MUSC Catalyst 4-26-13

April 26, 2013 MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA Vol. 31, No. 35

BY ASHLEY BARKER

Public Relations

READ THE CATALYST ONLINE - http://www.musc.edu/catalyst

7 10Hand andMicrosurgery Care in UgandaTeam of MUSC plastic surgeons save aconstruction worker’s sliced-off thumb.

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5Trip teaches students the importanceof medical sustainability and prayer.

Students become heroes

Meet Rebekah

Janet Carter described the running injury sheincurred five weeks ago during a 10K as her

“saving grace.”If the MUSC/Sodexo dietitian and manager of

the Heart Health program had not strained herleft Achilles tendon, she would have been on trackto cross the finish line of the Boston Marathonon April 15 around the same time two bombsexploded, killing three people and injuring morethan 250.

Instead of running the marathon, she limpedher way through the race. Around the mile-22 mark, she remembered seeing a flurry ofemergency vehicles zoom through the path she wason, completely unaware that the first bomb had

already exploded four milesaway.

“There were five to sevenpolice cars and motorcyclesthat had raced down the route,which is very rare during arace for them to be dodgingrunners. So I knew something

was going on,” Carter said. “I sawpeople on their phones and heard a girl crying.”

Eventually marathon officials barricaded thecourse and escorted the remaining participants to anearby church on the Boston College campus.

Carter, whose father, Glenn, had her cell phone,spent nearly three hours waiting in the church.

“It was pretty impressive how they were taking careof us. They were giving us blankets, because we weresweaty, and it was cold. They had tons of food and wentacross the street to buy snacks,” she said. “Probably only

half of the runners had phones. Everybody was willingto share so we could all get in touch with our families,which was tough because they shut down the cellservice so we could only text.”

Administrators at Boston College eventually cateredhot food to the runners in the church, and a studentbrought a handful of various cell phone chargers.Carter used another person’s phone to send a textmessage to her brother, who lives about an hour outside

of Boston and was waiting around mile nine, to tell herfather that she was fine.

Glenn was waiting for his daughter to finish the raceapproximately 200 feet away from the second bombwhen it exploded. He was not injured in the blast.

“We had big hugs and were so glad that we were bothOK,” said Carter about seeing her dad for the first timeafter the explosions.

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MUSC dietitian survives Boston Marathon terror, credits strained Achilles tendon

See Tragedy on page 2

Carter Photo by Dan Lampariello/Reuters

Carter, a Boston University graduatewho has completed nine marathons andtwo IRONMAN races, isn’t going to letthe bombings keep her from racing.

“I feel like this kind of stuff couldhappen anywhere and anytime whenyou’re in a large group of people likethat. I was happy to be there, and Idefinitely want to do it again. I want toexperience it the way it was supposedto be,” she said. “I’m really sad that thisevent is going to change the face of allthese racing events.”

Carter said living in fear is what allowsterrorists to win.

“It’s so hard to qualify for Boston, andI never thought I would. When I did, Iwas so excited that I thought, ‘I’m goingto do this no matter what,’” she said.“Who knows what could have happened?Who really knows? These sick peoplethat plan these things are thinking,‘Where can we get the most people inone place?’ It’s pretty unbelievable.”

Just five days after the BostonMarathon, Carter said she finished firstin her age group in a half-IRONMANrace. The injury was not a problem.

2 THE CATALYST, April 26, 2013

The Catalyst is published once a week.Paid adver tisements, which do notrepresent an endorsement by MUSCor the State of South Carolina, arehandled by Island Publications Inc. ,Moultrie News, 134 Columbus St. ,Charleston, S.C., 843-849-1778 or843-958-7490. E-mail: [email protected].

Editorial of ficeMUSC Office of Public Relations135 Cannon Street, Suite 403C,Charleston, SC 29425.843-792-4107Fax: 843-792-6723

Editor: Kim [email protected]

Catalyst staff:Cindy Abole, [email protected] Barker, [email protected]

BY ANNALISE BAKER-WHITCOMB

Public Relations

Meeting Street Academy, a private preschool andelementary school for under-resourced families,

wanted to have a relationship with MUSC even beforeit opened its doors in 2008.

