder reading, cooking meals and telling childhood stories.

“Ms. Laverne’s death was so shocking and a traumatic experience for me that I really couldn’t understand or grasp it. I knew nothing about blood clots and what they could do. So with the help of my mom, I started reading on my own to understand this condition,” said Maggie, who learned a lot about deep vein thrombosis, where a blood clot can block blood circulation to the lower legs, thighs or pelvis resulting in pain or swelling. If the clot breaks free and travels through the bloodstream, it can block a blood vessel in the leg resulting in a pulmonary embolism and sometimes death.

Learning that this was a condition that could be prevented and treated, Maggie wanted to raise money for research to benefit MUSC’s Heart & Vascular Center. She collaborated with her mom, Judith Berlin, and uncle, Michael Zervas, who works with Berlin’s Restaurant Supply in North Charleston, to establish a yard sale. Wanting to help in this effort, Zervas loaded two truckloads of surplus restaurant supply items – kitchenware, silverware and restaurant equipment – combining it with Maggie’s family’s yard sale donations of household appliances, toys, furniture and other

Maggie Berlin and her mom, Judith, present a check for $1,400 to MUSC President Dr. Ray Greenberg, second from left, and David Soutter of the Heart & Vascular Center. items. They advertised on Craigslist, and Maggie created and posted yard-sale signs prior to the fall event.

Neighbors and strangers came by to purchase items, donate to the fundraiser and support their efforts.

During the event, she collected $700, which was matched by Zervas for a total donation of $1,400. On June 25, Maggie and her mom visited MUSC’s campus to present their donation check to MUSC President Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., and David Soutter,

development director of the Heart & Vascular Center.

“It’s a great feeling to do something like this,” Maggie said. “I knew people in the community were always doing things to support causes like breast cancer and other diseases. I thought this was just as worthy a cause to invest in supporting research and awareness.”

Maggie plans to continue her living memoriam by conducting volunteer work with Wilder’s church, Mount Sinai Evangelistic Church in James Island.

Youth, agility prevail in inaugural residents vs. faculty-staff game The inaugural Department of Medicine basketball game between the residents and faculty-staff was a success for the residents who won 54 -16. The game was played June 12 at the MUSC Wellness Center.

The energetic resident team jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.

Faculty-staff team coach Joe Gough complimented his team’s younger adversaries for their athleticism and skill.

“This team can shoot, pass and run

well and were tough on the boards. We need to make some adjustments for next year,” he said.

Gough said that his team struggled without the perimeter shooting and hustle of Department of Medicine chair Don Rockey, M.D., who was sidelined with a back injury.

Looking ahead, Gough said that the loss will sting for a while, but the department plans to host this game in June 2014.

“A tradition has begun,” he said.

Department of Medicine residents, pictured, won the basketball game.

8 THE CATALYST, July 5, 2013

FUND Continued from Page One “There are people who sit around and it just takes over their lives, and it can be miserable. My feeling is that I want to live. As long as I’m able to, I’m going to do as many things as I can.”

Christopher Hansen, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, also spoke at the press conference along with Hollings Cancer Center director Andrew S. Kraft, M.D. “This year, 580,000 Americans are going to die of cancer. That’s more than the number of Americans who died in both World War I and World War II, multi-year wars and the biggest wars we ever had,” Hansen said. “By 2020, that number is projected to double. This is a national priority.”

There are 14 million cancer survivors currently in this country, according to Hansen, and survival rates of cancer have improved by 20 percent since 1991.

Research funding to find a cure for the disease, however, has been cut by more than 15 percent at Hollings Cancer Center.

“Cancer is a curable disease. Cancer is also preventable. It’s diagnosable, and we believe it’s curable,” Kraft said. “The question is: how do we get to the cure?

We all want to see the cure. How do we make it happen? The answer is research.”

Without the research, the next class of new scientists will be limited and developments will be less common.

