Updated News Items

Four in five heart attack patients skip rehab, Spartanburg Regional study reveals

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Targeted exercise, nutritional support programs are missing link in recovery

Four out of five local heart attack victims don’t enter a targeted rehabilitation program to strengthen their heart muscles with exercise, according to the results of a study at Spartanburg Regional.

Despite published reports suggesting reduced mortality and hospital readmission rates, many patients don’t take advantage of Cardiac Rehab, a three-phased program whose goal is to retrain the body after a heart attack, surgery, angioplasty or stent placement.

“Cardiac Rehab is highly under-utilized,” said Donna Ivey, director of Cardiac Rehab at Spartanburg Regional. “Patients attending Cardiac Rehab learn their physical limitations, receive emotional and nutritional support as well as strategies for living a long healthy life. The primary focus is to prevent another cardiac event as well as modify lifestyle behavior risk factors that put you at risk for a heart attack.

“This program is the missing link in heart attack recovery. It saves lives. Surviving the heart attack is only the first phase in your recovery. Your body needs to understand exercise in the context of what has happened to your heart.”

With completion of cardiac rehab, mortality rates are reduced by 45 percent. Hospital re-admissions are reduced by 47 percent for cardiac rehab participants. Following a cardiac event, 95 percent of cardiac rehab participants return to work. Cardiac rehab also reduces the chance of having another heart attack by 31 percent.

According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in America, responsible for approximately 36 percent of all deaths. For those who have suffered from a cardiac event, such as a heart attack or heart surgery, cardiac rehabilitation is crucial to regaining a healthy lifestyle.

Spartanburg Regional’s Cardiac Rehab program provides medically supervised exercise three times per week, as well as classes on reducing your risk of heart disease, managing stress and stopping smoking. Blood work analysis, telemetry heart monitoring and nutritional assessment by a registered dietitian are also available through the Cardiac Rehab program.

Cardiac rehab participants experience improved cardiovascular fitness, decreased blood pressure and heart rate, reduced body fat and lower cholesterol levels, Ivey said.

Physical inactivity is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. All adults should undergo moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for at least 30 minutes, five days per week or vigorous-intensity activity for at least 20 minutes, three days per week, according to the AHA. Activities such as swimming, cycling, jogging, skiing, aerobic dancing and walking can help make the heart healthier.

Spartanburg Regional’s Cardiac Rehab program is located on Pearl Street. For more information, call (864) 560-4250 or visit www.spartanburgregional.com.

Fire extinguisher training heats up, thanks to major grant from Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

How do you safely practice using a fire extinguisher—when there’s no fire?

“It’s not safe or feasible to start a fire just to show people how to prevent one, so the proper use of a fire extinguisher is a difficult lesson to teach, and to learn,” said Mike Miller, Chief of Safety at Spartanburg Regional. “In recent history, very few people have really gotten a good and thorough explanation of how to handle an extinguisher in the heat of the moment.”

But an award from the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation has equipped Miller’s department with a fire extinguisher training system to help hospital staff learn how to fight a fire with skill.

Instead of using real flames, however, those being trained will have to extinguish a simulated digital fire—and a very tough, no-nonsense simulated digital fire, at that. Similar to a video game, the system is called the Bulls-Eye, and for good reason, said Doug Neubauer, safety specialist.

“It senses where the user aims and sweeps the laser extinguisher and varies the digitized flames in response to how the person being trained is fighting the fire,” Neubauer said. “The training system only puts the fire out when the extinguisher is used correctly. So it’s very, very effective and obviously much safer than a real fire.”

Hospitals are required to ensure that front-line staff is proficient in the use of fire extinguishers. But, until now, Miller and Neubauer have been scratching their heads on how to effectively meet the criteria without compromising the overall safety of Spartanburg Regional’s many buildings on the hospital’s main campus.

“This project is a great representation of what the Spartanburg Regional Foundation can do,” said Dr. Sheila Breitweiser, the Foundation’s executive director, said. “This fire extinguisher program is essential tool that will improve safety and education while also fulfilling a very pragmatic need for the hospital and, ultimately, the community at large.”

Neubauer agrees. Once the hospital staff are trained, the $13,000 Bulls-Eye system will be shared with other community partners, like schools and libraries.

“We view the Foundation as a partner,” Neubauer said. “This grant has allowed us to focus on other areas of safety. Now, we’ve got the fire extinguisher training covered.”

Author Eleanor Clift to speak at Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: June 9, 2010 12:00 AM
Description:

Eleanor Clift, author of Two Weeks of Life: A Memoir of Love, Death & Politics, will speak at 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 17 at the Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home.

This lecture is part of the Heartland Hospice Memorial Fund End of Life Care Lecture Series. Eleanor Clift's long resume includes her work as author, editor, TV personality and cameo film appearances.

Clift is a regular panelist on the syndicated talk show, "The McLaughlin Group." She has appeared as herself in several movies, including "Dave," "Independence Day," "Murder at 1600," "Rising Sun," and the CBS series, "Murphy Brown." Clift's column, "Capitol Letter," is posted each Friday on Newsweek.com. Her most recent book, Two Weeks of Life: A Memoir of Love, Death & Politics, is about the loss of her husband together with an examination of how we deal with death in America.

Clift will also speak at the Spartanburg County Headquarters Library at 7 p.m. Books will be available for purchase and signing immediately following the presentation. This lecture will mark the second in a series of lectures offered as part of the Heartland Hospice Memorial Fund End of Life Care Lecture Series.

Item Last Modified On: June 11, 2010 2:17 PM

Spartanburg Regional Foundation awards more than $400,000 in grants to community, hospital

Tue, 25 May 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The Spartanburg Regional Foundation on Monday awarded more than $400,000 in grants to 27 organizations serving the hospital and community.

"Since 1991, the Spartanburg Regional Foundation has been supporting the mission and vision of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System," said Dr. Sheila Breitweiser, executive director of the Foundation. "The continued generosity of our donors has allowed us to support many key programs within the hospital system, as well as worthwhile organizations and projects in our community."

The following organizations will receive funding this year:

Boy Scouts of America: $10,000
To help provide quality programs that develop lifelong wholesome family values, citizenship, character, wellness and physical fitness skills.

Boys & Girls Club: $7,500
To increase healthy lifestyles among Spartanburg's disadvantaged youth through nutrition education, physical fitness and social interaction.

Cancer Association: $4,300
To partner with Gibbs Cancer Center’s nutritionist for education of local cancer patients and their families on the role of nutrition during and after cancer treatment.

Charles Lea Center: $3,000
To purchase two automatic external heart defibrillators to provide access to this emergency medical equipment for the 1,400 special needs clients of the Charles Lea Center.

Divinity Care Facility: $9,450
To relieve the hospital of male patients with no residence and to decrease re-admissions for non-emergency situations to the emergency room at this homeless shelter for men.

Spartanburg Regional Healing Arts/Converse College: $20,330
To increase intervention program offerings and to create a research model to show the benefits of cultural arts intervention as part of the healing process and sustained healthy lifestyle for people suffering from mental illnesses.

McCarthy Teszler School: $32,218
To help construct an outdoor natural learning playground for special needs students.

National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Center: $11,000
To assist with collecting information about changes in healthcare knowledge and practices from a group of at-risk females in Spartanburg County.

Piedmont Care: $12,500
To provide interventions, education and tools to help reduce the spread of HIV.

Spartanburg Charter School: $6,000
To support and expand the free and reduced lunch program by providing a nutritious lunch to financially challenged families as well as to provide nutrition education for all students and families.

Spartanburg Regional 4 Heart Unit: $4,230
To purchase educational equipment that is essential to the teaching of cardiac arrhythmias, 12-Lead EKG, Hemodynamics, and STEMI recognition in the Odyssey Orientation Program participants and Heart Center classes.

Spartanburg Regional Case Management: $4,250
To provide ACMA certification for ten Case Managers, and to purchase five review handbooks to assist in the preparation for taking the exam.

Spartanburg Regional Community Health/ACCESS Health: $4,989.37
Provide equipment to conduct census of all health care related providers and service agencies in the SRHS area, support a series of gatherings among these organizations, and create an asset map of all the health care related organizations and agencies in the area.

Spartanburg Regional Community Health/Teen Pregnancy: $98,000 (multi-year $48,000/$50,000)
To help increase the number of older teens aged 15 to 19 who receive health services in Spartanburg County through teen clinics with an emphasis on making healthy choices and avoiding teen pregnancies.

Spartanburg Regional Home Health: $12,500
To provide evidence-based training and education for eight staff members in the chronic disease management program.

Spartanburg Regional Oncology and Palliative Care: $12,100 (multi-year $6,050)
To provide education, books and exams to eleven of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System’s Registered Nurse’s, so they can become certified in either Oncology or Hospice/Palliative Care.

Spartanburg Regional Oncology Rehab: $4,200
To obtain a RianCorp LTU-904 low-level laser unit for use with lymphedema patients served by Oncology Rehabilitation.

Spartanburg Regional Pediatric Rehab/South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind: $45,440
To provide the purchase of Occupational Therapy services from the Spartanburg Regional Pediatric Rehabilitation Service and provision of these services to 16 sensory impaired students at the SC School for the Deaf and Blind.

Spartanburg Regional Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: $8,350
To allow 20 Pediatric Intensive Care Nurses to attend a web-based program to help expand their knowledge base of better ways to care for their young patient’s.

Spartanburg Regional Safety Department: $12,396.64
To purchase a digital fire extinguisher training system to help train individuals in the proper way to use a fire extinguisher.

Spartanburg Regional Sports Medicine: $25,641.44
To help provide funding for the purchase of Automatic External Defibrillators and educational resources to aid in the reduction of sudden cardiac deaths in the Spartanburg community and area schools and colleges.

Spartanburg Regional/Wofford College: $100,000 (multi-year $34,000, $34,000, $32,000)
This funding will be used as a challenge grant for Wofford College to raise the additional funds needed to create a new organic chemistry lab while (at the same time) featuring a strong and lasting strategic alliance and collaborative healthcare partnership between Spartanburg Regional, the new Edward Via School of Osteopathic Medicine and Wofford College.

Temple Education Ministries: $6,500
To help a local ministry to purchase exercise equipment to start a community gym.

Village at Pelham Administration: $5,000
To help with providing a fence around VAP garden that will provide fresh vegetables to their own Dogwood Café beginning this summer.

Village at Pelham Rehab Department: $29,004
To acquire Phase I quality rehabilitation equipment to meet the needs of inpatients at the Village Hospital and to be ready to deliver excellent rehabilitation services as the hospital continues to expand its services in the community.

Wellspring Living: $4,000
To provide funding for fitness equipment and supplies, contractual counseling services, furnishings and supplies for the counseling suite and furniture and supplies for the art therapy classroom for women suffering from severe personal and medical issues.

Wofford College: $8,670
To provide Spartanburg County elementary schools with the tools and training to effectively increase healthy eating decisions during school lunch service with the long-term goal of reducing the prevalence of childhood obesity in Spartanburg County through instilling healthier eating habits in our children.

Safe Kids offers car seat inspections on May 27

Mon, 24 May 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Safe Kids Spartanburg urges parents and caregivers to make sure their child safety seats are properly installed in their vehicles at the Safe Kids Inspection Station. Safe Kids will have certified child passenger safety technicians available to provide hands-on instruction on installing car seats and booster seats on May 27 from 2 to 5 p.m. outside the Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health facing East Wood Street. Please call 864-560-6845 to make an appointment.

"It's the responsibility of every parent and caregiver to make sure their children are safely restrained – every trip, every time and at every age," said Penny Shaw, Safe Kids Spartanburg coordinator. "We are urging everyone to have their child checked to be sure they are using the right restraint—a car seat, booster seat or seat belt. When it comes to the safety of a child, there is no room for mistakes."

According to a 2008 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the use of child restraints declines as children get older. From birth to 12 months, 99 percent of children ride in a restraint. It drops to 92 percent for kids ages 1 to 3. For kids ages 4 to 7, 89 percent are restrained. But only 85 percent of kids ages 8 to 12 ride in a restraint.

"Parents need to set the rules and stay vigilant," Shaw said. "Booster seats and seat belts are just as important for older kids as car seats are for younger kids."

Safe Kids Buckle Up, the child passenger safety program of Safe Kids USA in partnership with General Motors, holds child safety seat checkups and other vehicle safety events throughout the year. Nationwide, the Safe Kids Buckle Up program has reached more than 20 million people and has inspected more than 1.1 million car seats.

Parents and caregivers should follow a few basic guidelines for determining which restraint system is best suited toprotect their children in a vehicle:

1. For the best possible protection keep infants in a back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible—up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. Never turn a child forward-facing before age 1 and at least 20 pounds, although keeping kids rear-facing until age 2 is safer and preferred if the seat allows.
2. When children outgrow their rear-facing seats, they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in a back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular harnessed seat. Many newer seats exceed the old 40-pound weight limit.
3. Once children outgrow their forward-facing seats, they should ride on booster seats, in a back seat, until the vehicle seat belts fit properly.
4. Seat belts fit properly when the child can pass the Safety Belt Fit Test: the lap belt lays across the upper thighs, the shoulder belt rests on the shoulder or collar bone and the knees bend naturally at the seat’s edge (usually when the child is between 8 and 12 years old, approximately 4'9" tall and 80 to 100 pounds).
5. After children fully outgrow their booster seats, they should use the adult seat belts in a back seat. The lap belt should lay across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits rests on the shoulder or collar bone.

Safe Kids Spartanburg works to prevent accidental childhood injury, the leading cause of death and disability for children ages 1 to 14. Safe Kids Spartanburg is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing accidental injury. Safe Kids Spartanburg was founded in 1993 and is led by Spartanburg Regional.

Spartanburg Regional offers grief support for children

Mon, 24 May 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: May 24, 2010 12:00 AM
Description:

It’s important to remember that children have different needs when coping with grief. For this reason, Spartanburg Regional Hospice is offering Kids Connect Support Groups. Here, children can feel free to express themselves and their grief in a constructive manner. The groups are divided by age group and led by a medical social worker experienced in the field of childhood grief.

"Losing a loved one is a very emotional and confusing time, especially for a child," said Edie Riddlespurger, LMSW with Spartanburg Regional Hospice. "Children have special ways of expressing themselves and this support group offers them a chance to do that in a safe environment."

The next support groups will be held in June at the Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home on Jeff Davis Drive. For children ages 7 to 12, classes are on June 8, 15, 22 and 29 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. For children ages 4 to 6, classes are on June 7 and 14 from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Registration is required for these groups. For more information and to register, please call 864-577-4044.

Item Last Modified On: May 25, 2010 11:30 AM

American Nurses Association: Spartanburg Regional tops in nursing

Wed, 19 May 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Medical center achieves re-designation of prestigious Magnet award, an honor earned by less than 1 percent of world’s hospitals

SPARTANBURG—Spartanburg Regional Medical Center has some of the best bedside nurses in the country, according to the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

The medical center learned that it has been re-designated as a Magnet hospital, an honor that it first earned in 2005. Less than 3 percent of hospitals around the globe achieve Magnet status, and only 1 percent maintains that honor through a rigorous reapplication process. Spartanburg Regional is and has remained South Carolina’s only Magnet hospital.

The Magnet Recognition Program recognizes quality patient care and nursing excellence, particularly at the bedside, providing consumers with the ultimate benchmark to measure a hospital’s quality of care. Spartanburg Regional Medical Center is one of only 370 hospitals to receive Magnet Recognition. The program began in 1983.

"Spartanburg Regional achieves many accreditations, commendations and awards," said Ingo Angermeier, President and CEO, Spartanburg Regional. "Of them all, none is more reflective of excellence than the Magnet nursing designation. Nurses are not only the backbone of a hospital, but also the connection to the patient at the bedside. We are thrilled-but not surprised-that Spartanburg Regional nurses represent the gold standard of caring and professionalism."

Healthcare organizations around the world are making use of the Magnet program concepts to continually assess and improve their processes for achieving quality in nursing and in patient outcomes.

The Magnet designation is awarded by the Magnet Recognition Program if a health care organization has demonstrated it provides an environment of excellence for nursing practice and patient care.

According to the ANCC, the leading nursing credentialing organization in the United States, Magnet designation is widely accepted as the gold standard of patient care. The Magnet Recognition Program recognizes excellence and professionalism in nursing. Applicants undergo an extensive evaluation, and members who are awarded Magnet status must continue to maintain rigorous standards as part of their four-year designation. To reapply for and receive Magnet status for an additional four years is confirmation of the hospital's resolve to deliver the highest level of care in nursing today.

Research reflects that Magnet hospitals have better patient outcomes and higher levels of patient and nurse satisfaction than do non-Magnet hospitals.

"While Magnet is primarily a nursing recognition of excellence, it would be utterly impossible for a hospital to receive this designation without each and every member of our team," said Susan Duggar,

Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer. "We're a better institution today because of our Magnet designation four years ago. It raised the bar on patient care and inspired all of us—nurses, physicians, professional and support staff—to strive to be even better. That's what enabled us to become a Magnet facility in the first place. That’s why we continue to serve as a Magnet hospital today."

Spartanburg Regional's bariatric surgery program considered among nation's best

Mon, 10 May 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Spartanburg Regional Medical Center has been named a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence for the second time by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

The Center first received the designation in March 2006 and was recently recertified. The recertification means the program has maintained its high level of care for morbidly obese patients seeking weight loss surgery, said Dianne Smith, manager of Regional Surgical Weight Loss.

Accreditation through ASBS is the gold standard for bariatric surgery programs in the United States. In fact, less than 412 hospitals across the nation have earned this designation, which represents the delivery of quality care before, during and after bariatric surgery.

SRMC is one of only six Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence in South Carolina. "Accreditation proves that we’re the best of the best when it comes to bariatric surgery," President/CEO Ingo Angermeier said. "We've stood behind this program since its inception, and are validated by the ASBS’ endorsement of the good work we do here."

Bariatric surgical procedures are major gastrointestinal operations that seal off most of the stomach to reduce the amount of food a person can eat.

"Statistically, about 67 percent of the American population is overweight. We are prepared to welcome all patients both physically and emotionally," Smith said. "We provide bariatric sensitivity training for the hospital staff."

To earn a Center of Excellence designation, the program underwent a series of site inspections during which all aspects of the program’s surgical processes were closely examined and data from health outcomes was collected. SRMC and other centers receiving the Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence designation agree to continue to share information on clinical pathways, protocols and outcomes data.

"We certainly feel a sense of accomplishment for the great work that we’ve been able to do in this program," said Dr. Paul Ross, medical director of the Center. "This Center of Excellence status means that a full review of everything that we’ve done since day one has proven that we have helped set the standard for bariatric surgery in South Carolina."

Spartanburg Regional recognized for diversity efforts

Mon, 10 May 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: May 10, 2010 12:00 AM
Description:

Spartanburg Regional's corporate diversity efforts were recently highlighted at the 6th Annual Upstate Diversity Leadership Awards.

The winner of the "Outstanding Business Award," Spartanburg Regional developed a Diversity Leadership Team to help improve awareness of diversity issues to its 5,000 employees.

