Skin Cancer on the Rise Among Young People

May 15, 2012 under Karen Potter

I read a startling study this week from the Mayo Clinic that says skin cancer (also known as melanoma) is on the rise among young people, especially young women. As someone who spent all of her childhood summers at the neighborhood pool, this study certainly got my attention!

The study found that between 1970 and 2009, the incidence of melanoma increased by eight-fold among young women and four-fold among young men. This is significant in that the incidence of melanoma is generally higher in men than it is in women. Researchers surmised that this finding may be explained by some gender-specific behaviors that lead to different UV light exposure. For example, young women are more likely than young men to participate in activities that increase the risk of melanoma, including voluntary exposure to artificial sunlamps and tanning beds.

The good news, however, is that death from melanoma is actually decreasing in young people, most likely due to earlier diagnosis. This is why annual skin screenings are so important, and why GHS and the Piedmont Dermatological Society are teaming up to offer a FREE screening this Saturday, May 19, 9-11 a.m., at GHS’ Patewood Medical Campus. There are only a few spots left, so register now at www.ghs.org/360healthed. (If the screening is full, you can schedule an appointment with your own dermatologist or find one at www.ghs.org. Be sure to click “Find a Physician” on the left side of the home page.)

It’s also important to practice sun safety when you are outdoors. One easy way to remember what to do is to recite the American Cancer Society’s catch phrase: Slip! Slop! Slap! …and Wrap! This means …

1) Slip on a shirt (long sleeves and a dark color recommended)
2) Slop on sunscreen (SPF of 30 or more is recommended)
3) Slap on a hat (2-3” brim all around is recommended)
4) Wrap on sunglasses (99% UV absorption recommended)

The American Cancer Society also recommends seeking shade and avoiding tanning beds and sunlamps. More information can be found on their website: http://bit.ly/JgXzxz.

It’s also important to remember that not all melanomas can be prevented, but you can start taking steps now to reduce your risk.

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Happy Nurses Week!

May 9, 2012 under Guest Blogger

By Michelle Taylor-Smith, RN BSN MSN NE-BC FACHE
GHS Chief Nursing Officer

Three million nurses in the United States join in celebration and recommitment to our profession and the care of patients and families in a myriad of venues this week, which is National Nurses Week. One of many unique characteristics of the profession of nursing is the diversity in which we may practice —hospital bedside, classroom, clinics, shelters, in the community, churches, schools, mission… and the list goes on and on!

As the chief nursing officer at Greenville Hospital System, I am proud to be part of such a noble profession.

In nursing, there is never cause to be bored. But certainly cause to pause and be thankful for the opportunity to serve. To be thankful for the opportunity of choice. To be thankful for the opportunity to be an active participant in a profession more than 150 years old.To be thankful for the opportunity to partner with our physicians in the care of human life across the lifespan!

There is so much change in our immediate environment and overall healthcare landscape today. Patient complexities, technology, research, resources, legislation, workforce challenges and overall healthcare access are just a few of the priority issues that could potentially impact the way we provide care to our patients.

One key mission for us as nurses is to foster healing and represent hope in whatever setting that we are present. On the clock … or off!

As Florence Nightingale, our founder of nursing as a modern profession, so well articulated:

  • We pledge to practice our profession faithfully.
  • We pledge to devote ourselves to the welfare of those committed to our care.
  • We pledge to elevate the standards of our Profession.

Be Proud. Go Forth and Serve, Re-Commit to Professional Excellence via Life-Long Learning, Evidence-Based Practice and Research, and Remember that “Nursing is the Finest of Arts.”

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It’s Swamp Rabbit Time!

May 2, 2012 under Sally Foister

The warm weather is here and that means one thing to me … people will come out of hibernation to get out on the GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail. In fact, this Friday night close to 5,000 of them will be participating in the annual GHS Swamp Rabbit 5K. More about this later.

I’ve posted about the trail in the past (http://tinyurl.com/7bcbqt6) – about how proud I am of GHS being the title sponsor, how the trail is an example of us improving the health of the communities we serve, and also contributing to economic development of the area.

A recent study, which was a collaborative effort between Greenville County Recreation District (GCRD), Upstate Forever, and Furman University’s Dr. Julian Reed, provides data supporting these ideas. A few key findings from the study:

  • 350,000 users a year on Swamp Rabbit Trail!
  • Eighty percent of those users are bicyclists!
  • The trail provides transportation benefits, encourages economic development, increases quality of life, and improves the environment!
  • Economic impact of the trail was found to be dramatic!

