musc catalyst

June 15, 2012 MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA Vol. 30, No. 42

By Dawn Brazell

Public Relations

Man survives ‘flesh-eating disease’

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

3 The pediatric surgery team on 7Eastachieves high marks on the survey.

2

6

5The Referral Call Center gathers to honora health resource nurse June 6.

Meet Scot

PCTs, TAs celebrated

Back out on the links, HiltonHead resident Barry W. Ginn

ignores the pain in his left armbearing his badge of honor, whathe now calls his ‘work of art.’

Some may think it a strangename for the scars left behindfrom him having lost an estimatednine pounds of flesh and musclefrom his arm in his brush withdeath. Ginn’s nightmare startedin February when he contractedthe ‘flesh-eating’ bacteria knownin medical circles as necrotizingfasciitis.

Gingerly holding up his armthat still gives him pain, Ginndoesn’t think calling his scarredarm a work of art is strange at all.He’s just grateful to be here – tostill have an arm.

Instead he focuses on the saltytang of the air, the sun warmingthe grass, the fact that he is ableto swing a club when his storycould have gone so differently.

Ginn is one of several patientsin South Carolina and Georgiawho recently made headlinesfor having survived necrotizingfasciitis. Ginn’s case began with asore shoulder where he thoughthe had reinjured a torn rotatorcuff. He visited his doctor, butthe site continued to get worse.Trying to ignore the pain and

tenderness, Ginn thought he justneeded to tough it out.

One reason he’s eager to tell hisstory is he wants others to avoidhis mistakes. “I didn’t continueto ask questions, and I wasn’thonest with myself or my doctors.You’re so sick you can’t have atrain of thought. Instead of tellinghim what I thought was wrong,I should have just told him I wassick.”

The area became hot and verypainful. Ginn, who lives alone,became disoriented and beganfalling down. He had bruisesdown his back. By the time heknew he was in serious trouble, hewas too confused to call for help.

“My mind was mush. I don’tthink anyone has any conceptof what this disease does toyou. All this time I was gettingprogressively sicker, and I wassweating profusely.”

Fortunately a friend stoppedby to see him, took one look athim and picked up the phone tocall 911. “He didn’t even ask me.That’s a good friend.”

Ginn said he will forever begrateful for that visit.

“I was skating death and shouldhave been dead by the time I gotthere.”

Ginn went to a local hospitaland on Feb. 24 was transferredto MUSC, where trauma surgeon

I was skating deathand should havebeen dead by thetime I got there.

“”Barry W. Ginn

Barry W. Ginn enjoys being back out on the golf course after a harrowing bout withnecrotizing fasciitis that required six operations. To watch a video, visit http://tinyurl.com/brzuo6q.

4MUSC Hero Patient SatiSfaCtion

See SurviveS on page 8

Applause

2 The CaTalyST, June 15, 2012

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

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

Editor: Kim [email protected]

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

Applause ProgramFisher, Central Supply; Deshanna Fields,Revenue Cycle Operations; Rebecca Oli-ver, Meduflex Team; Courtney Boyd, 5E;Amanda Hunsucker, Meduflex Team;Deanna Long, 5E; Cornelia Spitz, Surgi-cal Services; Leroy Davis, Venipuncture;Lilyann Johnson, Revenue Cycle Opera-tions; Erma Brown, Safety & Security;Linus Brown, Radiology; Bette Tezza,Women’s Services; Lauren Brown, Rev-enue Cycle Operations; Raymond Turn-er, Neurosciences; Megan Fulton, Neu-rosurgery; Polly Guffin, TCU; DannyWilliams, Safety & Security; RichardMarchell, Dermatology; Sandra Fox, 2JRU; Christine Walker, 2 JRU; ShannonBaskin, NSICU; Charity Hickman, Am-bulatory Pharmacy; Roberta Campbell,Meduflex Team; Debra Capps, Radiol-ogy; Olivia Burgess, Surgery, Women &Infant Services; Herbert Jenkins, Volun-teer & Guest Services; Terrence Walker,6W; Robert Black, Ophthalmology;Linda Bryan, 6W; Ava Jones, 8E; TaraKist, 6W; Julie Ross, 6W; Connie Ven-drick, 6W; Denise Carneiro-Pla, Sugery;Joan Madriaga, 8E; Gwen Frazier, Peri-Anesthesia Unit; Gwen Brown, PerinatalServices; Lisa Pinckney, Family Medi-cine; Adrienne Gregory, Revenue CycleOperations; Gregory Dame, PatientTransport; Arni Nutting, Pediatric Car-diology; Dondra Rodd, Neurology; Aljo-eson Walker, Neurology; Reggie Harney,Patient Transport; Diana Antonovich,Dermatology; George Inabinet, Anesthe-sia & Perioperative Medicine; BrittanyBennett, Patient Transport; Rose Whit-ney, Pediatrics Ambulatory Care; PamelaMayes, Children’s Services Registration;Kendra Ostrander, Medical Records, andHeather Gordon, 4E.