"Diversity awareness should be hard-wired into an organization," said Randy Nyp, Spartanburg Regional’s Chief Operating Officer. "Our experience in the development of a Diversity Leadership Team has taught a very important lesson: our differences can often unite us, particularly when the goal is to understand one another better in the context of delivering quality care."

For more information about the Upstate Diversity Leadership Awards, please contact Cindy Youssef at the Riley Institute at Furman at (864) 294-3253.

Item Last Modified On: May 12, 2010 12:54 PM

Area programs recognize the healing effects of art

Mon, 10 May 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: May 10, 2010 12:00 AM
Description:

'Docs Who Rock,' Charles Lea Center Foundation donate funds to Community Healing Arts Program

The Spartanburg Regional Foundation Community Healing Arts Program is the recipient of a $1,000 donation from the Docs Who Rock event.

The event, held on March 13, was organized by the Spartanburg County Medical Society Alliance. At the event, local physicians entertained a sold-out crowd with their musical talents. A total of $26,212 was raised at the event to support local health-related organizations.

The Charles Lea Center Foundation has partnered with Spartanburg Regional Community Healing Arts Program by designating a portion of the grant dollars received through Women Giving for Spartanburg to facilitate Healing Arts activities for their consumers. A $4,750 donation was made to The Healing Arts by Charles Lea Center to help fund therapeutic art activities to benefit consumers throughout Charles Lea, including their S.A.L.T. Shakers program and their Hooper program. In addition, a fully supplied art cart will be placed at Charles Lea Center and will offer a choice of interactive therapeutic art activities for consumers and caregivers in a limited space environment. The mobile art carts contain art supplies to allow consumers to use the power of art to express themselves in a therapeutic manner at any time.

The belief that creating art is both healing and life enhancing, lends itself nicely to the use of therapeutic arts activities in hospitals. Research shows that viewing beautiful artwork or listening to a familiar melody increases serotonin levels and instills a sense of well-being, while decreasing stress and anxiety.

The Spartanburg Regional Foundation Community Healing Arts Program (CHAP) serves many outreach sites throughout Spartanburg County and strives to create a healing environment for the benefit of patients, clients and caregivers. Thus, opportunities to participate in therapeutic art performances and activities are accessible to all community members regardless of their mental/physical limitations, financial limitations or treatment location.

By providing carefully designed activities facilitated by professional artists, we endeavor to lessen the feelings of anxiety and increase the participant's ability to deal with stressful life issues and, in turn, reduce the recurrence of illness. In addition, we strive to educate participants to the healthful benefits and low-or-no cost access to the many cultural arts activities in Spartanburg and the surrounding areas.

Donations help support the Community Healing Arts Program's ongoing, positive impact throughout Spartanburg may be made through the Spartanburg Regional Foundation. For more information about The Healing Arts, please call Kimberly Ward at (864) 384-0165.

Item Last Modified On: May 12, 2010 12:53 PM

Local oncologists join Gibbs Cancer Center team

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: April 30, 2010 12:00 AM
Description:

Drs. Bowers and Wood adding to the depth of the Gibbs group

Two respected local oncologists will be treating cancer patients as part of the Gibbs Cancer Center team. Samuel Wood, M.D. and Charles Bowers, M.D. will be welcoming current patients and accepting new patients at their office at North Grove Medical Park.

“I have been a part of this community for a long time, and have known the physicians at Gibbs during that time. This move will be beneficial to patient care,” stated Dr. Bowers.

Dr. Wood agrees “I am proud to be part of the Gibbs Cancer Center. I’m excited to be joining a center that provides comprehensive, state of the art care locally.”

“We are thrilled to have both of these fine physicians join our team,” stated Dr. James Bearden, of Gibbs Cancer Center. “We pride ourselves on offering the very best evidence-based medicine and latest clinical trials available anywhere. Dr. Bowers and Dr. Wood exemplify these ideals. Ultimately, we want patients in our region to receive comprehensive care in their own community. This will help us achieve what is best for patients.”

Both Dr. Bowers and Dr. Wood have practiced in Spartanburg for several years, treating patients from throughout the Upstate. Now that they are part of the Gibbs Cancer Center team, patients can reach them by calling 864-278-1402.

Gibbs Cancer Center is a patient-centered, multidisciplinary cancer treatment center that is recognized as being in the top 6 percent of cancer programs in the United States and as a recipient of the Commission on Cancer Outstanding Achievement Award by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. The cancer center is the exclusive local host affiliate of the M.D. Anderson Physicians Network and is also affiliated with the Hollings Cancer Center of MUSC, a National Cancer Institute designated academic cancer center. As part of the not-for-profit Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, Gibbs Cancer Center offers free education and community screenings, massage therapy and the services of a social worker, chaplain and nutritionist.

Item Last Modified On: April 30, 2010 3:15 PM

Spartanburg EMS Takes Home Top Honors

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Spartanburg EMS scored big at South Carolina’s Annual EMS Symposium, taking home three top honors.

South Carolina’s "Paramedic of the Year," "EMS Educator of the Year" and "Small EMS System of the Year" all went to the local emergency services crew, a division of Spartanburg Regional.

Roy Atkinson, a senior paramedic, was honored as "S.C. Paramedic of the Year." Atkinson has been with the department since 1996.

"Roy is always willing to help both the EMS department and his fellow employees by working extra duties," said Jimmy Greene, Director of EMS, Transportation and Air Medical Services.

Evelyn Squires, also a senior paramedic, was named "S.C. EMS Educator of the Year." Squires, a member of the Spartanburg EMS department since 1998, teaches at Greenville Technical College and Western Carolina University.

"Evelyn strives to teach others in the latest techniques and procedures, both within the EMS department, as well as outside through her adjunct faculty positions," Greene said.

Regional One was named "S.C. Small EMS System of the Year."

"Regional One was selected for its community involvement in teaching classes, standing by for special events, involvement in alcohol safety events for teens and for research efforts in testing new patient-care procedures," Greene said.

Spartanburg EMS is able to make an impact on the community through the efforts of team members like Atkinson, Squires and Regional One, Greene said.

"It is through the dedication and service of dedicated professionals such as Evelyn and Roy, that Spartanburg EMS is able to offer the professional pre-hospital service to the citizens of Spartanburg County," Greene said. "Fantastic Individuals who come together as part of a dedicated team."

Gibbs to Host Discussion in Honor of 'Minority Cancer Awareness Week'

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: April 27, 2010 12:00 AM
Description:

Gibbs Cancer Center has organized an event at 6:30 p.m. on April 28 at Piney Grove Baptist Church in Cowpens.

Cancer survivor and clinical trial participant Randy Anderson and his wife Angelia will talk about the difference a clinical trial made in their lives. Registered nurse Nancy Sprouse and lay navigator Patrice Moore will explain research and answer frequently asked questions about clinical trials.

The church is located at 2085 Mayo Road in Cowpens. Visit gibbscancercenter.com or call (864) 560-6747 to register for this event.

Key Statistics about Cancer in Minorities from the American Cancer Society:
• African-Americans have the highest death rate and shortest survival following diagnosis of any racial and ethnic group in the U.S. for most cancers.
• About 150,000 new cancer cases were diagnosed among African-Americans in 2009. Approximately 63,000 African-Americans died of cancer.
• The most commonly diagnosed cancers among African-American men are prostate, lung, and colorectal.
• Among African-American women, the most common cancers are breast, lung and colorectal.
• About 99,000 new cancer cases in Hispanic men and women were diagnosed last year. Among Hispanics, there were 29,000 cancer deaths.
• Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Hispanic men, while lung cancer accounts for the largest percentage of deaths in Hispanic males.
• Breast cancer is both the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic women.

Item Last Modified On: April 27, 2010 9:25 AM

Spartanburg Regional salutes eight nurses receiving 'Palmetto Gold' recognition

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

South Carolina Nurses Foundation's award signifies excellence in nursing practice

Eight Spartanburg Regional nurses were honored Saturday by the South Carolina Nurses Foundation as recipients of the Palmetto Gold award.

Each year, the foundation honors 100 registered nurses in the state who exemplify excellence in nursing practice and commitment to the profession, according to the Foundation.

Lorraine Calwile, Kelli Clune, Evelyn Lollis, Kim Saunders, Frankie Henderson, Kristi Melton, Denise Logan and Juliet Brandau were each honored at an event Saturday in Columbia.

This year’s crop of winners represents the best in nursing, said to Susan Duggar, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer.

"It's no surprise to me that our healthcare system is home to some of the best nurses in the state," Duggar said. "I'm amazed and inspired by their work ethic, their tremendous sense of mission and their commitment to providing a level of quality care that fuses clinical excellence and compassion."

Having eight of South Carolina’s top 100 nurses is quite a feat, said Ingo Angermeier, President and CEO.

"To have your peers recognize you as tops in your field is quite an accomplishment," Angermeier said. "We salute those who have earned this special recognition."

Recipients from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center include:

Lorraine Calwile, a nurse in the Cardiovascular Recovery Unit, has been a nurse for 21 years. She lives in Roebuck.

"My Mom always told me to treat people like I wanted to be treated no matter who they were, what their disabilities were, the color of their skin or what their beliefs were," Calwile said. "She always said following the Golden rule will get you far in life. I started out as a Candy Striper and the rest is history."

Kelli Clune, a nurse in the Emergency Center, has been a nurse for 18 years. She lives in Spartanburg.

"I actually have wanted to be a nurse as long as I can remember," Clune said. "Science and the human body have always fascinated me. I feel honored to receive the Palmetto Gold award and surprised. I was not expecting it."

Evelyn Lollis, of Gray Court, a nursing director, has been a nurse for 33 years.

"I went into nursing because of my love for helping people and the desire to make a difference," Lollis said. "I feel honored and appreciative of being selected a Palmetto Gold winner."

Kim Saunders, of the hospital's Wound Team, is originally from West Virginia. A nurse for 23 years, she now lives in Moore.

"I have wanted to be a nurse since I was 6 or 7," Saunders said. "It is the only thing I ever wanted to do. The quest to think outside the box, institute innovative practice changes, and influence directional paths intrigues me. The recognition of those efforts only makes the quest that much sweeter."

Recipients from Spartanburg Hospital for Restorative Care include:

Frankie Henderson has been a nurse for 28 years. She’s from Spartanburg.

"If someone was injured or sick I was always the one wanting to help take care of them and make them feel better" Henderson said. "I think I was born to be a nurse. I feel so honored to be part of such a prestigious group as the Palmetto Gold nurses."

Kristi Melton, originally from Hendersonville, N.C., lives in Inman. She has been a nurse for 15 years.

"I wanted to make an impact in other’s lives, but instead my patients over the years have impacted my life," Melton said. "Nursing has allowed me the opportunity to not only care for people during their worst moments, but be a part of their family as they witness miracles and suffer great losses."

Denise Logan of Spartanburg has been a nurse for 28 years.

"I wanted to go into nursing so I would have a job where I would be involved in helping others," Logan said. "It is quite an honor to have been selected as one of South Carolina's best nurses."

Recipients from Village Hospital include:

Juliet Brandau, a hospital educator, has been a nurse for 17 years. Originally from Ann Arbor, Mich., she now lives in Greer.

"Nursing seemed like a natural choice since I had an older brother with special needs," Brandau said. I was born a nurse! I am so proud and honored to be selected for the Palmetto Gold awards."

'Pearls and Plaid' event celebrates 30 years of Spartanburg Regional Hospice

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: April 20, 2010 12:00 AM
Description:

Spartanburg Regional Hospice and the Spartanburg Regional Foundation are putting on their anniversary pearls and celebrating 30 years of providing compassionate hospice care to the community at Pearls and Plaid on Friday, April 30, at 6 p.m. at the Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home.

Attendees can wear their pearls and plaid while gathering with friends, enjoying a picnic-style dinner, learning about the history of Spartanburg Regional Hospice and where the program is going in the future.

“We hope this event will provide an opportunity for more members of our community to learn about the wonderful services provided by Spartanburg Regional Hospice,” said vice president and Foundation executive director Sheila Breitweiser, Ed.D.

The Hospice Division of the SRHS Foundation raises funds by sponsoring special events, such as Pearls and Plaid and Festival of Trees, to provide additional benefits and services not covered by Medicare, Medicaid or by private insurance to terminally ill patients of Spartanburg Regional Hospice.

These funds directly benefit patients and their families and enhance the overall Spartanburg Regional Hospice program.

Funds from the events are deposited into our Special Needs Hospice fund. This money is used to give peace of mind, support and comfort to our hospice patients and their families through payment of medications, assistance with utility bills, purchase of nutritional supplements and groceries, as well as providing linens and delivering warm meals at Easter and Thanksgiving holidays.

Tickets are $30 and can be purchased through the Spartanburg Regional Foundation by calling 864-560-6727 or online at regionalfoundation.com.

Item Last Modified On: April 20, 2010 10:27 AM

Service of Remembrance to reflect on lives of lost loved ones

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: April 19, 2010 12:00 AM
Description:

Spartanburg Regional Hospice will host a Service of Remembrance at the Tracy J. Gaines Learning Resource Center at Spartanburg Community College on Sunday, April 25 at 3 p.m.

The service brings together the families of patients of Spartanburg Regional Hospice who have died during the last year. Families are invited to honor the lives and memories of their loved one, and to exchange stories with the Spartanburg Regional Hospice staff members that helped to take care of their loved one in his or her last days. Families are asked to bring a framed picture of their loved one, which will be presented during a time of reflection.

“This Service of Remembrance comforts families as they celebrate the life of their loved one. I hope this ceremony helps the families to cope with their grief in a way that reminds them of the happy memories that they shared with their loved one,” said Matt Eddleman, Spartanburg Regional chaplain.

For more information about Spartanburg Regional Hospice, please call 864-560-3900.

Item Last Modified On: April 20, 2010 10:27 AM

SCSBA honors Spartanburg Regional and Foundation as 'Champion for Public Education'

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 04:00:00 GMT

COLUMBIA—The South Carolina School Boards Association (SCSBA) honored Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System and Foundation (SRHSF) recently for its efforts in increasing student achievement at Cleveland Elementary School in Spartanburg School District Seven.

SCSBA presented SRHSF with its Champions for Public Education Award during the Spartanburg Seven board meeting. Connie Smith, SCSBA Region 14 Director and member of the Spartanburg Two School Board, presented the award on behalf of SCSBA.

The SCSBA Champions for Public Education award honors community residents, organizations or local businesses/industries whose support of and contributions to public education have significantly benefited the entire school district or public schools statewide.

During the past six years, SRHSF's employees have volunteered more than 15,000 hours and donated $250,000 in goods and services. A portion of this donation enabled Cleveland Elementary to create an on-site science center. The center has provided students, 96 percent of whom are on the free or reduced lunch program, with technology to enhance in-classroom experience.

The on-site science center helped to decrease the percentage of students scoring below basic in math and science by about 20 percent from 2007 to 2008 and is aimed at combating a national trend: the decline of American-born scientists and engineers. Using a multi-faceted approach centered on volunteer time, fiscal contributions, and partnerships, SRHSF has created an engaging learning environment conducive to innovation and student achievement.

Renee Romberger, with SRHSF, believes its impact on the community goes beyond monetary support. The organization's employees serve as mentors to students, establishing one-on-one relationships that cultivate student growth, both academic and personal.

"Spartanburg Regional's 15,000 plus volunteer hours represent an organizational commitment towards the betterment of Cleveland Elementary that extends well beyond cash donations and provides strong evidence of building a foundation of caring relationships," said Romberger, Vice President of Community Health Policy and Strategy at Spartanburg Regional.

In addition to the science center and tutoring program, SRHSF has supported the district by providing a years worth of school supplies, health screenings, playground equipment, holiday gifts for students, an outdoor basketball court, a health career club, an inside walking trail, and a gazebo.

"Our entire Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation is very grateful to Spartanburg School District Seven for recognizing both our organization and the entire Spartanburg Regional Team,” said Sheila Breitweiser, Ed.D., Executive Director of the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation. “These awards are extra special to us because they reflect the strong partnership we have with the children, families and staff of District Seven—particularly through our focus on literacy and science programs at Cleveland Elementary School."

Spartanburg District Seven Board Chair Sharon Porter said SRHSF is at the forefront of championing education.

"We salute the entire SRHSF team for leading this effort in our community. We could not ask for a better partner as we move forward to enrich the lives of the children at Cleveland Elementary." "SRHSF’s contributions illuminate a key point,” said SCSBA Executive Director Paul Krohne. "When community organizations partner with schools, great things happen. Spartanburg Regional's contributions of both time and fiscal resources have created a culture where teachers are setting high expectations and students are responding."

To receive the award, recipients must meet the following criteria:
• shows leadership in support either of ongoing or special programs authorized by the school board;
• demonstrates, through actions, pride for the school district and effectively works for the betterment of the schools in the district as a whole or for public schools statewide;
• understands public education’s importance to democratic society and does his/her/its part to inspire support for quality public schools within the community or state; and
• makes a difference for the entire school district or schools statewide because of his/her/its involvement.

The South Carolina School Boards Association is a non-profit organization serving as a source of training and information and serving as a statewide voice for boards governing the 85 school districts.

Spartanburg Regional named Primary Stroke Center

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Spartanburg Regional was awarded accreditation from the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP), an independent, recognized accreditation authority.

“This honor is a validation of the hard work our stroke team has been doing since the program began in 1995,” Ingo Angermeier, SRHS President and CEO, said. “It’s no surprise to me that we are being recognized for continuing to set the standard for quality stroke care.”

Spartanburg Regional has established a partnership with Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) to seek Primary Stroke Center Certification for its quality-driven stroke process of care program. The certification is based on evidenced based nationally established standards.

Spartanburg Regional was the first certified Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center in S.C. in 2005. Our commitment to continuous excellence in stroke care was demonstrated during an on-site survey on December 7, 2009 by HFAP.

HFAP initiated a Primary Stroke Certification program in 2006 using recommendations from the Brain Attack Coalition as the foundation for its standards. Moving forward, HFAP has also endorsed the American Heart Association’s Get with the Guidelines as a tool for patient management and performance measure.

“Because South Carolina is in the ‘Stroke Belt,’ we have a much higher incidence of stroke-related deaths,” said Carol Kooistra, M.D., a neurologist and medical director of the Spartanburg Regional Stroke Program. “Our program incorporates technology from diagnosis to treatment to reduce the lasting after-effects of stroke.”

Among the healthcare system’s efforts is the creation of a Stroke Response Team, which assembles to control and monitor stroke victims brought into the system’s new emergency center or those who develop a stroke while already an inpatient at the hospital.

The team’s quick response to assess a patient’s needs is just one facet of the Spartanburg Regional program, Debby Bridgeman, stroke clinical case manager, said. With education, many strokes can be prevented or at least treated quickly.

“The team has to respond quickly to care for that person who is having a stroke. Time is of the essence,” Bridgeman said. “That’s why everyone must recognize the signs of a stroke and learn to act promptly and emergently.”

A stroke may be occurring if the patient experiences a sudden weakness, numbness or paralysis, especially on one side of the body, blurred or double vision, difficulty speaking, loss of balance and dizziness, accompanied by a headache.

About HFAP
Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) is one of only three national voluntary accreditation programs authorized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to survey hospitals for compliance with the Medicare Conditions of Participation and Coverage.