Wow! How awesome! (To learn more impressive findings, CLICK HERE.) I was so excited to read this article. We all know how it feels to have our expectations met. In this case, the benefits of the trail have exceeded my personal and professional goals. The trail is and will continue to be a community asset.

If you’re local and haven’t been on the trail, come try it out Friday night during the GHS Swamp Rabbit 5K. You can still register in person Thursday at the Greenville Hilton from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. or at Gateway Park in Travelers Rest Friday starting at 11:00 a.m. Cash and check accepted. The fee is just $11 and you’ll still get a T-shirt!

You can walk, run, push strollers … sorry, no bikes or pets. Even if you’re not local, Greenville is a great place to visit. The trail is the icing on the cake, and so much more.

As the saying goes … “Happy trails to you!”

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The Next Generation of Physicians

April 26, 2012 under Karen Potter

I had the pleasure of attending a student preview day for the University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Greenville last weekend. In case you haven’t heard yet, USC is expanding their medical school program in Greenville to include all four years. GHS has been training third- and fourth-year medical students since the 1990s. These students would complete their first two years in Columbia and then come to Greenville for their third and fourth years. Now – thanks to this new expanded program – students can complete all four years of medical school right here in Greenville!

The faculty had a lot of information to share with these prospective students on Saturday, but one of the figures they shared really caught my attention. Since October 2011, when the school received accreditation from the Association of American Medical Colleges, they’ve received more than 1,000 student applications! And from those 1,000+ applications, they have narrowed the pool down to their top 50 students. Yes, 50! How did they do that?! From what I understand, they are looking for students who not only meet certain GPA and testing requirements but are empathetic and patient-focused. How cool is that?! I know I much prefer to see a physician who genuinely cares about my health and is willing to take the time to listen to my concerns and address them. Don’t you?

These students will also be trained in a way that allows them to be responsive to the changing health care needs of our society. This is great news considering our state and nation are in the midst of a physician shortage that is expected to worsen as more physicians retire and baby boomers age. I must say that after hearing all of this and reading the school’s guiding principles, I am relieved to know that the next generation of physicians will be adequately prepared to deal with me in my old age.

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Linking Hands For Life

April 18, 2012 under Guest Blogger

Ten minutes…that’s the time it takes to fill up our car or to watch a third of our favorite sitcom on TV. It’s also how often another person is added to the national transplant waiting list. That’s a staggering statistic, but is one that we all have the power to change. If more people decided to become organ, eye and tissue donors, more lives could be saved or improved.

Unfortunately, many on the waiting list never receive that gift of life. An average of 18 people a day in the United States die waiting. One of those was my best friend, Russ, who died in need of a liver transplant caused by a genetic disorder that slowly took his life away. Russ knew for 10 years that he would die if he did not receive a new liver but still kept a positive attitude about life and lived it to the fullest. Two years before he died he was sick enough to be put on the transplant waiting list and his health declined steadily after that. Just four days before Christmas in 2004, his time ran out.

Now, bringing awareness about the need for more organ, eye and tissue donors is not only my job; it is very personal to me. I ask you the question, “What if it was your best friend, child, sibling, parent, or spouse?” Please consider registering to be an donor.

April is National Donate Life Month and is an opportune time to learn more about organ, eye and tissue donation. Currently there are approximately 1,000 people in South Carolina on the transplant waiting list and that number grows to over 113,000 nationwide. LifePoint and Donate Life South Carolina are holding four special events called Linking Hands For Life during the month of April.

In the Upstate, LifePoint and Donate Life South Carolina have partnered with Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center to organize our first-time Upstate Linking Hands for Life. It will be this Saturday, April 21, 2012 at 2pm at GHS’s Patewood Medical Campus. There will be a limited number of free t-shirts for those who arrive early. Live music from the Swingin’ Richards will begin at 1:30 PM and will continue after the ceremony concludes. A balloon artist will be making balloon art for the kids.

We hope to have a large number of people at the event to help raise awareness about the need for more organ, eye and tissue donors. A brief ceremony on the medical campus lawn will be followed by those in attendance linking hands as a symbolic chain of remembrance and thanksgiving that will represent the cycle of life.

We will be recognizing one of GHS’s own employee’s, Marisa Southern, and her son who is a transplant recipient. Marrisa is the charge nurse at Patewood Outpatient Surgery in the Operating Room. Her son’s life was saved at age 19 by a kidney transplant.