Seeking to provide exemplary health services to theirstudents through a partnership with MUSC, schoolnurse Jennifer Robinson, R.N., said that academyadministrators “went around MUSC knocking ondoors trying to find interest, and they found it.”

Since then, the partnership has become amultifaceted, multidisciplinary program that benefitsboth students at MSA and at MUSC. MSA originallyapproached MUSC about doing a medical clinic, anidea that evolved to include preventative health andnutrition classes, exercise programs and health servicesfor students, parents and teachers.

Youth sessions and workshops are taught by studentsfrom all disciplines on campus including pharmacy,medicine, physician assistants and dietetic internsinvolved with Junior Doctors of Health. This initiativeteaches children about healthy eating, exercise andhealth care professions while also educating teachersand parents to support them as role models. JDOHprograms are run throughout the state but MSA is byfar its most involved school, with each of MSA’s 107students being reached by the program. MUSC studentsvolunteer their own time, participate in a service-learning project or participate in JDOH through acourse, and get interprofessional, real-world experience.

“The youth and the MUSC students become reallyconnected with each other,” said Elana Wells, aprogram coordinator for JDOH. “The youth run upand hug the MUSC students when they arrive, andthey’re sad when they leave.”

JDOH officials often receive feedback from parents,according to Wells, who talk about their childrenasking them to buy Brussels sprouts or kale becauseof something they did in school that day. JDOH has

also conducted an evaluation of the program throughthe University of South Carolina and has determinedthat more exposure to the program creates a positiveimpact on health. MSA has made JDOH a priority inits school, allowing higher involvement and more accessfor its students.

“Having the support of the school is so important toour success in being able to serve the youth, the parentsand teachers,” said Wells.

Improvements in students’ medical care are anotherbenefit of this partnership. Robinson has been able toincrease their services and effectiveness by providingaccess to MUSC resources. Telemedicine allows MUSCpediatrician James McElligot, M.D., to use electronicstethoscopes, examination cameras and other devices toreplicate an in-person visit from MSA’s nurse’s office.This allows for easier follow-up appointments withstudents who have had medical issues and allows newproblems to be assessed, diagnosed and treated withthe child missing fewer days of school and avoiding anemergency room visit.

Jean McDowell, the director of community relationsat MSA, said that someone in the building is in contactwith MUSC every day. The partnership includes a

diverse amount of activities, including swimminglessons and community events. McDowell said thatboth the MSA and MUSC students look forward totheir time together, and that the junior doctors areheroes as soon as they step in the door.

“I asked one student what her favorite part of the daywas, and she said it was getting to try different kinds ofpeppers with the junior doctors,” said McDowell. “Shesaid the worst part of the day was not getting to haveseconds.”

Another example of collaboration between thetwo institutions is MSA’s running club. JDOH andresearchers at the USC Arnold School of Public Healthexpressed interest in evaluating how this exercise affectsclassroom behavior and academic success.

They donated pedometers to be worn by the children,and they are tracking the results with help from MSAofficials.

During the application process, MSA stressesfamily commitment and involvement, which is a hugeadvantage when trying to determine the effects of aprogram, through all-inclusive surveys and feedback.This policy also ensures high attendance for all events.

In addition to learning about healthy lifestyles,children at MSA also are taught about different healthcare careers. Each MUSC student from the JDOHprogram introduces their discipline and explains whatthey do.

Parents are counseled on how to prepare children forthe health profession and biomedical science careersby encouraging things such as exploration in nature.Robinson said that on a recent dress-up day, manystudents chose to wear scrubs.

The partnership between MSA and MUSC can alsoact as a guiding light for schools that may not have thesame opportunities and resources.

“Our partnership with MUSC is mutually beneficial- all constituents do what they do best, which positivelyimpacts those directly involved and serves as a model ofwhat is possible in our community,” said McDowell.

For more information, visit www.musc.edu/jdoh.

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TRAGEDY Continued from Page One

THE CATALYST, April 26, 2013 3

The Earl B. Higgins Achievement inDiversity Awards were established

to honor the late Earl B. Higgins, calleda “warrior for diversity,” by his sister,Deborah Higgins, who presented theawards. These awards honor MUSCstudents, faculty and employees whoenrich the diversity of the institution andencourage others to do the same.

