Josue at RSFH - Friends of Guatemala

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Green Team creates programs for recycling
and a cleaner, safer environment, p. 2
million to Community Benefit p. 1
2008 Report
Dear Friends,
Pick up any
newspaper these days and
chances are you’ll come
to the conclusion that we
are living in hard times.
An uncertain economy, a
new virus and a series of
other challenges face us
today. At Roper St.
Francis, we are changing hard times into
Healing Times because difficult times are
when we have the greatest opportunity to
give back and touch people’s lives.
The Roper St. Francis mission is clear
and simple: Healing all people with
compassion, faith and excellence, and that is
exactly what we aim to do everyday within
our over 20 facilities. As the area’s only
private not-for-profit healthcare provider, we
are also called to deliver healing to our
greater community.
In 2008, we gave back nearly $34
million* to benefit our community. This
comes in many forms, including charity
care, sponsorships and numerous
community outreach programs which are
outlined in this Report to Our Community.
This report chronicles several of the ways
we have brought healing to our neighbors,
from a nursing unit reaching out to a
firehouse, to doctors going above and
beyond to give life-changing care. These are
only a small representation of the many,
many ways the people of this organization
give back. I hope you will enjoy reading
some truly good news for a change!
Warm regards,
David L. Dunlap, FACHE
President and Chief Executive Officer
*Voluntary Hospital Association (VHA)/Catholic Health Association’s
(CHA) standardized community benefit valuation methodology.
Roper St. Francis Healthcare
Board of Directors for 2008
James Ravenel, MD, Chairperson
John Jordan, Vice Chairperson
Katherine Duffy, PhD
Sister Patricia Eck, C.B.S.
David Ellison, MD
W. Blount Ellison, MD
Laurence Hinsdale, FACHE
Jules Ivester Jr., MD
Father John Langan
Richard Statuto
Michael Tarwater
Brantley Thomas, PhD
Angress Walker
Perry (Keith) Waring
G. Fred Worsham, MD
Roper St. Francis Good News
For ALL people
Man from Guatemala given
chance to live life with a full heart
Meet Josué Pereira, a teacher at the Colegio
de HOPE in Guatemala City. Since 2003 he has
taught kindergarten to beautiful children in a
small cinderblock building – hot in the dry
season and damp in the rainy season – a free
school for the children of a poor shanty town.
He does it, he says, because “the children are the
seed of the future. And what we do today will
determine the future. Many of them will keep in
their hearts what somebody is doing for them
now because that will determine their own
future.”
Josué not only teaches at the school, he
uses his artistic gift to decorate the sparse
building with murals and to teach the older
children how to use oil paints. Their
collection of artwork recently sold as a
fundraiser for the school. He also coaches the
school soccer team. He makes $13.50 day.
The children love to be around Josué and his
kind and joyful spirit also makes him a favorite of
the volunteers who travel to serve with Friends of
Guatemala, a US nonprofit that supports the
Colegio de HOPE.
The 27-year old teacher lives with his mother
and older brother. He is very much in love with
his girlfriend Magda. Their marriage has been on
hold due to Josué’s health, as he suffers from
Wolf Parkinson White disease. In the summer of
2008, his condition deteriorated and he was
unable to teach at the school. He could not
afford even the meager services of the local clinic.
A Friends of Guatemala board member is
See GUATEMALA contined on page 6A
Roper St. Francis contributes nearly
$34 million in Community Benefit!
In 2008, Roper St. Francis Healthcare contributed $33,561,399
in direct charitable expenses to care for the community we serve.
Total Community Benefit $33,561,399
Cost of Charity Care
$11,407,892
Community
Outreach Programs
$9,333,293
Unreimbursed
Cost of Medicaid
$12,266,164
Sponsorships
$554,050
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Roper St. Francis Good News
2A
131,678 people
served by healthfairs
and community
events
Roper St. Francis employees took their
expertise outside of the hospitals’ walls to
serve 131,678 of our neighbors with free
screenings at area healthfairs and community
events. Staff devoted 61,227 hours to serving
the community.