Because we are partnering with Greenville Hospital University Medical Center to hold this event, we have decided to recognize those in attendance from GHS, WYFF, and LifePoint that participated in WYFF’s Peabody award winning documentary Chronicle:“Paul’s Gift” . In addition, we will honor Paul’s widow, one of his organ recipients, and other patients featured in the documentary. Hans Wenzel will be performing his award winning song he wrote about donation after the death of his friend Paul. This song was featured in the Chronicle episode.

This should be a very special occasion. I hope that you will make the commitment to come spend an hour or so with us this Saturday at 2pm at the Patewood Medical Campus in support of organ, eye and tissue donation. For more information, visit DonateLifeSC.org.

About Mark Johnson
Mark Johnson is the media relations coordinator for LifePoint, the organ and tissue recovery organization for South Carolina. He can be reached at johnsonm@lifepoint-sc.org. To register on the South Carolina Organ and Tissue Donor Registry go to DonateLifeSC.org.

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Entrepreneurship and Innovation right here at GHS

April 10, 2012 under Guest Blogger

As a vascular surgeon, I see first-hand the life-saving capabilities of medical science and technology – but also, too often, its limitations.
This week, the FDA announced an innovative new program called Innovation Pathway which uses collaboration with innovators to speed important medical devices to market while still safeguarding patient safety. CreatiVasc Medical, a company I founded in Greenville, is one of only three companies to be selected for the program’s debut.

We were chosen based on a technology we’ve developed, called the Hemoaccess Valve System, which has the potential to significantly reduce the complications, expense and suffering associated with End Stage Renal Disease patients who are on dialysis.

Unlike current dialysis-access graft devices which are prone to clotting and early failure, the CreatiVasc technology is implanted when a patient’s access graft is created and allows blood flow to be turned on through the patient’s graft only when it is needed for dialysis, then turned off afterward. I founded the company in 2004 and, along with president and CEO Steve Johnson, have helped the technology mature from drawings on paper to a rough prototype to a finished device that is now in Phase I human clinical trials at GHS.

CreatiVasc and FDA will begin our collaboration in early May. We hope the device could be in the market and available for patients within 24 months.

End-stage renal failure affects more than 571,000 Americans and is considered one of the most costly chronic diseases. Kidney failure and associated dialysis cost the U.S. healthcare system more than $46 billion annually, and the highest concentration of the disease is here in the Carolinas and Georgia. The primary causes of end-stage renal disease are diabetes, obesity and hypertension.

The average annual cost of dialysis and its associated complications for the 380,000 dialysis patients in the U.S. is more than $82,000 per patient, according to the 2011 U.S. Renal Data Survey.

Many dialysis patients have a Teflon tube implanted in their arms to provide vascular access for dialysis. Such tubes present a constant challenge because they frequently clot and require costly interventional surgery. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, more than 75% of dialysis grafts fail and require surgical intervention within the first year after placement. Early research shows that the CreatiVasc Hemoaccess Valve System allows selective blood flow into these grafts only when it is needed for dialysis, which is believed to reduce such universal complications.

The new FDA program will provide a totally new way for medical device companies and FDA to collaborate to assure that promising new technologies are rigorously reviewed but are also guided through the FDA device approval process as rapidly as possible without compromising patient safety.

We are excited and honored to be selected as one of the first companies chosen to participate in this unique partnership. This is a great example of how government and the private business sector can work together to advance technology that will benefit patients nationwide.

Being selected from all the other great companies and universities out there reinforces our high expectations for our system and validates the outstanding confidence of CreatiVasc’s local investors and SC Launch, a start-up seed capital program run by the S.C. Research Authority and SCBIO, the state’s biotechnology industry organization.

Great ideas happen all around us. As GHS expands the scope of its academic research – and with the opening of the new University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Greenville – I am confident that we will see more biotechnology spin-off companies developing and thriving in the Upstate in the years to come.

David Cull, MD

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What’s Happening in OR#10?

April 4, 2012 under Sally Foister

One thing and one thing only happens in OR #10 at Greenville Memorial Hospital…robotic surgery. This room is dedicated to surgeries performed using the daVinci® robotic surgical system.

GHS entered into the daVinci arena over two years ago. In case you aren’t familiar with the daVinci, according to davinicsurgery.com “it is an effective, minimally invasive alternative to both open surgery and laparoscopy (a form of minimally invasive or minimal access surgery). Through the use of the da Vinci® Surgical System, surgeons are able to offer a minimally invasive option for complex surgical procedures.”

