800 North Fant Street • Anderson, SC 29621www.anmedhealth.org

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Greenville, SCPermit No. 374

16 Inside ANMED HEALTH

Fall 2014

ANMED HEALTH finalized an agreement with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston in August to become its first branch campus. Through the partnership, selected third- and fourth-year MUSC students will complete their final two years of education at AnMed Health. Six third-year students will arrive on campus in the fall of 2015. By 2017, a total of 24 medical students will train in Anderson each year – 12 in each class.

“Expanding medical education opportunities is an important part of our strategy to address the growing shortage of primary care physicians and specialists in our area and to improve future access to care,” said AnMed Health CEO John A. Miller, Jr. “MUSC’s long and esteemed record of preparing physicians for careers in all branches of medicine is very much aligned with this strategy, making the partnership a natural fit and a great thing for the Anderson community. We’re honored that MUSC chose AnMed Health as a partner.”

Students may apply for the Anderson program upon admission to MUSC. After

completing two years of basic medical training in Charleston, those who are selected will

spend their final two years of medical school at AnMed Health.

According to AnMed Health Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mike Tillirson, AnMed Health’s medical education program emphasizes primary care and seeks to recruit and

AnMed Health becomes a campus for MUSC medical students

retain students from the Upstate to continue their practice in the local community. AnMed Health’s partnership with South Carolina’s largest medical school also brings access to extensive research, the most current developments in medicine, and nationally-recognized experts in a wide range of specialties.

The majority of costs will be covered by tuition fees. However, AnMed Health will add two new faculty members in order to accommodate the program. In addition, $1 million was included in the state budget to help support the physical infrastructure for medical education at the Anderson-based MUSC branch campus in the future.

AnMed Health has offered medical education for physicians since 1974, when its three-year post-graduate

family medicine residency program was established. In 2013, in a partnership similar to the one being formed with MUSC, the health system became a clinical teaching site for third- and fourth-year medical students from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) in Spartanburg.

In addition to its traditional family medicine residency program, AnMed Health offers a rural track family medicine residency in Seneca as well as a one-year sports medicine fellowship program for physicians. The health system is also home to the only hospital-based training program for radiologic technologists in South Carolina, and offers an accredited clinical pastoral education program for chaplains.

Selected MUSC students will spend their final two years of medical school on the AnMed Health campus. Treating

depression without medication TMS therapy puts life back together for history teacher

Interpreters improve communication for non-English speaking patients

Chest Pain Center puts together life-saving strategy for heart attack patients

InsideANMED HEALTH

Inside AnMed Health is published quarterly for AnMed Health staff, friends and the community.

CONTACT

Marketing Department864.512.3703

MISSIONTo passionately blend the art of caring with the science of medicine to optimize the health of our patients, staff and community.

VISIONTo be recognized and celebrated as the gold standard for healthcare quality and community health improvement.

800 North Fant Street • Anderson, SC 29621864.512.1000 • www.anmedhealth.org

F R O M T H E C E O

Inside ANMED HEALTH 3

Chest Pain Center accreditationshows levels of commitmentAT ANMED HEALTH we continue to be recognized for both our high tech and our high touch focus on providing care. I like to share with you one of our latest accomplishments: earning accreditation as a Chest Pain Center with PCI. The designation means we are recognized for excellence in preparedness for -- and treatment of --chest pain. PCI is percutaneous coronary intervention, known to most as angioplasty, or the “balloon” that opens blocked arteries.

The length of time it takes someone suffering a heart attack to receive PCI is key to saving a heart, and a key measurement in determining whether a medical center meets the tough Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care standards for Chest Pain Center accreditation. We met the criteria – easily in some areas, such as the time it takes to get a “balloon” into a patient after he or she comes through the door.

This kind of medical expertise doesn’t come easy. It takes hours and hours of education and training and a team continually engaged in an effort to improve. But what I think may be most satisfying is a less obvious part of this success story.

Fact is, AnMed Health didn’t earn Chest Pain Center with PCI designation simply based on the actions we take after a patient comes in the door. Just as important is what happens before the patient arrives. Excellent pre-arrival care is critical. It can make the difference between living or dying, or living with a good heart or a bad one. That means EMS plays a critical role, both in treating the patient and communicating with our Emergency Department. EMS agencies throughout Anderson county have stepped up to do all they can to make sure that patients are ready for our cath lab team and the cath lab team is ready for the patient.

Because of our partnership with our County Emergency Services providers, treatment starts even before EMS arrives at our ED. AnMed Health is also proud to partner with the Anderson County Heart and Stroke Safe Community Initiative in our effort to distribute AEDs throughout the community. To date, we have placed 15 of the AEDs around the county and we are always at work to educate the public about how to spot the signs of a heart attack and how to react. We also are part of a larger ongoing effort to encourage people to live the kind of lifestyle that will reduce the incidents of heart attack.