Roper St. Francis sponsored 35
community healthfairs and participated in
over 70 community healthfairs and
screenings. Some of the events included:
18th Annual Delma M. Woods Health and
Wellness Fair
Air Force Base Family Health and Wellness
Day
American Heart Association Heart Walk
Berkeley County Government Wellness Fair
Bishop Gadsden Wellness Fair
Black Expo Health and Wellness Day
Burke High School Career and Health
Awareness Fair
Crisis Ministries
Franke at Seaside Health and Wellness Fair
Greater Howard Chapel AME Church
Community Healthfair
James Island Recreation Center Fire and
Safety Expo
Jump for the Heart Wellness Fair
Lowcountry Senior Center Holistic
Healthfair
Meals on Wheels
Mt. Moriah Baptist Church Community
Healthfair
Our Lady Of Mercy Outreach Community
Healthfair
R.B. Stall High School Community
Healthfair
Robert Bosch Health and Wellness Fair
Roper Hospital - Berkeley Healthfair
Roper Hospital - Mt. Pleasant Healthfair
Roper St. Francis Amazing Expo
Roper St. Francis Breast Care Center 3rd
Annual “Ladies Night Out”
Roper St. Francis Women’s Services
Pregnancy Celebration
Green Team creates
programs for recycling
and a cleaner, safer
environment
The Roper St. Francis Green Team
implemented new environmentally-friendly
programs, reprocessed medical supplies and
recycled a staggering amount in 2008.
Recycling
In the past year recycling bins were
distributed and programs were started at both
Roper and St. Francis Hospitals. Plastic bottles,
steel and aluminum cans, glass jars, and paper
are all being placed in the bins by employees. In
addition, batteries and cardboard are also being
recycled.
2008 Recycling Stats
• Over 1,100 tons (2.2 millions pounds) of
materials recycled
• Nearly 33% of total waste is recycled at Roper
and St. Francis Hospitals
• More than 570 tons of paper recycled. That’s
enough recycled paper to save 9,690 trees each
year.
• 212 tons of cardboard recycled. This is
enough recycled cardboard to offset 551 tons
of CO2 or the equivalent to removing 101
cars from the road.
Reprocessing Medical Supplies
Roper St. Franics is reducing waste and cost
by reprocessing medical supplies. We clean and
sterilize what were once considered single use
supplies, test for function and then reuse. This
practice greatly reduces waste and cost.
2008 Reprocessing Stats
4,751 medical devices were reprocessed in
2008, generating over $131,000 in savings and a
significant reduction in landfill and incinerated
waste.
Digital Film
Roper St. Francis has implemented a
system-wide switch to digital film resulting in
cost and waste savings.
2008 Digital Film Stats
Film use decreased by 174,500 sheets each
year – a reduction in 7.9 tons of landfill waste
per year.
Eliminating film processing chemicals
prevented 2,410 non-recyclable plastic
containers from reaching the landfill each year.
CO2 emissions related to facility-to-facility
transport of film has been greatly reduced – a
reduction in 9 tons of CO2 emissions annually.
It takes 45 trees to offset 9 tons of CO2.
Virtual Mercury Elimination
Sphygmomanometers, thermometers,
esophageal Bougie tubes and other equipment
and supplies containing mercury have been
removed and replaced with mercury-free
alternatives.
Paperless Meetings
All departments are encouraged to conduct
paperless meetings and use audio and visual
equipment to illustrate points and agendas.
Contact Nick Caraviello at Roper
St. Francis if you would like more information
about the Green Team, 843-789-1696.
Navigator helps people enroll in
the services they need
The Roper St. Francis Medicaid
Navigator Program, led by Kathryn Harrison
and assisted by Carol Kelly and William
Pinckney, ensures that our neighbors, who
qualify for Medicaid, are given the tools they
need to apply and participate. Our
navigators go directly to and work on-site at
community organizations that provide
services to the homeless, migrant and poor.
They help people navigate the complex
system for becoming enrolled in the
Medicaid program.
Our successful enrollment
program, helps participants to
have more consistent access to
healthcare resulting in early
diagnosis of diseases, better
treatment and fewer emergent
visits. The Navigator Program
had 340 visits in 2008.
The Medicaid navigator program is made
possible in part from a $50,000 sponsorship
given by the Medical Society of South
Carolina.
Royal Baptist Church Healthfair
RSFH Families for a Healthy Heart
Senior Day at the Coastal Carolina Fair
Stroke Fore Stroke Health and Wellness Fair
The Housing Authority of the City of
Charleston Healthfair
New Wellness House provides much needed care
Roper St. Francis donated $50,000 to
Our Lady of Mercy for their new Wellness
House on Johns Island that opened its
doors in November 2008. Roper
St. Francis also does all the prenatal/GYN
labs, cultures and ultrasounds for Wellness
House patients and donated a fetal
monitoring machine to conduct NSTs
(non-stress tests) on pregnant women.