Today, complex conditions ranging from prostate cancer to uterine prolapse, fibroids and even thoracic disease can be treated minimally invasively with da Vinci Surgery. This approach uses a robotic surgical system that provides Greenville Hospital System surgeons better vision, more precision and control. It requires only a few small incisions, so you can get back to your life faster — without the usual recovery following major surgery.

Hear directly from an upstate patient about his experience with prostate cancer surgery. (Hey, if you’re a Clemson football fan, his name may sound a little familiar.)

Remember, there still is a very skilled surgeon (sometimes two) performing the surgery. Every GHS robotic surgeon, whether it is an urologist, gynecologist, or thoracic surgeon, completes a very aggressive training protocol before he or she performs a solo surgery. In addition, there is a dedicated robotics team in OR #10, assisting the patient and surgeon.

At GHS, there are currently eight surgeons trained. To learn more about them, click on the first link under Learn more at the end of this post.

One more thing, our CEO, Mike Riordan, always mentions our mission in meetings or when talking in the community. So, I’m going to follow his lead because I can’t write about the daVinci without thinking about how it is a great example of how we live our mission:

Heal compassionately. The healing process is shorter and incision is smaller. Just as important is that patients no longer have a reason to travel out of the county or state to have daVinci surgery.

Teach innovatively. GHS purchased what is called a dual console robot. It has two consoles. One for the surgeon, and one for another physician who is being trained.
Improve constantly. Now we are able to offer the right care the patient needs – open surgery, laproscopic or daVinic robotic surgery.

So, if you’re a candidate for the daVinci robotic surgical system, we’ll see you in one place and one place only … OR#10. (Until later this year when we are hoping to get another robot.)

Learn more:
http://www.ghssurgery.org/roboticsurgery.php
http://www.ghswomens.org/davinci-surgery-for-women.php

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Spring Into Action to Prevent Colorectal Cancer

March 28, 2012 under Guest Blogger

Colorectal cancer?

Hardly has the panache of breast cancer, eh? While we have become accustomed, nay conditioned, to associate the color pink with breast cancer awareness and activism, most folks probably can’t come up with the color claimed by the colorectal cancer cause. (It’s not as gross as you might think – it’s blue not brown!)

Now, don’t misunderstand me – I am an ardent supporter of raising breast cancer awareness. But March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and some equal time is in order. So, if we move away from the notions of colors for cancers and causes, we could ask ourselves: What should colorectal cancer awareness focus on? What should it all be about? Good question.

I like to think of colorectal cancer awareness as an important part of maintaining total health, something that seamlessly fits with a healthy lifestyle and the desire to live a long, disease-free, high quality life. If you’re reading this blog, it’s a pretty good bet that you’re the sort of person who is interested in effective ways of getting and staying healthy. And you’re also probably interested in the most efficient ways to do that. Well, colorectal cancer provides a model disease when it comes to combining healthy lifestyle choices and medical testing in an effort to maintain (colon) health and prevent (colorectal) cancer.

Let’s start with the fact that colorectal cancer is a very common cause of cancer in the U.S. – it ranks fourth – and many people die from it each year. In fact, more people die of colorectal cancer than any other cancer beside lung cancer. Colorectal cancer IS out there and you – man or woman – ARE at risk for it. So, as educated and motivated health care consumers, get motivated and avoid becoming a victim of this common and deadly disease.

This is where the story gets even better, especially for all you type-A personalities who enjoy a measure of control. It turns out that in the vast majority of cases, colorectal cancer is preventable. We know that people who do the following things have a lower chance of getting colorectal cancer:

  1. Exercise regularly
  2. Maintain a healthy weight
  3. Limit alcohol intake
  4. Don’t smoke
  5. Eat a diet rich in plant sources – fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains – and consume fewer red meats, processed meats or those cooked at high temperatures.

Each of these behaviors promotes the body’s ability to ward off cancer and maintain a healthy colon. It’s important to acknowledge, though, that we don’t know that one activity is vastly more important than another and there is no silver bullet that can ABSOLUTELY ward off colorectal cancer. Things like colon cleansing or juicing or coffee enemas have never been shown to help prevent colon cancer.