The following employees received recog-nition through the Applause Program forgoing the extra mile:

Medical CenterBillie Brasfield, CNC; Melvena Nel-son, Environmental Services; FlorenceSimmons, Clinical Effectiveness; JohnGriggs, Hospital Maintenance; SallyShields, Women’s Services; CassandraMatthews, Environmental Services; Kar-en Legare, ART Pre-Op Surgery; GeriDrawdy, ART Endoscopy; Cheryl Irwin,MedSurg ICU; Valerie Collins, Medi-cal Records; Kendra Ostrander, MedicalRecords; Carlos Santiago, Hospital Main-tenance; Britini Camarato, MeduflexTeam; Betsy Shuford, DDC; MargaritaKonikova, ART 6E; Terrie Hopkins,ART 6E; Christina Chapman, MeduflexTeam; Carissa Sullivan, ART 6W; KarenShire, ART 6W; Dawn Salem, ART 6W;Mona Murdaugh, ART 6W; AmandaJordan-Chipley, ART 6W; Florence Da-vis, ART 6W; Lindsay Dangerfield, ART6E; Sarah Fath, ART 6E; Jennie Curry,ART 6W; Vicki Shelton, ART 6W; Mela-nie Hines, ART 6E; Dolores Lands, ART6W; Theresa Stephens, ART 6W; Mer-edith Frazier, ART 6W; Krystal Myers,ART 6W; Cyrus Edelson, ART 6W; Sha-nette Lewis, ART 6W; Dena Middleton,ART 6W; Rick Majure, ART 6W; Jen-nifer Weeks, ART 6W; Kim Poulakis,ART 6E; Anne Bromley, Revenue CycleOperations; Kate Miccichi, Revenue Cy-cle Operations; Laura Krafsig, RevenueCycle Operations; Pamela Polite, Rev-enue Cycle Operations; Elice Graham,Medical Records; Katie Privett, 8E; De-veat Anderson, Environmental Services;Kellyn Schroeder, 8E; Brittany Perry,8E; Lois Jenkins, Family Medicine; Jenni-fer Griffin, Women’s Services; DeborahJones, PAS; David Baker, Anesthesia &Perioperative Medicine; Carolyn Harri-son, PAS; Charles Wallace, Anesthesia& Perioperative Medicine; Sheryl Cham-pagne, Anesthesia & Perioperative Medi-cine; Donna Gibson, Radiology; Lori Mc-Call, Medical Records; Virginia Wright,Radiology; Vanessa Mitchell, Medical Re-cords; Bobbie Pearson, Radiology; MikiaGreen, Radiology; Shane Cox, Radiol-ogy; Michael Gage, Radiology; DeborahOliver, Pediatrics Ambulatory Care; Deb-orah Cepeda, Revenue Cycle Operations;Angela Dempsey, OB/GYN; Talesha

Melissa Behling, Dental Faculty Practice;Philip Blacklocke, Dental Faculty Prac-tice; Michele Bureau, OB/GYN; SarahDenham, Neurosurgery; Margie Myers,Gastro/Hepatology; Debra Nelson*, Ra-diology; Cameron Oswald, InfectiousDiseases Division; Nancy Owens, DentalFaculty Practice; Jennifer Pearce Aldrich,Engineering & Facilities; Jim Pope, ACShop; Gabriel Ross, College of DentalMedicine; Roxanna Seltzer, Dental Fac-ulty Practice; and Alvinia Wilson, DentalFaculty Practice.*Received two nominations

University

Professor receives 2012Teacher of the Year award

College of Health Professions DeanDr. Lisa Saladin presents Dr. JackThomas with the 2012 Teacher ofthe Year award.

Jack Thomas has a claim to fame thatnot all teachers do.

He’s a whiz at remembering names.That’s one reason physical therapist JackThomas, Ed.D., received the MUSCCollege of Health Professions Teacher ofthe Year for the 2012 academic year, anaward he also landed in 2001.

Associate Dean for Student AffairsKaren Wager, DBA, said Thomas is oneof the most incredible teachers she hasever met. “He cares deeply for each andevery one of his students, and managesto learn every student’s name by thesecond week of class. That’s impressivewhen you have 180 students in class.He takes a personal interest in eachstudent’s career goals and aspirations.He has a reputation among students ofactively engaging students in the learningprocess.”