Our Lady of Mercy Community
Outreach provides educational, health and
outreach services to people in need on James,
Johns and Wadmalaw Islands while
encouraging and supporting self-sufficiency
and self-esteem.
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Roper St. Francis Good News
3A
Hemangioma Treatment Foundation
helps little girl find her smile
“This baby is
beautiful,” said Dr.
Marcelo Hochman
the first time he saw a
photograph of baby
Emma. The little girl
had been abandoned
at an orphanage in
her native China and
the hemangioma on her face had ruptured into
an open wound. Maria Bywater, a nurse from
Beaufort, found the girl while working for the
New Hope Foundation, an organization that
cares for abandoned babies in China.
Bywater contacted Dr. Hochman for help,
launching Emma’s life-changing journey to a
new family and face.
“Today for the first time as Emma was
sitting up to the mirror getting her hair done
she became very serious, lost her ever present
smile, and reached up to touch her face where
the hemangioma is located,” writes Bywater
prior to Emma’s treatments. “After feeling it for
a moment she touched the other side of her
face and then pointed back to the right side and
said ‘owie.’ Emma never really noticed her face
up to this point. Please pray for her little
feelings as she begins to develop a sense of who
she is. Pray that she will see the incredibly
beautiful little girl that God has already made
News You Can Use!
Roper St. Francis publications and television
segments provide health “news you can use.”
Publications
House Calls magazine reaches a wide
audience throughout the Lowcountry and
features useful information on health and
wellness, preventative health topics and tasty,
healthy recipes. The Consult, directed towards
doctors and clinical staff, explores the latest in
modern medical treatments. The Advantage
her to be.”
After four surgeries performed pro-bono at
Roper Hospital and several laser treatments,
Emma’s face is clear. She is also in the process
of being adopted by a Lowcountry family.
The Hemangioma Treatment Foundation
helps children with vascular birthmarks and
hemangiomas. Dr. Hochman treats children
from around the world here in Charleston.
Roper St. Francis is proud to offer free or
discounted services for these children.
Dr. Hochman also travels to developing
countries every year, treating as many people as
possible. Over the last 20 years he has
performed nearly 1,000 surgeries on children
worldwide.
Community’s wellness
supported with over
$550,000 in sponsorships
In 2008, Roper St. Francis reached well
beyond its own doors to support and fund
local organizations through sponsorships.
Monetary donations, contributions of paid
employee time and donations of supplies and
equipment are just a few of the ways Roper
St. Francis supports organizations that are
consistent with its mission. “We are proud to
announce that in 2008 we provided $554,050
in sponsorships,” said KeWanda Thompson,
Community Outreach Coordinator.
Organizations sponsored in 2008:
Achieving Wheelchair Equality
American Cancer Society
American Heart Association
American Lung Association
American Red Cross Lowcountry Chapter
Arthritis Foundation
Barrier Island Free Medical Clinic, Inc.
Black Pages USA
Dr. Hochman and Emma
Charleston County Stroke Action Team
Stroke Health Expo 08
Charleston Susan G. Komen Race For The
Cure
newsletter is packed
with health and
wellness articles as
well as classes and
events for those
ages 55 and older.
Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy
Television
House Calls
TV is a 90 second
weekly segment
airing on ABC, CBS, FOX and Comcast
that features Roper St. Francis doctors
discussing timely medical topics.
HealthBeat is a medical information
program airing on Comcast cable
(now hosted by Angela May) that features
up-to-the-minute health topics from Roper
St. Francis Healthcare’s expert doctors and
staff.
Hemangioma Treatment
Down Syndrome Association of South
Carolina
East Cooper Community Outreach
Education Foundation
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Lowcountry Alzheimer’s Association
Lowcountry Food Bank
Lowcountry Senior Games
Lt. Governor’s Office on Aging
Make a Wish Foundation of SC
March of Dimes
Metanoia
National Kidney Foundation of SC
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Our Lady of Mercy Outreach
Patriot’s Point Foundation
Respite Care Ministries
Ronald McDonald House
SC Nurses Foundation (Palmetto Gold
Award)
Special Olympics South Carolina, Inc.
St. James Family Health Center, Inc.
Tri County Cancer Survivors
Trident Technical College Foundation
Trident United Way
Roper St. Francis Cancer Center Team raises $15,400 for cancer awareness at the 2008 Relay for Life.