“Institutions need to encourage thepreparation of medical professionalsdespite race, gender and orientation,”said Deborah Higgins. “We need toreach out and cast our nets wide tomanage our future problems in healthcare.”

Etta Pisano, M.D., vice president formedical affairs and dean of the Collegeof Medicine, was the faculty recipientthis year. Pisano joined MUSC in 2010.

“We make better decisions whenwe consult with people with differenttypes of backgrounds and ethnicities,”she said. “Organizations that are morediverse tend to be more successful

organizations.”During Pisano’s tenure, the percentage

of women in leadership positionshas increased from 26 to 32 percent.Pisano helped to provide funding formany female faculty members to attendthe Association of American MedicalColleges’ professional developmentprograms as well as the ExecutiveLeadership in Academic Medicineprogram.

She requires College of Medicinesearch committees to provide a diverseapplicant pool, and she has appointedtwo female department chairs and thefirst African-American department chairin the history of the College of Medicine.

Pisano expanded the College ofMedicine’s diversity program at alllevels for the college’s students, residentphysicians, staff and faculty, workingtowards greater cultural understanding.

In addition, she worked withthe College of Medicine’s diversitycommittee to expand the recruitment ofstudents who are underrepresented inmedicine.

Brandon Hagan, president of theStudent Government Association aswell as of the Student National DentalAssociation MUSC chapter, was thestudent recipient for the HigginsDiversity Award.

Hagan has worked extensively withthe James B. Edwards College ofDental Medicine’s Diversity office,traveling across the state to talk toprospective students, with a focus onunderrepresented populations. Haganserves as a student ambassador forMUSC, as well as for the AmericanDental Association.

He has volunteered for multiplehealth fairs to inform communitiesabout oral hygiene and organized the

involvement of the SNDA within ahealth fair in Ravenel. Hagan also startedthe Impressions program, which exposesstudents to dentistry careers.

Hagan’s research, “HealthcareDisparities Amongst Minorities:Challenges, Successes andOpportunities” was presented during anMUSC Black History month event in2011.

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Public Relations

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MUSC staff members mayhave noticed an increase

in communications over the pastseveral months.

The purpose for this increaseis to ensure that medical centeremployees and medical staff receiverelevant and critical information ina timely manner so they can deliverthe highest quality care possible.

A newly formed communications

team has been developing acomprehensive plan to strengthenand better align communicationsthroughout the MUSC clinicalenterprise. Below is an overviewof the various communicationmethods in place.

If you have any questions,comments or suggestions for thecommunications team, [email protected].

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Meetings & Leader Updates

Communications Meetings (first and third Tuesday of each month)! Attendees: Medical center management team! Purpose: To communicate important, timely information to the

management team to disseminate to its staff.

All Leader Meetings (monthly)! Attendees: Medical center administrators, directors and managers! Purpose: To update MUSC’s leaders on organizational initiatives.

All Physician Leader Meetings (monthly)! Attendees: Medical directors, College of Medicine department leaders,

service line medical directors and GME directors! Purpose: To update MUSC’s physician leaders on organizational

initiatives.

Leadership Development Institute (LDI -- quarterly)! Attendees: Medical center leadership team! Purpose: To develop leaders’ skills to enable the achievement of

organizational goals, as well as to improve individual leadershipperformance and organizational consistency.

Town Halls (quarterly)! Attendees: All medical center employees! Purpose: To keep staff informed of the medical center’s current

performance; new opportunities, challenges and action plans; and howemployees can help acheive success.

Strategic Plan Leader Meeting (SAS -- semi-annually)! Attendees: Leadership from MUSC medical center, College of Medicine

and MUSC Physicians! Purpose: To update leaders and staff on the progress being made within

the MUSC Health (clinical enterprise) strategic plan.

Methods of CommunicationPrint & Electronic

Weekly message from executive director and VP of clinical operations! Weekly email sent from Pat Cawley, M.D., executive director and vice

president of clinical operations, to all medical center employees! Purpose: To communicate and update all staff on important issues of the

week.