The results are apparent in a better informed public and a better trained and prepared staff of medical professionals. The Chest Pain Center designation was awarded to AnMed Health, but in so many ways, the entire community earned it and we certainly all benefit from it.

Sincerely,

John A. Miller Jr., FACHE

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Graduations. Weddings. Backyard football games. These are moments we treasure and don’t want to miss. That’s why it’s good to know that advanced, life-saving heart care is no further than your own backyard. AnMed Health has been recognized by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care for demonstrating the highest level of expertise and quality care. By teaming up with area emergency responders, we ensure expert, seamless care – so that those we serve can live all of life’s moments to the fullest.

Visit us at AnMedHealth.org to learn more.

800 N Fant St • Anderson, SC 800.825.6688

RECOGNIZED BY THE SOCIETY OF CARDIOVASCULAR PATIENT CARE

ACCREDITED CHEST PAIN CENTER

RIGHT CARE, RIGHT HERE for chest pain

CONTENTS

4 Chest Pain Center puts together life-saving strategy for heart attack patients

6 Interpreters improve communication for non- English speaking patients

8 TMS therapy puts life back together for history teacher

10 A minute with Dr. Joseph Halliday

13 Foundation news

ON THE COVER: Cami Westall enjoys teaching history to college students again after undergoing TMS therapy to treat extreme depression.

Editor’s note: John A. Miller Jr. announced earlier this year that he would step away from the CEO’s chair and transition to a new position at AnMed Health. This will be his final Inside AnMed Health letter as CEO of the system.

Inside ANMED HEALTH 54 Inside ANMED HEALTH

JAMES HOLLINGSWORTH started his May 9 as he would any other day: taking care of chores and running errands. One of the errands placed him at a scheduled dermatology appointment.

While he sat in the waiting room, he began having what he thought was indigestion. He decided to cancel his appointment so he could leave and take something for heartburn.

But an alert nurse – one who spends his days working with skin conditions, not cardiac patients – recognized warning signs of heart trouble.

“The folks at the clinic said I wasn’t going anywhere, that I was having a heart attack,” Hollingsworth said.

Symptoms of a heart attack can mimic those of indigestion or heartburn and vary from person to person, according to Kimberly Irby, RN, BSN, CCCC, and coordinator of the Chest Pain Center at AnMed Health.

“We cannot stress enough the importance of recognizing the early symptoms of a heart attack and calling 911 as soon as possible. Minutes matter,” she said.

Hollingsworth says he never had heart problems and for the most part, he was healthy. But this day would be different.

“An ambulance came and got me and the next thing I knew I was being rushed to the hospital,” he said. “I was awake through the whole ride to the hospital. I never passed out and talked the whole time.”

One of the criteria of an accredited Chest Pain Center is to significantly reduce the time it takes a heart patient to get to the cardiac catheterization lab, where an interventional cardiologist can immediately begin life-saving angioplasty. Accredited hospitals must create effective systems to get patients from the time of first medical contact to the catheterization lab. The objective is to open a blocked coronary artery in the shortest time possible. Doing so decreases the chance of death from a heart attack and the amount of heart damage that could have long-term effects such as congestive heart failure.

As soon as Hollingsworth was in EMS care, they performed a 12-lead ECG that further indicated a heart attack. EMS notified AnMed Health immediately, so the heart attack team could be ready for his arrival. Hollingsworth bypassed the ER and went directly to the cath lab.

The American Heart Association says door-to-balloon time should be less than 90 minutes. Each 30-minute delay in restoring blood flow by angioplasty, often called a “balloon,” increases the one-year mortality by 7.5 percent. For Hollingsworth, the time was an incredible 12 minutes.

At 43 minutes, the average door-to-balloon time at AnMed Health is consistently well below the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology’s 90-minute benchmark.

When Minutes MatteredA nurse, an EMS team and the AnMed Health Chest Pain Center make all the right moves to save Hollingsworth’s life and preserve heart muscle

Hollingsworth later learned he had a 100 percent blockage in a main artery. The quick response and cooperation between EMS and the AnMed Health team not only saved his life, but minimized damage to the heart muscle.

“I spent two nights in the hospital, but I was ready to go home about an hour after the procedure if they had let me,” he said. “Everyone who took care of me was very nice and helpful, and answered all my questions. I am well pleased with the care I received.”

AnMed Health was recently accredited as a Chest Pain Center by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC), but the work and expertise that led to accreditation has been ongoing for years. Irby says accreditation is the result of efforts from many in the community and at the hospital to develop a system of care that is centered on communication and teamwork.