Samantha Kubinski, a College ofHealth Professions (CHP) physicaltherapy student, said Thomas is aone-of-a-kind professor who is easilyapproachable. “His passion for teachingis conveyed in every lecture. His desireto see his students succeed is reflected inevery conversation I’ve had with him.”

Thomas has received several awardsincluding the MUSC board of trusteesMaster Teacher Award in 2006 and theOutstanding Didactic Instructor Awardby the MUSC CHP Anesthesia forNurses Program in the years 2006, 2009,and 2010. He also received the DortheyE. Baethke-Eleanor J. Carlin Award

for Excellence in Academic Teachingfrom the American Physical TherapyAssociation in 2011.

Thomas said he is fortunate to havehis profession and to work with manywonderful people and students. “I wouldnot have any of these awards if it had notbeen for them. I give them all the credit.”

“His passion forteaching is conveyedin every lecture.”

Samantha Kubinski

The CaTalyST, June 15, 2012 3

By CinDy aBole

Public Relations

Editor’s note: At MUSC, heroes abound. They exist in theform of caregivers, faculty, students and staff. The Catalyst’sMUSC Heroes is a column that offers employees theopportunity to recognize MUSC's everyday heroes.

Health resource nurse praised for compassion, innovative spirit

A s the British were celebrating Queen Elizabeth IIand her diamond jubilee, miles away, staff from

Business Development & Marketing Services gatheredto honor one of their own.

Unlike the pomp and majesty that was part of thefive-day public celebration, this local event honoredReferral Call Center’s Sandra DeAntonio, R.N., whocelebrated 38 years in nursing service on June 6. To staywith the symbolic theme, coworkers adorned her with ahomemade sash and decorated crown.

A Charleston native, DeAntonio is coordinator forthe call center. Before that, she cared for families andworked with resident physicians in the Department ofFamily Medicine.

In 1981, DeAntonio accepted a job working withmarketing’s Health Connection nurse servicesproviding health care information with patients andsupporting physician referrals. She completed hernursing degree in 1974 from the College of Nursing.DeAntonio stayed at MUSC, working closely witha team of health resource nurses who support thehospital’s discharge program by communicating with

patients and responding to specific care questions.Department director Chris Murray praised

DeAntonio for her compassion and innovative spirit.“We knew we were hiring the right clinical leader to

manage our call center’s clinical functions based onSandra’s high standards for clinical practice at MUSCFamily Medicine and her management experiencewith Carolina Family Care. Through her own personal

Registered nurse Sandra DeAntonio is a‘valuable resource’ in the Referral Call Center.

engagement or those by her clinical team, Sandra hashelped thousands of people receive care or consultationregarding the next step for their health and well-being.That’s an incredible legacy for a nurse.”

DeAntoino was among 10 finalists for the 2010Nurse of the Year award and has been praisedwith applause awards and the department’svolunteer achiever award. She’s also the recipientof thank you letters and notes from gratefulphysicians and patients.

Health resource nurse Kathy Kuhn has worked withDeAntoinio since 2010 and can’t say enough abouther colleague and mentor. Kuhn and the other nursesin the call center helped organize and prepare thecelebration working with coworkers who helped providea lunch, cake, small gifts and a plaque presentation.

“It’s amazing how much knowledge and experienceSandra possesses. She is great at establishing a closeconnection with others and deals directly with theneeds of her patients. She’s a great mentor to me and avaluable resource for MUSC,” Kuhn said.

an MUSC Hero


Surpassing goals to improve patientcare while sharing best practice ideaswas the objective of the 7East PediatricSurgery team.

Children’s Hospital’s Carla Pascoe,R.N., 7East Pediatric Surgery nursemanager, worked hard to lead herpediatric medical and surgical floorteam in some transformative work thatimproved patient outcomes and overallratings.

In little more than a year, Pascoeand her team of nurses, patient caretechnicians, clinical unit leaders andspecialists have made significant stridesin achieving high patient satisfactionscores.

They are working smarter withmultidisciplinary teams, makingimprovements and instituting newinitiatives to achieve a 99 percent PressGaney hospital patient satisfaction scorein six out of seven quarters since 2010.This achievement rated the unit amongtop-ranked pediatric hospital units in thecountry and 65 similar hospitals within asimilar peer group.

To celebrate, Pascoe and otherChildren’s Hospital support leadersjoined 7East in a celebratory meal and

Peds unit improves patient satisfaction, best practices

Children’s Hospital nurse manager Carla Pascoe, center, and 7East staffcelebrate six out of seven quarter wins for achieving 99 percent patientsatisfaction and MUSC Excellence scores.

presentation to discuss their unit’ssuccesses and look ahead to establishgoals for the future.