Clinical Connections! Weekly e-newsletter sent from Pat Cawley, M.D., executive director/

CEO, to physicians and medical center staff! Purpose: To serve as a central source for internal communication

to educate MUSC Health medical staff with valuable, top-lineinformation, news, announcements, initiatives and positive outcomes.

The Catalyst! “MUSC Medical Center Communications Corner” weekly section! Purpose: To inform employees and medical staff of announcements,

upcoming events and recognition.

Medical Center employee newsletter! Monthly e-newsletter sent from the MUSC Excellence Communication

Team to all medical center employees! Purpose: To serve as a source of interesting, useful and timely

information, including current and future direction and plans, peopleand achievements to celebrate, best practices and announcements aboutupcoming events and opportunities.

Safely Speaking! Daily patient safety tips sent from Danielle Scheurer, M.D., chief quality

officer, to all medical center staff and physicians! Purpose: To promote a culture of safety at MUSC.

WHY DO WE SEND OUT “SAFELY SPEAKING” TIPS EVERY DAY?As an organization, we view the safety of our patients, visitors and employees

as top priority, and we believe that safety should be the first thing we think ofevery day. This is why we send the “Safely Speaking” daily patient tips to our staffeach morning. We hope that as MUSC medical center employees and providers,you will join us in recognizing the importance of building a culture of safety. Toprovide feedback about “Safely Speaking,” email [email protected].

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Sometimes problems withenvironmental contaminants start

early – even before birth.That’s why researchers are pairing

with expectant mothers at MUSC andpatients at a fertility clinic to examinewhat effects environmental contaminantsmay have on reproductive health.

The two studies are led by LouisGuillette, Ph.D., who was recruitedto MUSC in 2010 by Roger Newman,M.D., director of obstetrics andgynecology. Newman said these studiesand others are transforming MUSC intoa nationally recognized research centerfor environmental health, specifically inidentifying the impact of environmentalcontaminants on reproductive healthand development.

“We have very exciting ongoingstudies looking at the effects ofselected contaminants on fetal genitaldevelopment and the impact ofenvironmental contaminants on fertilityand the outcome of assisted reproductiveinterventions,” Newman said.

This new area of research is openingup because of the unique collaborationbetween an obstetrics-gynecologydepartment and a reproductive biologistand scientist such as Guillette, reinforcedby the resources available throughthe collaborations at Hollings MarineLaboratory, he said. Those collaborationsinclude the expertise from scientists atthe National Institute of Standards andTechnology and the National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration.

It also includes fertility physicians atCoastal Fertility Specialists. Guillette, inconjunction with MUSC’s Departmentof Obstetrics and Gynecology, isworking with that group to examinehow exposure to common contaminantsfrom household products, such as plasticwater bottles, makeup, hairspray anddeodorant affect female egg quality andquantity.

Guillette said this has been a dreamproject, and he’s excited to be ableto collaborate on a study that will be

examining the follicular fluid and cellsthat surround the developing egg thatgenerally would be thrown away duringthe in-vitro fertilization process.

“We’re not modifying the medicalpractice in any way, but we’re going totake those tissues and fluids that wouldbe thrown away during the processand be able to analyze them for geneexpression and contaminants andhormones in the plasma. We’ll be ableto link that back to outcomes in thepregnancy,” Guillette said.

Another study within MUSC’sOB-GYN department examines if anexpectant mother’s exposure to certainenvironmental contaminants affectsfetal genital development. In this studythe anogenital distance, or distance fromthe anus to the genitalia, is measuredduring an ultrasound and at birth.

The area is longer in males, butenvironmental contaminants may affectthat distance and have a feminizing effecton embryonic development, Guillettesaid.

“What we find in little boys who

come from moms with the highest levelof phthalates is that their anogenitaldistance has in fact been reduced orfeminized. We know that a number ofphthalates are anti-androgens – theyblock the function of testosterone,which we know is important inembryonic development and in genitaldevelopment,” he said.

A third study is evaluating theeffectiveness of an educationalintervention to decrease both shortand long-term exposure to BisphenolA, known as BPA, which is anenvironmental contaminant foundprimarily in plastics.

“We have a number of things we hopewe can take directly to the physiciancommunity and say we can actuallyimprove upon pregnancy. If we can limitor minimize exposure to these factorsthat can have a health impact, we canhave healthier pregnancies,” Guillettesaid.