“Last year the ER at AnMed Health saw 96,000 patients; 4,300 of those were for chest pain,” she said. “Since minutes matter, we treat every patient with chest pain as if they are having a heart attack until proven otherwise. So it is very important to have clear communication and timely, high quality care throughout the entire process.”

To become an accredited Chest Pain Center, AnMed Health was held to a rigorous evaluation by the SCPC. By meeting the criteria, AnMed Health became better, not just with clinical care inside hospital walls but as an advocate for better care and better heart health throughout the community. Benefits include community education for heart disease and risk factor modification, lifesaving AEDs placed in public places throughout the county, and community education on CPR and calling 911.

Efforts were made to decrease treatment times and improve the communication system among area 911 dispatchers, EMS and hospital staff. The data support a consistent, high quality of care and a low mortality rate. AnMed Health’s mortality rate from heart attack is 2.3 percent, much lower the national benchmark of 9.1-10 percent.

AnMed Health has excelled in numerous areas of heart and vascular care, winning a number of awards and recognitions. Recent achievements include being one of only two hospitals in South Carolina named to Becker’s 100 top hospitals for heart care . In addition AnMed Health has won the Mission: Lifeline Platinum performance award, in addition to the recent accreditation by the SCPC.

The accolades are nice, but to the clinical staff and the patients they treat, the real reward comes in the continued health of people like Hollingsworth, who never expected to see the inside of a cath lab.

“I haven’t had much dealing with hospitals,” he said. “I’ve always been healthy and never would’ve imagined I was having a heart attack.”

Minutes Matter. Don’t Delay.If you have any of these symptoms or think you’re having a heart attack, call 911 right away:• Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck or back• Feeling weak, light-headed or faint• Chest pain or pressure • Pain or discomfort in arms or shoulder• Shortness of breath

Often, women do not experience the same heart attack warning signs as men, which is one of the reasons why heart disease is the #1 killer of women. Common early heart attack warning signs in women are:• Lower chest pain or abdominal pain• Pressure• Light headedness, feeling faint or sweating• Back pain• Dizziness• Nausea

Inside ANMED HEALTH 7

FEW PEOPLE APPRECIATE the AnMed Health Diversity and Language Services Department quite as much as José Perez.

He retired this past May and is now a full-time caregiver to his mother, Elvira. And for as long as he can remember, Mr. Perez has accompanied her to doctor and hospital visits in order to translate every conversation between her and the medical staff.

Now, thanks to the interpretation services provided at AnMed Health, Mrs. Perez may speak to her doctor about any health issues without placing that burden on her son. Mr. Perez goes along now as a supporting and loving son, while the interpreter takes on the responsibility of making sure Mrs. Perez and her medical team understand one another completely.

This team of highly qualified and annually trained staff members provided nearly 17,000 medical interpretation encounters at AnMed Heath campuses, clinics and offices last year. The numbers continue to grow.

The Perez family moved here from Houston, Texas, where an English-speaking caregiver or friend always went along to appointments and emergency visits with Mrs. Perez.

“After my initial visit to the AnMed Health Williamston Family Practice, I knew my mother would be fine without me there to interpret for her,” Mr. Perez said. “The interpreters are so caring. They make my mother very comfortable. I can relax knowing that the doctor will get and receive accurate information about my mother. My wife does not speak English, but I feel confident sending the two of them to appointments without me.”

The department began years ago when a small group of bilingual women decided the non-English speaking patients in the Anderson community needed someone to provide them with a sense of security during medical times of need. They developed an internal test for potential interpreters before allowing them to provide their services at the hospital. They also coordinated a group of internal staff members who were bilingual and willing to help.

In 2001, AnMed Health took it a step further and formed a department.

“The investment AnMed Health makes culturally and linguistically is far greater than only providing a service mandated by federal law, and it’s provided free of charge to our patients,” said Juana Slade, director of Diversity and Language Services. “Our clinicians deserve the protection and freedom a certified and accredited interpreter provides so they may do their job and do it well without the added stress of wondering if critical information is being lost in translation.”

When a patient enters an AnMed Health facility speaking a language other than English, interpretation assistance is immediately provided whether in person, telephonically or by video remote, 24 hours a day, every day.

Janine Ferrá, Diversity and Language Services manager, is passionate about the service.

Diversity and Language Services improves care

“Regulations and guidelines will not allow a bilingual family member to do the interpreting,” she said. “However, we do understand how incredibly important a family member is as a support system to the patient, and we encourage them to be a part of the process.”

Ferrá says Spanish, Russian, American Sign Language, Vietnamese and five languages of India are currently the most requested.

