voices-of-vellore-summer-2017

VOICESof VELLORE NEWSLETTER New York, NY

Dream

vellorecmc.org

National Highway Dedicated Exit

Summer 2017

Level I Trauma Center Super Specialty Hospital

Faculty Housing, Elementary School, Childcare

y t i l a Re A Defining Time for CMC Dear Friends of CMC Vellore, Greetings from the Foundation, where your generosity and prayers have provided for CMC’s work in Vellore and the Foundation’s service throughout the past year. There is much to report from the Jawadhi Hills, the progress on our new Hospital and Trauma Center in Kannigapuram (pictured above), the College of Nursing and CMC’s growing outreach programs. New leadership of the CMC administration was announced at the June Council as Dr. Sunil Chandy’s 5-year term as Director is coming to an end in September.

In the US we report with pleasure that North American alumni from all three schools at CMC (medicine, nursing and allied health) have joined to create the first incorporated CMC Alumni Association! There are currently about 1,000 alumni in the US and we stand ready to support the new Association in any way needed.

As I write this, preparations are being made for celebration of the 100th Anniversary of medical education at CMC. Dr. Reena George, Head of Palliative Care and CMC historian has been in New York researching a book on the Ida S. Scudder years. It has been fascinating to open the Foundation’s archives and relive with Reena the dramatic events that led to the great institution we know today.

Katherine D. Guenther, President Vellore Christian Medical College Foundation

Building a New Paradigm for Trauma Medicine in India

CMC

is in the midst of a bold expansion in nearby Kannigapuram – the largest in its history. The Super-Specialty Hospital and Level I Trauma Center that you see taking shape in the cover photo will close a massive deficit that weighs heavily on the Indian people and takes a great toll: the need for the highest level of care for traumatic injuries.

India leads the world in road traffic accidents and related fatalities. CMC’s state of Tamil Nadu leads India in accidents and traumatic injuries and is ranked #2 in India for related fatalities.1 South India’s 252 million people will have a regional Level I Trauma Center for the first time, with access by road and helicopter. CMC’s trauma surgeons, radiologists, trauma nurses, and others will be ready to serve the gravely injured as they arrive.

State-of-the-art technology, specialized operating rooms and ICU’s and the power of CMC’s rehabilitation facilities and specialists, will have an impact on saving lives and moving patients toward independence once again.

Planning for the Trauma Center has been underway for several years, with CMC doctors visiting trauma centers in major cities in the US and UK. Nowhere is trauma medicine more advanced than in the US, and therefore many aspects of the new Center will reflect American standards of training, technology and philosophy of patient care.

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http://www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/en/

Board Members Dr. H. David Reines and Bibhuti Mishra (‘71) (not shown) hosted Dr. Vijayan Purushothaman (3rd from left) in Washington, DC to observe Inova Trauma Center. Vijay also visited Board member & alumnus, Dr. Raj Narayan (’69) who is a Neuro Surgeon at Northwell Health in Long Island, NY.

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The 128-slice Full Body Scanner in the new Trauma Center is capable of imaging the entire body, with minimal discomfort for the injured patient, in less than one minute.

(Photos courtesy of Siemens)

The new Center will use the preferred Trauma Team staffing model. One doctor (usually the surgeon) will oversee the full course of treatment while in the Center.

This could include specialized interventions including orthopedic, vascular, etc. With this continuity of care CMC will adopt the US patientcentered standard.

CMC’s Rehabilitation Institute, a World Health Organization Collaborating Center, is adding a third floor to its in-patient area in anticipation of higher numbers of traumatic head and spinal cord injuries.

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Year One of Jawadhi Hills Model Village Project: Celebrating the Accomplishments in Koiloor Village We are so privileged to be able to support the Community Health and Development Department (CHAD), its Head of Department Dr. Jasmine Prasad, and Dr. Anu Rose, Project Manager in Jawadhi Hills. Visiting the small village of Koiloor over the past 18 months, we have seen firsthand the mutual respect and admiration that the village residents and CHAD staff have for each other. Every initiative introduced in the village was one that the residents wanted. In spite of their very primitive life style and little schooling, the adults want to work for change, primarily for their children. CHAD and the Fathers at Don Bosco are great examples of bringing community development to remote people. They guide, encourage, help solve problems, administer the funds donated; Dr. Anu and CHAD medical staff also deliver health care and run the clinic at Veerapanoor; the Don Bosco Fathers provide educational and social development programs.