Newman said that’s what they arehoping to gain.

He’s glad to see research interest

growing in this area from otherdepartments, including neonatology,pediatrics, neurosciences and theDepartment of Medicine’s Division ofBiometry and Epidemiology. Researchis showing that various contaminantscan impact the reproductive, endocrine,neurological and inflammatory systemdevelopment. The contaminants alsoserve as endocrine disruptors known asobesogens that can cause weight gain.

“Where I think these studies aregoing is only in a positive direction.The emerging evidence is thatmaternal and fetal exposures to evenlow concentrations of environmentalcontaminants can induce developmentalchanges that have life-long consequences.Many of the ‘epidemics’ that we arefacing in this country and worldwide,such as obesity, reduced fertility rates,lower sperm counts, asthma, autism anddepression to name a few, may all havea fetal developmental origin,” Newmansaid.

“The challenge is to nurture researchopportunities and keep moving forward.”

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When it comes to receivingspecialized treatment in all urgent

and non-urgent needs of the hand, wristand elbow, patients can look to a newprogram for a specialized level of care.

MUSC’s Hand and Microsurgeryprogram, in the Division of Plasticand Reconstructive Surgery, offers acomprehensive and experienced teamapproach.

Lake City native Leverne Feaginsknows it well and is one of dozens oflocal and statewide patients who’vecounted on that expertise, especiallyduring one day in January 2012.

Winter months are typically a slowtime for the 46-year old constructionworker. Feagins, a bricklayer by trade,was working on a home project whenthe circular saw he was using suddenlykicked back on him and cleanly slicedoff his left thumb between the jointand base. Startled but reacting quickly,Feagins picked up his thumb, wrappeda cloth tight around his hand and wasquickly rushed by family to CarolinasUrgent Care in Lake City.

After stabilizing their patient,physicians consulted with Milton B.Armstrong, M.D., a hand surgeon andchief of the Division of Plastic Surgery.Armstrong made arrangements totransfer the patient to MUSC.

“I didn’t think they could do anythingfor my situation. I thought, ‘Go ahead;let’s give them a chance.’ What they didto save my thumb was pretty amazing,”said Feagins, who underwent an almostsix-hour finger replantation procedurewith Armstrong and his team. Hestayed at MUSC for a week before beingdischarged to recover at home.

Armstrong evaluated Feagins torecheck his thumb’s blood circulationand sensibility in the months thatfollowed. By August of that year, he wasworking with occupational therapists inFlorence on his range of motion.

Accidents like Feagin’s happen moreoften than people think. South Carolinais home to farming and manufacturingwhere people work daily with machines.According to Armstrong, accidentswith table saws and similar home toolsoccur regularly and can happen at anytime of the day and week. Armstrongand his team are on call to respond andconsult on emergency hand cases ortreatment of a variety of hand disordersand conditions. These include fracturesand dislocations of the hand, wrist andelbow; nerve, blood vessel or tendoninjuries; carpal tunnel syndrome; triggerfinger; rheumatoid and osteoarthritis;congenital hand conditions; replantationof amputations and many otherdiagnoses.

Armstrong, who joined MUSC in2009, is quick to point out that plastic

surgery not only includes cosmeticsurgery, but also surgery of the head,neck and trunk, as well as a focus onreconstructive problems. The division’sfaculty possess additional expertisein hand and microsurgery, complexreconstructions caused by trauma,cancer and congenital malformations.Armstrong’s background includes plasticsurgery training at Tulane UniversityMedical Center and a hand surgeryfellowship at Baylor College of Medicine,St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital.

“For decades, the public has hada pigeonholed view of plastic andreconstructive surgery to be connected

to cosmetics and facial surgery andenhancement work. In reality, today’splastic specialists are highly trainedsurgeons who receive comprehensiveexperience through their training andfellowships. In building up MUSC’sprogram, we’ve established a good cadreof people who can meet the needs ofour patients both locally and throughoutthe state as well as the demands of thisinstitution,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong’s priority is the program. Inthe past two and a half years, the divisionadded three hand fellowship-trainedplastic surgeons -- Kevin Delaney, M.D.,Fernando Herrera, M.D., and M. LanceTavana, M.D. Delaney completed hisplastic surgery training at The Ohio StateUniversity Medical Center with a handsurgery specialization at the Universityof Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital.Herrera completed a plastic surgeryresidency and hand surgery-microsurgeryfellowship at UCLA. Tavana completed aplastic surgery residency at the Universityof South Florida and hand surgeryfellowship at the University of PittsburghMedical Center’s Hand and UpperExtremity Center.