Originally created in 1945 to conduct an objective review of services provided by osteopathic hospitals, HFAP has maintained its deeming authority continuously since the inception of CMS in 1965 and meets or exceeds the standards required by CMS/Medicare to provide accreditation to all hospitals, ambulatory care/surgical facilities, mental health facilities, physical rehabilitation facilities, clinical laboratories, critical access hospitals and stroke centers.

HFAP's surveying process and standards benefit from oversight by a wide range of medical professionals, including both allopathic and osteopathic disciplines.

Safe Kids offers car seat inspections on March 25

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Safe Kids Spartanburg urges parents and caregivers to make sure their child safety seats are properly installed in their vehicles at the Safe Kids Inspection Station. Safe Kids will have certified child passenger safety technicians available to provide hands-on instruction on installing car seats and booster seats on March 25 from 2 – 5 p.m. outside the Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health facing East Wood Street. Please call 560-6845 to make an appointment.

“It’s the responsibility of every parent and caregiver to make sure their children are safely restrained – every trip, every time and at every age,” said Penny Shaw. “We are urging everyone to have their child checked to be sure they are using the right restraint—a car seat, booster seat or seat belt. When it comes to the safety of a child, there is no room for mistakes.”

“Parents need to set the rules and stay vigilant,” Shaw said. “Booster seats and seat belts are just as important for older kids as car seats are for younger kids.”

According to Penny Shaw, parents and caregivers should follow a few basic guidelines for determining which restraint system is best suited to protect their children in a vehicle:

1. For the best possible protection keep infants in a back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible—up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. Never turn a child forward-facing before age 1 and at least 20 pounds, although keeping kids rear-facing until age 2 is safer and preferred if the seat allows.
2. When children outgrow their rear-facing seats, they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in a back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular harnessed seat. Many newer seats exceed the old 40 pound weight limit.
3. Once children outgrow their forward-facing seats, they should ride on booster seats, in a back seat, until the vehicle seat belts fit properly.
4. Seat belts fit properly when the child can pass the Safety Belt Fit Test: the lap belt lays across the upper thighs, the shoulder belt rests on the shoulder or collar bone and the knees bend naturally at the seat’s edge (usually when the child is between 8 and 12 years old, approximately 4’9” tall and 80 to 100 pounds).
5. After children fully outgrow their booster seats, they should use the adult seat belts in a back seat. The lap belt should lay across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits rests on the shoulder or collar bone.

Safe Kids Spartanburg works to prevent accidental childhood injury, the leading cause of death and disability for children ages 1 to 14. Safe Kids Spartanburg is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing accidental injury. Safe Kids Spartanburg was founded in 1993 and is led by Spartanburg Regional.

Gibbs Cancer Center receives Outstanding Achievement Award from Commission on Cancer

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The Commission on Cancer has once again recognized Gibbs Cancer Center with the Outstanding Achievement Award.
The Commission on Cancer Outstanding Achievement Award distinguishes cancer programs that excel in offering quality care to cancer patients.

Following the 2009 on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor, Gibbs Cancer Center was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award. In order to qualify for the award, a center must demonstrate a commendation level of compliance with seven standards that represent the full extent of the cancer program (cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research,
community outreach and quality improvement). The facility then receives a compliance rating for the remaining 29 standards.

Gibbs is one of only approximately 6 percent of programs surveyed during this period. Most recipients are community-based facilities; teaching hospitals, NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and Network Cancer Programs also received the award. Gibbs remains the only center in South Carolina to be given this honor.

“While the majority of the community already realizes the excellent care that Gibbs Cancer Center offers, it is a great honor to receive this national accreditation,” said David Church, Vice President of Oncology Services and Home Care of Spartanburg Regional. “We know that the Upstate community will have pride in its local hospital that has reached national recognition.”

Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive, quality care.

Its membership includes Fellows of the American College of Surgeons and 40 national organizations that reflect the full range of cancer care.

The core functions of the CoC include setting standards for quality, multidisciplinary cancer patient care; surveying facilities to evaluate compliance with the 36 CoC standards; collecting standardized and quality data from approved facilities; and using the data to develop effective educational interventions to improve cancer care outcomes at the national, state, and local level.

“The staff at Gibbs Cancer Center has worked relentlessly to provide quality care to all patients,” said Dr. James Bearden III, Medical Director of Gibbs. “This honor illustrates the hard work and dedication of each member of the Gibbs Cancer team. Gibbs is being recognized as a leader in cancer treatment, a purpose that we strive for each day in the care that we provide for each patient.”

The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that more than 1.4 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2009. Currently, there are more than 1,400 CoC-approved cancer programs in the US and Puerto Rico, representing approximately 25 percent of all hospitals. 80 percent of newly diagnosed cancer patients each year are treated by the 25 percent of hospitals associated with CoCapproved
cancer programs.

The Approvals Program, a component of the CoC, sets quality-of-care standards for cancer programs and reviews the programs to ensure they conform to those standards. Approval by the CoC is given only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest level of quality cancer care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance.
To maintain approval, facilities with CoC-approved cancer programs must undergo an onsite review every three years.

A CoC-approved cancer program guarantees that a patient will receive:
• comprehensive care, including a range of state-of-the-art services and equipment
• a multi-specialty, team approach to coordinate the best treatment options
• information about ongoing clinical trials and new treatment options
• access to cancer-related information, education, and support
• a cancer registry that collects data on type and stage of cancers and treatment results and offers lifelong patient follow-up
• ongoing monitoring and improvement of care
• And, most importantly, quality care close to home.

The Marsha and Jimmy Gibbs Regional Cancer Center is a nationally recognized cancer treatment and research facility associated with the National Cancer Institute through its status as a Community Cancer Center Program (NCCCP) and a Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP). The Center was also honored with this same award during its last survey during 2006. Gibbs Cancer Center is a proven leader in providing effective cancer treatment through advanced technology, professional expertise and an exceptional level of personalized care. Please visit www.gibbscancercenter.com to find out more about Spartanburg Regional’s commitment to treating
cancer.

For more information about the Commission on Cancer, visit www.facs.org/cancer/index.htm.

Spartanburg Regional's Chest Pain Center achieves first-in-the-state accreditation

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

After rigorous review of standards, protocols, Society of Chest Pain Centers cites accuracy, speed of treatment in hospital’s emergency cardiac care

Spartanburg Regional's Chest Pain Center is the first hospital in South Carolina to earn the latest accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers, an agency that grades the effectiveness of cardiac facilities across the United States.

The center, located in Spartanburg Regional's Emergency and Heart centers, received the Cycle III accreditation following a lengthy and rigorous review process by a team of experts in cardiac care.

Accreditation is based on an evolving set of criteria that changes every three years. The society is currently in its third cycle of accreditations, which it began in 2003. Since that time, Spartanburg Regional has consistently achieved the triennial accreditation, and has been the first hospital in the state to do so during each of the society’s successive review periods.

Receiving a full "Cycle III" accreditation validates the hard work that has gone into making Spartanburg Regional the home of the state’s best Chest Pain Center, said Jennifer Smith, RN, Chest Pain Center Coordinator.

"This is a wonderful asset to not only the hospital but to our community," Smith said. "We are proud to receive this designation and will continue working to provide the best cardiac care in the Upstate. This accreditation is certainly the result of a team-centered approach to care."

That "team-centered" approach makes for better patient outcomes and a better experience, said Ingo Angermeier, President and CEO.

"This accreditation requires a huge amount of cooperation among a large number of physicians and hospital departments," Angermeier said. "It could never be done without interdisciplinary trust and respect. The beneficiary is clearly the patients and the community. I commend the entire staff of the Chest Pain Center for their hard work and willingness to sacrifice for the greater good of us all."

Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States, with 600,000 dying annually of heart disease. More than five million Americans visit hospitals each year with chest pain. The goal of the Society of Chest Pain Centers is to significantly reduce the mortality rate of these patients by teaching the public to recognize and react to the early symptoms of a possible heart attack, reduce the time that it takes to receive treatment and increase the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment.

The Chest Pain Center’s protocol-driven and systematic approach to patient management allows physicians to reduce time to treatment during the critical early stages of a heart attack, when treatments are most effective, and to better monitor patients when it is not clear whether they are having a coronary event. Such observation helps ensure that a patient is neither sent home too early nor needlessly admitted.

With the rise of Chest Pain Centers came the need to establish standards designed to improve the consistency and quality of care provided to patients. The Society’s accreditation process ensures centers meet or exceed quality-of-care measures in acute cardiac medicine.

The Chest Pain Center at Spartanburg Regional has demonstrated its expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding a wide set of stringent criteria and completing on-site evaluations by a review team from the Society of Chest Pain Centers.

Key areas in which a Chest Pain Center must demonstrate expertise include:
• Integrating the emergency department with the local emergency medical system
• Assessing, diagnosing and treating patients quickly
• Effectively treating patients with low risk for acute coronary syndrome and no assignable cause for
their symptoms
• Continually seeking to improve processes and procedures
• Ensuring Chest Pain Center personnel competency and training
• Maintaining organizational structure and commitment
• Having a functional design that promotes optimal patient care
• Supporting community outreach programs that educate the public to promptly seek medical care if they display symptoms of a possible heart attack

For more information about Spartanburg Regional’s Chest Pain Center, please go to spartanburgregional.com.

About the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC)
The Society of Chest Pain Centers is a patient centric non-profit international professional organization dedicated to improving care for patients with acute coronary syndromes and other related maladies. Established in 1998, the Society is dedicated to patient advocacy with a focus on ischemic heart disease. The Society promotes protocol-based medicine, often delivered through a Chest Pain Center model to address the diagnosis and treatment of acute coronary syndromes, heart failure, and to promote the adoption of process improvement science by healthcare providers. To best fulfill this mission, the Society of Chest Pain Centers provides accreditation to facilities striving for optimum Chest Pain Center care. SCPC is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.

Thursday groundbreaking planned for Spartanburg's new medical school

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Carolinas Campus of Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine will partner with Spartanburg Regional, Wofford College

SPARTANBURG—The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) will formally break ground to begin construction on its new campus here this week. The ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, February 25, at 10 a.m. at 350 Howard St.

The Carolinas campus, in partnership with Spartanburg Regional and Wofford College, will feature a three-story, 65,000 square-foot facility on its 18.69-acre campus.

School officials are eager to begin construction, said James F. Wolfe, Ph.D., VCOM’s president.

"We are grateful for the support of the administration and medical staff at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center for helping to formulate and implement our plan for bringing this new branch campus to Spartanburg," Dr. Wolfe said. "The superb cooperation — and now official collaboration — with Wofford College has been a critical factor in establishing a unique intellectual environment with new opportunities for interaction between students and faculty from both campuses. We are fully prepared to live up to the high standards and expectations we have set for ourselves and have promised to bring to the citizens of the Carolinas."

South Carolina welcomes the school to Spartanburg, said Ingo Angermeier, President/CEO of Spartanburg Regional.

"Plans for this new campus have been received warmly by our friends and colleagues across the state," Angermeier said. "This is not only great news for Spartanburg and Spartanburg Regional, but for the whole of the Southeast region. VCOM is well-known for its high-caliber program, and we are thrilled to be a part of this exciting new endeavor."

Wofford College looks forward to the partnership, according to its president, Benjamin B. Dunlap.

"With its emphasis on primary care, VCOM’s decision to locate here in Spartanburg offers immensely important benefits to this state and region — as well as to our own pre-med students here at Wofford," Dunlap said. "We look forward to this auspicious partnership."

The Carolinas Campus has plans to matriculate 150 students in its first class in 2011.

For more information, visit www.vcom.vt.edu.

Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health receives national accreditation

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health was awarded a full accreditation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC).

The Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health is the Upstate’s only complete breast imaging center.

The center provides seamless breast cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment in a healing environment. The patient-centered design includes sculptures, a water feature, healing gardens and airy spaces framed by vast expanses of glass.

This state-of-the-art imaging center consolidates digital mammography, ultrasound, breast MRI, MRI-guided biopsy, stereotactic breast biopsy and bone densitometry into one easily accessible location. The center offers a breast health program, a multidisciplinary clinic, an undiagnosed clinic and a second-opinion clinic.

The Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health’s mammography screening services extend to the Woman’s Clinic, Spartanburg OB-GYN and the Village at Pelham in Greer.

“We feel honored to receive this accreditation and believe it affirms our commitment to providing the best possible breast cancer care,” said Mary Mabry, director of the Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health.

The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers is a consortium of national organizations dedicated to the improvement of the quality of care for patients with diseases of the breast. Bringing together leaders from the major medical disciplines that routinely work together to diagnose and treat breast disease, this multidisciplinary group created 27 program standards and 17 program components of care that provide the best care available for patients diagnosed with diseases of the breast.

“Standards of diagnosis and care of breast cancer are so important in ensuring every patient receives the best care possible,” said Larry Warren, M.D., medical director of breast imaging at the Bearden- Josey Center for Breast Health.

NAPBC-accredited breast centers have met the criteria set forth for each discipline treating breast disease patients. When a breast center applies for NAPBC accreditation, it does so with the understanding that it will offer a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosing and treating breast disease.

Moreover, the center must be willing to undergo a rigorous application process and on-site survey to assure its patients that NAPBC standards are being met. Accredited breast centers also agree to maintain their high level of clinical care with recertification by the NAPBC required every three years. NAPBC-accredited centers offer a complete range of state-of-the-art services and equipment; a multidisciplinary team approach to coordinating the best available treatment options; information about ongoing cancer clinical trials and new treatment options; access to prevention and early detection programs, cancer education, and support services; and ongoing monitoring and improvements in cancer care.

Administered by the American College of Surgeons, NAPBC began development of its program in 2005; the formal process of surveying breast centers for accreditation started in September 2008. For more information, visit www.accreditedbreastcenters.org.

The Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health is a part of the not-for-profit Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System and is located adjacent to Gibbs Cancer Center. Gibbs Cancer Center is a nationally recognized cancer treatment and research facility associated with the National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Centers program, the Medical University of South Carolina and the M. D. Anderson Physicians Network. Its oncology program has been recognized by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons as offering high quality cancer care.

Safe Kids offers car seat inspections on Feb. 25

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Safe Kids Spartanburg urges parents and caregivers to make sure their child safety seats are properly installed in their vehicles at the Safe Kids Inspection Station. Safe Kids will have certified child passenger safety technicians available to provide hands-on instruction on installing car seats and booster seats on February 25 from 2 – 5 p.m. outside the Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health facing East Wood Street. Please call 560-6845 to make an appointment and find out location.

“Parents need to set the rules and stay vigilant,” Shaw said. “Booster seats and seat belts are just as important for older kids as car seats are for younger kids.”

According to Penny Shaw, parents and caregivers should follow a few basic guidelines for determining which restraint system is best suited to protect their children in a vehicle:

1. For the best possible protection keep infants in a back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible—up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. Never turn a child forward-facing before age 1 and at least 20 pounds, although keeping kids rear-facing until age 2 is safer and preferred if the seat allows.
2. When children outgrow their rear-facing seats, they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in a back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular harnessed seat. Many newer seats exceed the old 40 pound weight limit.
3. Once children outgrow their forward-facing seats, they should ride on booster seats, in a back seat, until the vehicle seat belts fit properly.
4. Seat belts fit properly when the child can pass the Safety Belt Fit Test: the lap belt lays across the upper thighs, the shoulder belt rests on the shoulder or collar bone and the knees bend naturally at the seat’s edge (usually when the child is between 8 and 12 years old, approximately 4’9” tall and 80 to 100 pounds).
5. After children fully outgrow their booster seats, they should use the adult seat belts in a back seat. The lap belt should lay across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits rests on the shoulder or collar bone.

New board members bring experience, energy to SRHS Foundation, leaders say

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Cancer, heart and hospice divisions welcome distinguished community volunteers

SPARTANBURG—A host of community leaders has joined the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation Board of Trustees.

The new members’ collective wealth of experience in, among others, the business, non-profit and healthcare sectors will outfit the Foundation with the skills and counsel needed to share and promote its mission within its home community, said Dr. Sheila Breitweiser, the Foundation’s vice president and executive director.

“We at the Spartanburg Regional Foundation are truly fortunate to have such outstanding community volunteers become part of our organization as new Board members and officers,” Breitweiser said. “We are both grateful and excited about the areas of expertise these individuals will bring to their work with us … and the work we can do together in partnership with Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System to meet our community’s health needs.”

Jeff Berline, the newly installed Foundation board chair, said the organization will seek to promote and support local healthcare efforts, both inside and outside the walls of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System.

“Our primary mission is to promote health care and provide resources to help the community,” Berline said. “Promoting health in the community is our number one goal.”

Among its three divisions—cancer, heart and hospice—the Foundation provides direct focus and support to many of the community’s overriding health needs. The community volunteers provide the necessary guidance and planning to help the Foundation address these critical areas, Breitweiser said.

“It is a pleasure to work with community leaders and help them accomplish there goals,” she said.

The Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization that benefits Spartanburg Regional through direct support of health services and programs.

A listing of new members follows.

The Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation –
Cancer Division welcomes the following new members:

Ann Berline is the founder and president of Berbank & Company in Spartanburg. She is a graduate of Ohio University.

Jon Jensen is the president of Correll Insurance Group. He is a graduate of Appalachian State University Insurance Executive Program.

William N. (Bill) Turrentine Jr. serves as chair of the Cancer division.

The Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation –
Heart Division welcomes the following new members:

Christopher Marion Crowley is former President and CEO of Cherokee Textile and a Spartanburg resident. He is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College.

Dr. James Sidney Fulmer is a retired Obstetrics-Gynecology physician from Spartanburg. He is a graduate of Wofford College, Emory University Medical School and University of Virginia Residency Program for OB-GYN.

Dr Joseph Emory Mobley is a cardiologist with Cardiology Consultant, PA, of Spartanburg. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama, Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Joy Chapman Oates is a community leader in Spartanburg, South Carolina. She is a graduate of Clemson University with a BS in Engineering.

R. Cullen Pitts serves as chair of the Heart division.

The Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation –
Hospice Division is pleased to announce the following new members:

Liz Fort serves on the HUB Culture, Safe Homes Rape Crises and the SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Boards. She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Teresa Hough is a part-time professor at USC-Upstate. She graduated from the University of South Carolina and Converse College.

Dorothy Josey is a former board member of SPACE and currently serves on the HUB CULTURE Board. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia.

Beverly Knight is a retired language arts coordinator with Spartanburg School District 6. She serves on the Artists Guild Board.

Jeff Rigsby is the President/Owner of a local Bojangles franchise.

Peter Moore serves as chair of the Hospice division.

Opening the Door to Heart Health

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: February 4, 2010 12:00 AM
Description:

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in South Carolina. To educate the community about heart disease, Spartanburg Regional is hosting several events in February for Heart Month as well as opening a new Heart Resource Center in the lobby of the Heart Center.

“We are so excited about heart month this year,” says JT Smith, RN, MSN, and Chest Pain Center Coordinator. “We have so many things to share with the community from education, to the opening of our Heart Resource Center to the announcement of being the only cycle III accredited Chest Pain Center in South Carolina.”