“We have seven accredited or certified interpreters in our department here at AnMed Health. Each and every one has passed a rigorous test where fluency in a foreign language and medical terminology is essential to performing their function as an interpreter,” she said. “We also contract out to six other certified interpreters and have access to interpreters who speak over 250 languages combined. So, no matter who walks through the doors of one of our clinics or hospital campuses, we profess the efficiency to interpret for any medical situation.”

Ferrá and Vilma Gilcrist currently hold the national Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CHI) credential along with only 1,500 others in the United States. With 4 percent of the local community speaking a language other than English at home, the need for their services is here to stay. Ferrá’s challenge to every AnMed Health interpreter is earn the CCHI credential by the end of 2016.

It’s essential to providing the best in healthcare, and peace of mind for family members like Jose Perez.

“I trust that the interpreters at AnMed Health will ensure my mother receives excellent care,” he said. “We are very pleased with how thoroughly they take care of her.”

When a patient enters an AnMed Health facility speaking a language other than English, interpretation assistance is immediately provided whether in person, telephonically or by video remote, 24 hours a day, every day.

Elvira Perez gets medical attention from Sue Waldon of AnMed Health Pendleton Family Medicine with the assistance of Janine Ferrá, a certified interpreter and manager of Diversity and Language Services.

6 Inside ANMED HEALTH

José Perez served as interpreter for almost all of his mother’s medical appointments for years. Now he goes as a supportive son, and leaves interpreting for the professionals.

CAMI WESTALL WAS 12 when she started having problems with depression. Now, at age 33, she has finally found some relief, thanks to treatment at the AnMed Health TMS Center of the Upstate.

Westall was in her 20s when episodes of depression started occurring regularly, every two to three years.

“The anguish that I had to combat every day made me want to curl up in a ball and not wake up. Then I would feel guilty because I thought I shouldn’t be struggling,” she said. “I felt a lot of anger that I had to struggle with depression repeatedly, and few people could understand what I was going through.”

Westall said she also felt a lot of resentment that the medications that worked for many other people were not working for her.

“There were constant tears and sorrow and a lot of doubt that this would ever go away. It was just a cloud hanging over my head,” she said. “I was being tormented on the inside over and over again with seemingly no end in sight.”

Westall tried multiple types of medications as well as Christian counseling and psychotherapy in an effort to ease her symptoms, but nothing seemed to help. After struggling for a year with her most recent episode, Westall says her ability to do her job — teaching history at Piedmont Technical

College — was hindered. Worse than that, she was starting to think about suicide. That’s when her psychiatrist recommended TMS therapy.

TMS — transcranial

magnetic stimulation — uses magnetic waves to stimulate targeted areas of the brain that are responsible for depression. According to Dr. Fahd Zarrouf, TMS improves the neuroplasticity of brain cells

TMS therapy: Treating depression without medication

— the brain’s ability to form new neural connections — though the reason why TMS works is not completely clear. What is clear, however, are the results.

Forty-eight percent of TMS patients reported recovery from their depression after one course of treatments, and 83 percent reported at least some improvement said Zarrouf. The effects of TMS seem to be long lasting as well. After 12 months, 45 percent of patients reported full remission of their depression.

Zarrouf said TMS has few side effects, especially compared to anti-depressants and other medications. The most common side effect is tingling or mild pain in the area of application during treatment.

Westall discovered that her insurance plan would cover TMS, and after learning more about the treatments, she decided to give it a try.

Westall went through 35 TMS treatments. It was when she was about halfway through that she noticed improvement.

“It was very subtle. I was driving home to Greenwood one day after therapy when I had this epiphany that I didn’t want to go lay down in bed and die. I wasn’t in tears or immersed in darkness and sadness. It was an exciting revelation,” she said.

Westall finished her round of treatments in August and says she finally

feels free of the depression that burdened her for so many years.

“I enjoy being in the classroom again, and I enjoy the time I have with my students. I don’t feel weighed down by these emotional episodes anymore. I can wake up and enjoy the day again. I consider that a victory,” she said.

Zarrouf said TMS is approved for patients who have been diagnosed with depression and who have tried one or more medications without improvement.

Westall said she would recommend TMS to anyone suffering from depression.

“AnMed Health has such a caring staff, and TMS has proven results. There has been a lot of research over the years that has led to improvements in depression treatments. This is one of them,” she said.

The AnMed Health TMS Center of the Upstate was the first center in Upstate South Carolina to offer TMS, and it is one of the few centers in the country that offers both NeuroStar and Brainsway TMS therapies. Since it opened in 2011, the center has administered some 2,490 treatments to 83 patients.

To find out if you are a candidate for TMS treatment, contact the AnMed Health TMS Center of the Upstate, located at the North Campus, 2000 E. Greenville St. in Anderson. Or call 864.512.4935.