A Look at Year One...

Every family (94) now has a private toilet, with full compliance (no open defecation).

Progress has been made on plans for a doctor’s residence adjacent to the Veerapanoor clinic, allowing for 24-hour coverage and ambulance service.

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With Your Help We Were Able to Contribute Over $75,000

More women are getting prenatal care, counseling, newborn care and social support.

Clean water for cooking and drinking (an adequate supply for each family) is now present via the SkyHydrant.

A small pig-raising project has employed several families and pulled them out of abject poverty.

A new Children’s Parliament has been formed in which students are empowered to consider various village needs or wishes, offer personal ideas to the group and arrive at consensus.

Camp is a time for creativity!

Vallithathankottai will be the Second Model Village Village residents have met with CMC and Don Bosco and made a prioritized project list, starting with clean water and toilets. Details to follow. Congratulations CHAD!

At camp every child has a check-up.

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NEWS & UPDATES The 6th Annual Dr. Ida S. Scudder Humanitarian Oration will Honor Dr. Roger I. Glass It is the shared honor of CMC, Vellore, and the Vellore CMC Foundation in New York, to announce that Dr. Roger I. Glass will deliver the Dr. Ida S. Scudder Humanitarian Oration at Weill Cornell Medical College, October 12, 2017 at 5PM. Dr. Glass is an international leader in global health; the Director of the Fogarty International Center and Associate Director for International Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD. He is a distinguished researcher and scholar whose primary focus has Roger I. Glass, MD, PhD been developing an effective and low cost vaccine to prevent the deadly effects of the rotaviruses and noroviruses that together took 1.3 million lives in 2013. It is this body of work that marks him a true humanitarian with compassion and conviction to ease the suffering of the underserved, particularly children; and a fitting recipient of this year’s honor.

Following the Oration we will host a special reception with Dr. Glass for the benefit of CMC. You can get more information and reserve a spot at the reception.

CMC Alumni Vote to Form a North American Alumni Association On Saturday, June 17, 2017 the General Body of the CMC Alumni gathered in Newark, NJ made a momentous decision to start a formal North American Alumni Association for all of CMC. Doctors, Nurses and AHS graduates are all welcome. The following officers were elected and a Constitution was adopted.

Dr. Albert Johnson ‘61, President

Dr. Margaret Kumar, CON ‘63, Vice President

Anita Sharan, CON ‘87, Secretary

Dr. Christie Thomas, ‘75, Treasurer

Please watch the Foundation website for details www.vellorecmc.org.

Dr. JV Peter is Director-Designate We congratulate Dr. JV Peter (‘82) on his selection as CMC’s next Director, 2017-2022. Dr. Peter has been Associate Director for Finance since 2015.

He is also Head of Medical ICU. There will be a transition period from now until September, when the reins will be officially passed. We are delighted that he will attend the Dr. Ida S. Scudder Humanitarian Oration this October 12 in New York!

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Dr. Kalyani Premkumar, ‘76, Social Affairs

2017 North American Reunion Spirits were high as 250 friends and alumni of CMC gathered for the annual Alumni Reunion (formerly known as the GOTC). Dr. Abraham Joseph was Chief Guest and Drs. Sunil & Gigi Chandy made one last visit before Sunil’s term ends.

Dr. Albert (’61) & Kathy Johnson

Dr. Danny Charlu, “Bo”, and Dr. Nissi Varki (’68)

Dr. Abraham Joseph (’61 “Uncle”) and Mrs. Rebekah Mani

Drs. Honorine Ward & Shiv Pillai (both ’69)

Drs. Sunil (’78) & Gigi (’77) Chandy Tami and “Tricky Dick” (’76) Jesudass

(l-r) Drs. Geetha Joseph, Anna Thurairatnam, Kamalini Dass, Kirtida Kumar, Tina Narayan, Abraham Joseph and Ponna Thurairatnam (all ’73)

Cyrus and Shanta Kapadia (both ’59-’60)

See You in Toronto in 2018!

Kate Guenther, President of the Foundation, attended the FOV Canada meeting in April to meet Doug Virgin, FOV Canada Chair and Foundation Board member Ponna Thurairatnam. It looks like we will all be working together a bit more as the North American Alumni Association gets organized, and planning for the 2018 Alumni Reunion in Toronto heats up! June 21-24, 2018 are the dates and honored guests will be Raj & Mary (’73) Ramasamy.