Also during heart month, the Spartanburg Regional Heart Center will open the Heart Resource Center on Thursday, February 18 with an open house from 2 – 5 p.m. The Heart Resource Center will provide reliable, accessible education and support to clients with the goal of improving overall heart health. Patients and families will be able to obtain problem-specific information aimed at developing healthy lifestyles and improving quality of life. The Heart Resource Center is completely supported by the Spartanburg Regional Foundation.

“The goal of the Heart Resource Center is to provide our community with a place to go for valuable heart health information,” says Lori Boyd, RN, MSN and Heart Resource Center Coordinator. “We are here for our community and with this Center we can do more to reach out to the people who need it most.”

For more information about Heart Month events or the Heart Resource Center, please go to spartanburgregional.com or call 864-560-7999.

Item Last Modified On: February 4, 2010 11:52 AM

Spartanburg Regional earns designation as National Spirit of Women Premier Hospital

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Spartanburg Regional announced today that Spirit of Women Health Network has selected Spartanburg Regional as a Spirit of Women Premier Hospital, based on an evaluation using the National Standards of Excellence in Women’s Health which measure excellence in women’s healthcare and community outreach.

The Standards were developed by Spirit of Women Health Network in educational consultation with the Office of Women’s Health as part of the Department of Health and Human Service (DHHS).

“Few hospitals in our country, and even the world, recognize how to provide appropriate medical care, preventative medical care and educational services for women.” Tanya Abreu, President & National Program Director, Spirit of Women Health Network “Spartanburg Regional is one of a very small number of facilities in our country that provides exceptional women-centered medical care, and as a result will be identified as a community accelerator for women’s health excellence in the United States.”

As part of a comprehensive evaluation process, Spartanburg Regional demonstrated innovation and excellence in women’s programming across the board and earned the designation as a Premier Hospital meeting or exceeding at least 80 percent of the Standards.

The National Standards of Excellence in Women’s Health require focus on women-centered care, call-to-action education, and access to care in the following seven areas:

Integration of a Focused Community Assessment
Implementation of Comprehensive Life Stage Programming
Sensitivity to Community Diversity and Cultural Differences
Strategic Alignment of Women’s Service Lines
Leading Innovation and Outreach Initiatives
Managing a Process for Quality Improvement
Multidisciplinary Approach to Care

“It is most rewarding to be nationally recognized for programs that we believe have been so important for women of all ages in the greater Spartanburg area,” said Mary Mathes, executive director of women’s and children’s services.

About Spirit of Women
Spirit of Women is a national network of leading hospitals dedicated to improving women's lives with innovative health and community programs. Spirit of Women Hospitals touch the lives of millions of women each year through the presentation of educational events, consumer membership programs, annual conferences, marketing communications and grass roots efforts to improve the health and well-being of women everywhere.

Spartanburg Regional's lactation consultant: Breast milk critical for pre-term infants

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: November 23, 2009 12:00 AM
Description:

Spartanburg Regional has joined the United States Lactation Consultant Association and the March of Dimes in recognizing November as National Prematurity Awareness Month.

Spartanburg Regional’s Debbie Costello RN, IBCLC, is a board certified lactation consultant who volunteers on the board of United States Lactation Consultant Association as director of chapter services.

“Breast milk is ideal form of nourishment for all infants, especially those born preterm,” Costello said. “Mothers don’t have control of their baby’s medical conditions but they do have the ability to provide them with the perfect food, breast milk.”

United States Lactation Consultant Association reaffirms the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that all preterm infants receive breast milk as their source of nutrition. Breast milk also functions as a unique form of medication, shielding susceptible preemies in a manner that conventional drugs cannot.

If a mother is unwilling or unable to provide her own milk, donor human milk is the next best choice. The use of donor milk has saved the lives and improved the health of countless premature and sick infants for many years. Human milk banks adhere to strict national guidelines from the Human Milk Banking Association of North America for quality and safety of the pasteurized milk they provide.

The rate of preterm birth in the United States has increased 36 percent in the past 25 years. Children born prematurely have higher rates of disease, learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, sensory deficits, and respiratory illnesses compared to children born at term. These negative health and developmental outcomes of preterm birth often extend to later life, resulting in enormous medical, educational, psychological and social costs.

Research has shown that breast milk offsets many of these negative health outcomes. It also protects extremely vulnerable infants from life-threatening conditions commonly seen in preterm infants such as necrotizing enterocolitis, infections and pneumonia. Healthcare costs of these diseases and conditions can run into the thousands and hundreds of thousands dollars for each preterm birth.

Item Last Modified On: December 2, 2009 12:32 PM

Festival of Trees to raise money for Spartanburg Regional Hospice

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: October 29, 2009 12:00 AM
Description:

The holidays are quickly approaching! On Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m., the Festival of Trees Auction Gala, held at Summit Pointe in Spartanburg, will raise money for Spartanburg Regional Hospice.

Guests are invited to wear cocktail attire and participate in a silent auction, live auction, hors d’oeuvres, music and dancing! Items in the auction range from holiday décor to gym memberships to long weekends and hunting packages. Tickets will be $65 until Oct. 30; or $75 after that date and at the door.

The Hospice Division of the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation raises funds by sponsoring special events, such as Festival of Trees, to provide additional benefits and services not covered by Medicare, Medicaid or by private insurance to terminally ill patients of Spartanburg Regional Hospice. These funds directly benefit patients and their families and enhance the overall Spartanburg Regional Hospice program.

Funds from the events are deposited into our Special Needs Hospice fund. This money is used to give peace of mind, support and comfort to our hospice patients and their families through payment of medications, assistance with utility bills, purchase of nutritional supplements and groceries, providing linens and delivering warm meals at Easter and Thanksgiving holidays.

For more information, call (864) 560-6727 or visit regionalfoundation.com.

The Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. The Foundation Board of Trustees is a 24-member volunteer board that works in coordination with the Hospice Division to stimulate and receive charitable gifts to benefit the services and patients of Spartanburg Regional Hospice.

Item Last Modified On: October 29, 2009 3:24 PM

Spartanburg Regional presents the 13th year of Womens Expo

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Women’s Expo will combine health screenings, health education and shopping for a great evening for women of all ages on Tuesday, November 10 at the Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health.

Katherine Jeter, Ed.D. will be the featured speaker for the night. Her presentation “Delighting in the Decades of Womanhood” will encourage women of all ages to take charge of their health care. Katherine encourages all to live life with a purpose and a passion.

The event will feature free screenings, such as bone density heel scan, blood pressure, varicose vein screenings and body mass index measurements. Mammography will be offered by appointment, and insurance will be filed. The event will be from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. and will include light hors d'oeuvres.

The presenting sponsor for the event is Eden Terrace Assisted Living. Co-sponsors include Costco Wholesale, Spartanburg Vein & Laser Care and Upstate Parent.

Class Schedule

6 p.m.
Delighting in the Decades of Womanhood with Katherine Jeter

7 p.m.
Let’s Talk Libido
Learn to Zumba
Anti-aging Options for All Ages

7:45 p.m.
Spice Up Your Cooking
“You Go Girl” – Incontinence, Bladder Control and Kegals
Trusting What Your Tummy Tells You

8:15 p.m.
Door Prizes

Screenings
Bone Density Heel Scan
Blood Pressure Readings
Varicose Vein Screenings
Body Mass Index Measurements
Mammograms (by appointment only)

To make an appointment for a mammogram, call 560-7777. To register, visit regionalwomenshealth.com or call 560-7999.

Spartanburg Regional physicians lead the way in diabetes care

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

South Carolina ranks tenth in the nation in the number of residents suffering from diabetes, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control. In fact, diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in South Carolina after heart disease, cancer, accidents, stroke, chronic lower respiratory disease and Alzheimer’s.

“Diabetes is an extremely serious medical condition and its complications can result in early mortality and tremendous loss of quality of life,” said Ronald Mayfield, M.D., Director, Carolina’s Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology. “We see many patients who need to be educated in how to manage their diabetes and their health. It’s so important for them to see their primary care physician on a regular basis to ensure they are controlling their blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol, and to detect complications early.”

Recently, numerous primary care physicians within the Regional Physician Network have been certified by the National Committee for Quality Assurance through a partnership with the American Diabetes Association for the Diabetes Recognition program. This certification is designed to recognize physicians, and other clinicians, who use evidence-based measures and provide excellent care to their patients with diabetes.

The Diabetes Recognition program covers several areas such as blood pressure control, eye examinations as well as smoking status and cessation advice or treatment.

“We are thrilled for our physicians who have been recognized as providing top quality care to diabetes patients in our area,” said Stephen Thomas, M.D., Medical Director with the Regional Physician Network. “This achievement is a wonderful asset to our community.”

To see if your doctor is certified, please go to spartanburgregional.com and click on Find a Physician.

Hangar B Ball to entertain, raise funds for heart health

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: October 26, 2009 12:00 AM
Description:

Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation announces that Party on the Moon will be headlining this year’s Hangar B Ball on October 1.

Party on the Moon has performed with artists such as Lynyrd Skynard, Three Dog Night, Bob Seger and Journey, and performed in January at President Obama’s Inaugural Ball.

Music by Party on the Moon along with Hornz Unlimited, their talented brass section, will have attendees dancing the night away after the event’s barbecue dinner.

The event is held in an empty airplane hangar at the Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport from 6 – 10:30 p.m.

Tickets are available online at hangarBball.com or at the following ticket outlets: Spartanburg Regional Foundation office, Elizabeth’s, Heavenly Ham, Hip Hip Hooray, Hodge Carpets, Spartanburg Regional Federal Credit Union, Spartanburg Regional Cashier’s Office and the Village at Pelham.

The ticket price includes entertainment, dinner, drinks and a T-shirt. Tickets purchased by September 4 will be $60. Tickets after September 4 will be $75. For more information, please call the SRHS Foundation office at 864-560-6727 or visit hangarBball.com.

The SRHS Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization that benefits Spartanburg Regional through direct support of health services and programs. The Hangar B Ball is an annual fundraiser organized by the Foundation’s Heart Division. Every year, the proceeds from Hangar B go toward support of the Heart Failure Center and other heart-related services in Spartanburg Regional’s Heart Center.

Item Last Modified On: November 11, 2009 11:28 AM

Spartanburg Regional physicians lead the way in diabetes care

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: October 26, 2009 12:00 AM
Description:

To see if your doctor is certified, please go to spartanburgregional.com and click on Find a Physician.

Item Last Modified On: November 11, 2009 11:29 AM

Festival of Trees to raise money for Spartanburg Regional Hospice

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: October 26, 2009 12:00 AM
Description:

The holidays are quickly approaching! On Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m., the Festival of Trees Auction Gala, held at Summit Pointe in Spartanburg, will raise money for Spartanburg Regional Hospice.

Funds from the events are deposited into our Special Needs Hospice fund. This money is used to give peace of mind, support and comfort to our hospice patients and their families through payment of medications, assistance with utility bills, purchase of nutritional supplements and groceries, providing linens and delivering warm meals at Easter and Thanksgiving holidays.

For more information, call (864) 560-6727 or visit regionalfoundation.com.

Item Last Modified On: November 11, 2009 11:29 AM

Spartanburg Regional to host Walk to Remember on October 11

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: October 7, 2009 12:00 AM
Description:

Spartanburg Regional will host the Walk to Remember from 2 – 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 11 in recognition of National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month, which aims to increase the community’s understanding of the grief associated with the loss of an unborn or newborn child.

This annual memorial event, the only walk of its kind in Spartanburg, enables parents, relatives and friends who have lost a child due to pregnancy complications, stillbirth, early infant loss or fetal abnormalities to walk in remembrance of their loved one. In addition to the walk, the day includes an invocation, music and a balloon release.

Participants are asked to park in the Spartanburg Regional parking garage on East Wood Street and meet in the Cancer Survivors Garden next to the garage.

Walk to Remember is a free event, but participants should register by calling 560-6591 or 560-6864.

Item Last Modified On: October 20, 2009 1:26 PM

Upstate health systems join together to restrict visitation as precaution against spread of flu

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Sept. 11, 2009 – Today, seven Upstate health systems jointly announce restrictions to their visitation policies as a precaution against the spread of H1N1 influenza.

Currently and until the flu incidence rate has significantly decreased, these new guidelines apply to patient visits by children under age 18. Collaborating in this effort are: AnMed Health; Bon Secours St. Francis Health System; Cannon Memorial Hospital; Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center; Oconee Medical Center; Palmetto Health Baptist Easley; and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System.

Officials at each of the health systems are asking the Upstate residents for full support in refraining children from visiting hospital patients based on the following:

1) Of H1N1 flu cases reported in the Upstate, a very high ratio has been in children and young adults up to 24 years of age; thus allowing this age group to visit in hospital patient areas presents potentially critical risks to patients; and

2) because the under-18 age population has been determined to be more susceptible to this particular strain of flu (H1N1), visiting in a hospital also significantly increases the child’s own risk for contracting flu.

All of the health systems recognize that these actions may cause some disruption to families but emphasize that their first priority is ensuring the safest possible environment for patients and diminishing potential exposure to the flu.

Families who encounter special situations (for example: visitation to a gravely ill patient) are asked to contact a nursing supervisor or patient relations representative at that particular hospital to ensure that safety protocols are followed for the protection of patients as well as the visiting child.

Dr. Rick Foster, Senior VP of Quality and Patient Safety of the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA), commends Upstate hospitals for taking this important step together to minimize the spread of the H1N1 influenza virus in the hospital setting.

“This type of collaborative pandemic influenza prevention effort, as demonstrated by hospitals across the Upstate, will be critical to minimizing the spread of and loss of life from the H1N1 virus in South Carolina,” said Foster.

This strain of H1N1, while very infectious, appears to be no more dangerous than seasonal flu for most people. However, pregnant women, children and those who are immuno-compromised or have chronic medical conditions appear to be particularly at risk for developing complications.

Healthcare officials encourage those who think they may have H1N1 flu to contact a primary care physician for appropriate advice on medical care; many cases of H1N1 may be cared for at home using over-the-counter medication to provide symptomatic relief. As always, any adult with mild flu-like illness (fever, cough, sore throat, head/body aches) is asked to not visit in the
hospital.

Anyone experiencing one or more of the following severe symptoms should immediately seek medical treatment:
o high fevers
o breathing difficulties
o asthma symptoms that are progressively becoming worse
o severe nausea
o vomiting or diarrhea

Flu vaccines specifically targeting H1N1 are expected to be available this fall according to the CDC.

All hospitals are advising the public to follow safe hygiene practices and protect themselves by washing hands often or using a hand sanitizer of at least 60% percent alcohol.

Spartanburg Regional's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit organizes program to comfort families

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Donations to the SRHS Foundation NICU fund help fund gifts for families.

Glenda’s Closet is a new program that provides customized care packages for families who have lost a newborn.

The program is named in honor of Glenda Tessnear, a neonatal intensive care unit nurse who died in the Regional One helicopter crash in 2004. She had been a flight nurse for six months after 18 years as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurse.

One of Glenda’s close friends, Mary White, said that Glenda was a great friend and a nurse who really cared.

“Glenda enjoyed life, and babies and children most of all,” White said. “The challenge of working with babies in the NICU was important to her.”

Through the donations the SRHS Foundation, the program purchases baby clothing and other keepsakes that are shared with families as appropriate to their situation. The gifts are enclosed in a wooden box, which is also intended as a keepsake for the family. Each box is hand-crafted by Brian Wood, M.D. Dr. Wood is a neonatologist, which is a physician who specializes in the care of critically ill infants. The boxes will contain literature chosen to meet the needs of the family, along with clothing and other keepsakes.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit manager Alicia Whiteside said the program meets a need in our community.

“We hope this program will reach out to families during a time of need this very difficult time,” Whiteside said.

Communities can play an important role in the effort to decrease infant mortality by encouraging pregnant women to seek early prenatal care and educating communities, providers, pregnant women and family members on factors that affect infant mortality such as smoking, substance abuse, poor nutrition, lack of prenatal care, medical problems, chronic illness and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the leading causes of infant death include congenital abnormalities, pre-term/low birth weight, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), problems related to complications of pregnancy, and respiratory distress syndrome.

Spartanburg Regional’s Level III NICU cares for the most critically ill babies. Its NICU is a 35-bed unit that provides quality care to all high-risk newborns. The hospital is a regional perinatal center that provides stabilization, transport and outreach education in Spartanburg and the surrounding counties for mothers and newborns. Medical care is managed by board-certified neonatologists and perinataologists.

The Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation is a charitable corporation whose primary mission is to benefit the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System through direct support and also through its support of community programs and services that share the Spartanburg Regional mission of providing quality health care to our community. If you would like more information about this or any other giving opportunity, please visit regionalfoundation.com or call 864-560-6727.

Spartanburg Regional holds an infant loss support group for anyone who has had a miscarriage or an infant who has died. This support group meets in the second-floor classroom in Montgomery Tower at Spartanburg Regional the fourth Wednesday of each month.

Local physician earns national acclaim for commitment to teaching, mentoring residents

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Dr. Marc D. Bingham, a practicing family physician in Spartanburg, is among a select group of physicians honored by the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation for his commitment to education in the field of family medicine.

Bingham was selected to receive the 2009 Pfizer Teacher Development Award based on his scholastic achievement, leadership qualities and dedication to family medicine.

“As a residency program director for several years, having part-time, community-based family physician colleagues committed to teaching and mentoring resident and students is vital to our program and to our medical school,” said Dr. Mark H. Belfer, AAFP Foundation President. “I applaud the efforts of these award winners for their dedication to the values of family medicine and to teaching the next generation of physicians. In addition, I am very thankful for Pfizer’s continued commitment in this area.”

The $1,500 award recognizes community-based physicians who teach family medicine on a part-time basis. The award provides funding for each recipient to attend an activity of choice to further their professional development and teaching skills.

Bingham earned his medical degree from Louisiana State School of Medicine and is a graduate of the Spartanburg Family Medicine Residency Program, where he is currently a part-time instructor. Bingham will be recognized for this achievement during a ceremony held by his teaching center.

“Dr. Bingham was an outstanding resident during his training at Spartanburg Regional,” said. Dr. Otis Baughman, Director of the Spartanburg Family Medicine Residency Program. “At his graduation he received the award for being the ‘Most Outstanding Resident’ in the Family Medicine Residency Program. His excellence then has carried over into his private practice in Boiling Springs. In spite of being a very busy and successful physician, Dr. Bingham has been volunteering as a teacher of our residents and students."

“The excellence that he has always brought to this profession is evident in all aspects of his life, both personal and professional, and this award is only a small recognition of that. It is an honor to have such an outstanding physician taking the time and effort to be the mentor and teacher of the next generation of Family Physicians.”

The AAFP Foundation, which administers the Pfizer Teacher Development Award, is the philanthropic arm of the American Academy of Family Physicians. The AAFP Foundation advances the values of family medicine by promoting humanitarian, educational and scientific initiatives that improve the health of all people.

For more information, visit www.aafpfoundation.org.

New procedure lessens cancer-associated back pain

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: July 27, 2009 12:00 AM
Description:

Spartanburg Regional now offers a procedure that can destroy tumors located in the spine that may cause severe pain in cancer patients.