“If we do not support basic research, there won’t be any new therapies,” Kraft said. “Our young people know this and

HONORS Continued from Page Three

John Sanders, from left, Children’s Hospital administrator and lung cancer survivor; Dr. Chanita Highes-Halbert, cancer researcher; Chris Hansen, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; Nancy Cheney, ACS CAN South Carolina; and Dr. Andrew Kraft, Hollings Cancer Center director, urge Congress to make research funding a priority. see that, and they say, ‘I’m not going to go into science. It’s a dead end.’ We’re not only losing our ability to make a difference, but we’re losing the next generation, which of course will become our greatest generation.”

Sanders said that if he had been diagnosed with stage-4 lung cancer 10 years ago, he probably would not have survived five years or be nearly as functional.

“Because of the clinical trials that I was on and because of the drugs that are

sales business before taking work with larger companies.

He married Jennifer in 2000 and, before they left for their honeymoon at Disney World, they picked out a Cocker Spaniel puppy named Jenna, who became a companion for the remainder of Jeff’s life.

By the time John died, his brother already was very sick. Jeff underwent a lung transplant just months after John's death in late 2007 and survived for nearly three more years.

As their mother explained it, “You just find a way to live with this. We’ve certainly struggled at times, but it’s not that they didn’t have fun, or we didn’t do a lot of things together. John and Jeff had the courage to live fully, sometimes recklessly, with a passion unique to people who know the limits of their own lives. John and Jeff are still alive in our memories.”

Kelly Draganov, a 43-year-old mother, received a

developed through research, I’m able to work and be productive now. Not only have they been able to come up with drugs to extend people’s lives through research, but they can also manage the side effects,” Sanders aid. “Ten to 15 years ago, the side effects were not as controlled as well as they are now. It was an absolutely miserable ordeal for patients. The bottom line is, if those dollars weren’t funded and better drugs were not made, I wouldn’t be here.”

Many of the children who are walking

grant from the Tysinger Patient Assistance Fund so that she could rent a portable oxygen concentrator for medical appointments before her doublelung transplant. “With all of the medical bills I have racked up this year, the grant helped to offset the financial burden as well as Draganov give me peace of mind that I have adequate oxygen for my travels,” she said.

Draganov, a James Island resident, has been an MUSC patient for a decade, and received a lung transplant in January at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. “With the help of many, I have beaten all kinds of odds,” she said. “Statistically, I should not be alive.”

out of 7B, the Children’s Hospital oncology unit, would not be going on to live their lives either. Sanders finds inspiration from the patients whose care he is responsible for.

“I will say that when I was going through some of the rougher chemotherapies, it was inspiring for me to go up through 7B,” he said. “Kids are so resilient. They are a lot tougher than adults. I could just go through that unit or see them playing in the atrium, and it was very inspiring. It almost makes you feel guilty. To see these kids and know what they’re going through … they just smile and play and keep moving. It’s very inspiring.”

While wrapping up his speech, Sanders paused and asked each person to think of someone who has impacted his or her life and who died from cancer. He asked, “What could those people have done if they had been allowed to live?”

“I will not lose my fight with cancer.

I hate that term. I’ve already won,” Sanders said. “It’s an incredibly lonely disease and something people shouldn’t have to go through. They can take this disease out. There is no reason for people to have to go through this.

We need your help. We can stop this disease.”

To learn about donating to HCC, visit http://hcc.musc.edu/giving/faq.htm.

Go to http://www.acscan.org/ to read more about the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. To voice your concerns about research funding, contact your local representatives.

She remained in a drug-induced coma for more than a month, and her muscles atrophied so much that she could not hold up her head. She learned how to move, write and speak again but relies on nearly 50 pills per day, plus intravenous and inhaled medications.

Draganov gets stronger each day but remains 1,100 miles from her husband and their 11-year-old daughter while she heals.

Betty and Bill Tysinger envisioned helping people such as Draganov, lessening their burden just a little, when they launched the fund.

“Having two sons with CF and realizing what that entails for a family, we were able to somehow manage, but we saw other people really struggle with what it demands,” Betty said. “Listening to people at MUSC talk, we thought this could help in ways that were not already available.”