“Achieving this level of anoutstanding care record is an importantaccomplishment for our unit. Lately,our score has been up and down as thisreflects a busy time for us and we’restill short-staffed. Our staff has better,

positive synergy and I am very proud ofeveryone’s hard work.”

Pascoe cites keys to their successes —amendments to the bedside shift reports,organization of unit-specific teams,improved communications and reportingto staff, collaboration with specialtyservices, rounding and engagement usinghandwritten thank you notes, sharing

best practices and lessons learned, as wellas family feedback.

More specifically, Pascoe’smanagement philosophy includes anamended version of Maslow’s hierarchyof needs where meeting one need mayguide others to fulfill greater needs.Pascoe believes this can be applied topatient care.

She identified 7East’s needs to besurvival, infrastructure, relationships,achievement and peak performance.Survival includes meeting staff andphysical needs as well as overall support.For relationships, the team focusedon moral, team work, recognition androunding. Pascoe also recognized high,middle and low performers.

Kathy Kurowski, 7East nurse, isone of two clinical unit leaders whohave worked hard to improve staffinvolvement. Earlier this year, she wasnominated as a Medical UniversityHospital Authority employee of themonth recognizing her for developinga theme-of-the-month party to buildmorale and encourage involvement.

“Everything Kathy does for thepatients, team and unit is remarkable.Kathy’s dedication and efforts not onlyaffect the staff, but her enthusiasmpermeates over to patients as well,”Pascoe said.

By CinDy aBole

Public Relations

When it comes topreventable causes

of death in the UnitedStates, obesity and smokingtop the list. According tothe Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention,about 66 percent of adultsin the United States areoverweight, with more than35 percent categorized asobese.

At this time, no statehas met the nation’s Healthy People 2010 goal to lowerobesity prevalence to 15 percent. Instead, the exactopposite has happened. As of 2010, the number ofstates with an obesity prevalence of 30 percent or moregrew to 12 states, one of which was South Carolina at31.5 percent.

City of Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr.,presented the Lowcountry with a challenge to addressthis issue March 26. It’s not an easy challenge, but it’s achallenge well worth accepting.

Riley challenged Charleston to “lighten up” by losing100,000 pounds during the next 365 days. Through thischallenge, Charleston joins a growing number of citiestaking steps to improve the health of its population bymeans of public health and promoting better lifestyles,most notably Oklahoma City whose residents lost morethan 1 million pounds.

The mission of this initiative is simple: To reduceobesity by focusing on five specific ways of gettinghealthier.q Fruits and vegetables–Eat five or more servings dailyq Get moving–Increase your level of physical activityq Portion control–Manage portion sizesq Beverage Consumption–Replace high-caloriebeverages with healthy drinks

q Keep track–Monitor your weight, activity, and intakeLighten Up Charleston has an interactive website,

www.lightenupcharleston.org to help individuals findprograms in our community to help them get healthy,track their progress, and learn about ways to loseweight. Once you create an account, you can track andreport your weight loss, create a group and tell yourstory or seek help from the many community partnersin this effort to get Charleston healthy.

One community partner is here at MUSC. PatrickM. O’Neil, Ph.D., director of the MUSC WeightManagement Center, is co-chair of the program andrecommends teaming up with others for the best chanceof success. To work out with MUSC team members,contact Susan Johnson, Ph.D., or Janis Newton at theMUSC Wellness Center for information. With morethan 4,700 pounds already lost, there is no bettertime than now to join the challenge to Lighten UpCharleston.

Nutritionmatters

Christie GomezMUSC Dietetic Intern

Many programs available to help employees get healthy


Meet Scot

Scot P. WetzigDepartmentPublic SafetyHow long at MUSC21 yearsHow are you changing what’s possibleat MUSCBy assisting those in needMilitary serviceI spent five years in the US Army.Dream jobComputer crimes investigatorFavorite summer memoryMy wife and I taking our daughter,Addison, swimming for the first time.How would you spend $1 millionDonate a portion to cancer research. Myfather died from cancer.Cities or countries you have visitedWhile in the military, I visited 34 countriesand almost every city on the East Coast.Words of adviceWhile you are at work, help at least oneperson before you go home.First thing you notice about a personTheir body posture


The 35th annual National NursingAssistants’ week is June 14 – 21. At

MUSC nursing assistants, also known astherapeutic assistants (TAs) and patientcare technicians (PCTs), provide hands-on care with patients and families.

According to Michael Sawin, nursemanager, 10W Orthopaedics/Traumaand Cast Techs, the 35th annualNational Nursing Assistants’ Weekprovides an opportunity to recognize andpromote PCTs at MUSC and around theTri-county community.