When cancer metastasizes, or spreads, to other parts of the body, it can cause pain. Cancer metastases can often appear on the vertebrae, compressing the spine and causing pain. As the vertebrae weaken, compression fractures can cause severe back pain, impaired mobility and a reduced quality of life.

In the past, treatment options included pain medications, bed rest or bracing. However, those methods are temporary solutions and do not focus on the fractured vertebrae.

While open spinal surgery may be able to restore functionality to the spine, it does come with more risks and requires more time to recover, in addition, some patients may not be candidates for open surgery. A new alternative may be the solution for more patients. Enhanced vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty is an advanced procedure that uses a plasma mediated device to ablate or remove tumor tissue prior to injecting bone cement into the vertebra. This method reduces the risks and complications often found with open spinal surgery as well as providing significant pain relief.

“This procedure, combining plasma mediated tumor removal followed by vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty, has the potential to greatly improve the quality of life for these patients,” said interventional radiologist Richard Harp, M.D.

Non-surgical methods can be done today by interventional radiologists. Interventional radiology treatments can offer less risk, less pain and less recovery time compared to traditional surgery.

Interventional radiologists are board-certified physicians who specialize in minimally invasive, targeted treatments.
They offer more specialized knowledge and alternatives for less invasive treatments for many medical conditions. Real time X-rays, ultrasound and other imaging methods are used to advance a catheter in the body, usually in an artery or vein, to treat at the source of the disease in a non-surgical method.

For a physician referral, please call 560-7999 or talk to your oncologist about this procedure.

Item Last Modified On: August 6, 2009 4:01 PM

Chef attends selective culinary training program

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Chef Patrick McDonnell, production manager of food services at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, was chosen to attend a training program sponsored by the Culinary Institute of America.

“Masterworks II,” held in Hyde Park, N.Y., recently, centered their program on the latest trends in food production methods and the most recent Morrison culinary advances.

“It was a great opportunity to meet chefs and build relationships,” McDonnell said. “It’s not just about the physical need to eat; it’s personal. The food we put out matters and the training provided me with additional training to give the community what they need.”

During the six-day training program, McDonnell learned about the importance of sustainable seafood and forming relationships with smaller farms for local produce. He also learned about ways to become more eco-friendly, such as purchasing reusable plastic cups and composting food waste to promote a better environment.

Of the 850 Morrison Management specialist chefs eligible, 27 chefs were nominated from Morrison’s Healthcare Division. McDonnell was first choice out of 80 chefs in the Southeast. Larry Germany, Regional Director of Operations of Morrison Healthcare Food Services, was a part of the selection process. Morrison is the food provider for Spartanburg Regional Medical Center.

“His culinary experience and his willingness to teach [made McDonnell a good selection],” Germany said. “He’s passionate about food, but he’s also passionate about people.”

Serving an average of 3,000 meals a day at Spartanburg Regional, it is a challenge for McDonnell to put out things that are healthy, flavorful and affordable for patients, visitors and employees.

“It’s a challenge to prepare healthier items that have a flavor, but it’s a great challenge to take care of patients and their families within the community,” McDonnell said.

Since his training, McDonnell has received a promotion to Regional Chef Executive. In this position, he will be a part of Morrison’s culinary mentoring process for the state of South Carolina.

Currently, McDonnell and the Spartanburg Regional culinary staff are working with vendors to inject more local produce. McDonnell and the staff have future plans of composting food waste, getting local farmers to come and promote their produce into the menu and creating a community garden involving other local businesses in the area.

“It didn’t stop at the training. It was a start … to bring back what we learned into our community,” McDonnell said.

NICU reunion to be held on Saturday

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: April 20, 2009 12:00 AM
Description:

Spartanburg Regional is holding its annual neonatal intensive care unit reunion in conjunction with the March of Dimes Walk for Babies on at 9 a.m. on April 25 at Duncan Park.

All families that have been touched by NICU are invited for refreshments, fun and camaraderie. Families are encouraged to bring a current photo of their child with his or her original birth weight on the back. These photos will be used in a display at Spartanburg Regional.

The Spartanburg Regional NICU is a 35-bed unit that provides quality care to all high-risk newborns. It is a regional perinatal center that provides stabilization, transport and outreach education in Spartanburg and the surrounding counties.

Medical care is managed by four board-certified neonatologists. More than 50 percent of the nurses in the NICU hold a national certification in Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing.

Item Last Modified On: April 17, 2009 10:32 AM

Spartanburg Regional among recipients of Susan G. Komen for the Cure grant awards

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Spartanburg Regional will provide screening and diagnostic services to low-income and uninsured women in Spartanburg County, thanks to a grant from the South Carolina Upstate affiliate of the Susan G. Koman for the Cure.

At its annual Grant Award Ceremony at the Thornblade Club in Greenville, the Upstate South Carolina Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure announced its 2009 grant awards totaling $647,000, a 28 percent increase over last year’s awards. Of the total, $494,000 was awarded to 13 not-for-profit health care organizations to fund breast cancer education, screening and treatment support for the underserved and $153,400 was awarded to fund national and local breast cancer research.

The funds awarded were raised from numerous fundraising events throughout the year including the 14th Annual Komen Upstate Race for the Cure® which raised a record $614,000 last year, a 23 percent increase over the prior year. The Komen Upstate Race for the Cure® drew participants from the entire Upstate and included 5,300 registered participants, 450 survivors and 60 corporate sponsors.

“Of the net proceeds raised each year, up to 75 percent of the net proceeds stays in the Upstate community to fund grants for innovative breast health programs within the 11 Upstate counties,” says Grants Chair, Liza Owens. “The remaining 25 percent is sent to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Grant Program to fund breast cancer research.”

During the past five years, research funds awarded by the Upstate SC Affiliate were used to fund three local breast cancer research grants. Two grants of $250,000 in 2004 and $250,000 in 2006 were awarded to Dr. Wen Chen, who holds a joint appointment as assistant director of molecular biology at the Oncology Research Institute, Greenville Hospital System University Medical System, and a biology professor at Clemson University. Another grant totaling $180,000 was awarded in 2008 to Ya-Ping Sun, Ph.D. at Clemson University for his work on “Multimodality-Enabled Optical Imaging Agents” for breast cancers.

With this announcement, the Upstate South Carolina Affiliate has awarded $3.8 million in grants since 1995. Of that amount, 146 grants worth $2.8 million have been awarded in the Upstate community and $1 million has been awarded to fund breast cancer research through the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Grants Program.

“Based on the findings of our comprehensive Community Needs Assessment, these grants play a critical role in meeting the identified specific, unmet breast health needs within our community,” Owens said.

The Upstate South Carolina Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure—along with those who generously support us with their talent, time and resources—is working to better the lives of those facing breast cancer in our community. We join more than 100,000 breast cancer survivors and activists around the globe as part of the world’s largest and most progressive grassroots network fighting breast cancer. Join us by calling Upstate South Carolina Affiliate at 864-234-5035 or visiting us online at www.KomenUpstateSC.org.

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure, it hasinvested $1.3 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1 (877) Go Komen.

SRHS Foundation announces 2009 Society of 1921 Gala guest

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 04:00:00 GMT

The Society 1921 announces Ben Stein as its special guest at its annual Donor Appreciation Gala on March 21.

Stein will tour the Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health during the day and then later speak at the evening gala.

Stein has become one of the most recognizable faces and voices in America today. His part as the boring, monotone teacher in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was recently ranked as one of the 50 most famous scenes in American film.

He is the former host of the Emmy-winning game show Win Ben Stein's Money. The show won seven Emmy Awards during its run. He was also one of the creators of the well-regarded comedy, Fernwood Tonight.

In his early career, he was a speechwriter and lawyer for Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

A prolific author, Ben Stein has written novels and nonfiction books, several screenplays, and regularly contributes essays and op-eds to national newspapers and magazines. His columns have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, New York Magazine and the Washington Post.

In 2008, Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Cal Ripken spoke on success in baseball and life. Past speakers include James Carville and Mary Matalin, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, President and Mrs. George Bush and former anchorman Tom Brokaw.

The Society of 1921 annual donors represent consistency and commitment to the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation and its projects. The SRHS Foundation is a charitable corporation whose primary mission is to benefit the
Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System through direct support and also through its support of community programs and services that share the Spartanburg Regional mission of providing quality health care to our community. The SRHS Foundation strives to create a community of giving for life.

Spartanburg Regional oncologist awarded for commitment to colon cancer awareness

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Dr. James D. Bearden III receives Betty Ann Moore Advocacy Award

SPARTANBURG – Dr. James D. Bearden III, oncologist and vice president of clinical research at Spartanburg Regional, is the first recipient of the Betty Ann Advocacy Award.

The award was conceived by John Moore and Anne Brady Moore Carlson, the children of the late Betty Ann Moore. Bearden treated Moore during her three-year battle with colorectal cancer.

Throughout her illness, Moore was an advocate for colon cancer screening. She died in 2002. With their mother serving as an inspiration, her two children continue to spread the word on colon cancer awareness.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month. Although preventable, it claims the lives of approximately 50,000 Americans each year.

In recognition of Colorectal Cancer Awareness month and their late mother’s birthday, Moore and Carlson recently united to honor their mother with the “Unmasking Colon Cancer Ball,” an annual event held to encourage colon cancer awareness.

This year, Moore and Carlson wanted to give special recognition to someone they felt needed to be applauded for an outstanding dedication to colon cancer treatment. Both felt Bearden was the appropriate choice for this award because of his outstanding commitment to the late Moore.

“Dr. Bearden was very helpful and great,” Moore said. “He is a doctor who went above and beyond for all his patients, not just our mom.”

Not only did Bearden treat Moore’s mother but he also helped Moore and Carlson start the Betty Ann Moore Colon Cancer Awareness Fund.

“He helped us turn an extremely difficult situation into an opportunity to help others,” Moore said.

Bearden said Moore’s positive outlook on life will encourage not only those in the Spartanburg community but also the entire country to have colonoscopies.

“We want awareness to stimulate those who are at risk,” Bearden said. “It’s not just a screening but a therapeutic procedure. This is one of the most significant awards I’ve received … I was honored to fight along with Betty Ann.”

Spartanburg Regional's Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health responds to patient needs with new medical social worker

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Spartanburg Regional's Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health is tending to the bodies and minds of its patients with the addition of a new medical social worker, Samicca Berry.

"The voice of the patient clearly identified the need for a dedicated breast health social worker," said Patty Hegedus, director of Gibbs Cancer Center’s Support Services programs. "Emotional support and access to financial and community resources are essential to improving quality of life during and after cancer treatment. Having a breast health social worker offers patients a comprehensive approach to their cancer care."

Berry will help tend to the biological and psychosocial needs of breast cancer patients. This includes a wide range of issues, such as helping patients to deal with their medical needs as well as their spiritual ones.

"I was drawn to this position because I will have the ability to help people through one of the most difficult and challenging phases of their life," said Berry.

She will also work to develop a variety of programs specifically designed to support breast health patients. These programs include things like the implementation of community education programs, development and facilitation of support groups, and grant oversight.

Spartanburg Regional Maternal-Fetal Medicine earns national accreditation

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 05:00:00 GMT

American Institute of Ultrasound Technology recognizes group’s quality of care model Spartanburg Regional Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s reaccreditation by the American Institute of Ultrasound Technology demonstrates the group’s continued commitment to quality care.

The AIUM is the national body that sets the standard for physician training and quality of care. This national accreditation must be renewed every three years and is an extensive process that tests a wide range of things, from physician and technician skill level to the quality of technology and services available to patients.

“Many people will not invest the price of a movie ticket without checking the reviews. But, how can you tell if you are getting a good ultrasound examination?” said Dr. James A. Scardo, Perinatologist. “In a world that has become technically sophisticated, many people rely on the advice and guidance of experts in the field. AIUM accreditation provides a good measure of reassurance for the Regional Maternal-Fetal Medicine patients. This accreditation is the hallmark of an ultrasound practice that meets nationally accepted standards of patient care, demonstrates consistent excellence, and is current with the latest ultrasound technology.”

Physicians and technicians must be able to demonstrate the ways in which they have continued to improve upon existing skills. They must also show how they are staying up to date with new procedures and improvements in technology.

Additionally, organizations must prove not only that they use the most state of the art technology, but also that the technology is updated and serviced regularly.

“With ultrasound technology moving to the forefront of diagnostic technology, it is important now, more than ever, for hospitals to stay up to date,” said Judi Lindsey, practice manager. “Regional MFM, by pursuing and achieving this reaccreditation, is committing itself to continuing to provide the community with the highest quality of care.”

Village Hospital awarded accreditation from the Joint Commission

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: December 18, 2008 12:00 AM
Description:

By demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission's national standards for health care quality and safety, the Village Hospital has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval™.

“This achievement is the result of a tremendous team effort” said David Parks, Administrator of the Village Hospital. “When we built the hospital, we also built a unique culture – one based on our shared vision of providing superior community centered health care. We are proud to be part of this community, and proud to have been recognized by such a renowned organization as the Joint Commission.”

The Village Hospital brings a new approach to health care with a unique management structure and independent medical staff. Comprised of emergency services, medical and surgical care and maternity services, the Village Hospital is located at Westmoreland Road and Highway 14 in Greer.

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission is dedicated to continuously improving the safety and quality of the nation's health care through voluntary accreditation. The Joint Commission conducted an unannounced, on-site evaluation of the Village Hospital on December 8-11, 2008. The accreditation award recognizes the Village Hospital’s dedication to complying with the Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards on a continuous basis.

"Above all, the national standards are intended to stimulate continuous, systematic and organization-wide improvement in an organization's performance and the outcomes of care," says Darlene Christiansen, executive director, Hospital Accreditation Program, Joint Commission. "The community should be proud that the Village Hospital is focusing on the most challenging goal - to continuously raise quality and safety to higher levels."

Item Last Modified On: December 22, 2008 11:20 AM

Tree-trimming ceremony honors organ, tissue donors

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: December 1, 2008 12:00 AM
Description:

LifePoint, South Carolina’s Organ Procurement Organization will host a holiday tree-trimming ceremony at Spartanburg Regional Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 10 a.m. The event, held in the Montgomery Tower Lobby, is open to the media.

Organ and tissue donor families will come together and place personally selected ornaments on the tree to remember and honor their loved ones during the holiday season. They will join with recipients, hospital staff members, LifePoint staff members and other guests in a celebration of those who have saved and improved lives through donation. The ceremonies, complete with emotional tributes, music and refreshments, will also honor the hospital staff.

Item Last Modified On: December 1, 2008 5:14 PM

Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation awards more than $280,000 in grants

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation has awarded more than $280,000 in grants to a variety of community organizations.

Since 1994, the Foundation has awarded funding tri-annually to healthcare-related projects and agencies that support the hospital’s mission to provide quality care to the community. Funding is also available to community-based organizations seeking to launch health-related projects.

“Our Regional Foundation Board of Trustees members are overwhelmed by the generosity of our many donors in the hospital system and community who make it possible for us to support these, and many other, worth while projects,” said Terrell Sovey, Chairman of the SRHS Foundation’s Board. “Whether funding a hospital-based patient education activity or helping to create a community health program, we are proud that these grants support our mission, which is ‘To give for life.’”

Organizations are invited to submit applications during one of three grant cycles. The applications are then reviewed by a committee comprised of board members, community leaders and physicians. Committee members research the programs and compile a report detailing how the program functions and what its needs are. They then reconvene to decide whether to recommend funding.

These recommendations are presented to the hospital’s Board for final approval.

The SRHS Foundation is a charitable corporation whose primary mission is to benefit the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System through direct support of the SRHS and also through its support of community programs and services that share the SRHS mission of delivering providing quality health care to our community.

A total of $287,947 was awarded to 13 organizations. The projects ranged from educational opportunities for community members and physicians, to organizations seeking to implement advanced technology.

The following programs received funding this cycle:

Warfarin (Coumadin) Patient Safety Education Project
Project aims to create a consumer friendly booklet designed to educate patients about safe use of Warfarin (Coumadin) therapy. Booklet is intended to be used for teaching purposes both during hospitalization and after patient has been discharged.

JC Stroble Glaucoma Awareness
Funding will be used by the J.C. Stroble Foundation to organize a walk-a-thon. The event is designed to raise awareness for the fight against glaucoma.

Children’s Advocacy Center of Spartanburg
Organization will use the funding to purchase computer equipment necessary for data submission in order to comply with the requirements of the South Carolina Child Advocacy Medical Response System.

Why Do We Wait
Funds will be used to support clients as they go through the process of addiction recovery. The organization’s ultimate goal is sustained success for each client so that they can become responsible, healthy, and productive members within their families and communities.

Rehab Services
Funding will be used to purchase an RT300 Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) Cycle to help with neurological rehabilitation. This equipment can help individuals who are paralyzed move their extremities by providing neuromuscular stimulation.

Pediatric Rehabilitation
Project will fund a highly specialized continuing education course for 10 therapists in the Pediatric Rehabilitation department entitled “NDT/Bobath Certificate Course in the Management and Treatment of Children with Cerebral Palsy and Other Neuromotor Diseases”.

Road to Better Health
Funding will support the Road to Better Health Conference, which is designed to prioritize the healthcare issues currently facing Spartanburg County and to develop an implementation plan to address the most pressing healthcare issues for the next three years.

Prevention of Teen Pregnancy
Program is designed to help battle the rise of teen pregnancy in Spartanburg County by implementing a Peer Pregnancy program. The program will specifically target Spartanburg School District 7.

Eye Movement Desensitization
Funding will be used to provide training for 5 psychotherapists working in SRHS Behavioral Health Services. Program will educate these psychotherapists on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), the treatment of choice for emotional, mental, and behavioral impairments resulting from military exposure to trauma in Iraq or Afghanistan. Hospital will be the first in the upstate to offer this treatment.

The Haven
Funding will be used to upgrade the kitchen for this shelter for women, children, and families. Completion of this project will expand the organization’s capacity to provide healthy and nutritious foods on a consistent basis, as well as enable it to educate its clientele on the practices of healthy lifestyles choices with regard to food.

YMCA of Greater Spartanburg
Organization will use funds to assist the Pine Street YMCA in replacing its current, inefficient complex, with a new, state-of-the-art building.

West View Elementary
Funding will be used to assist West View Elementary in building a fitness trail on campus. The trail will be designed to connect to other trails in the area.

Free2play at Miracle Park
Funding will be used to create a playground where disabled children can play together and will provide a location where Spartanburg Regional Pediatric Rehabilitation patients can spend time together as a family and socialize with peers.

New Chief Financial Officer begins job in December

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Mark Aycock touts healthcare system’s strong financial performance

Spartanburg Regional will soon welcome a new Chief Financial Officer. Mark Aycock, currently serving as CFO for Emory Hospitals in Atlanta, is slated to begin serving in his new post this December.

Aycock represents a wealth of experience in healthcare finance, and will add a new dimension to Spartanburg Regional’s administrative team, said Ingo Angermeier, President and CEO.

“Mark’s professional credentials are exemplary,” Angermeier said. “But even more impressive is his understanding of the philosophies guiding our mission here at Spartanburg Regional. Having Mark Aycock at our table is important to those of us dedicated to good stewardship of revenue. That translates into better, more comprehensive patient care.”