THE CATALYST, July 5, 2013 9

July 2013 Benefit of the Month: Worksite Screening Sponsored by MUSC Employee Wellness

Wednesday, July 17th

2 West Classroom, Main Hospital Features: • Blood draw for: o Blood chemistry profile o Lipid profile o Hemogram • Blood pressure, height and weight • Written report with individualized recommendations • $350 value in most healthcare settings, available for just a $15 co-payment • All MUSC employees and spouses are eligible Screening Cost: • $15 for employees and spouses covered by any of the SC Employee Insurance Program Plans (see plans below). Please note: The $15 rate applies only once per calendar year.

• $42 for active or retired: o employees and spouses whose primary insurance is Tricare or Medicare o employees and spouses not covered by the state plans o employees and spouses who have already participated at least once in the Worksite Screenings for the same calendar year (January-December) • Additional costs only if optional tests are selected. Note that the Thyroid 4-Panel is now an optional test at $10.00.

Register Online @ www.musc.edu/employeewellness & click “Worksite Screening Appointment” Please email musc-empwell@musc.edu if you need to cancel your appointment. For more information email musc-empwell@musc.edu or call 792-9536.

You’ll receive your screening results in 3-4 weeks via US mail.

Women’s Club accepting nominations for scholarships The Medical University Women’s Club is accepting applications for scholarship recipients. All full-time MUSC students in their second or subsequent years from any of the six colleges are eligible. Previous applicants may also apply.

Applications may be downloaded from http:// academicdepartments.musc.edu/

womensclub/scholarship.htm.

The deadline for submission is 4 p.m., Aug. 27. Applications may be submitted via email to muwcscholarship@gmail.com or dropped off at the Volunteer Services Office, 101 North Tower (behind admissions desk).

For information on the scholarships, email Tiffany Talacs at muwcscholarship@gmail.com.

10 THE CATALYST, July 5, 2013

CANDY STRIPERS READY TO SERVE

Candy stripers Ashlyn Woodward, left, and Carolyn Kuder serve lemonade in the lobby of the North Tower. The goal of the 2013 Candy Striper Volunteer Program is to provide students (ages 14 to 18) who are possibly interested in health care or other real world experience with an environment and an opportunity to learn, help others, build friendships and give back. The program also provides assistance to departments that could use an extra sets of hands. Volunteers work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday for three weeks and work with specific departments throughout the hospital.

STROKE Continued from Page Four Not all strokes can be prevented, so the other key message is teaching the public the signs of a stroke. When he explains it to patients, he takes it from the head down, noting that virtually all stroke patients have at least one of these five symptoms. They are: q Head – A very severe headache – the worst of your life q Eyes – A change in vision, either double or blurred vision q Mouth – Difficulty speaking or slurred speech q Limbs – Numbness or paralysis in an arm or leg on one side q Legs – Difficulty walking as if a person were drunk “The key is sudden onset. What separates stroke from virtually everything else is that it’s like a bolt out of the blue.

One minute you’re totally fine, the next minute something changes. It’s always drastic. That blood vessel suddenly gets blocked or that blood vessel suddenly breaks, and you have symptoms immediately. If you have one of those symptoms that comes out of the blue, you should call 911 immediately.”

On this, Ovbiagele is adamant.

More than 750,000 strokes happen each year. It occurs every 40 seconds.

If a person has had a stroke, then prompt treatment is the next best course, particularly since a clot-busting medication called tPA, if administered within a 4.5–hour window following a stroke, can work wonders and potentially reverse the damaging effects of stroke, he said.

“Even though we’ve had tPA for 16 years and know it works, less than 5 percent who’ve experienced a stroke actually are receiving tPA. That’s why it’s so important that the public recognize what the symptoms of a stroke are and get them to the hospital in time. The best way is to call 911,” he said. “We have a saying in stroke. Time is brain.

We know as time goes by in stroke, brain cells are dying. Once brain cells die, unfortunately they don’t come back so the longer it takes to get to a hospital and get the treatment, the more likely that damage is going to be severe.”

In rural areas, telemedicine is making inroads, which is extremely important, he said, explaining how MUSC’s REACH (remote evaluation of acute ischemic stroke), a web-based

outreach initiative, has linked up to 13 hospitals in outlying areas and has made a huge difference. “Stroke neurologists are very adept at handling stroke and administering tPA. The idea is to have an expert hospital or hub to use telemedicine and help colleagues confirm stroke and guide them in the treatment. It has done a phenomenal job at increasing the administration of tPA,” he said, adding that tPA was given 150 times last year through the program.