PCTs and TAs work with physicians,nurses and health care teams to providedirect patient care in various health careenvironments. This may include assistingthe patients with tasks they cannot dofor themselves while in the hospital,rehabilitation clinics, nursing homes orlong-term care facilities. Technicians alsomay assist patients with tasks such aseating, getting out of bed, taking a bathand brushing their teeth and hair.PCTs and TAs make a difference byseeking out and involving role models,

PCTs, TAs celebrated for contributions to patient carepeers, supervisors, clients, families,community members and others in thecommunity. Nursing Assistants Weekprovides a venue to bring caregiverstogether and create projects andprograms that continue throughout theyear.

Marilyn Schaffner, Ph.D., R.N.,Clinical Services administrator and chiefnursing executive for the medical center,knows first-hand about PCTs and theirimpact on patient care. As a teenager,she worked as a PCT in an orthopaedicunit during a summer vacation. Shecan remember the praise she receivedfrom a nurse who thanked Schaffnerfor contributing in the care of patientsduring one particular day. It left amemorable impact on her understandingof the role of PCTs in hospitals.

“PCTs and TAs are integral in thecare of our patients, the healing of ourpatients and the comforting of thefamilies. As we celebrate PCTs and TAs,I want every PCT and TA to know howPatient care technician Caroline Flowers, right, and Kara Bogue, R.N.,

review a chart. Flowers was recognized as 3W’s PCT of the Year. See TeChniCianS on page 7

The Catalyst, June 15, 2012 7

ChildrensEmergency Department: WendyAustin; 7E: Megan Diminich;7C: Emily Dorman; 7A: ShemikaChampion

Women’s Health5E/5W: Chiquita Anderson

Institute of PsychiatrySenior Care Units: Gwen President;1 North: Michael Daffin; 2 North:Antawn Polite; 3 North: Jordan Lucas;4 North: August Brown; CentralPool: Lasonya Wells; STAR North:Jena Barr; STAR Leeds: Nicole Cool;IMPACT Leeds: Silvie Counts; STARLadson: Tracy Burgess; SeasonsProgram: Steve Worley

Ashley River Tower5W: Kevin Douglas; 6W: AshleyCrosby; 6E: Jessica Weigel; 5E: JustynLamb; MSICU: Tiffany Labordand Jennifer Blackstock; Prep andRecovery: Pam Gillette; 3W: Caroline

Flowers; CTICU: Katie Dennison; 4E:Andrea Coulter; Chest Pain Center:Pat Wagner; CICU: Sonita Mom

University Hospital10W: Brett Mills and Fred Scruggs;NSICU: Jason Haan; 8E: Katie Pivett;TCU: Rowena Coultson; STICU: D.J.Tucker; Meduflex: Willie Brown andBrett Johnson; 9E: Charles Huger;MICU: Katherine Cline; 8W: TolandaHenderson; 2JRU: Gwen Franklin andFatima Bellinger; 9W: Mel Capers andGail Brown; Pre-op Holding: AdrianGreen; PACU: Laureen Johnson; 6W:Terrence Walker; 7W: Tamara Trainor;6E: Margaret Sights; AmbulatoryOperating Room: Eva Cuenca; AdultEmergency Department: JohannZamoscianyk

For information on the NationalNursing Assistants initiative or theopportunities given to patient caretechnicians, visit http://www.cna-network.org/naweek.html.

Unit winners forPCT of the Year

Institute of Psychiatry’sAugust Brown, a 4North seniortherapeutic assistant, writesdown details for an upcomingpatient meeting for the Centerfor Drug and Alcohol Programsadult patients.

much respect I have for them. Whatthey do is hard work, but it is greatwork. Congratulations and enjoy ourcelebration of you.”

Caroline Flowers is a part-timenursing student and PCT working inAshley River Tower’s 3W interventionalcardiology unit.

“I love the care I provide to heartpatients and working with a team of 44dedicated and compassionate staff.”

Flowers emphasized that teamworkbetween technicians, nurses, physiciansand other staff is an essential part of theunit’s success.

“Providing a nurturing, supportive andstress-free environment allows patientsto feel better so that they’re able to leavethe hospital in a shorter period of time,”Flowers said.

Medical center leadership hospitalwiderecognized technicians with cupcakes onJune 14.

TeChniCianS Continued from Page Six


Stephanie Montgomery, M.D., took one look at himand scheduled him for surgery.

Having few recollections of that time, Ginn saidhe hated his daughter had to sign paperwork givingthe doctors permission to amputate his arm shouldit become necessary. Other painful decisions aboutcremation and where to scatter his ashes were made.