What does decrease colorectal cancer risk? Well, in addition to the healthy habits listed above, it is very important to ask your doctor to help you do two things:

  1. Learn about YOUR personal risk for colorectal cancer, based on YOUR personal and family history.
  2. Get a colorectal cancer screening test to look for early, precancerous changes (called adenomatous polyps).

If everyone (that means YOU, if you are up for it) talked to his or her doctor about colorectal cancer risk factors AND got regular screening tests, the vast majority of colorectal cancers would be prevented and the death toll from this disease would plummet. Seems worthwhile to me. Now it’s up to you to decide for yourself. Good luck!

Dr. Brian McKinley

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What if your child were deathly allergic to food?

March 22, 2012 under Sandy Dees


What if your child were deathly allergic to food? Virtually. All. Food.

Then his name might be Joshua and his doctor might be Dr. Jonathan Markowitz, director of the state’s largest pediatric gastroenterology practice at GHS Children’s Hospital.

You can see firsthand the challenges faced by Joshua and his parents, Cara and Brant Koscinski of Charleston, when they and Dr. Markowitz join national talkshow host Anderson Cooper on Friday. (“Anderson” airs locally at 4 p.m. on WLOS.)

In a segment titled “The Boy Who Can Not Eat,” the Koscinski family discusses the disease called Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE). The debilitating gastroenterological disease, which is rapidly emerging as a healthcare problem worldwide, can cause severe complications including pain, vomiting, food impactions and scarring in the esophagus.In some particularly sensitive individuals like Joshua, even inhaling small amounts of food through smell could cause a life-threatening whole-body allergic reaction.

The disease requires long-term treatment and has no known cure. There is no FDA-approved treatment. Delays in diagnosis are common, and often patients are misdiagnosed because the main symptoms may mimic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Dr. Markowitz, who recently published the first textbook on EoE, is one of the nation’s leading experts on the disease. He, patients and families will gather to watch the show at 4 p.m. Friday at his office at the Children Hospital Outpatient Center.

Food allergies are the main cause in children. Some children do well with elimination of key foods from their diet; others can only eat a few foods or risk risk severe complications.

Said Dr. Markowitz, “I’m grateful that Anderson Cooper took the time to highlight the difficulties that patients and families with eosinophilic esophagitis deal with every day and to help raise awareness of this disease that has become one of the most important chronic gastrointestinal illnesses. I’m so pleased that we have been able to build a program to serve the patients in our region and beyond. I am looking forward to developing an even more robust program with additional services to better meet the needs of these complex patients.”

For more information about this disease or eosinophilic disorders, visit www.apfed.org, the website of the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED). The non-profit organization is dedicated to patients and their families coping with eosinophilic disorders. APFED strives to expand education, create awareness, and support research while promoting advocacy among its members.

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Get Your Plate in Shape

March 21, 2012 under Karen Potter

March is National Nutrition Month, and the registered dietitians at GHS’ Life Center have been busy educating members about how to make informed food choices and develop sound eating and physical activity habits. So does this mean we have to exercise hours a day and eat leafy greens for every meal? No, says Jessica Clark, R.D., and Crystal Robinson, R.D. (Thank goodness! While I’m not opposed to sweating a little, I can’t imagine giving up my daily dose of peanut butter at lunch or my cereal at breakfast.)

Clark says it’s easier to incorporate fruits, vegetables and whole grains into your diet than one might think. For example, at breakfast she recommends switching to a whole grain cereal and then adding sliced bananas, peaches or blueberries on top. For lunch, she suggests spreading peanut butter on a piece of whole grain bread and then adding sliced bananas or strawberries on top. If you’re the salad type, try mixing dried cranberries, orange sections or grapes in with your lettuce.

So what about dinner? Clark suggests filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables, about one fourth with lean meat, poultry or fish, and one fourth with grains. To round out your meal, she suggests adding fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt or cheese. If you’re a casserole lover, she recommends adding vegetables and lower sodium soups to your mix. Pasta lover? Try using whole grain or whole wheat pasta instead. (I’ve tried this and it actually doesn’t taste much different, especially if you serve it with a tomato-based sauce.)

The bottom line? We need to think before we eat and getting our plate in shape in a good place to start. For more tips on eating right, visit Clark’s and Robinson’s favorite websites:

http://www.eatright.org/nutritiontipsheets/
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/downloads/MyPlate/DG2010Brochure.pdf
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/healthy-eating-tips/ten-tips.html

One-on-one nutritional counseling is also available at the Life Center. Simply call 455-4231 to learn more.

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