Spartanburg Regional is a progressive healthcare system in a progressive community, and that’s what makes this move so exciting for Aycock, he said.

“I was very impressed with the leadership and the system’s past success,” Aycock said. “My wife and I are attracted to the lifestyle offered by Spartanburg and the beauty of the Upstate.” Spartanburg Regional’s strong fiscal position is a credit to the organization, particularly in light of the sluggish economy, Aycock said.

“I’m pleased to be joining a healthcare system with a strong balance sheet, as well as a track record of sound financial management,” he said. “Viewed against the backdrop of the recent financial crisis, I think Spartanburg Regional is well prepared to deal with new challenges that could potentially surface due to changes in the economy.”

Three of the nation’s top financial ratings agencies recently gave Spartanburg Regional high marks. Standard & Poor’s, Fitch Ratings and Moody’s each assigned the healthcare system top ratings for superior financial performance.

Before joining Emory, Aycock served as CFO at Bon Secours – St. Francis Xavier Hospital in Charleston.

Aycock succeeds Larry Barnette, who retired earlier this year.

Board of Trustees installs new chairman

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Dr. Dan Maultsby has assumed chairmanship of the Spartanburg Regional Board of Trustees.

A former senior vice president and dean of Wofford College, Maultsby will preside over the 11-member board and serve as a liaison between its community-based appointees and members of the hospital’s administration. Maultsby said the board is comprised of local leaders who are committed to the long-term health and vitality of the community’s not-for-profit healthcare provider.

“Many citizens volunteer within the hospitals to provide personal attention to make experiences of patients and families of patients as convenient and positive as possible,” Maultsby said. “These many volunteers, on boards and committees and in the halls of the hospitals, give generously of their time and talents and make essential contributions to the success of Spartanburg Regional.”

Maultsby’s board tenure has been marked by an attention to detail that will aid the healthcare system’s current growth, as well as its future adaptability, said Ingo Angermeier, President and CEO.

“Both our community and our healthcare system will benefit from Dan Maultsby’s steady hand; he represents a well-balanced mixture of leadership, wisdom, an understanding of health care and, most important, home-town pride,” Angermeier said. “We know Dr. Maultsby carries an extraordinary vision that will allow us to see new phases of strength and development.”

Maultsby succeeds Terry Cash. Named chairman in 2005, Cash will now serve as the board’s vicechairman.

“Terry’s fingerprints can be found on each of our major initiatives,” Angermeier said. “During his time in the chairman’s seat, Spartanburg Regional has experienced a true renaissance of growth. On behalf of all employees and community members, we thank him for his diligence and wise counsel.”

Spartanburg Regional’s greatest assets are a generous community and an army of strong, dedicated clinicians and administrators, Maultsby said, and that support is critical.

“I want to express appreciation also to the donors who have given generous financial support to our facilities through the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation,” Maultsby said. “We are also proud of the performance of our president, administrators and managers, medical doctors, nurses, and other employees. They are qualified and dedicated to giving great care to persons in need of medical service in our community. And, finally, we thank the members of our county council.”

Appointed by Spartanburg County Council, members of the Board of Trustees provide oversight and set policy for the healthcare system.

Spartanburg Regional to host second-annual Heart-In-One Golf Classic

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: July 21, 2008 12:00 AM
Description:

Proceeds to place automatic external defibrillators in Spartanburg County schools
Spartanburg Regional will host the second-annual Heart-in-One Golf Classic on September 19, at 12:30 p.m. at Carolina Country Club.

Held in honor of Spartanburg Regional’s cardiac rehab patients, the event’s proceeds will be used to place automatic external defibrillators, or AEDs, in Spartanburg schools. The fee is $500 per team of four ($125 per player) and includes greens and cart fees, driving range time, lunch and a “goody bag.” The registration deadline is September 7.

The tournament will follow a Cardiovascular Symposium scheduled for 8 a.m. in the Milliken Room at the Carolina Country Club. Admission to the symposium is $40 for healthcare providers and $30 for healthcare students.

For more information, contact Donna Ivey, tournament chairwoman, at 864-560-4234 or J.T. Smith, symposium chairwoman, at 864-560-8232.

Item Last Modified On: January 20, 2009 4:42 PM

Gibbs Cancer Center to offer head and neck cancer educational event and screening

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Gibbs Cancer Center will offer a free educational event about head and neck cancer 6 p.m. April 16 at the Village at Pelham.

Fritz Butehorn, M.D., will speak about the risk factors, screening and prevention of oral, head and neck cancers.

Those who attend the educational session will be able to sign up for a free head and neck cancer screening to be held the following week.

According to the American Cancer Society, this year more than 40,000 Americans will be diagnosed with cancers of the head and neck – which include cancers of the oral cavity, larynx and pharynx - and 7,550 will die.

“When diagnosed very early, oral and other head and neck cancers can be more easily treated without significant complications, and the chances of survival greatly increase,” said Terry Day, M.D., President of the Yul Brynner Head and Neck Cancer Foundation. “However, many Americans do not recognize the symptoms of these cancers, which makes screening very important, especially for those who are at high risk, such as tobacco and alcohol users.”

To sign up for the educational session, please visit gibbscancercenter.com.

About Oral, Head and Neck Cancer
Oral, head and neck cancer (OHNC) refers to a variety of cancers that develop in the head and neck region, such as the oral cavity (mouth); the pharynx (throat); paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity; the larynx (voice box); thyroid and salivary glands; the skin of the face and neck; and the lymph nodes in the neck. Common warning signs of OHNC are:
• Red or white patch in the mouth that lasts more than two weeks
• Change in voice or hoarseness that lasts more than two weeks
• Sore throat that does not subside
• Pain or swelling in the mouth or neck that does not subside
• Lump in the neck
Other warning signs that occur during later stages of the disease include:
• Ear pain
• Difficulty speaking or swallowing
• Difficulty breathing

The most effective prevention strategy remains the cessation of risky behaviors such as smoking, use of chewing tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption. More than 85 percent of head and neck cancers are related to tobacco use, while others may have a relationship to viral causes such as HPV and Epstein-Barr Virus.

Gibbs Cancer Center offers free colonoscopy screening program and colorectal cancer education

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Gibbs Cancer Center now offers a free colonoscopy screening program for patients with symptoms of or at high risk for colorectal cancer.

This program is offered in partnership with the Betty Ann Moore Foundation and local physicians. It is specifically for people who do not have insurance and have a family history of the disease or have symptoms (rectal bleeding, blood in the stool, diarrhea and/or constipation).

Colorectal cancer is the number two cancer killer in the United States, affecting men and women equally. However, with screening and early detection, many of these deaths can be prevented. Most colorectal cancers develop from polyps, which are abnormal growths in the colon. Left undetected, some polyps may develop into cancer. Screening tests can find and remove pre-cancerous polyps before they turn into cancer.

If you or a loved one may qualify for this screening program, please call 864-560-1983 for more information.

Colorectal Cancer Education
Gibbs Cancer Center is also sponsoring two free education events about colorectal cancer in March.

James Dunn, M.D. will speak at 11 a.m. on March 8 at ReGenesis Community Health Center about colorectal cancer prevention.

Thomas Montagne, M.D. will speak at 6 p.m. on March 25 at the Village at Pelham about the silent symptoms of colorectal cancer. Dinner will be provided.

You may register for either event by calling 864-560-7999 or visiting gibbscancercenter.com.

The Marsha and Jimmy Gibbs Regional Cancer Center is a nationally recognized cancer treatment and research facility associated with the National Cancer Institute as a Community Clinical Oncology Program and a pilot site for the Community Cancer Centers Program. GRCC is a proven leader in providing effective cancer treatment through advanced technology, professional expertise and an exceptional level of personalized care. Our oncology program has been recognized by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons and by the Joint Commission as offering high quality cancer care.

Spartanburg Regional plans new cancer center in Greer

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Gibbs Cancer Center at the Village at Pelham will feature radiation therapy

GREER — Continuing in its quest to provide the best cancer care available, Spartanburg Regional has announced plans to build a new cancer center here.

Gibbs Cancer Center at the Village at Pelham will offer Upstate residents a more convenient option for quality cancer treatment.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has approved the health system’s application to outfit the 11,000-square-foot facility with a linear accelerator that will be transferred from Gibbs Cancer Center in Spartanburg.

At the core of any cancer program is radiation therapy, which is administered with a linear accelerator. Because this equipment serves as the centerpiece of any cancer center’s radiation therapy offerings, healthcare systems must first seek approval from the State of South Carolina before a linear accelerator can be installed.

A satellite of the award-winning Gibbs Cancer Center on Spartanburg Regional’s campus, the $7 million center will be outfitted with the latest cancer-fighting equipment needed to provide Gibbs’ trademark multi-disciplinary care.

“The promise of world-class cancer care will soon be a reality for patients who recognize the quality treatment for which Gibbs Cancer Center is known,” said Ingo Angermeier, President and CEO of Spartanburg Regional. “From this new facility in Greer, we will offer the latest treatment options on state-of-the-art equipment, and that care will be administered by the very best oncologists, therapists and technicians in the Southeast.”

Spartanburg Regional has a growing patient base in western Spartanburg County. From October 1, 2006, to September 30, 2007, 15.3 percent of Spartanburg Regional’s linear accelerator patients came to Spartanburg from seven zip codes in the Village at Pelham service area.

Spartanburg Regional and Gibbs Cancer Center deliver coordinated care with cases reviewed by an interdisciplinary, independent tumor board prior to treatment. With all components of cancer care available in one location (radiation oncology, medical oncology, surgery and radiology), this board works together, in person, to develop efficient, effective treatment plans tailored for individual patients of Gibbs Cancer Center.

“Patients at Gibbs Cancer Center at the Village at Pelham will have access to the latest clinical trials and the multidisciplinary approach to care that has set us apart from other cancer centers,” said Dr. James Bearden III, Gibbs’ medical director.

Through Gibbs Cancer Center, Spartanburg Regional engages in cancer research driven by patient needs in collaboration with state and national centers. Clinical trials are primarily conducted through Community Clinical Oncology Programs as part of the National Cancer Institute. Gibbs is one of a handful of continually funded clinical research programs that were originally formed in 1983.

The National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP) is a three-year pilot program to test the concept of a national network of community cancer centers to expand cancer research a

Spartanburg Regional offers free mammograms to uninsured women

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: February 4, 2008 12:00 AM
Description:

Spartanburg Regional has partnered with Susan G. Komen for a Cure to offer free screening mammograms to uninsured women ages 35-46.

The free screenings will be offered by appointment on February 9 and March 15.

The best method of fighting breast cancer is to find it as early as possible when it is easier to treat. All women should begin receiving annual screening mammograms at age 40. Women at high risk for breast cancer should speak with a physician about screening at an earlier age.

To see if you qualify and make an appointment, please call 864-560-7999.

Item Last Modified On: January 20, 2009 4:52 PM

Spartanburg Regional offers free mammograms to uninsured women

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: February 4, 2008 12:00 AM
Description:

Spartanburg Regional has partnered with Susan G. Komen for a Cure to offer free screening mammograms to uninsured women ages 35-46.

The free screenings will be offered by appointment on February 9 and March 15.

The best method of fighting breast cancer is to find it as early as possible when it is easier to treat. All women should begin receiving annual screening mammograms at age 40. Women at high risk for breast cancer should speak with a physician about screening at an earlier age.

To see if you qualify and make an appointment, please call 864-560-7999.

Item Last Modified On: December 19, 2008 1:51 PM

Spartanburg Regional Hospice announces 2008 volunteer training sessions

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Volunteer opportunities are available in patient care and non-patient care at Spartanburg Regional Hospice.

Direct care opportunities are available in Spartanburg, Union, Greenville and Cherokee counties. Regional Hospice Home has opportunities available for volunteers to work directly with patients and also opportunities for greeters, office support and events.

January 22 - February 19, 2008 (Direct Care Training)
Tuesdays/Thursdays, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Register by January 7

March 4 & March 6, 2008 (Non-Direct Care Training)
Tuesday & Thursday, 9 - 11 a.m.
Register by February 18

May 6 – June 3, 2008 (Direct Care Training)
Tuesdays/Thursdays, 9 - 11 a.m.
Register by April 21

September 9 & September 11, 2008 (Non-Direct Care Training)
Tuesday & Thursday, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Register by August 19

September 16 – October 14, 2008 (Direct Care Training)
Tuesdays/Thursdays, 9 – 11 a.m.
Register by September 2

Please contact Sheila Chapman, Volunteer Coordinator at 560-5636 or schapman@srhs.com for more information or to register. All classes are held at the Regional Hospice Home located at 686 Jeff Davis Drive in Spartanburg.

Spartanburg Regional Ida Thompson Child Development Program earns national accreditation

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 05:00:00 GMT

The Spartanburg Regional Ida Thompson Child Development Program is one of the first early childhood programs to earn accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) — the nation’s leading organization of early childhood professionals.

The Child Development Program was established in 1974 and provides child care for the children of hospital employees. The hospital system has found that this benefit increases employee satisfaction and impacts retention.

“NAEYC Accreditation lets our families know that children in our program are getting the best care and early learning experiences possible,” said Linda Lawson, Program Manager.

“The level of care displayed at the Ida Thompson Child Development Center is an expression of the true dedication to quality, professionalism and heart of the center’s staff,” said Ingo Angermeier, President/CEO, Spartanburg Regional. “This accreditation is a validation of the vision and hard work of many.”

To earn NAEYC Accreditation in the new system, the Child Development Program went through an extensive self-study process, measuring the program and its services against the ten new NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and more than 400 related Accreditation Criteria. The program received NAEYC Accreditation after an on-site visit by NAEYC Assessors to ensure that the program meets each of the 10 NAEYC program standards. NAEYC-accredited programs are also subject to unannounced visits during their accreditation, which lasts for five years.

In the 20 years since NAEYC Accreditation was established, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education. More than 11,000 programs, serving one million young children, are currently accredited by NAEYC — approximately 8 percent of all preschools and other early childhood programs.

“The new NAEYC Accreditation system raises the bar for preschools, child care centers and other early childhood programs,” said Mark Ginsberg, Ph.D., executive director of NAEYC. “Spartanburg Regional Child Development Program’s NAEYC Accreditation is a sign that they are a leader in a national effort to invest in high-quality early childhood education, and to help give all children a better start.”

The NAEYC Accreditation system has set voluntary professional standards for programs for young children since 1985. As of September 2006, the Association’s revised program standards and criteria have introduced a new level of quality, accountability, and service for parents and children in child care programs. The new standards reflect the latest research and best practices in early childhood education and development. NAEYC is committed to utilizing the newest studies and analysis on positive child outcomes to ensure young children continue receiving the highest-quality care and education possible.

The NAEYC Accreditation system was created in 1985 to set professional standards for early childhood education, and to help families identify high-quality preschools, child care centers and other early education programs.

Festival of Trees events to raise money for Spartanburg Regional Hospice

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: November 4, 2007 12:00 AM
Description:

A fashion show and an auction gala will raise funds for the Spartanburg Regional Hospice patients this week.

On Nov. 7, the Festival of Trees Fashion Show and Luncheon will bring the latest looks to the Spartanburg Marriott at Renaissance Park. At 12 p.m., community volunteers will model fashions from Carlisle, Etcetera, Smith and James Men’s Clothing and the Lemon Peel Shoe Parlor. Betsy McMillan will host the event. Tickets are still available at regionalfoundation.com at $35.

On Nov. 10, the Magic of the Lights Auction Gala will be held at 7 p.m. at the Spartanburg Marriott at Renaissance Park. The event is semi-formal with a silent auction, live auction, dinner and dancing.

Items in the auction range from teeth whitening and tennis lessons to long weekends and hunting packages. Matt Holiday will serve as auctioneer. Tickets are available for $75 per person at regionalfoundation.com

The Hospice Division of the SRHS Foundation raises funds by sponsoring special events, such as Festival of Trees, to provide additional benefits and services not covered by Medicare, Medicaid or by private insurance to terminally ill patients of Spartanburg Regional Hospice. These funds directly benefit patients and their families and enhance the overall Spartanburg Regional Hospice program.

Funds from the events are deposited into our Special Needs Hospice account. This money is used to give peace of mind, support and comfort to our hospice patients and their families through payment of medications, assistance with utility bills, purchase of nutritional supplements and groceries, providing linens and delivering warm meals at Easter and Thanksgiving holidays.

For more information about these events, please call the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation at 864-560-6727.

Item Last Modified On: January 20, 2009 4:58 PM

Spartanburg Regional publishes Community Benefit numbers

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: October 22, 2007 12:00 AM
Description:

SPARTANBURG — Spartanburg Regional provided more than $130 million in community benefits in 2006. These figures are part of a statewide report released by the South Carolina Hospital Association Oct. 22.

The Healthy Hospitals / Healthy Lives: SCHA 2007 Hospital Community Benefits Report includes information from 65 of SCHA’s member hospitals on free or reduced fee services provided to South Carolinians. It is significant because for the first time hospitals have quantified the economic impact of community benefits they provide to communities. The report indicates statewide, 65 SCHA member hospitals provided traditional and nontraditional community benefit services to more than 4.8 million people valued at more than $1.3 billion in 2006.

Traditional community benefits are uncompensated care costs and include health care services provided to patients who are unable to pay as well as the unreimbursed costs of government programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. Nontraditional community benefits are programs and services offered by South Carolina’s hospitals out in the community — beyond hospital walls — to improve health status or increase access to care.

“Spartanburg Regional believes in taking care of its community, and the figures in our report reflect that dedication,” said Ingo Angermeier, President and CEO of Spartanburg Regional. “Through screenings and education, we hope to establish, grow and maintain a community presence that encourages residents to feel empowered and in control of their health and, ultimately, their lives.”

For a copy of statewide report, Healthy Hospitals / Healthy Lives: SCHA 2007 Hospital Community Benefits Report, visit www.scha.org.

Item Last Modified On: January 20, 2009 4:59 PM

Ambulatory Surgery Center of Spartanburg receives accreditation

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: October 22, 2007 12:00 AM
Description:

Status as an accredited organization means the Ambulatory Surgery Center has passed a series of rigorous and nationally recognized standards for the provision of quality health care, set by the Accreditation Association. More than 3,000 ambulatory health care organizations across the United States are accredited by AAAHC.

“Accreditation underscores our long-standing commitment to providing the highest possible levels of quality care to the community we serve,” said Mike Pankey, Administrator of the Ambulatory Surgery Center of Spartanburg. “We are pleased and proud to have our efforts recognized with this accreditation.”

Ambulatory health care organizations seeking accreditation by the AAAHC undergo an extensive on-site, peer-based survey of its facilities and services. Not all ambulatory health care organizations seek accreditation; not all undergoing the on-site survey are granted accreditation.

Among the types of ambulatory health care organizations that can seek the AAAHC accreditation are ambulatory and office-based surgery centers, single and multi-specialty group practices, college health centers, dental group practices, community health centers, occupational health centers and managed care organizations.