Montgomery said they had to act quickly.“I took him almost immediately to the OR. With

necrotizing fasciitis, the infected tissue easily is pushedaway, almost as if it sloughs off, and it’s critical to getrid of all the infection, which is why these patients oftenhave more than one surgery.”

To The reSCue

Ginn was placed on multiple medications to keephis blood pressure up, as well as on a ventilator as theywaited for powerful, broad spectrum antibiotics to kickin. “With all the necrotizing fasciitis patients, you’re justnot sure,” said Montgomery. “I was at his bedside formost of the night, watching his wounds. He was touchand go for the first 24 to 48 hours. It can take a turn ata moment’s notice.”

As it turned out, Montgomery had to take him backinto the OR that same evening.

“It’s not like you get it all the first time. Within sixhours, it had spread some more. The infection canspread while you’re treating it.”

MUSC has a team of seven trauma surgeons, board-certified in both general surgery and critical care, whoMontgomery jokes all eat, breathe and sleep emergencycare. They all love the field and work closely as a teamto treat patients. In Ginn’s case, the team had to decidewhether to keep his arm. The infection involved themuscles in his left shoulder as well and an orthopedistwas called in for a consult.

“If you have to make a decision between life or limb,limb goes.”

A consensus was reached to try to keep his armand wait to see if the infection could be containedwithout having to do the amputation. “You don’twant to do a definitive operation like that unless youhave to,” she said. “You make a judgment call. That’swhere experience comes in. That’s why MUSC isthe best place to have that done. We take care of thisfrequently.”

Two other trauma surgeons, Stephen Fann, M.D.,and Stuart Leon, M.D., would end up taking Ginn infor more surgeries, and then plastic surgeon DennisSchimpf, M.D., took skin grafts to be able to cover thewound on his arm and shoulder.

Finally on March 13, 19 days after coming to MUSCand six trips to the OR, Ginn was well enough to gohome.

Ginn, who has become friends with Montgomery,said he’s so thankful to have gotten the care he did.

“I had doctors who weren’t afraid to make harddecisions.”

BaCk on Par

Ginn, who’s undergoing physical therapy, still isworking through the trauma of having had necrotizingfasciitis. Though there’s no way people can avoid gettingwhat he had, they can seek treatment sooner. His oneregret is that he ignored the persistent pain in hisshoulder.

The sooner the treatment, the better patients withnecrotizing fasciitis fare. Montgomery said there needsto be more education in the medical community aboutsymptoms, particularly given how often these casesoccur. MUSC generally gets at least one case a month.

There are more virulent bacteria because of theoveruse of antibiotics, so there are more of the cases,she said. “The more awareness that is brought up, themore physicians who don’t deal with it on a regular

basis, will educate themselves,” she said, adding thatMUSC takes transfers from every hospital in the region.“They should know we’re here 24 hours a day, sevendays a week to deal with this. It just takes one phonecall – through Meduline. It’s a one call does it all.We have the resources to deal with these complicatedcases.”

The way media portrays the disease isn’t quiteaccurate.

“It’s not a flesh eating bacteria or anything like that.It’s an infection that has been allowed to get bad orit’s a very bad organism that causes the infection andit tracks along the fascial planes inside of a patient’ssubcutaneous tissues. It can happen not only on armsand legs, but on your torso, your back – anywhere. Itcan happen from any sort of trauma, a scratch or a bugbite.”

Montgomery said there are patients who are moresusceptible, such as diabetics or those with low immunesystems. Normal, healthy people also can get it, though,because it can just be a ‘bad’ organism, such as staph,strep, MRSA or even multiorganisms in one. Treatedearly it’s not a problem, however, often patients willlet the infection set in because they don’t realize howbad it is or they seek help from a physician who doesn’trecognize it for what it is.

“It’s not as unusual as you think, which is the reasonit’s important to choose a place that sees it often andknows how to take care of it well. These patients areextremely sick. Not only do you need a prompt surgicalapproach, but you also need a team who can take careof the aftermath of the operation.”

The patients are in septic shock, which means theirsystem is so overwhelmed by the infection that they arein danger of multi-system organ failure. Montgomerysaid she’s thankful for a well-trained nursing and ICUstaff who know how to do the follow-up care thesepatients require.

“We have wound-care specialists. We have a team ofwound nurses who are amazing. They help the woundclose faster and be more aesthetically pleasing. That’simportant for these patients because sometimes youhave take off quite a bit of the soft tissue to make surethe patient lives.”

One of the best parts of her job is when a patient assick as Ginn comes in and is able to leave. Montgomerysaid she developed a good relationship with the familyand Ginn, whom she didn’t really get to know welluntil he began to recover. “He was feisty. However, I’mfeisty, so that worked for us. He’s fun and witty, and I’mglad he’s still with us.”