Mary & Raj Ramasamy will be Honored Guests in Toronto.

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NEWS & UPDATES

Successful Foundation Board Meeting!

1st Row: (seated): Mr. Prasad Palla, Treasurer; Madelon Finkel, PhD, Secretary; Honorine Ward, MD (’69), Chair; Sunil Chandy, MD (’78), CMC Director; S.Balasubramaniam, MD (’58-’59), Corporation; Mr. George Varughese, Vice Chair; Ms. Katherine D. Guenther, President 2nd Row: Ms. Barbara Scudder, guest; Catherine Poornaselvan, RN, BSN, CON, Corporation; Shantha Kapadia, MD (’59-’60), Corporation; Meredith Hawkins, MD, Member-at-Large for the Board; Anita Raja, PhD, Corporation; Margaret Kamalini Kumar, PhD CON ’63, Board; John Paul, PhD, Corporation; Teeps Ninan, MD (’69), Board; Ponna Thurairatnam, MD (’73), Board; Ms. Aparna Muralidharan, Board; Ms. Patricia Carroll, Manager of Business & Finance; Mike Lekic, PhD, MDiv, MPH, Board; Cyrus Kapadia, MD, (’59-’60), Corporation; Christine Wanke, MD, Board; Ms. Deepika Srivastava, Manager of Church Relations Back Row: Mr. Bill Scudder, Board; Sajiv John, MD (’78), Board; Cephas Swamidoss, MD, Corporation; H. David Reines, MD, Board; Mr. Binu Varughese, Corporation; Tom Philips, PhD, Board; Mark Steinhoff, MD, Corporation; Bobby Cherayil, MD (’74), Board; Bibhuti Mishra, MD (’71), Board; Albert Johnson, MD (’61), Board; Rev. Lisa Durkee, Corporation

New Board and Corporation Members The Vellore CMC Foundation held its Annual Meeting on June 15, 2017 at the Foundation building in New York City. Drs. Sunil (’78) and Gigi (’77) Chandy were our honored guests. Sunil’s 5-year term as Director will end in September. During his tenure the Foundation grew considerably closer to CMC, meeting either in Vellore or New York 1-2 times per year, contributing to priority projects, building research capacity, adding an ex officio seat on the Foundation Board for a CMC Associate Director and more.

We Welcome New Members of the Board t Margaret Kamalini Kumar, Batch of ‘63, CMC College of Nursing Retired Director of Clinical and Professional Development at Mercy Medical Center in Iowa Vinciya Pandian, PhD, MSN, RN, ACNP-BC, Batch of ‘93, CMC College of Nursing Joint Faculty, Department of Acute and Chronic Care, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing & Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD u We Welcome New Members of the Corporation t Anita Raja, PhD, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Programs and Professor of Computer Science in the Albert Nerken School of Engineering at The Cooper Union.

Dr. Cephas Swamidoss, Board Certified Anesthesiologist and Associate Attending Anesthesiologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York, NY. u t Mr. Binu Varughese, VP at Assured Guaranty where he leads restructurings and refinancings on distressed transactions and manages remediation efforts in MBS, CDO and CDS portfolios.

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Chapel Furnishings are Dedicated in Loving Memory of Dr. Surendra Kumar Dr. Surendra Kumar (’60), cherished husband of Margaret Kamalini Kumar, PhD (‘63,CON), a beloved CMC alumnus, a member of the Vellore CMC Foundation and a staunch supporter of CMC, passed away after a brief illness in November 2015.

In his memory, Margaret created a fund to furnish the College of Nursing Chapel with chairs, pews and an altar table. On April 7, 2017 words of the favorite hymn “How Great Thou Art” rang loud from the Friendship Chapel as faculty and students of College of Nursing (CON) gathered along with administrators, teachers, friends and well-wishers in a spirit of thanksgiving for the beautiful new furnishings in the chapel.

Margaret graced the program with her presence and spoke of how many people from various walks of life had contributed in small and big ways to this endeavor.

Selva Titus Chacko, PhD, Dean of the College of Nursing (l) and Dr. Sunil Chandy, Director (r), joined Margaret Kumar, PhD (c) to open the newlyfurnished Chapel.

Visit CMC’s Yearbook, the 2016-2017 Facts and Figures.

ents Financial Statem ditors’ Report) Independent Au

(Together with For The Years

ber 31, 2016 and

Ended Decem

2015

Also visit The Foundation’s 2016 Audited Financial Statements.