The division’s surgeons are finalizingplans to establish outreach centers forhand surgery in the Tri-county area.

For information, call 792-5346 orvisit http://www.muschealth.com/plasticsurgery.


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More than 30 study teams will belooking for research volunteers

during the third annual SCresearchEXPO, sponsored by the South CarolinaClinical and Translational ResearchInstitute, from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.on May 7 in the Horseshoe.

During the expo, MUSC investigatorsrepresenting various schools and collegeswill be available to explain their clinicaltrials and research studies to students,faculty, patients, staff members and thecommunity.

One of those principal investigatorsis Teresa Kelechi, Ph.D., RN, who hasdevoted the past 12 years to researchingways to prevent leg ulcers.

“Two million people in the UnitedStates have leg ulcers, and there are600,000 new ones that develop eachyear,” Kelechi, chair of the Departmentof Nursing and interim associate deanof research, said. “It’s quite a problembecause it keeps people from doing whatthey want to do.”

Her study looks at a way to preventrecurrence of leg ulcers in people whohave either had one because of badcirculation in the veins or have dark,hard, red, inflamed and itchy skin thatcould lead to a leg ulcer.

In order for the nine-month studyto be successful, Kelechi needs 50-60volunteers to use one of two differentcold cuffs, a special wrap for their legs tohelp with swelling, and a thermometerthat measures the temperature of eachleg before and after the cuff is applied.

“We believe that inflammation canhave an effect on leg ulcers. Some peopledon’t have inflammation, and somepeople never get leg ulcers. But there

is this inflammation that accompaniessome of these types of leg circulationproblems with the veins,” Kelechi said.“For those patients, we’re seeing if thiscooling approach can make their legsfeel better, if nothing else. But in thelong run, we hope it prevents themfrom getting leg ulcers or further skindamage.”

As the director of recruitment forSCTR, Kelechi has recruited patientsat all three expo events. She said theinvestigators’ approach is not invasive,doesn’t require much on the patient’spart and is not too expensive.

“Each year the expo gets a little biggerand better. It’s a great opportunity for allof us who are reaching out to patients toinvite them to participate,” Kelechi said.“To me, it’s an honor to have peoplein the study because they are making acommitment beyond. Even though wecompensate them for being in the study,for the most part, they’re so grateful thatsomeone is doing something to helpthem.”

In addition to learning about clinicaltrials, guests can win prizes, have theirblood pressure checked, receive a freemassage, enjoy a myriad of food vendors,and listen to speakers throughout theexpo. Carolyn Murray, of WCBD-TV,is expected to emcee the event andintroduce the speakers.

Sally Massagee, a cured patientof the National Institutes of HealthUndiagnosed Disease Program, who wasfeatured on 60 Minutes and Anderson360, will be the keynote speaker.Kathleen Brady, M.D., Ph.D., directorof SCTR, and Mathew Gregoski, Ph.D.,assistant professor in the College ofNursing, are scheduled to speak.

SCTR Institute’s newest full-serviceoffering for MUSC researchers, theSCTR Research Nexus, will have a tentat the event to showcase its clinical fundsmatching, research coordination andmanagement, biorepository and fullyequipped research facility. Approximately125 active studies are being conducted inthis research center currently, and mostof them are in need of participants forclinical trials ranging from cocaine useand diabetes to modulating the brainand adolescent smoking.

“There is a study for every singleperson here,” said Brady. “As someonewho has been conducting clinicalresearch for 20 plus years, I can’t tellyou how important it is to have peoplewilling to give their time and effort tovolunteer for research or how gratefulI am personally for anyone who hasparticipated in mine or any other study.”

For more information, visit https://sctr.musc.edu/index.php/sc-research-expo-2013 or call 792-8300.