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Roper St. Francis Good News
4A
Roper Rehabilitation
Hospital staff top
performers in care
and giving back
In 2008, the Roper
Rehabilitation Hospital, a 39-bed
inpatient rehabilitation facility
located within Roper, received
the Top Performer Award from
PRC for having the highest
patient satisfaction scores in the
nation for inpatient rehabilitation
facilities. If there was an award
for setting an exemplary standard
of giving back to patients and the
community, they could win that
too!
Support
The hospital holds monthly
support group meetings for
patients and families affected by
stroke and limb loss. They also
hosted a Fall Feast with patients
and families that included
encouraging and inspiring
presentations by former patients.
Sponsorships
The Rehab team sponsored the
following events:
• Wheelchair Basketball State
Championship Tournament and
Banquet for the North
Charleston Hurricanes
• Cooper River Bridge Run
Wheelchair Division and
Banquet
• Achieving Wheelchair Equality
Ski Clinic at Lake Moultrie
• Southeastern Regional
Wheelchair Games in Myrtle
Beach
Bob Woodruff Event
The Rehabilitation Hospital
held a book signing in January
2008 featuring Bob Woodruff,
the national television
correspondent who suffered a
traumatic brain injury while
reporting in Iraq. Woodruff
toured the hospital, visited with
current and former patients and
signed copies of his book, In an
Instant, for staff and patients.
Creating a Hope Counselor
In 2008, the staff sponsored
Glenda Williams, an amputation
patient, to attend the Amputation
Coalition of America Conference
in Atlanta. The staff held bake
sales and fundraising events to
pay for Glenda to attend the
official peer training counseling
program. Glenda now visits with
recent amputees, providing
counseling and hope.
Widow finds friendship and fitness at
the Lowcountry Senior Center
“As a 77 year old widow whose
children live out of town, I realized
that my social circle was getting
smaller and smaller. Even though I
can be perfectly happy reading,
listening to music or pursuing other
solitary pastimes, I still need people
in my life. Joining the Lowcountry
Senior Center gives me an
opportunity to see and talk with
others. Just seeing a smiling face can
brighten my day.
Several weeks before I joined the
center, I turned my ankle and had a
fall that required medical attention.
In order to strengthen my muscles, I
joined the ‘Sit and Fit’ exercise class
and within a month, I noticed a
difference in my ability.
Thank You, Lowcountry Senior
Center,” writes a current Center
member.
The Lowcountry Senior Center is
a multi-purpose facility with
recreational, fitness, socialization and
educational opportunities for people
age 50 and older.
The Lowcountry Senior Center is
the first and only nationally
accredited senior center in South
Carolina. Located on James Island,
the center is open Monday through
Friday, serving more than 200 adults
each day. The center is based on a
holistic model offering programs in
the six dimensions of wellness:
emotional, intellectual, physical,
social, spiritual and vocational.
Record breaking amount raised for Trident United Way
Roper St. Francis had a record
breaking Trident United Way
campaign in 2008. According to
campaign manager Elizabeth Willis,
RSFH had the largest employee
giving campaign (by $100K), the
most employee donors and the most
leadership givers ever. And RSFH
ranked third overall in the
Lowcountry for total dollars raised.
In 2008, Roper St. Francis raised
and donated:
$378,673 in employee giving
$10,000 in corporate gift
$5,000 Gold Benefactor
(marketing support)
$5,000 Loaned Executive Support
(manpower support)
The organization had 159
Leadership Givers who donated
$1,000 or more. Over 50% (2,387
employees) participated in the
campaign.
A total of 821 employees also
took part in Day of Caring projects
including volunteering, at the
Winwood Farms boys’ home and
creating HALOS Love ‘n Learn bags.
Did you know?
Roper St. Francis sponsors a Nurse Practitioner at the
Crisis Ministries homeless shelter and soup kitchen,
offering quality care to those who are truly in need.
Clinical Pastoral Care Intern helps Franke at Seaside resident feel at home
Greg Robertson and Kay
In 2008, Clinical Pastoral Care
Interns going through the Roper
St. Francis Spiritual Care training
program for professional chaplains
volunteered over 400 hours at the
Franke at Seaside retirement home.
One of those interns, Greg
Robertson, made a real impact in a
woman’s life. Sherry Owensby,
Chaplain and Director of Pastoral
Care for Franke at Seaside, shares
Greg’s story.
Greg Robertson was going
through the Clinical Pastoral
Education program at Roper
St. Francis and volunteering at Franke
at Seaside Home when he helped
develop a group called Wilderness
Wanderers. The group was open to
anyone experiencing a life transition.
Kay, a new Franke at Seaside
resident, came to one of the meetings.