6 ways to avoid holiday depression1. Be reasonable with your schedule. Do not overbook yourself into a state of exhaustion.2. Decide on your priorities and stick to them. Organize your time.3. Remember, no matter what our plans, the holidays do not automatically take away feelings of aloneness, sadness, frustration, anger and fear.4. Be careful about resentments related to the past, especially those related to holidays. Declare an amnesty with the family member or friend for whom you feel past resentments. 5. Don’t expect the holidays to be like they were when you were a child. You are not the same as when you were a child, and no one else in the family is either.6. If you drink, do not let the holidays become a reason for over-indulging and hangovers. Alcohol will exacerbate your depression and anxiety.

Dr. Fahd Zarrouf

“I enjoy being in the classroom again, and I enjoy the time I have with my students. I don’t feel weighed down by these emotional episodes anymore. I can wake up and enjoy the day again. I consider that a victory,”

Westall enjoys being in front of her college history classes again after undergoing TMS treatment.

Inside ANMED HEALTH 98 Inside ANMED HEALTH

Inside ANMED HEALTH 1110 Inside ANMED HEALTH

N E W S B R I E F SM . D . M I N U T E

Dr. Joseph Halliday

A conversation with Dr. Joseph Halliday Dr. Joseph Halliday is a consultative physician who cares for inpatients at AnMed Health. He specializes in infectious diseases. He joined the staff at the Medical Center just as the first case of Ebola diagnosed in the United States was discovered in Dallas, Texas.

U.S. News ranks AnMed Health among the best in South Carolina

When U.S. News & World Report released its annual Best Hospitals rankings for 2014, AnMed Health was named among the state’s best.

This year’s Best Hospitals, the 25th annual edition, put a higher emphasis on patient safety than in previous years.

AnMed Health ranked second out of 90 hospitals in South Carolina – tied with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) – and was recognized among the Best Hospitals in the Upstate. AnMed Health also was listed as high-performing in gastroenterology and GI surgery; geriatrics; nephrology; neurology and neurosurgery; orthopaedics; pulmonology; and urology.

The hospital rankings, said U.S. News Health Rankings Editor Avery Comarow, help steer patients to hospitals with strong skills in the procedures and medical conditions that present the biggest challenges.

“U.S. News strives to provide patients and their families with the most comprehensive data available on hospitals each year,” Comarow said. “…Measuring safety performance is critical to understanding how well a hospital cares for its patients.”

The 2014-15 rankings appear in the U.S. News Best Hospitals 2015 guidebook.

Becker’s Hospital Review puts AnMed Health on list of 100 great places for heart care

AnMed Health has made the Becker’s Hospital Review list of “100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Heart Programs.” This is the second year in a row that AnMed Health has been included on the list.

The hospitals featured on the list lead the nation in cardiovascular and thoracic healthcare. Many have pioneered groundbreaking programs, treatments or research, and all have received recognition from reputable sources for top-of-the-line patient care.

This is the fifth time Becker’s Hospital Review has compiled this list and the third time it has included 100 hospitals.

For this year’s list, the Becker’s Hospital Review editorial team selected hospitals for inclusion based on several rankings and awards.

Becker’s Hospital Review is a monthly publication offering up-to-date business and legal news and analysis relating to hospitals and health systems.

LifeFlight becomes first in the area to carry life-saving plasma on all calls

With the help of technology tested in Afghan battlefields, LifeFlight’s emergency crew is equipped to use blood products to prevent a clotting disorder common in trauma cases and responsible for higher mortality rates.

AnMed Health LifeFlight became one of a handful of programs in the country to carry blood and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) on every call.

“Overall, the majority of trauma patients at a scene that requires LifeFlight will ultimately need multiple units of blood while in the Emergency Department or surgery,” said Paul Hubbard, director of LifeFlight. “Having blood or FFP with us at all times improves their chances of survival. It’s not easy to have a ready supply, though, and that’s why we’re one of only a few doing this.”

Keeping blood and FFP close, ready and safe is the responsibility of the flight team using a special cooler that was tested and used by the American military in Afghanistan. Each cooler has a device to monitor temperature and download the information to computers for documentation.

During each 12-hour shift, the cooler is assigned to a designated team member. At the end of 24 hours, the blood products are inventoried and replaced as needed to meet standards.

THE 411 ON DR. JOSEPH HALLIDAY

Specialty: Infectious disease

Practice: AnMed Health Medical Center

Location: 800 North Fant Street, Anderson, S.C. 29621

Phone: 864.512.1000

Q: Why did you choose to enter medicine?A. Growing up I had a lot of respect for physicians. My father worked as an X-ray engineer in the radiology department of a local hospital in Florida where I grew up and my brother, sister and I spent a lot of time seeing an allergist for asthma and allergies. Ultimately my interest in anatomy and biology while in college led me on the path to where I am today.