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BY ASHLEY BARKER

Public Relations

I n the United States, health care-acquired infectionsresult in 100,000 deaths annually, adding an

estimated $45 billion to health care costs.Placement of copper surfaces in intensive care

unit hospital rooms reduced the amount of HAIs inpatients by more than half, according to a new studypublished in the May issue of Infection Control andHospital Epidemiology. The journal is supported bythe Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

“Patients who suffer HAIs often stay in the hospitallonger, incur greater costs and, unfortunately, suffera greater likelihood of dying while hospitalized,” saidCassandra D. Salgado, M.D., associate professor ofinfectious disease at MUSC and lead author of thestudy. “Our study found that placement of items withcopper surfaces into ICU rooms as an additionalmeasure to routine infection control practices couldreduce the risk of HAI as well as colonization with

multidrug resistant microbes.”In this study, funded by an appropriation from the

U.S. Army Materiel Command, U.S. Department ofDefense, the proportion of patients who developedHAIs or colonization with methicillin-resistantstaphylococcus aureus or VRE was significantly loweramong patients in rooms with copper surfaces. Thesepatients also had about half the number of infections,compared to patients in traditional ICU rooms.

Researchers tested the capability of copper surfacesto reduce environmental contamination of thesegerms because copper has an inherent ability tocontinuously kill environmental microbes.

Performed from July 12, 2010 to June 14, 2011, thestudy operated out of three medical centers includingMUSC, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centerand the Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs MedicalCenter. SCRA’s Applied R&D division managed the

study for its duration.Patients who were admitted to the ICU of these

hospitals were randomly assigned to receive care ina traditional patient room or in a room where itemssuch as bed rails, tables, IV poles and nurse callbuttons had copper surfaces. Both types of rooms ateach institution were cleaned using the same practices.

Previous attempts to reduce HAIs have requiredhealth care worker engagement or use of systems suchas ultraviolet light, which may be limited because ofregrowth of organisms after the intervention.

HAIs often contaminate items within hospitalrooms, allowing bacteria to transfer from patientto patient. Common microbes include MRSA andvancomycin-resistant enterococcus.

While several strategies exist to decrease HAIs, nomethods have been clinically proven to reduce thespread of these infections.

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The eleventh annualRheumatology Pie

Day will be held fromnoon until 2 p.m., May 6in room 816 (endocrinol-ogy conference room)of the Clinical SciencesBuilding.

The event is not a saleor a fundraiser, it’s just acelebration of pie. Drinks,plates, napkins and forkswill be provided. Guestsjust need to bring a pie.

Remember, pies don’thave to be limited to

just sweet fruit fillings.They can be savory piesof meats, vegetables andcheeses. The more cre-ative, the better.

For more information,call 792-2003 or [email protected].

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The Brain TumorAction Fair will take

place from 11 a.m. until2 p.m., April 29 in theMUSC Horseshoe.

May is nationallyrecognized as BrainTumor AwarenessMonth. The MUSCBrain & Spine Tumorprogram takes action toraise awareness in thecommunity about braintumors and the need forresearch funding.

The fair begins with theopening ceremony led byguest speaker CharlestonMayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr.

The free event willinclude music, vendorsand a chance to dunk Dr.Sunil Patel, clinical chairof neurosciences, for $5.


Carter Williams, a first-year MUSCphysician assistant studies student,

traveled to Uganda, March 8-18, with ateam from Palmetto Medical Initiative.

The volunteers treated malaria, fungalinfections, muscle aches, high bloodpressure, epilepsy, back pain, STDs anddehydration, but Williams found thatbeing able to train the locals to care fortheir own residents and pray with themwere the keys to the trip’s success.

“We had the opportunity to put intopractice what we have been learning inthe classroom for the past 10 months.We gained confidence in our ability totake a thorough history and perform acomprehensive physical exam,” Williamssaid. “We saw patients with everythingfrom common conditions such ashypertension to rare diseases that youonly read about in textbooks in America.It was an incredibly eye-openingexperience from both an education and alife perspective.”

PMI, a Charleston-based nonprofitorganization committed to providingsustainable, quality health care to thosein need while increasing accessibility toglobal medical missions, built a medicalclinic in Masindi, Uganda. Groups of25-60 volunteers spend a week setting upmobile clinics in various nearby villages.