Item Last Modified On: January 20, 2009 5:00 PM

Safe Kids Spartanburg urges parents and caregivers to get their child safety seats inspected

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Three out of four child safety seats are improperly installed in vehicles according to research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That’s why Safe Kids Spartanburg is urging all parents and caregivers to attend the Second Annual “National Seat Check Saturday,” on Saturday Sept. 20. As part of National Child Passenger Safety Week (Sept. 21 to 27) Safe Kids Spartanburg will have certified technicians available to provide free on-site child safety seat inspections from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Farrell Chevrolet in Spartanburg .

“It’s the responsibility of every parent and caregiver out there to make sure their children are safely restrained – every trip, every time,” said Penny Shaw, Safe Kids Spartanburg coordinator. “We are urging everyone to get their child safety seats inspected. When it comes to the safety of a child, there is no room for mistakes.”

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration research, 8,325 lives of children under age 5 have been saved by the proper use of child restraints during the past 30 years. In 2006, among children under 5, an estimated 425 lives were saved by child restraint use. Research shows that child restraints provide the best protection for all children up to age 8; after age 8 seat belts provide the best protection.

For maximum child passenger safety, Penny Shaw said parents and caregivers should refer to the following 4 Steps for Kids guidelines for determining which restraint system is best suited to protect children based on age and size:

1. For the best possible protection keep infants in the back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. At a minimum, keep infants rear-facing until at least age 1 and at least 20 pounds.

2. When children outgrow their rear-facing seats (at least age 1 and at least 20 pounds) they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in the back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds).

3. Once children outgrow their forward-facing seats (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds), they should ride in booster seats, in the back seat, until the vehicle seat belts fit properly. Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest (usually at age 8 or when they are 4’9” tall).

4. When children outgrow their booster seats, (usually at age 8 or when they are 4’9” tall) they can use the adult seat belts in the back seat, if they fit properly (lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest).

For more information on Child Passenger Safety Week, a national effort to remind parents and caregivers of the lifesaving effect child safety seats have in protecting young children, please visit www.nhtsa.gov <http://www.nhtsa.gov/>.

Gibbs Cancer Center to sponsor events for breast cancer survivors

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: September 15, 2008 12:00 AM
Description:

Gibbs Cancer Center will hold “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’ ” and “The Joyful Path” as special programs for breast cancer survivors.

Breast cancer can change a woman’s outlook on intimacy. Mary Hughes, RN, from M. D. Anderson Cancer Center will conduct a free educational program at 12 p.m. on Sept. 25 at Gibbs Cancer Center to address these issues for breast cancer survivors and a guest. Hughes is a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist.

Breast cancer survivor Hollie Walker will lead a fun and interactive program at 6 p.m. on Oct. 7 at Gibbs Cancer Center. The focus will be on reducing stress and finding joy in difficult situations.

Both of these events include a meal and require registration by visiting gibbscancercenter.com or calling 560-6747.

According to the National Cancer Institute and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there at $9.8 million cancer survivors in the United States. Twenty-two percent of these survivors are breast cancer survivors.

Item Last Modified On: December 19, 2008 1:58 PM

Spartanburg Regional announces the completion of the Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Officials predict facility will be viewed as national model for multidisciplinary breast cancer care

SPARTANBURG — Before an enthusiastic crowd of clinicians, local leaders and community benefactors, the Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health officially opened Thursday.

A state-of-the-art imaging center featuring digital mammography, ultrasound, stereotactic breast biopsy, breast MRI and bone densitometry, Bearden-Josey provides all of these services from one easily accessible outpatient location.

The new center provides a seamless multidisciplinary experience for breast health services in a single location, providing women all breast health services with significantly reduced wait times. The 16,000-square-foot facility features gardens, a fountain, original artwork and large airy spaces formed by vast expanses of glass.

The facility is being named in honor of Drs. James D. Bearden III and Julian C. Josey Jr., local physicians specializing in cancer care.

“Treatment and, more pointedly, prevention of breast cancer, requires a delicate, albeit bold mixture of many different disciplines and sciences,” said Ingo Angermeier, President and CEO. “The Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health will stand as a lasting and evolving example of collaboration.

Drs. Jay Bearden and Julian Josey long ago realized the importance of teamwork. By fusing the elements of varied approaches to cancer treatment, be they radiation or medical oncology, radiology or surgery, they helped create a new way of communicating with a disease they are continually learning to combat.”

Bearden said the center’s mission will be to increase awareness and catch breast cancer in its early stages.

“The breast center is an instrument of hope: through early detection and diagnosis, we will soon be treating breast cancer with the most proactive model available in the Southeast,” Bearden said. “But just as important, I believe, is the effort to marshal all the available resources and to express the sharp focus we all know is required to stop this disease in its tracks.”

“Survivorship” is the guiding force behind the center, Josey said.

“One of the more meaningful things in the evolution of cancer care over my career has been the awareness of the importance of survivorship in our overall treatment plan,” Josey said. “It goes to the heart of what great cancer centers are all about, and it encompasses more than just the treatment protocols and rigors of our various therapies. It has to do with the quality of life for our patients and their families.”

The center was funded with the help of a $2.5 million gift from Billy and Lindsay Webster of Spartanburg. Lindsay Webster, a breast cancer survivor, shared the vision of Bearden and Josey to construct a breast center that would be easily accessible, convenient and a calming environment for women enduring the stress of awaiting a diagnosis.

“It’s incredibly rewarding that something so personally devastating has created something so wonderful for the community,” Lindsay Webster said. “Billy and I simply shared an idea; it’s the hospital, the doctors and healthcare professionals who brought the center to fruition. All we did is plant the seed. Everyone else on this fantastic team brought it to reality.”

Mammography is vital to detect breast cancer at its earliest stages when it is most treatable. The severity of breast cancer is strongly influenced by the stage of the disease. At Bearden-Josey, breast cancer tumors can be found by mammography screening prior to being felt by a physical exam.

If mammogram results indicate further testing is needed, these tests will be scheduled at the patient’s convenience in the center. Should a woman receive a diagnosis of breast cancer, she will have the option of having her case presented in a multidisciplinary conference to obtain a full treatment plan from all care disciplines.

Donors like the Websters are an integral part of bringing the latest and greatest care to the community, like screening mammography, said Terrell Sovey, chairman of the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation Board of Trustees.

“This Bearden Josey Breast Health Center is the culmination of many individuals from the community pulling together and contributing to the future welfare of our citizens,” Sovey said. “We at the SRHS Foundation are most humble and grateful for the successful efforts of our many community contributors who brought this project to reality. Bearden-Josey now takes its place among other important Foundation projects at Regional, including: the Montgomery Tower, Emergency Center, Gibbs Cancer Center, and Hospice Home. Together, the Spartanburg Regional and the SRHS Foundation are bringing quality health care for life to our community.”

There will be an estimated 2,600 new cases of breast cancer this year in South Carolina according to the American Cancer Society. It also estimates that only 56 percent of women over 40 in South Carolina have had an annual mammogram as recommended.

Officials made countless trips to study some of the nation’s best multi-specialty clinics. The result, said Dr. Larry Warren, is a combination of the greatest elements from those facilities.

“We traveled across the country, visiting breast centers, and the Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health represents the best elements of those centers we viewed,” said Warren, a radiologist and director of breast imaging. “I think our center will soon be known as a national model for multidisciplinary care of breast cancer.”

The facility will open to the public on Sept. 8. To make an appointment for a mammogram or to inquire about our mammography assistance program, please call 560-7777.

Spartanburg Regional, SRHS Foundation host employee art exhibit

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: August 18, 2008 12:00 AM
Description:

Event highlights combination of arts, modern medicine in state’s only installation of national show The Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation Healing Arts Program will highlight the artwork of Spartanburg Regional employees and their families Sept. 10 to Oct. 7 as part of the second annual National Arts Program exhibition and competition.

The exhibit will be open to the public between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily in the Montgomery Tower Lobby and will feature paintings, photography, watercolors, sculpture, crafts and other visual works by Spartanburg Regional staff and their families. The competition is divided into five skill categories, including youth less than 12, youth 12-18 and adult amateur, intermediate and professional. Cash prizes totaling $2,400 will be awarded to the top three winners in each level. A “Best of Show” will also be awarded.

Daniel Cromer will judge the competition. An acclaimed watercolorist who has exhibited in Europe and Japan, Cromer currently lives and works in Spartanburg and Beaufort.

This program is being brought to the hospital as a part of the SRHS Foundation Healing Arts Program. A collaboration of The Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg and Spartanburg Regional, the Healing Arts Program combines the soothing powers of the creative arts with modern medicine. The program uses visual, performing and literary art activities to comfort patients and their families during their treatment.

The National Arts Program Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide individuals of every artistic skill level a forum to expand and showcase their talent in the visual arts, fostering in turn a sense of accomplishment and self-worth. Now reaching more than 450 cities in 43 states and the District of Columbia in 83 annual venues, the program was established in 1983. Spartanburg Regional was the first and remains the only venue in South Carolina to be included in the program.

The SRHS Foundation is a charitable corporation whose primary mission is to benefit the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System through direct support of SRHS and also through its support of community programs and services that share the SRHS mission of providing quality healthcare to our community.

Item Last Modified On: October 15, 2008 10:05 AM

Spartanburg Regional boasts five of 10 registered interventional radiation technologists in South Carolina

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Calloway, Gardinier, Ivey, Mundey and Petty certified

The Interventional Radiology technical staff at Spartanburg Regional recently passed the Vascular-Interventional Radiology Registry. Tonya Calloway, Brad Gardinier, Kelly Ivey, Pam Mundey and Kelly Petty make up five of the 10 vascular-interventional radiologic technologists in South Carolina.

Vascular-Interventional Radiology Registry is a post-primary certification given by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. It promotes high standards of patient care by recognizing qualified individuals in interventional radiology and medical imaging.

Eligibility for certification requires maintained registration in the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, clinical experience consisting of 50 vascular-interventional procedures and a comprehensive examination.

“We strive to stay up to date on the latest developments in our field and to provide excellent care to our patients,” Petty said. “We are proud of what we do and the care we give our patients. To receive a smile, a laugh and a thank you from a patient, even when he or she doesn’t feel well, means you’ve done your job and that you’ve done it well.”

Calloway, Gardinier, Ivey and Mundey, RT(R)(VI), are registered technologists (RT) in radiology (R) and vascular-interventional (VI). Petty, RT(R)(M)(VI), is registered in three areas: radiology, mammography (M) and vascular-interventional.

Upon passing the Vascular-Interventional Radiology Registry, individuals must maintain registration by earning 24 continuing education credits every two years.

“The completion of these advanced registries is in line with Spartanburg Regional’s Mission and Vision, as well as the Department of Imaging Service’s commitment to quality service at the highest level,” said Noel Rhodes, Director of Imaging Services at Spartanburg Regional. “All Imaging management, technical, and nursing personnel are required to acquire and maintain credentials consistent with their position.”

Surgeon makes elite list reserved for nation's best cancer liaison physicians

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Dr. Robert Cochran among 55 U.S. doctors recognized by the Commission on Cancer

A Spartanburg Regional surgeon has been named by the Commission on Cancer to an elite list reserved for the nation’s best cancer liaison physicians. Dr. Robert Cochran is among only 55 doctors in the country to receive the Cancer Liaison Physician Outstanding Performance Award, according to commission officials.

“This award recognizes physicians who go above and beyond expectations to improve direction to the cancer program,” read a letter from the office of Frederick L. Greene, the commission’s chair, to Cochran. “We at the Commission are certainly proud of your achievements and applaud you for your considerable efforts.”

The listing represents Cochran’s commitment to improving cancer care with an eye towards continually honing the already-world-class program at Gibbs Cancer Center, said Dr. James D. Bearden III, Gibbs’ medical director.

“Recognition of quality is the hallmark of the Commission on Cancer,” Bearden said. “Our success in the Commission on Cancer program hinges on the commitment and expertise of physicians like Dr. Robert Cochran. He is a champion for our cause and this reward for his service reminds us all of his dedication.”

Cochran was instrumental in recent recognition of Gibbs’ cancer program — also by the Commission on Cancer — in 2007, said David Church, vice president of oncology services at Spartanburg Regional.

“Gibbs Cancer Center is the only facility in the state to receive the Commission on Cancer’s Outstanding Achievement Award,” Church said. “It’s fitting that Dr. Cochran be recognized for his role in that success by being placed among these very fine doctors from across the country as one of the best cancer liaison physicians.”

The 55 physicians given the Cancer Liaison Physician Outstanding Performance Award were selected among 1,600 doctors represented in the Commission on Cancer’s national network.

“I am honored to have received this award,” Cochran said. “The Commission on Cancer is dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients through standard setting, prevention, research, education and the monitoring of comprehensive quality care. I am very proud to be associated with such a dedicated, enthusiastic, highly trained medical and administrative staff as we have at Spartanburg Regional and Gibbs Cancer Center. Through the years, and with much hard work, they have created an outstanding, nationally recognized cancer center.”

The core functions of the Commission on Cancer include setting standards for quality, multidisciplinary cancer patient care; surveying facilities to evaluate compliance with the 36 Commission on Cancer standards; collecting standardized and quality data from approved facilities; and using the data to develop effective educational interventions to improve cancer care outcomes at the national, state and local level. For more information about the Commission on Cancer, visit www.facs.org/ cancer/index.htm.

The Marsha and Jimmy Gibbs Cancer Center is a nationally recognized cancer treatment and research facility associated with the National Cancer Institute (one of the 50 original sites for a Community Clinical Oncology Program, or CCOP). Gibbs is a proven leader in providing effective cancer treatment through advanced technology, professional expertise and an exceptional level of personalized care. The oncology program has also been recognized by the Joint Commission as offering high quality cancer care. Visit www.gibbscancercenter.com for more information.

Spartanburg Regional commended for quality in national hospital demonstration

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: July 28, 2008 12:00 AM
Description:

Awarded more than $90,000 in Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services incentive payment Spartanburg Regional was recently recognized as a top performing hospital in the Premier HospitalQuality Incentive Demonstration Project.

Based upon its quality performance in the third year of the
demonstration, Spartanburg Regional was awarded a quality incentive payment of $92,128.

Pioneered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the demonstration project aims to improve the quality of inpatient care in several clinical areas, including heart attack, heart failure, hip and knee replacements, pneumonia and coronary artery bypass graft. CMS awards participating top
performing hospitals by increasing their payment for Medicare patients in high performing diagnostic categories.

Among the participating hospitals, Spartanburg Regional ranked in the top 20 percent for superior quality care of heart failure and hip and knee replacements.

“This represents a combined effort on the part of numerous physicians, departments and individual employees to improve the outcomes of our patients,” said Mary Jane Jennings, Vice President for Perioperative and Quality Services. “Changes in care to these groups of patients are spread throughout the facility to benefit many others. The Medical Staff and employees of Spartanburg Regional are committed to providing high quality care to the populations we serve.”

Item Last Modified On: October 12, 2008 8:13 PM

Graves receives award for career, technical educators

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Student Program Coordinator at Spartanburg Regional recognized for commitment to healthcare
education, Gloria Graves, Student Program Coordinator at Spartanburg Regional, recently received the Award of Merit from the South Carolina Association for Career and Technical Education.

The award honors organizations or individuals who demonstrate a commitment to career and
technical education through sponsored programs, publications, financial support and other activities.
Each year, Graves facilitates more than 1,000 shadowing, career exploration and observation
experiences within the healthcare system for grammar school, junior high, high school and college students.

“This award recognizes Spartanburg Regional’s commitment to providing career exploration
opportunities for students interested in pursuing healthcare careers,” Graves said. “Spartanburg
Regional remains committed to making sure students, teachers and parents are educated on the
numerous careers available in healthcare.”

Spartanburg Regional gets high marks in finance world

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Standard & Poor’s, Fitch Ratings and Moody’s assign top ratings to healthcare system. Three of the nation’s top financial ratings agencies have given Spartanburg Regional high marks.

Standard & Poor’s, Fitch Ratings and Moody’s have each assigned the healthcare system top ratings for superior financial performance. The ratings express the financial sector’s confidence in Spartanburg Regional’s business position and debt service recovery program, officials said. Each agency cited the system’s ability to remain solvent
in uncertain economic times. That solvency, said Ingo Angermeier, President and CEO of Spartanburg Regional, represents the healthcare system’s commitment to patient care with the good
stewardship of its revenue.

The financial performance of a not-for-profit hospital translates into more options for the provision of care, he said. “It is our responsibility to reinvest in our community,” Angermeier said. “Spartanburg Regional believes that our patients, and the folks who live in our service area, are our shareholders. In a not for-profit world, this basic tenet guides everything we do.”

In addition to strict, strategic financial maintenance, the ratings agencies also recognized Spartanburg
Regional’s many relationships with global clinical leaders, including M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, the National Cancer Institute and even the U.S. Department of Defense with its “Hospital of the Future” program.

“When the M. D. Andersons’ and other well-respected organizations show an interest in what we do, and how we do it, it is a testament to our efforts,” said Terry Cash, Chairman of Spartanburg
Regional’s Board of Trustees. And that collaboration with world-renowned partners showcases commitment on the local level, too.

“Without the support and keen insight of our local leaders, this very positive financial diagnosis
wouldn’t be possible,” Angermeier said. “This success is a result of the collaboration of Spartanburg County Council and the Spartanburg Regional Board of Trustees.”

The agencies asked specific questions regarding governance structure, industry best practices and
public hospital benchmarks for board selection.
“Thanks to the leadership of County Council and the Board, the system received high marks in all of
these areas, resulting in these great ratings,” Angermeier said.

Spartanburg Regional offers "Scams Targeting Seniors"

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Spartanburg Regional, in partnership with AARP and the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs, is offering a workshop called “Scams Targeting Seniors” on July 29 at 2 p.m. at the Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home.

Pattie Guthrie from the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs and Catherine Angus from the South Carolina Lieutenant Governor’s Office will be speaking at the workshop about what you can do to protect yourself and your family from the growing number of scams and fraud targeted towards the senior population in the South Carolina area.

Among the topics being discussed are Medicare discount card scams, charity scams, prizes and sweepstakes scams, counterfeit drug scams, funeral and cemetery fraud, telemarketing fraud, magazine subscription scams and Nigerian letter or “419” fraud.

Registration will begin at 1:30 to 2 p.m. and the program will be from 2 to 3 p.m. Then there will be a question and answer section held from 3 to 3:30 p.m.

The Hospice Home is located at 686 Jeff Davis Drive.

Call 577-4068 to reserve a seat. Registration is limited.

Flandry selected as Chief Medical Officer

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Local neurosurgeon brings clinical expertise and leadership to the role, CEO says.

Dr. Robert Edward Flandry Jr. has been named Chief Medical Officer of Spartanburg Regional.

Flandry, a neurosurgeon, received his M.D. degree from the Tulane University School of Medicine.

He most recently served as the chief of Spartanburg Regional’s neurosurgery division.

Flandry’s leadership and experience were attractive to the search committee, which included physicians, medical staff leaders and administrators, according to Ingo Angermeier, President and CEO of Spartanburg Regional.

“Dr. Flandry brings a wealth of clinical experience, a deep commitment to the community and its patients, and a compelling intellect to this critical role,” Angermeier said. “He will most certainly add great energy as we pursue the strategic direction of Spartanburg Regional.”