Q: What attracted you to your specialty in infectious disease?A. I find the microbes and the infectious diseases they cause to be fascinating. Infectious disease docs are often called to see difficult cases in which the diagnosis is unclear. To be able to assist in making the diagnosis with those cases is very rewarding and is what drew me to infectious disease.

Q: Did it ever concern you that you were entering a field in which you could be harmed by the condition of your patients? A. No. There are a number of infectious diseases that health care providers are likely to come in contact with and some may become very ill. Take influenza for example. We protect ourselves as best we can by staying up to date with our vaccinations and follow the proper infection prevention guidelines and that is the best we can do. Our first duty should always to be to take care of the patient.

Q: What do we know about Ebola now that we didn’t know a year ago?A. There is still a lot that is not known about the Ebola virus. What we do know is how it is spread and how we can contain outbreaks. It is spread by contact with bodily fluids of symptomatic infected persons so the primary objective is to

identify and isolate those patients that are infected with the virus while they are treated.

Q: Are you encouraged by the way the health care industry as a whole has prepared to handle Ebola cases?A. I think that how organizations such as the CDC and our local health agencies have disseminated information on how to best care for a patient with Ebola has been remarkable and I am encouraged.

Q: What do you say to people who are worried about the spread of Ebola in the United States?A. It is extremely unlikely that Ebola will be able to spread in the United States. Our health care infrastructure is too strong to ever foresee that happening.

Q: Do you find our social habits frustrating when you know it’s the reason for the spread of infectious conditions such as flu?A. Modern medicine and the germ theory of disease is one of the greatest feats of mankind thus far. We have drastically decreased the amount of people dying from infectious diseases and continually increase the average life expectancy. With that said, if people washed their hands, got their vaccines, and stayed at home when they became sick, society would be much better off, especially during flu season.

Q: What would you be doing if you were not a doctor?A. I love music and food. I suppose I might own and operate a restaurant with live music.

AnMed Health named Top PerformerAnMed Health has been recognized as a 2013 Top Performer on Key Quality

Measures® by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in the United States. AnMed Health was recognized as part of The Joint Commission’s 2014 annual report “America’s Hospitals: Improving Quality and Safety,” for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care.

“Having blood or FFP with us at all times improves their chances of survival. It’s not easy to have a ready supply, though, and that’s why we’re one of only a few doing this.”

12 Inside ANMED HEALTH Inside ANMED HEALTH 13

VisionsN E W S B R I E F S F O U N D AT I O N N E W S

Dr. Kenneth A. Arney, a board certified physician in internal medicine, has joined AnMed Health and InCompass Health. He is a hospitalist who specializes in internal and emergency medicine. After medical school at Ross University Dominica he completed residency at Georgia Health Sciences University.

Dr. Callie Barnwell has joined the staff at AnMed Health Kids’ Care. She graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina and completed her residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s Department of Pediatrics.

Eric McGill Bryant Sr., D.M.D., has joined the AnMed Health Medical staff. He graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina and completed residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery. He has started a new practice, Blue Ridge Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Dr. Tara Jameson Drew joined Anderson Emergency Associates on Aug. 1. She earned her medical degree from Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine and did her residency at Sparrow Hospital and Ingham Regional Medical Center in Lansing, Mich., through Michigan State University’s residency program.

Dr. Joseph Halliday has joined the AnMed Health medical staff. He is board certified in internal medicine. Dr. Halliday graduated from Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed residency at Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed a fellowship in infectious disease from the University of South Florida College of Medicine.

Dr. Matthew K. Hamilton joined Anesthesiology Associates of Anderson. Dr. Hamilton completed a residency at Vanderbilt Medical Center and medical school at Mercer School of Medicine.

Dr. Betty J. Lackey, has joined Support Care Services at AnMed Health. She graduated from the Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency at the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed fellowships in geriatric medicine at the University of Florida and hospice and palliative medicine at the University of South Florida.

Dr. Isi Obadan, a board certified internist and infectious disease specialist, has joined AnMed Health medical staff and InCompass Health. He earned his medical degree at the University of Benin in Nigeria and a master’s in public health (epidemiology) at Boston University School of Public Health.

Dr. Thomas J. Serey has joined AnMed Health Urology. Dr. Serey comes from Commonwealth Urology in Danville, Ky., where he provided medical care since 1997. He earned his medical degree from the University of Kentucky and completed an internship and residency at the Medical College of Virginia. He is certified by the American Board of Urology.