Ginn, of course, agrees.“There is life after necrotizing fasciitis,” he said.“Everything that happened to me was so bizarre, it

was mind boggling. God has given me a second chanceand the doctors have given me a life. That’s a miracle.They made me a whole person. I can feel and touch andsee what a big miracle it is.”

SurviveS Continued from Page One

Dr. Stephanie Montgomery was part of BarryGinn’s treatment team.

Warning SignSq Trauma surgeon Stephanie Montgomerysaid it’s pointless to worry about gettingnecrotizing fasciitis. “You have bacteria allover your body right now that can causethis. It’s in the environment. Take careof yourself and wash your hands. If youhave a wound that gets infected, go seesomebody with experience in handling it.”q Pay attention to any wound that

becomes red, starts growing, has blisters,changes colors, has red streaks that trackaway from the wound, is hot to the touchor develops intense, persistent pain.


Editor’s note: The Rumor Mill may be accessed at http://www.carc.musc.edu/rumormill.

Associate degree nursesI’ve heard that MUSC will change to all nurses needing

their bachelor’s degree by 2015 and that associate degreenurses at that time will be fired. What is the plan fornurses with associate degrees?

MUSC recognizes all nurses, and values the rolenursing has in providing quality health care and qualityoutcomes. As an academic medical center striving tobecome Magnet designated, the intent is to supportnurses in pursuing a higher level of formal education.One organizational structural empowerment in place tosupport this effort is tuition reimbursement. Currentlythe plan for all nurses is to continue to promote thebenefits of professional growth and developmentthrough supporting higher education, not terminatingassociate degree nurses.

RecyclingIs there a designated person that is supposed to empty the

recycling bins in the nursing breakrooms? The one on 5E(postpartum) is overflowing.

For locations in Storm Eye Institute and HollingsCancer Center buildings, call 792-4119 to schedule apick-up. For locations in university hospital, Children’sHospital, Ashley River Tower and Rutledge Tower,call 792-5600. For other questions about the MUSCRecycling Program, contact the MUSC Office ofSustainability and Recycling at 792-4066.

Rutledge Tower CafeteriaIs there any way possible to have some better food at RT?If funds are available, the Rutledge Tower Café is

scheduled to be moved and renovated in the fall or earlywinter.

The PulseWill anyone be assuming the role for the “Pulse”

newsletter editor for the Heart and Vascular Center? Thatwas a great resource and fun to read.

The “Pulse” was a newsletter originally published

by the Heart and Vascular Center (Cath, EP and Prepand Recovery areas) of the Heart and Vascular ServiceLine but was specific to those areas. It was replacedby the Service Line newsletter and will contain itemsof interest from that area as well as all of Heart andVascular services in future publications.

Jonathan Lucas parking garageI would like to know why a parking attendant asked

me the name of the patient I was visiting, while coming tovisit a family member. Isn’t this a HIPAA violation? I feltvery uncomfortable revealing this information to a womansitting in a parking garage.

Allowing Parking Management cashiers to requestpatient names is not a HIPAA violation; it is alegitimate part of the operations of the facility. Familymembers of hospital inpatients who park in ourlots overnight are entitled to a reduced parking rate.Obtaining the name of the patient the family memberis visiting allows the cashiers to confirm that they areeligible for this rate.

Flower bedsI heard that the new beds next to the eaves of the

Bioengineering Building aren’t cared for by MUSC folks.That they were contracted out.

The beds are managed by the university landscapingdivision.

LandscapingI want to say thanks to the grounds crew for all the

beautiful flower beds around campus. It really lifts myspirit to see and smell all the flowers as I’m walking aroundcampus.

Thanks for your comments. You may wish todirect your comments to John Malmrose, director ofEngineering and Facilities.

Day care for employees’ childrenAre there any discussions or plans to offer day care

services for employees’ children again?The provost has authorized a workgroup chaired

by Megan Moran-Santa Maria, Ph.D., to conduct achild care needs assessment using a child care industryconsultant. The results of the assessment, which shouldbe completed later this year, will be used to determinethe required resources and cost benefit of an employerprovided day care at MUSC. Should the assessmentreveal that both need and support exist to make a daycare center viable on campus, then that information willbe provided to the appropriate officials to incorporateinto the MUSC master plan.

SmokingI thought MUSC was a smoke-free campus? I see many

visitors and employees smoking right across the street infront of the MUSC College of Nursing.

All the property owned or leased by MUSC andits affiliates are now tobacco-free. The sidewalks androadways that surround MUSC are city property andare excluded from the initiative by definition.

Bikes on sidewalksWhy are bikes allowed to ride down sidewalks

surrounding the hospital? It seems a little dangerous to havebikes sharing the sidewalk with the pedestrians.