She lived there about two months
and was very depressed about leaving
her life and friends behind in Boston.
She said that while people here had
been lovely, she was still upset and
had difficulty even getting up in the
morning.
A few people suggested that she
try different activities. Greg said,
“Kay, how does it feel to hear all of
these suggestions of what might
‘work’ for you?” “I feel alone,” she
replied. “Haven’t any of you ever felt
like this? If you have, you know that
all the suggestions in the world really
don’t help.” The entire group agreed
with her and added that they had
really found comfort in the
Wilderness Wanderers group.
Eventually during that session we
were able to begin offering her real
support, and the happy ending is that
the next morning she came down for
her first activity – Coffee Hour!
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Roper St. Francis Good News
5A
Grants bridge the gap for
providing important programs
Roper St. Francis applies for
valuable grant dollars to provide
programs that serve the greater
Charleston community. Some of our
recent grants supported the following
programs.
ASPR Healthcare Facilities
Partnership Grant for Disaster
Preparedness.
This $2.474 million grant project
is a story of community collaboration.
Led by Jerry Flury, Director of
Emergency Management/LifeLink at
Roper St. Francis Healthcare, nine
organizations in the tri-county area
came together to develop a disaster
plan to improve emergency
communications among health
facilities, prepare for major damage to
infrastructure and establish a readiness
plan for a surge of patients. Awarded
to the Roper St. Francis Foundation
in 2007 by U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services’ Office of
the Assistant Secretary for
Preparedness and Response (ASPR),
the grant partnership included:
clinics to make the Lowcountry safer
for us all in the event of a major
disaster,” said Jerry Flury.
Housing for People with AIDS
(HOPWA) Grant
A new $150,000 grant from the
City of Charleston through the federal
department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) will help
patients enrolled in the Ropers
St. Francis Ryan White HIV Program
with rent and other supportive
services to ensure that people living
with HIV/AIDS have sustainable
housing.
Since 2000, our federally-funded
Ryan White Program has quietly and
competently coordinated care for
people living with HIV in the South
Carolina Lowcountry. Each year, our
Dorchester counties in 2006 and
the primary diagnosis of one-third
of our Medicaid population in
2007.
In recent years, Roper St. Francis
Home Care has faced the challenge
of balancing an increasing number
of home health referrals with a
limited number of available nurses.
To meet the growing demand for
home-based care, the agency
launched a new Telehealth Program
in March 2007. Recognizing
telemedicine as a rapidly growing
innovation in health care with the
potential to improve patient
outcomes in many different disease
processes, telemonitoring can help
Roper St. Francis reach more
patients even as it offers an
economical way for patients to take
• Roper Hospital
• Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital
• DHEC Region 7 Public Health
• Medical University of S.C. Hospital
• Trident Medical Center
• Summerville Medical Center
• East Cooper Regional Medical
Center
• Charleston Dorchester Mental
Health Center
• S.C. Area Health Education
Consortium
The partnership was one of only
11 recipients of the grant nationwide.
The need for disaster planning in our
area was easy to demonstrate: in the
event of a major natural disaster such
as an earthquake or hurricane,
imaging models show that damage to
roads and bridges could create 18
isolated islands, leaving thousands of
citizens in Charleston, Berkeley and
Dorchester counties with little to no
access to healthcare services.
Through the grant, the
partnership executed a plan for
disaster preparedness that includes
establishing a Regional Healthcare
Coordinating Center (RHCC) to
enable health agencies, clinics,
hospitals, emergency medical services
and healthcare providers to
coordinate, plan, respond, and recover
from all hazards disasters.
“Working with DHEC, we have
coordinated with everyone from
police and fire stations to downtown
hospitals to barrier island medical
Ryan White clinical staff helps more
than 500 patients access specialty
doctors, vital medications, dental care
and mental healthcare.
The new grant from the city’s
Department of Housing and
Community Development enhances
the services that we provide to some
of the Charleston area’s most
vulnerable residents. The HOPWA
emergency housing assistance now
available to our eligible Ryan White
patients helps to reduce homelessness
and ensure a housing environment
conducive to increased medical
compliance.
SC DHHS Telehealth Grant for
Home Health
In 2008, the Roper St. Francis
Healthcare Home Care division
received a state grant to expand the
new and increasingly successful
Telehealth Program. Awarded
through the South Carolina
Department of Health and Human
Services, the grant specifically
targeted patients diagnosed with
Diabetes Mellitus (DM), the sixth
leading cause of death in
Charleston, Berkeley and
proactive part in their own care.
Through the grant, Roper St.