He served as Chief of Staff at Spartanburg Regional from 1999 to 2000.

"I am both honored and humbled to have been nominated and chosen by my peers to assume the position of Chief Medical Officer at Spartanburg Regional,” Flandry said. “While I will miss the clinical practice of neurosurgery, I look forward to working with the hospital administration and the Medical Staff to ensure that Spartanburg Regional Medical Center continues to offer the highest level of medical care to all of its patients with outcomes that are second to none across the Carolinas."

Flandry completed his medical internship at Ochsner Foundation Hospital in New Orleans and finished his neurosurgery residency at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Neurological Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Study confirms PET scan has major impact on management of cancer patient care

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Spartanburg Regional participates in nationwide study

Spartanburg, S.C. – According to a study of data from the National Oncologic PET Registry (NOPR) published online March 24 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO), clinicians changed the intended care of more than one in three cancer patients as the result of PET scan findings.

Spartanburg Regional is one of more than 1,200 facilities participating in the registry that contributed PET scan data analyzed for the study on nearly 23,000 patients.

The National Oncologic PET Registry was launched in May 2006 in response to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ new “Coverage with Evidence Development” policy to collect data through a clinical registry to inform the center’s FDG-PET coverage determination decisions for currently non-covered cancer indications. Sponsored by the Academy of Molecular Imaging and managed by the American College of Radiology and the ACR Imaging Network, the registry collects questionnaire data from referring physicians on intended patient management before and after a PET scan.

As an National Oncologic PET Registry participating facility, Spartanburg Regional collects both a pre-PET questionnaire (documenting study indication, cancer type and anticipated stage, and planned management if PET were not available) and one of several post-PET questionnaires that assess the referring physician’s planned management in light of the PET findings. Spartanburg Regional joined the registry in June 2006.

Analysis of registry data reported in the JCO article found that FDG-PET is associated with a 36.5 percent change in the decision of whether or how to treat a patient’s cancer.

“We are pleased to participate in this innovative project and to learn of these positive initial results regarding the important role PET plays in the management of patient care,” said Bill Joyce, M.D., medical director of nuclear medicine and PET/CT

Medicare currently covers PET scans of cancer of the ovary, uterus, prostate, pancreas, stomach, kidney and bladder only if a patient is enrolled in the registry. (For a complete list of NOPR covered cancer types and indications, go to www.cancerpetregistry.org.)

“These results are very encouraging. The more we know about a patient’s cancer, the better we can determine the best possible care options,” said Julian C. Josey, M.D., medical director of radiation oncology and referring physician.

NOPR has formally asked Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reconsider the current National Coverage decision on PET and to end the data collection requirements for diagnosis, staging and restaging. Medicare will review the published data and determine the next steps related to reimbursement for PET scans now only covered through the registry.

Spartanburg Regional was the first hospital to offer full-time PET-CT services in the Upstate.

PET imaging is a test that images the function of cells to show differences between healthy tissue and diseased tissue. It uses a small amount of a radioactive chemical that is combined with sugar. A PET-CT adds the imaging capabilities of a CT-scan. PET is used to evaluate various neurological and cardiac disorders, as well as for diagnosing, staging, and monitoring the treatment of many different cancers.

PET/CT is a vital part of treatment planning for radiation therapy as cancer specialists target tumors far more accurately and are able to electronically fuse these images to better outline a tumor.

Time is Brain

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Individuals should seek immediate care for stroke symptoms, local experts say
Spartanburg Regional’s Stroke program is encouraging the community to learn the risk factors, signs and symptoms of stroke, and recognize that stroke is a medical emergency.

As the third leading cause of death in the United States, more than 700,000 strokes occur in the country each year. In recognition of Stroke Awareness Month, Spartanburg Regional wants individuals to know the facts that can save their lives in a stroke emergency.

"Individuals should remember to act F.A.S.T. (Does one side of the person’s face droop, does one arm drift downward, are words slurred? If the person shows any of these symptoms, time is important)," said Dr. Carol A. Kooistra. “Recognize the stroke symptoms and get to the Emergency Center fast by calling 911; time is brain.”

Healthcare providers stress that a stroke is a medical emergency, and anyone exhibiting symptoms should seek immediate medical attention. Symptoms of stroke include sudden:

• Numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body;
• Confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech;
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes;
• Trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; or
• Severe headache with no known cause.

"Recognizing the signs and symptoms of stroke, calling 911 and getting to the nearest hospital immediately is crucial in preventing long term disability or death," said Debby Bridgeman, R.N., B.S.N., Spartanburg Regional’s Stroke Clinical Case Manager. "The good news is that stroke is both preventable and treatable," Bridgeman said. "With the exception of family history, you can control many risk factors related to stroke."

Although stroke is a disease of the brain, it can lead to partial or complete paralysis, emotional disorders and problems with thinking, awareness, attention, learning, judgment and memory.

The American Stroke Association suggests that managing high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, quitting smoking and maintaining a healthy diet and exercise regimen can all contribute to reducing the risk of stroke. Spartanburg Regional is the first healthcare provider in South Carolina to be named a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission, which serves as the gold standard for measuring excellence in national care. The Certificate of Distinction for Primary Stroke Centers recognizes centers that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care. For more information, visit spartanburgregional.com.

For more information, contact Chad Lawson.

Family Medicine Residency Program honors best and brightest at graduation

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

11 graduates receive diplomas, awards

The Spartanburg Family Medicine Residency Program presented awards to its top residents and teachers at a recent graduation ceremony.

A three-year training program, the curriculum prepares young physicians to become knowledgeable, compassionate family doctors, said Otis L. Baughman III, M.D., director of the program.

Excelling in a rigorous program requiring more than 65 hours of training per week, the 11 graduates epitomized what Baughman called “exceptional ability, character and desire.” The awards honored outstanding residents, research projects and teachers.

A Resident Teacher of the Year Award was also presented to one resident from each of the three years of training.

“The winners of these awards represent the best of the best in a residency program filled with exceptional young physicians,” Baughman said. “All of us who teach feel great pride in these young physicians' abilities and accomplishments. When you see the quality of care and the abundance of heart that these young professionals possess, you can only feel confident that the future of family medicine and our nation's healthcare are in great hands."

The Family Medicine Residency program at Spartanburg Regional accepts 12 residents per year. The current residents come from the best medical schools in the region, as well as from top schools from across the United States. The Family Medicine program is Spartanburg Regional’s largest residency program, but the medical center offers General Surgery and Transitional Year residency programs, as well.

Family Medicine Residency award winners

1. Outstanding Service as Family Medicine Chief Residents
Reetu Grewal, MD, and Brett Winkeler, MD

2. Outstanding First Year Resident on the OB/GYN Service
Kristen Iagulli, MD

3. Outstanding Second Year Resident on the OB/GYN Service
Evelyn Rawcliffe, DO

4. Rubel Award for Outstanding Performance on the OB/GYN Service
Thomas Gary, MD

5. Outstanding Resident in Emergency Medicine
Kristen Iagulli, MD

6. Outstanding Resident on the Pediatric Service
Crystal Bailey, MD

7. First-Year Resident Pharmacotherapy Award
Josh DeFriece, MD

8. Outstanding Research Project Award
Crystal Bailey, MD, and Thomas Gary, MD

9. Family Medicine Resident of the Year
Jermaine Joefield, MD

10. Medical Education Teacher of the Year Award
Ifekan-Shango Simon, MD

11. Community Teacher of the Year Award
Robert Cochran, MD

12. PGY-1 Resident Teacher of the Year
Amy Bailey, MD

13. PGY-2 Resident Teacher of the Year
Matthew Cannon, DO; two-time Resident Teacher of the Year recipient

14. PGY-3 Resident Teacher of the Year
Reetu Grewal, MD; three-time Resident Teacher of the Year recipient

Village Hospital on schedule to open this fall

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

48-bed facility showcases new patient room features

GREER — The Village Hospital is on scheduled to open in October.

The 48-bed facility is located at Westmoreland Road and South Highway 14, near an already-opened medical office building, urgent care facility and ambulatory surgery center at the Village at Pelham.

Special features include maternity rooms with a C-section suite and nursery, operating rooms, an intensive care unit and an emergency room. Patient rooms will feature flat-screen televisions providing patients with interactive options to enhance their stay, as well as collapsible sleeping space for visitors.

In concert with the unique combination of clinical advancements and added comfort features made available to patients and visitors, increased efficiency in the provision of hospital services is also on tap at Village Hospital, said Administrator David Parks.

“Many people at Spartanburg Regional helped design the facility and created processes that will allow us to offer the best services to people in the Pelham area,” Parks said. “Many roles and services will be combined to streamline efficiency, offering opportunities to be creative and progressive.”

The hospital recently held a job fair, recruiting for more than 200 jobs at the new facility.

The Village Hospital serves as the focal point of the Village at Pelham, a new healthcare campus that combines the finest in outpatient health care with acute care resources. For more information, visit www.villageatpelham.com.

Spartanburg Regional to educate women on osteoporosis and healthy living

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Spartanburg Regional will host “Beauty, Balance and Breath” at 6 p.m. on June 10 at the Spartanburg County Library

This fun event will combine a lively discussion about a health topic many women worry about with practical suggestions for bringing more physical activity into your life. Maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle is key to preventing many diseases.

Physical therapist Debbie Cone will speak about osteoporosis treatment and prevention. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, women are four times more likely than men to have this condition. Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. If not prevented or if left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks.

Also, Laura Ringo from Partners for Active Living will discuss fun activities in Spartanburg that promote a healthy and active lifestyle. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of US adults do not engage in physical activity at levels consistent with public health recommendations.

This event is a part of the “Get What You Need out of Life” series focusing on women’s health. Registration is available at www.regionalwomenshealth.com.

BMW Pro-Am tickets available from SRHS Foundation

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The SRHS Foundation is selling BMW Charity Pro-Am golf tournament tickets for $25 with all proceeds benefiting health care in our community.

The BMW Charity Pro-Am golf tournament will be May 15-18 and is the only tournament on the Nationwide Tour where amateurs and celebrities are grouped with Nationwide Tour professionals in the three-day best-ball competition.

Patron Credential includes:
•    Admission to all four days of the tournament
•    Admission to all three tournament locations:
    o    Thornblade Club (Thursday thru Sunday – finals on    Sunday only at Thornblade)
    o    The Carolina Country Club (Thursday thru Saturday)
    o    Bright’s Creek Golf Club (Thursday thru Saturday)
•    Complementary parking
•    Shuttle service to and from the parking lots

Visit http://www.bmwusfactory.com/community/golf/celebrities.asp for a list of celebrities at this year’s tournament.

To purchase credentials, visit regionalfoundation.com or call 560-7904.

Spartanburg Regional offers free mammograms to uninsured women

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: April 28, 2008 12:00 AM
Description:

Spartanburg Regional has partnered with Susan G. Komen for a Cure to offer free screening mammograms to uninsured women ages 35-46.

The free screenings will be offered by appointment on May 17.

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women. Mammograms may detect breast cancer up to two years before it can be felt through a breast self-exam.

The best method of fighting breast cancer is to find it as early as possible when it is easier to treat. All women should begin receiving annual screening mammograms at age 40. Women with a strong family history of breast cancer should speak with a physician about screening at an earlier age.

If you do not meet the age requirement of this grant, you may qualify for other programs. To make an appointment, please call 864-560-7999.

Item Last Modified On: October 12, 2008 8:13 PM

Spartanburg Regional offers groundbreaking clinical trial for skin cancer

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Skin cancer patients are being recruited by specialists at Spartanburg Regional to study the effectiveness of Allovectin-7, a new treatment for advanced melanoma.

If found to be safe and effective, the product will offer a new option for fighting stage 3 or stage 4 advanced melanoma. Eligible patients must be at least 18 years old and have recurrent metastatic melanoma with at least one tumor large enough (pea-sized) to inject.

This will be a large, Phase 3 study to see if patients respond favorably to Allovectin-7 rather that current standard chemotherapy alone. Earlier data from a Phase 2 clinical trial were presented at the 2006 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting.

“Cancer cells often evade the body’s natural disease-fighting mechanisms. The challenge in treating advanced melanoma is to find a way to train the immune system to locate and eliminate cancerous cells,” said study investigator James D. Bearden, M.D. “We believe that Allovectin-7 triggers several of the body’s natural immune response mechanisms to recognize and attack the tumors.”

Melanoma is among the fastest-growing cancer indications, rising 3 to 5 percent annually over the past 30 years. The American Cancer Society estimates about 60,000 new cases in 2008 and more than 8,000 deaths from the disease. Risk factors include exposure to sunlight’s ultraviolet radiation and persons having fair skin, a large number of moles, a history of sun tanning or sunburns, or close relatives with melanoma.

Early detection with surgery often cures the disease; however, advanced stage 3 or 4 melanoma usually requires additional intervention such as chemotherapy.

About 375 patients will be enrolled to receive either Allovectin-7 alone or the current standard chemotherapy. Of the enrollees, 67 percent will receive Allovectin-7 and 33 percent will receive chemotherapy. Allovectin-7 will be injected into the tumor weekly for six consecutive weeks. It has been previously administered to more than 700 patients in several multicenter clinical trials.

Participants will be closely monitored to assess disease status, safety and tolerability. Those whose melanoma does not clinically progress will be encouraged to continue the trial and be assessed for up to two years.

To find out whether you or someone you know qualifies for the study, please visit www.melanomatrial.com.

Gibbs Cancer Center offers clinical trials through exclusive partnership with National Cancer Institute

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Colorectal, breast, and lung cancer trials conducted in Spartanburg as part of NCI Community Cancer Centers Program Pilot

Spartanburg Regional is one of 16 community hospitals in 14 states joining in an intensive, coordinated effort to increase enrollment in clinical trials so patients can benefit from the most advanced treatments without having to commute to major cancer centers. These cancer centers offer many clinical trials in a variety of cancers to their patients and have chosen to work together in this effort to expand accrual to three specific NCI-sponsored Cooperative Group treatment trials in colorectal, lung, and breast cancers.

All 16 hospitals are part of the National Cancer Institute’s NCI Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP), a three-year pilot program designed to bring the latest advances in cancer care and research to small-town, rural, and inner-city communities where patients live. A major goal of the pilot is to enroll more cancer patients in clinical trials.

“Clinical trials are carefully designed and developed to test new research questions,” said James D. Bearden, III, M.D. “Clinical trial participants receive high quality care and if a new treatment is proven to work, our patients may be among the first to benefit.”

All new cancer drugs must undergo clinical trials to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be marketed in the United States. If more patients participated, it might speed up this process.

As an initial focus, the NCCCP pilot sites have selected clinical trials appropriate for many members of the community in the three major solid tumor sites. It is anticipated that these efforts will expand to other trials in the future. The three featured trials are:

• Colorectal cancer. For metastatic colon or rectal cancer, this trial is testing the use of two previously approved drugs (Avastin® and Erbitux®) to see if combining them with more than one type of chemotherapy will produce a more effective treatment. For more information: http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/CALGB-C80405

• Lung Cancer. This trial investigates the use of Avastin® combined with standard chemotherapy as a follow-up to surgery to see if the new combination will be more effective than standard chemotherapy alone. For more information:
http://www.cancer.gov/search/ViewClinicalTrials.aspx?cdrid=475774&version=HealthProfessional&protocolsearchid=4111726

• Breast Cancer. This trial seeks to determine if using letrozole for extended adjuvant therapy will keep women disease free for longer periods. The treatment is for postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive or progesterone receptor-positive breast cancer who have completed five years of specific hormonal therapies. For more information: http://www.cancer.gov/search/ViewClinicalTrials.aspx?cdrid=502263&version=HealthProfessional&protocolsearchid=2879191

The NCCCP pilot was initiated last summer to explore ways of bringing the latest multidisciplinary, research-driven cancer care to more Americans. Most cancer patients—85 percent—receive their care in community hospitals, while only 15 percent choose to go to major cancer research centers. The NCCCP seeks to bring the advantages of the major centers to community hospitals through networking, research linkages, and advanced technology.

The pilot is designed to encourage the collaboration of medical, surgical and radiation oncologists, with close links to NCI research and to the network of 63 NCI-designated Cancer Centers that are principally based at large research universities.

In addition to bringing more patients into clinical trials, the pilot also seeks to:

• Reduce cancer healthcare disparities by reaching underrepresented and underserved patient populations, many of which have unusually high cancer rates.
• Prepare hospitals for standardizing the collection and storage of voluntarily donated tissue samples and other biological specimens for cancer research.
• Link sites to national computer networks that support basic, clinical, and population-based cancer research.

The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI Web site at http://www.cancer.gov, or call NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).

Dingman earns Licensed Independent Social Worker status

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: April 14, 2008 12:00 AM
Description:

Gibbs Cancer Center Social Worker Chad Dingman has been certified as a Licensed Independent Social Worker – Clinical Practice.

Requirements for this certification include 100 hours of direct clinical supervision over a two-year period, coursework in psychopathology, psycho-diagnostics and ethics, and a clinical exam. Clinical social workers are highly trained therapists who assess, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional conditions.

Dingman works with patients and families to improve their ability to cope with the psychosocial stressors of cancer. Dingman also helps patients and survivors obtain the proper resources to handle the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Item Last Modified On: November 21, 2008 1:15 PM

Spartanburg Regional offers free mammograms to uninsured women

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: March 31, 2008 12:00 AM
Description:

Spartanburg Regional has partnered with Susan G. Komen for a Cure to offer free screening mammograms to uninsured women ages 35-46.

The free screenings will be offered by appointment on April 12.

The best method of fighting breast cancer is to find it as early as possible when it is easier to treat. All women should begin receiving annual screening mammograms at age 40. Women with a strong family history of breast cancer should speak with a physician about screening at an earlier age.

If you do not meet the age requirement of this grant, you may qualify for other programs. To make an appointment, please call 864-560-7999.

Item Last Modified On: November 21, 2008 1:19 PM

SRHS Foundation announces 2008 Society of 1921 Gala guest

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Date: March 31, 2008 12:00 AM
Description:

The Society 1921 announces Cal Ripken, Jr. as its special guest at its annual Donor Appreciation Gala on April 5.

Ripken will tour the Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home during the day and then later speak at the evening gala.

Ripken appears in the record books repeatedly and was inducted in to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. He is only one of eight players in history who to achieve 400 home runs and over 3,000 hits. He retired in 2001 after 21 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles.

Seven years after retiring, Ripken is still very active in the baseball community. With his combination of hard work and passion he has produced a best selling book on baseball, Play the Ripken Way, constructed a minor league baseball park and even set up his own Ripken Youth Baseball Academy.

Ripken has always placed a strong focus on giving back to the community. In 2001, he and his family established the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, in memory of the family's patriarch. The foundation helps teach life lessons through baseball, to disadvantaged youth.

The Society of 1921 annual donors represent consistency and commitment to the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation and its projects. In 2007, guest speakers James Carville and Mary Matalin entertained the crowd with their polar opposite political leanings. Past speakers include New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, President and Mrs. George Bush and former anchorman Tom Brokaw.

Item Last Modified On: November 21, 2008 1:20 PM