Another risk factor relates to a geographical health disparity. There’s the stroke belt in the South, but the buckle of the belt is South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. People born in these three states are four times more likely to experience a stroke, he said. If you are born in this region, and even if you move away, you still carry that high risk of stroke with you, which is an area of interest to researchers.

Sunil J. Patel, M.D., professor and chair of the Division of Neurosurgery, said MUSC is fortunate to have Ovbiagele here. Ovbiagele, who joined MUSC 10 months ago, completed dual internships in psychiatry and internal medicine. In 2011, he joined the faculty of the University of California San Diego

as professor of neurosciences and was appointed director of the San Diego Veteran Affairs Medical Center Stroke Program.

“He is one of the top nationally renowned clinical stroke researchers and brings to us leadership in stroke epidemiology,” said Patel. “I could not think of a better stroke expert to help lead a stroke program in the country's stroke belt. South Carolina has one of the highest rates of stroke deaths and Dr. Ovbiagele will definitely help change that statistic.”

Ovbiagele said it all starts with awareness. The policy statement helps, and on a more personal level, there are small, progressive lifestyle changes people can make that can significantly reduce their risk of having a stroke.

Ovbiagele said it’s important to know the risk factors and to work in partnership with health providers to reduce those risks.

It’s a partnership of the patient with the provider to make incremental progress, he said. “Your life is in your hands. There are lifestyle things that can go a long way to reducing that risk of stroke. It’s about living a healthy lifestyle.”

THE CATALYST, July 5, 2013 11

Items for Sale

Rental Properties

Mac Pro 2.66 Quad core. 16GB ram OSX ML. 843-696-1331

Townhouse 10 min from MUSC at Proprieters Row in West Ashley. Totally renovated in and out. 2BR/1.5BA. New appliances & tankless water heater. No pets. $1600/mo.

Belln@musc.edu or 571-1281

Misc. Services B & V Covers Ulphostery, slipcovers, curtains, cushions, alterations, etc. FREE ESTIMATE Vicky/Martha 814-1727 or 5534900 bvcovers@gmail.com

Healing Farms needs your gently used items Healing Farms, a nonprofit organization, provides sustainable community-based support to promote interdependence and empower adults with developmental disabilities, their families and communities. Gently used items are needed and may be picked up.

Items needed include: computer monitors, computers, printers, laptops, digital cameras, portable basketball goals, corn hole games, wiffle ball sets, power drills, power saws, hand saws, sand paper, soaker hoses, portable sheds, pergolas, garden umbrellas with stands, garden tools, trimmers, weedeaters, wheel barrows, planters, plants, lumber, and more items. For a detailed list, visit www.healingfarm.org. For more information and to schedule a pick up, call 769-2549.

TELEPHONE SCAM A telephone scam has surfaced in the Charleston area. Calls are being received from a caller who informs the victim a loved one or family member has been in an accident.

The caller often asks leading questions, which in turn is causing the victims to provide the names or locations of their family members. Then, they tell the victim they are holding the loved one or family member hostage until they receive payment.

The scenario varies from call to call and occasionally includes threats to harm the family member or a statement about the caller’s brother being there with the brother being a “fugitive” who is angry. The callers demand the victim wire money for the safe release of their family member. The request is usually between $500 andng$1,000.

If you demands receive such Some have a telephone call, in been much higher confirmareas. the safety of certain It appears yourcalls family the are member not coming and contact your local from the local area.

It police Forat this is also agency. unknown information 720time how thecall victim's 2497. numbers are phone being obtained.

If you receive such a telephone call, confirm the safety of your family member and contact your local police agency. For information call 7202497.

Follow us on Twitter: @Catalyst_ MUSC

12 THE CATALYST, July 5, 2013

SAVE THE DATE FACULTY CONVOCATION KEYNOTE ADDRESS: ROBERT M. SADE, M.D.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013 • 4:30 pm Drug Discovery Auditorium • DD110