Francis Home Care is able to
educate patients and their families
about disease management, teach
them the skills to be proactive in
preventing emergent care visits and
hospitalizations, and ensure that we
continue to offer compassionate and
faithful care to those South
Carolinians in greatest need.
Lifeline personal health button
Lifeline Program
for Indigent Patients
Roper St. Francis Lifeline Program
provides 24-hour monitoring to give
more than 1,600 elderly and/or
disabled persons quick access to
emergency services. For more than
seven years, the Trident United Way
has partnered with our Lifeline
program by providing grants to
provide the emergency monitoring for
indigent Tri-county residents who
otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford
the services.
Lifeline is an easy-to-use medical
alert service that enables seniors and
disabled persons to remain living at
home safely, knowing emergency help
is always available. In promoting
independence for the participant,
Lifeline also gives the family the
confidence of knowing assistance is
available immediately in the event of a
fall or medical emergency.
In 2008, the Roper St. Francis
Lifeline program was recognized with
two national awards by Philips
Lifeline. The “Outstanding
Performance” award was given for the
program’s incredible growth of more
than 17% in one year. The
“Exceptional Leadership” award, the
most prestigious award given out by
Lifeline Systems, Inc, was presented to
RSFH Lifeline’s program coordinator
Kelley Hallman for serving the
indigent senior population in our
community through grants, donations
and endowments, for reducing falls
among our subscribers and for being
involved in community groups that
support seniors maintaining
independence at home.
Heart Walk a huge success
Roper St. Francis employees raised an incredible $58,000 for the American
Heart Association during their Heart Walk fundraiser.
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Roper St. Francis Good News
6A
Spirit of Caring alive and well as
tournament raises $40,000
On June 3, the Roper St. Francis Foundation held the 2008 Spirit of Caring
Golf Tournament at the Ralston Creek Course on Daniel Island. The
tournament was a huge success with more than $40,000 raised to support
nursing scholarships.
Roper Hospital Emergency Department
brings friendship, compassion to local
Fire Department
Nancy Gilman, RN, and employees of the Roper Hospital
Emergency Department, have “adopted” the Ashley Hall
Plantation Road Fire Department. This Fire Department is home
to Engine No. 16 and Engine No. 19, each of which lost three
firefighters in the Sofa Super Store tragedy.
Roper Hospital ED staff wanted to do something nice for the
surviving firefighters. They set the table, eat and visit with
firefighters at the station. When Nancy first visited, counselors
from 9/11 were there to help the firefighters. Since then, the ED
staff have learned so much about the value of camaraderie while
making several new friends along the way. Their goal is to learn
how and why these men are so passionate about their work, then
bring that commitment and passion back to their own ED.
Volunteering and taking food to this fire station was the first
step, however, the group wants to branch out and start going to
each station affected by the fire. The Roper ED staff invite other
departments to help. If you or your department is interested in
cooking, baking or visiting, contact nancy.gilman@rsfh.com.
Nancy was also inducted into the Live 5 News Hall of Fame in
2008.
Pictured from left: Dede Carey, RN, Information Services; Jane Ledbetter,
Radiology; Ray Franz, Professional Golfer; Joan Wherley, Imaging Director
and Richard Ivey, McKesson representative.
Paddlers come together to raise
cancer awareness
5 East and 3 East raise money for school
serving disabled and handicapped children.
In December of 2008, Roper Hospital units, 5E and 3E,
participated in a fundraising event to benefit Pattison’s Academy.
Nursing and ancillary staff on both units provided goodies of all
kinds and held a bake sale in front of the Roper Cafeteria. They
raised nearly $150 for Pattison’s Academy.
Pattison’s Academy is unique in the Charleston area, providing
schooling, therapy and guidance to severely disabled and
handicapped youth. “The school functions solely on donations and
grants so we were happy and excited to have donated our services
and time to help the families and children in need,” said Lori
Schrecker, RN.
The nurses and staff look forward to making the fundraiser an
annual event.
AEDs in more locations provide peace of
mind to Lowcountry residents
The Roper St. Francis HEARTSAVE community health
initiative has placed AEDs in over 200 public places throughout
the Lowcountry, including schools, churches, stadiums, restaurants
and medical facilities.
AEDs are small, portable electronic devices used to restore
normal heart rhythm to people in cardiac arrest. AEDs are safe
and easy to use, making it possible for non-medical personnel to
be trained to provide rapid defibrillation.
If you would like to learn more about obtaining an AED,
please call 402-CARE.