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NEWS & UPDATES Celebrating 100 Years of Medical Education in India

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n 2018 CMC will celebrate the 100th anniversary of medical education in Vellore. The Union Christian Medical College for Women was the very beginning of the renowned Institution we know and respect today.

Ida’s early staff of nurses and Hospital assistants.

1918 Invitation for the opening of The Union Missionary Medical School for Women.

Ida and her first class of medical students.

A New Dental Clinic is Open at the Shalom Center, Part of LCECU Dental treatment at CMC has been most available to the poor at the Low Cost Effective Care Unit (LCECU) led by Dr. Sunil Abraham (new Head of Department for Family Medicine). In 2016-17 CMC provided 32,000 dental visits – most at low or no cost. This is chiefly because Dr. Ida B. Scudder’s nephew, Dr. Rob Fish (a recently retired dentist), has a big heart and an even bigger interest in providing dental care to the poor.

The Shalom Center opened its doors in 2014 to serve the low-middle Congratulations to classes. The income from care, although not equal to the “full-pay” Dr. Sunil Abraham rates charged in the A Ward at CMC, runs the Center and helps subsidize work with the most needy. new Head of Department Dr. Fish has contributed two for Family Medicine! treatment rooms since 2008, one at LCECU and the other at the new Shalom Center across the street. In 2016 Dental Coordinator Dr. Rabin proposed to Dr. Fish that with one new 2-chair room, the LCECU dental program would have the capacity to earn enough in fees to completely pay for all other charitable cases. Before we knew it the new clinic was built and open thanks again to Dr. Fish’s generosity. It was inaugurated in January 2017 by Dr. Sunil Chandy and Ms. Kate Guenther and we understand it is fully booked most days. Congratulations!

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Four CMC Faculty at Tufts to Continue Bioethics Collaboration In 2014 a group of Tufts University faculty including Dr. Honorine Ward (CMC ’69 and Foundation Board Chair) and Dr. Chris Wanke (Foundation Board member), in collaboration with CMC faculty Dr. Anuradha Rose (’90) and Dr. Anna Pulimood (’82), applied for and were awarded a US-India 21st Century L-R from CMC: Rev. Alexander Finney, Chaplaincy, Dr. Jenifer Jeba, Knowledge Initiative grant* from the United Palliative Care, Dr Abigail Goger, Psychiatry, Dr. Smitha Jasper, Ophthalmology, and from Tufts: Dr. Chris Wanke and Dr. Honorine Ward.

States-India Educational Foundation, in order to pursue Capacity Building for Medical Education in Bioethics in India. The three-year project is a collaborative effort that addresses the need for an appropriate bioethics curriculum for undergraduates at CMC and throughout India.

CMC faculty visited Tufts this spring, including Rev. Alexander Finney (Chaplaincy), Dr. Jenifer Jeba (’94/Palliative Care), Dr Abigail Goger (’00/ Psychiatry) and Dr. Smitha Jasper (’92/Ophthalmology).

Their week-long visit included workshops and meetings. Drs. Jeba, Goger and Jasper also spoke at the Tufts Global Health seminar series.

The innovative grants initiative is described on the Educational Foundation website as aiming to “strengthen collaboration and build partnerships between US and Indian institutions of higher education. Each project receives an award that can be utilized over a three-year period, with the aim of promoting mutual understanding, encouraging educational reform and economic growth, and developing junior faculty at US and Indian institutions of higher learning. To implement this initiative, the Governments of India and the United States established a bi-national joint working group (JWG).

The JWG provides the final approval for all grants awarded through the US-India 21st Century Knowledge Initiative. The US is represented by the Department of State and the Government of India is represented by the University Grants Commission.” More information can be found on the Educational Foundation website. *formerly called the Obama Singh Initiative

CMC’s Department of Endocrinology Wins Award for Advanced Medical Education & Training CMC’s Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism won the Royal College of Physicians (London) Excellence in Patient Care Awards 2017 under the category of Medical Education and Training.

They were the only medical team outside the United Kingdom to win such an award this year under any of the categories. Since 2003, the Department has developed a nation-wide training program for doctors, nurse educators and foot-care technicians. The award took note of the Department’s efforts in training of healthcare professionals across the country and abroad, thereby increasing the number of trained professionals qualified to handle the diabetes epidemic. The award jury also acknowledged the work done by the Department’s diabetes counselor training program, as well as its in launching a local foot-care and footwear training program that has evolved into an intensive training program for doctors across India.