Charleston City Code 19-125 – Riding on Sidewalks,states that riding bicycles on sidewalks is prohibitedin the City of Charleston except: where the adjacenthighway has a posted speed limit of 35 miles per houror more (Ashley Avenue), persons may ride a bicycle onthe adjacent sidewalk unless there is a dedicated bicyclelane on the highway. Any person permitted to ride abicycle on a sidewalk shall operate the bicycle with duecare and yield the right-of-way to pedestrians using thesidewalks. A police officer (Public Safety officer) mayoperate a bicycle on the sidewalk while performing lawenforcement duties.

Employees, staff get answers through Rumor Mill


Healthat workSusan Johnson

MUSC kicks off the 2012 AmericanHeart Association Heart Walk Campaignas team captains fromvarious departments,units and divisionsrepresenting the entireorganization gather todiscuss the event Sept.29.

The LowcountryHeart Walk is theAmerican HeartAssociation’s missionin action. This annualcelebration promotesphysical activityand heart healthy living while raisingawareness about heart disease and raisingmoney for research that has yieldedmedical breakthroughs, with $1.6 millionin grants funding MUSC researchers todate.

This year as teams are formed andwalkers are recruited, MUSC EmployeeWellness would like to challengeeach team captain to encourage theirmembers to begin a walking program,either as a group or individually. To tracktheir progress and create some friendlycompetition among MUSC teams as wellas others in the community, captainsare asked to register their teams on theLighten Up Charleston website at www.lightenupcharleston.org.

Walkers will then be able to log theirprogress, which will show as a teamtotal and will be able to combine thisinformation with their fundraisingefforts to support the goal to raise moneyand lose pounds through heart walktraining and preparation. For moreinformation on how to join a heartwalk team or how to register a teamor individual through the Lighten UpCharleston online tool, email [email protected] or call 792-1245.

Employee Wellness eventsq MUSC's Pitch the Pack Program: Freesmoking cessation program offered toMUSC employees and students. Classes,counseling and a one-month supplyof medications are available to eligible

participants. Receive a complementarysuccess kit with enrollment. Enrollonline at http://ceii.muschealth.com/SCP/SCPRegistration.aspx.q MUSC Urban Farm: Work & Learn:Learn through working with the soil andseeds in the MUSC Urban Farm from9–11 a.m. June 16 and noon–1 p.m.June 20. Bring a plastic bag and takehome some fresh produce. Participantsalso should wear closed-toe shoes. [email protected] MUSC Employee Fitness Series: Joinfitness expert Katie Blaylock for a freesprint intervals class from 4:15–4:45p.m. June 20. Registration is requiredand space is limited. To sign up, sendyour name and email to: [email protected]. Visit the MUSC WellnessCenter Membership Desk to sign in andreceive directions to the classroom.q Wellness Wednesday: EmployeeHealth Services will be administeringtuberculin skin tests for employees from11 a.m.–1 p.m., June 20 in the lobby ofthe Children’s Hospital.q Mammograms: The Hollings CancerCenter Mobile Van will be conductingdigital mammograms from 9 a.m.–6 p.m.June 20. Call 792-0878 to schedule anappointment.

Email [email protected] to becomeinvolved in employee wellness at MUSC.

Employee Wellness challenge:Raise money, lose pounds


Rental Properties

CLASSIFIED PCLASSIFIED PAGEAGE• Household Personal Items for

MUSC employees are free.All other classifieds are charged at rate below. Ads considered venture-making ads (puppy breeder, coffee business,

home for sale, etc.) will be charged as PAID ADS •• PROOF OF ELIGIBILITY REQUIRED* NO MORE THAN 3 LINES * FREE ADS RUN 2 WEEKS ONLY!

PAID ADS are $3 per line ( 1 line = 35 characters) DEADLINE: TUESDAY – 10:00 AM* CLASSIFIED ADS CAN BE E-MAILED TO [email protected],

OR MAILED (134 Columbus St., Charleston SC 29403)Please call 849-1778 with questions. *Must provide Badge No. and Department of Employment

for employees and Student I.D. Number for MUSC Students.IP01-681634

Homes For Sale Misc. Services

For rent in Hanahan $525. 1BR, 1BA, clean, water included$300 dep., 714-0373

Full-size Constantin SerenyMaster violin Luthier Romania.Model 75, 2001 plus bow, case$ 1,300. [email protected]

4154 Jean Laffite, Hollywood SC5BR, 2.5BA, 3511 sf. $449,000Disher, Hamrick & MyersHelen Butler 843-343-2222

TOADVERTISE

IN THECATALYST

CALL849-1778

musc catalyst

Documents