HEARTSAVE is made possible by funding from the Medical
Society of South Carolina.
Roper St. Francis sponsored three teams of 20 paddlers each at the Charleston
Dragon Boat Festival to raise awareness about cancer survivorship programs.
GUATEMALA contined from page 1A
related to Dr. David Peterseim, a thoracic surgeon associated with Roper St.
Francis, and put in a call for information and advice about this disease and
Josué’s projected future. The response was astounding: Matt Severance, CEO of
Roper Hospital offered the necessary medical facility, and Dr. William Stites, an
electrophysiologist associated with Roper St. Francis, volunteered his expertise for
the procedure that would save Josué’s life. All the Friends of Guatemala cheered,
Josué’s mother cried, the medical Visa was granted and within six weeks Josué
was on an airplane for the first time in his life.
He couldn’t say enough about the loving care and respect that was shown to
him during his stay at Roper Hospital. The facility is beautiful and well staffed,
but the personal attention and willingness to serve made him feel like a celebrity.
The staff was very conscientious about translation issues and worked to ensure
that Josué was informed and prepared. They helped Josué send an email message
to his family that the procedure was successful. And as they were leaving the final
day, a nurse hurried over to intercept them, introduced herself, and shaking his
hand said, “I wanted to meet you, Josué!”
After a week in Charleston, Josué was feeling great. He walked barefoot in the
sand for the first time, enjoyed the warm hospitality of Dr. Peterseim’s family,
and painted several pictures. Yet he was eager to try out his new heart back
home, running with his kindergarten children at the school. His hopes that their
future would be changed by the kindness of others has become true in his own
life – the man who gives so much to others has received the gift of a future for
himself. There is no question that Josué will continue to pay the kindness
forward.
But first, he had a little question for Magda back in Guatemala City….
and she said, “Yes!”
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Tom O’Brien RN, wins President’s Humanitarian Award
Described as always putting the needs of others first and making a
significant and lasting impact on the lives of patients and co-workers, Tom
O’Brien, RN, received Roper St. Francis Healthcare’s highest honor – the
2008 President’s Humanitarian Award.
O’Brien is the Clinical Manager for Roper Hospital’s Surgical Intensive
Care Unit (SICU). He has been with RSFH for 16 years, working in a
variety of nursing leadership positions.
“Tom truly demonstrates excellence in action every day. He is a source
of inspiration to us all and exemplifies our mission both in his personal and
professional life,” said David L. Dunlap, RSFH President and CEO, who
presented O’Brien with the award along with a check for $5,000. “He
serves as a mentor and supporter to fellow nurses and is a dedicated leader
with a positive can-do attitude.”
O’Brien organizes quarterly, unit-based service projects to benefit
Special Olympics, the SPCA and Lowcountry Food Bank, just to name a
few. His caring ways benefit not only patients and community, but also his
co-workers, who tell countless stories of his kindness and compassion
towards them.
Staff donate medical supplies for our
furry and flippered friends
Tom O’Brien, RN, (center) is congratulated by David L. Dunlap, RSFH President
and CEO, and Wanda Brown, RN, Roper Hospital Administrative Supervisor,
who nominated O’Brien for the President’s Humanitarian Award.
Kelly Milward receives
Acts of Kindness Award
It has been said that kindness is even more important than
wisdom…and the realization of this is the beginning of wisdom. So, the
smartest thing we can do is to recognize the many examples of kindness
exhibited throughout the culture of caring we have at Roper St. Francis
Healthcare.
Kelly Milward was driving into work at Roper Hospital and came
upon a traffic accident where a truck had just overturned on top of a
driver. Kelly instinctively pulled over and went to the seriously injured
man, providing CPR for 45 minutes until other help arrived and
transported him to a nearby hospital. During this time, she also
comforted the driver’s fiancée, as well as assisted EMS.
The sad fact that the driver did not survive his injuries does not take
away from Kelly’s heroic actions of that day and the lesson she taught of
doing what we can, when we can, the best we can.
Kelly went on to work, changed into fresh scrubs, and worked her
regular 12 hour shift, with the humble knowledge that this was just part
of her life of service.
In appreciation for their donations, employees get a behind the scenes tour at the
SC Aquarium Sea Turtle Hospital.
The Roper St. Francis Perioperative Services and Materials Management
departments donated non-reusable medical/surgical supplies and equipment to
benefit the Charleston Animal Society (CAS) and the SC Aquarium Sea Turtle
Hospital.