Dr. Nihal Thomas, Head of Department for Endocrinology

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Your Gifts Move Mountains!

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his issue of Voices of Vellore is about impact—present, past and future. We need only look to Ida Scudder to be reminded that each of us has the ability to move mountains with patience and a generous heart. You see the Community Health Nurses pictured trekking in a hot sun, to a tiny family grouping of huts where a new baby has been born, a farmer has an infected injury, a grandmother is malnourished.

Your gifts enable these nurses to be trained; CMC to send them out to care for all; researchers to study and teach the epidemiology of disease; faculty to inspire their students to serve, to explore, to “think big”; and CMC leadership to take risks and be bold for the benefit of India and the global health community. Every gift is important.

Your gift is especially important. Please give generously. Thank you!

To donate online, visit VELLORECMC.ORG/MAKE-A-DONATION Or mail your check to: Vellore CMC Foundation, Inc., 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 725, New York, NY 10115 We’ve also included an envelope for your convenience.

PRESIDENT

MEMBERS OF THE CORPORATION*

INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERS

Katherine D. Guenther

Varkey K. Abraham, MD (’55) C.J. Alexander, MD Saramma Alexander, MD (’60) S. Balasubramaniam, MD (’58-’59) Rev. Ben Chan (American Baptist Church USA) Abraham Fenn Cheriyan, MD (’71) Susan Cherian, PhD (CON ’75) Rev. Lisa Durkee Anindya Dutta, MD (’75) Robert Fish, DMD (The Scudder Association) Rev. Y. Franklin Ishida (ELCA) Diane Jedlicka, PhD Cyrus & Shanta Kapadia, MD (’59 -’60) Shanker Krishnamurthy, MD (’65) Rev. BBC Kumar Rev. Dr. Deenabandhu Manchala (Global Ministries/UCC) Susan Mathew (CON ’69) Thomas Mathew, MD (AHS ’89) Arjun & Renu Mohandas, MD (’86) Tina Narayan, MD (’73) Jim Oehrig (American Leprosy Missions) John J. Paul, PhD Catherine Poornaselvan (CON ‘97) Anita Raja, PhD Puthucode N. Rajamani Rev. William Sadler Rev. Elizabeth Senft Jane Srinivasan, MD (’59) Mark Steinhoff, MD John Stevens, III Cephas Swamidoss, MD Mark W. Tibbetts, PhD Robin Varghese, MD Nissi Varki, MD (’68) Binu Varughese Abraham Verghese, MD Elise Youth, PhD

American Baptist Churches USA, Valley Forge, PA American Leprosy Missions, Greenville, SC Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Indianapolis, IN Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Chicago, IL General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Silver Spring, MD Presbyterian Church (USA), Louisville, KY Reformed Church in America, New York, NY The Scudder Association, Darien, CT Southern Baptist Convention, Richmond, VA United Church of Christ, Cleveland, OH United Methodist Church, New York, NY

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers Honorine Ward, MD (’69), Chair George Varughese, Vice Chair Prasad Palla, Treasurer Madelon Finkel, PhD, Secretary Directors Niranjan Bose, PhD Bobby J. Cherayil, MD (’74) Meredith Hawkins, MD Sajiv John, MD (’78) Albert Johnson, MD (’61) Emma Koshi Margaret Kumar, PhD (CON ‘63) Anil Kuruvilla, MD (’82) Mike Lekic, PhD (General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists) Bibhuti Mishra, MD (’71) Aparna Muralidharan Raj Narayan, MD (’69) Philip Ninan, MD (’69) Vinciya Pandian, PhD (CON ’92) Thomas Philips, PhD H. David Reines, MD William Scudder (The Scudder Association) James Taylor, MD Thomas Ponna Thurairatnam (’73) Christine Wanke, MD Honorary Directors Margaret Brand, MD (1919-2014) Lucile Carman Robert Carman, MD Rebekah Mani (AHS) Mani Mani, MD (’55) Anish Mathai Edwina Scudder-Youth

FOUNDATION STAFF Katherine D. Guenther, President Patricia Carroll, Manager of Business & Finance Deepika Srivastava, Church Relations * In addition to those listed, members of the Board are also members of the Corporation.

475 Riverside Drive, Suite 725 New York, NY 10115 800-875-6370 or 212-870-2640 fax: 212-870-2173 vellorecmc.org foundation@vellorecmc.org

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