Dr. G. Steven Suits has joined AnMed Health CareConnect in Clemson. He is a board-certified physician with added qualifications in surgical critical care. He graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina and completed residencies at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center (general surgery) and Children’s National Medical Center (pediatric surgery) in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Alex Tuten has joined Diagnostic Radiology of Anderson. He earned his medical degree from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. Dr. Tuten completed residency at the University of South Alabama in diagnostic radiology and a fellowship at Emory University Hospital.

Dr. Anita M. Vagnoni has joined the staff of the Congestive Heart Failure Clinic. She earned her medical degree from West Virginia University School of Medicine and completed her residency at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa.

Dr. Beth Wittenberg has joined AnMed Health Women’s and Children’s Hospital as a pediatric hospitalist. She went to the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University and completed her residency at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Dr. Peter L. Zervos has joined AnMed Health medical staff and InCompass Health. He was chief resident and instructor at the West Virginia University School of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Crista M. Ziccardi has joined Palmetto Podiatry Group of Anderson. She has a DPM from Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine in Philadelphia. She completed residency at Veterans Affairs in the New Jersey Health Care System and a fellowship in dermatopathology at Bako Pathology in Alpharetta, Ga.

AnMed Health welcomes new physiciansThe following physicians have joined the AnMed Health medical staff over the last several months:

Dr. Arney

Dr. Barnwell

Dr. Bryant

Dr. Drew

Dr. Halliday

Dr. Hamilton

Dr. Lackey

Dr. Obadan

Dr. Serey

Dr. Suits

Dr. Tuten

Dr. Vagnoni

Dr. Wittenberg

Dr. Zervos

Dr. Ziccardi

JOHN BURCH OF BELTON has looked after a lot of people in his lifetime.

The World War II master sergeant was in charge of 500 prisoners of war after taking part in the Battle of the Rhine, and in the decades that followed he played a role in looking after family and friends whenever they needed it.

Today, vigilant friends and neighbors keep an eye on him, and his daughter

A veteran at peaceFreedom Link means help is close in an emergency

stays in constant contact. And he gets around just fine for a man of 93.

“I’m making it on my own,” Burch says, proudly wearing his American Legion uniform. He fingers the Freedom Link personal help button he keeps on a lanyard around his neck. “I feel secure with this. I know help is close if I push this button.”

The button calls for help. For Burch,

the button alerts neighbors first and then emergency services. Freedom Link is a personal emergency response service designed with the elderly and disabled in mind. Freedom Link allows subscribers to maintain their quality of life and independent living in their own homes. It gives them and their families peace of mind to know that help is at the end of the button.

A widower, Burch has lived alone since moving to South Carolina in 2008 from Mississippi, where the lieutenant colonel continues to be an active member of the Mississippi State Guard. With service in Europe and the Pacific during World War II, he has endured some harrowing experiences, including being aboard a ship that almost capsized.

But it was a fall at home a few years ago that made him feel most vulnerable. It took almost an hour for help to arrive that day.

“It feels mighty good having it (Freedom Link) around my neck,” he says. “I don’t take it off even when I shower because I might not remember to put it back on.”

AnMed Health Freedom Link, formerly known as LifeLine, has a new location at 700 E. Greenville St., Anderson, inside the AnMed Health Pharmacy.

The service is also good for children who stay at home alone after school. With the push of a single button, Freedom Link provides 24-hour access to health without a telephone.

Freedom Link also provides a medication management system that uses beeps, lights and phone calls to remind subscribers when to take their medicine.

Contact Freedom Link at 855-798-9950, or visit the showroom at 700 E. Greenville St.

Gifts to the AnMed Health Foundation help keep people like Lt. Col. John Burch where they want to be – at home. The Foundation supports Freedom Link and other efforts to make Anderson County a healthier, safer place to live. Find out more about the Foundation, its causes and how to give at www.anmedhealthfoundation.org. Or call 864.512.3477.

Turning 94 soon, John Burch remains active with the assurance that Freedom Link means help is always nearby.

14 Inside ANMED HEALTH Inside ANMED HEALTH 15

About The AnMed Health Foundation: Established as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1992, the AnMed Health Foundation develops fundraising opportunities in support of healthcare programs and services at AnMed Health. Areas of support are Camp Asthmania, Cancer Care Assistance Fund, Chaplain’s Fund, Peggy G. Deane Nursing Professional Development Fund, Doclink, Employee Financial Assistance Fund, Freedom Link, Mobile Diagnostic Unit, Pediatric Therapy Works and Safe Kids.

F O U N D AT I O N N E W S Because of contributions to the AnMed Health Foundation, hopelessness is replaced with promise. Thanks to all our donors and supporters for improving the life and health of your community.

Q. Why did you throw your support behind the AnMed Health Foundation?A. I have been blessed in untold ways throughout my life and through my newspaper career. I firmly believe in generously giving back from those blessings I have received.