“It was incredibly humbling to pullup to the clinic site with our team andbe welcomed by a line of hundreds ofcheering Ugandans who had walkedmiles to be there and undoubtedly sleptat their place in line the night before,”Williams said.

They also trained Ugandans to fillroles in the clinic and provide follow-upcare to the patients after the teams left.

“Focusing on education and teachingothers to help themselves is the best wayto serve an under-developed country,”she said. “Empowering the Ugandanpeople in Masindi through educationis something that will last much longerthan the medical care we providedduring the 10 days we were there.”

Williams’ medical team of MUSCPA students Ashley Nicole Sauls,Danielle Kym, Jessica Pionk and ColbyCarter joined occupational therapists,pharmacists,physicians anddentists.

“PMI has changedmy idea of healthcare and given meperspective on schooland the luxury ofeducation, especiallyin doing medicinewith my classmates while sharing myfaith,” Sauls said. “It’s the life I hope tolead practicing as a PA in the UnitedStates. It gives me hope and courageto pursue education while being God’shands and feet to those who have notbeen given the opportunities that Ihave.”

The team served approximately 250patients each day in five different villagesand joined Ugandan nurses from theMasindi Kitara Medical Center toeducate Ugandans about family planningand the causes of some of their pain.

“I had a girl who came in with neckand back pain. It takes a while to get thestory out of them because you’re goingthrough a translator. But I found out she

carries a 20-pound jug of water every dayfor work,” Williams said. “It broke myheart because she’s doing that work tosurvive. I would normally tell her to putthe jug down because her muscles can’tsupport that weight. But to her, it’s herliving. It was hard for me to tell her totake a break.”

In addition to providing care andeducation, many of the team membersalso prayed with the patients through thetranslators.

“My belief in medicine is that Godis the ultimate physician, and He’sjust using me to work through Him in

the lives of otherpeople,” Williamssaid. “These oldladies would showup with arthritisin every singlejoint from years ofdigging in fieldsand headaches frombeing massively

dehydrated. I would tell them, ‘I’m givingyou some Tylenol for your pain and oralrehydration salts because drinking half acup of tea each day is not quite enoughwater, and that may be why you haveheadaches.’ They would just stare backat me. Then I would say, ‘And I’m goingto pray for you.’ They’d just light up as ifthat was the real reason they had waitedin line all night.”

Williams, who grew up going onmedical trips to Haiti, Belize andHonduras with her father, a cataractsurgeon, said the trip with PMI refocusedher education to be more service-based.

“The trip to Uganda allowed me toregain my perspective and rememberwhy I am in PA school,” Williams said.

“When you’re in school, it is easy tobecome self centered with countlesshours of studying and test taking. Thatwill never satisfy me. It has to be aboutserving others.”

Money raised for PMI helps keepthe clinic in Masindi affordable for theresidents. Patients pay what they can,and 98 percent are able to afford theirservices in full.

“Because PMI provides quality careto the Ugandan people at a reasonableprice, they also depend on donationsin order to maintain their sustainabilitymodel,” Williams said. “A little bitreally does go a long way. It costs eightU.S. dollars to treat a patient who hasmalaria, a common killer in Uganda,only $8 to save someone’s life.”

Fundraisers are held in the UnitedStates and donations are alwaysaccepted. The Needtobreathe Classic,a golf tournament held in March atthe Daniel Island Club, presented byCommonwealth Cares Foundation, had180 golfers and raised $80,000 for PMI’smedical mission trips and clinics inUganda and Nicaragua.

“We are so grateful for our partnershipwith MUSC, as multiple students acrossall medical disciplines have joined uson many of our short-term medicalteams,” said Katie McKenzie, a PMIspokesperson. “We focus on makingthese trips a unique, educationalopportunity for students as theyencounter new things and are challengedto think outside of the box.”

Applications are being accepted nowfor PMI’s August trips to Uganda andNicaragua. To apply for a trip, donate orfind out more about Palmetto MedicalInitiative, visit palmettomedical.org.

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BY ASHLEY BARKER

Public Relations

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MUSC Catalyst 4-26-13

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Transcript of MUSC Catalyst 4-26-13