Alisa Shackelford, RN, Clinical Manager for ACU and PACU at Bon Secours
St. Francis, started the donation program to CAS five years ago. Thanks to her
leadership, this team effort reached a significant milestone in November 2008,
with more than one ton of towels, drapes, syringes, catheters and more nonreusable supplies donated. In addition, RSFH Imaging recently raised more than
$600 to benefit the CAS and the animals under their care.
Perioperative Services give back
to the community
In the past year, the St. Francis Perioperative Services department has
found several ways to give back. They participate in the Trident United
Way’s Back Pack Buddy program and have adopted Haut Gap Middle
School on Johns Island. They pick up food from the Lowcountry Food
Bank and bring it back to the OR to be packed by the staff before
delivering to Haut Gap.
The department also always adopts a family in need at Christmas. This
year because of the struggling economy, they decided to adopt a Roper St.
Franci staff member and her family. The response was overwhelming, typical
for the OR staff to respond in their usual fashion of what can we do to help?
“I’m truly proud to lead such a group,” said Pam Smith, RN, CNOR, Clinical
Manager for the St. Francis Operating Room.
David Dunlap, Kelly Milward and Mark Dickson.
Acts of Kindness Program
Over 3,600 nominations have been received in the nearly 10 years of
the Acts of Kindess program. Every nominee receives a congratulatory
thank you letter from Mr. David Dunlap and a small appreciation gift.
Quarterly winners, as chosen by the Acts of Kindness committee, receive
a beautiful gift basket provided by outstanding volunteer, Darla Ryan.
The annual winner receives a check for $300.
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Pharmacy Indigent Care Program
helps patients pay for medications
St. Francis volunteers Beulah Gorecki and Dorothy Cordes
Volunteers play integral role in
creating excellent healthcare
The Indigent Care Program was created by Roper Hospital’s Pharmacy and
Outpatient Infusion Department to assist uninsured patients, underinsured
patients or patients who cannot afford the cost of their medications.
Historically, the Indigent Care Program has served outpatient oncology patients,
focusing on chemotherapy medications. As the program expanded, the
pharmacy hired an additional employee to become the full-time Indigent Care
Coordinator.
Anniefe Cereno, CPhT, took over the Indigent Care Program in March of
2006. While the program has continued to focus on outpatient oncology, it has
now expanded to assist with high-cost, non-chemotherapy medications for
inpatients along with those needing prescription assistance in outpatient
Radiation Oncology.
The Indigent Care Program assists approximately 10-12 patients per month.
Follow-ups occur for patients who have received help in the past to see if there
is a continued need for prescription assistance.
Since 2006, the Roper Hospital Pharmacy’s Indigent Care Program has
provided over $500,000 in free medications.
Over 450 volunteers served 82,097 hours throughout Roper
St. Francis Healthcare in 2008. Volunteers of all ages and stages in
their lives bring their time and talents to the Roper St. Francis team,
filling gaps and completing tasks with their own unique blends of
cheerfulness and service. According to the Independent Sector,
82,000 hours of volunteer time equals 40 full-time employees!
Pancake Fundraiser a big success
Roper St. Francis Case Management responded to the Lowcountry Food
Bank’s community call to help restock supplies to feed hungry families.
Healthcare professionals walk in new shoes
as Principals for the Day
In July 2008, the St. Francis Hospital peri-operative staff served
pancakes at the Applebee’s on Sam Rittenburg to raise money for the
American Heart Association’s Heart Walk.
East Cooper residents John Sullivan and Lisa Irvin were among the more
than 40 Charleston area business executives who learned first-hand what it takes
to be the top administrators of another kind of business – their neighborhood
schools. Principal for a Day, an initiative coordinated annually by Charleston
Metro Chamber of Commerce, The Education Foundation and the area’s
school districts, allows business leaders to see what the day-to-day work of a
principal involves and how business and school collaboration can be increased.
Sullivan, who is CEO of Mount Pleasant Hospital, spent the day with Principal
Deborah Price at Laing Middle School while Irvin, Nursing Vice President at
Roper Hospital, worked with Principal Karen Felder at Jennie Moore
Elementary School.
Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
The Roper St. Francis Cancer Center Team was recognized as the “Largest
Community Team” with 127 members at the Susan G. Komen Race for the
Cure on Daniel Island.
Above: John Sullivan, CEO of
Mount Pleasant Hospital, shoots to
score a basket at Laing Middle
School as students look on.
Left: Lisa Irvin, Vice President of
Nursing at Roper Hospital, reads to
first-graders at Jennie Moore
Elementary School.