AnMed Health, like the Independent Mail while I was publisher, covers Anderson, Oconee, Pickens and Abbeville counties as well as the counties in Georgia surrounding Lake Hartwell. My gifts and efforts in support of AnMed Health Foundation are a way to ensure everyone who lives in those areas has access to quality health care in a state-of-the-art environment.

Q. What does it mean to you personally to have a strong health system based right here in Anderson County?A. My mother was a surgical nurse. She visited us once before her death seven years ago. During her visit, I gave her a tour of AnMed Health campuses and she was amazed to see the quality of hospital and healthcare in a community this size. Plus, my wife and I have lived in five small to large communities across the United States and we would rank AnMed Health System at the top of the hospitals in those communities.

Q. How does your background in newspaper publishing assist in the work you do for the Foundation and other civic causes?A. My college degree is in advertising. I spent 33 years in sales as an account executive, sales manager, sales director and as a publisher. Advertising sales is the lifeblood of any publication, and in the newspaper business you are always selling. So I tell people my job was to shake hands, build relationships and ask for money. Asking for money has been my life for 37 years. My willingness to help raise money, while giving of my own, has benefited the organizations I serve.

Frank P. “Butch” Hughes III

The 21st annual Camellia Ball is 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, at the Civic Center of Anderson.

Proceeds from the annual Camellia Ball support AnMed Health Pediatric Therapy Works, a program on a mission to make a difference in the lives of children with special needs. Pediatric Therapy Works provides specialized occupational, physical and speech therapy services. The program is unique in the Upstate and serves children with conditions such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, Down syndrome and autism.

Painting it PinkThe first Paint It Pink fund-raising event for the Cancer Care Assistance Fund was so successful that a second night was quickly scheduled. In all, 52 people turned out to the Cabernet Canvas for an art lesson, socializing and a chance to create art and support a good cause. The canvases were displayed at the AnMed Health Cancer Center, with $5 from each entry supporting the fund.

SAVE THE DATE

Children win at Kids Classic The AnMed Health Foundation raised about $47,000 at the 5th annual Kids Classic golf tournament, played this year at The Cliffs at Keowee Vinyards. The event was sponsored by Network Controls (title sponsor), M.J. Harris Inc. (dinner sponsor) and Clarus Linens (hospitality sponsor), and attracted 96 players to the links on Oct. 13. The tournament benefits Safe Kids, Doc Link and Reach out and Read.

TOP AND LEFT: Painters raise money while receiving an art lesson at the Cabernet Canvas. Owners George and Carolyn Willems (above) present a $300 check to the AnMed Health Foundation.

A pair of golfers assess one of the holes during the annual Kids Classic.

BOARD PROFILE

Meet Frank P. “Butch” Hughes Frank P. “Butch” Hughes III has remained active in the community since retiring from the Anderson Independent Mail at the end of 2010. In addition to serving the AnMed Health Foundation, he is a member of the Board of Visitors of Anderson University and has served on the boards of Innovate Anderson, the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce, Meals on Wheels and Senior Solutions. He teaches Sunday school at Boulevard Baptist Church.

Q. Which of the Foundation’s events is closest to your heart? Why?A. I like to play golf, though not as often as I would like. So the Foundation’s event closest to my heart is the annual Kids Classic Golf Tournament played in October. This golf tournament raises critical funds for the AnMed Health Children’s Health Center. Kids Classic funds are used to ensure that children, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances, have access to quality health care.

Q. Why do you recommend that your friends and neighbors support The AnMed Health Foundation?A. I am reminded of the parable of the Good Samaritan. I would ask them to join me in filling an important need in this community – enabling area residents to receive important health services and treatments locally regardless of their ability to pay; and providing new technology in diagnostics and advanced treatments to AnMed Health.

Q. What makes for a perfect day of golf? And what tops a perfect day of golf?A. A perfect day of golf is spending 4-5 hours outdoors with good friends, enjoying a game we love to play regardless of whether we are playing good or bad. I thoroughly enjoy shaking hands at the end of a round of golf, seeing the smiles of friends, all the while making plans to do it all over again as soon as possible. Golf is just a game. So, any fund-raising campaign I actively participate in that reaches or exceeds goal tops a perfect day of golf – as long as I can celebrate that success with a round of golf.

Foundation Ambassadors graduate

Pictured are (front) Kym Cleveland, Kelly Cleveland, Eleanor Dorn and (back row) Fred Lloyd, Jimmy Lindsey, John Wright Jr. and Cary Hughes. Not pictured are Mykael Ramsey Bibb, Chris Cauley, Terence Hassan, Marshall Pickens III, Greg Shore and John Waters.