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LifeTimesWINTER 2012

Jay Cox, FACHE

President & CEO

Tuomey Healthcare System

Letter from the President

ear Friends:

Each January, I get a little nostalgic for things that have passed too quickly. Like birthdays and the chance to watch my children grow. It all moves way too fast. But on the other hand – and almost as swiftly – I think about the bright hope for the future. There is something about January. It makes you feel young, optimistic and eager about what lies ahead.

This January is no exception. I’m now watching my precious granddaughter, Sadie Beth, grow up, and I do want that to slow down immensely. But I’m also excited about the new things here at Tuomey – new doctors, new programs and new equipment. (Although there is absolutely nothing wrong with the “old” things and people here, either!)

We have a new program called Palliative Care, and it’s a service that I am extremely proud of. In this edition, you’ll read about the program, which is often called Comfort Care. The goal is to improve the quality of life for patients and for the people who love them and are caring for them – by easing the pain, reducing the suffering and offering a team approach to care.

And when it comes to the team approach, I can’t wait for you to read and learn more about our new Advanced ICU Care. We are in the process of bringing the latest technology to our ICU patients by providing our skilled bedside nurses and physicians in the ICU with the clinical expertise of additional certified intensivists and a team of critical care nurses. Advanced ICU Care utilizes a network of high-definition cameras, a monitoring system and immediate digital access to bring highly trained intensive care physicians into patient rooms – electronically. That means patients have access to a specially trained physician 24 hours a day, all at the press of a button. The technology is simply amazing.

There are also advances in radiology that you’ll enjoy reading about, as well as learning more about our spine surgeon, Dr. Doug deHoll. The folks at Tuomey are always looking for better ways to care for you, and this issue of LifeTimes showcases just a few.

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out one more article in this issue. It’s a story about a man behind the scenes. It’s not a very long story, but don’t mistake the length of the piece with the importance of the man. Dr. J. Grady Locklear is a gift to this hospital. He has been the man behind the overwhelming success of the Foundation’s Festival of Trees. He’s helped raise more than $400,000 for Hospice. And I am proud to say he is my friend.

I hope you enjoy this issue of LifeTimes and know that the employees of Tuomey are working hard to make your life a little better. I wish you all a Happy New Year, and I thank you for your continued support as we ring in 2012.

Sincerely,

LifeTimesVolume 14 | Issue 3

LifeTimes is published quarterly by the Public Relations Department of Tuomey Healthcare System as a community service for the friends and patrons of Tuomey Healthcare System and The Tuomey Foundation.

TuomeyHealTHcaRe SySTem129 N. Washington St. Sumter, Sc 29150803.774.9000www.tuomey.com

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Copyright 2012

Tuomey Healthcare System

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in this issue Winter | 2012

02 Palliative CareWhen someone you love is suffering a serious illness, life can get stressful. Our new “Comfort Care” team is here to help.

15

also inside this issue

We’ve GotYour BackWhen it comes to spine surgery, Tuomey offers a full range of minimally invasive techniques. Dr. Doug deHoll can take care of anything when it comes to your back.

Advanced ICU CareTuomey embraces

“Telemedicine

Technology” to give

critically ill patients

more intensive care

than ever before.

The Man Behind the TreesJ. Grady Locklear has

been a guiding force

behind the Festival

of Trees for close to a

decade. His passion for

Hospice has helped The

Tuomey Foundation

raise more than

$400,000.

06

12Bringing Physicians Home: page 13

Safety First: page 14 The Tuomey Foundation: page 16

contributors to The Foundation: pages 18-20

in the Fall 2011 issue of LifeTimes, Dr. Kevin Hanz was incorrectly identified. Dr. Hanz is a plastic surgeon with Sumter Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. We apologize for the error.

2 LifeTimes | Winter 2012

Tuomey’s new Palliative Care team takes a holistic approach to the healing arts by supporting families and patients emotionally as they navigate the waters of a serious illness.

COMPASSION.

Kim Price is the director of Home Health, Hospice and Palliative care for Tuomey.

LifeTimes | Winter 2012 3LifeTimes | Winter 2012 3

Tuomey’s new Palliative Care team takes a holistic approach to the healing arts by supporting families and patients emotionally as they navigate the waters of a serious illness.

COMFORT.The doctor is still talking but you can’t

really hear what he’s saying. Your mind

is buzzing and numb at the same time.

You’ve just learned that you have a serious

illness, possibly even terminal. It’s hard to

take it all in. You remember to breathe …

but you’re drowning in information. You

hear that you need to change your diet,

your medicine, your schedule, your activity

level – your whole life. You’re scared.

Or maybe it’s not you but your mother

who’s sick, and you’re frantically trying to

juggle her healthcare needs with your own

family obligations, not to mention your

full-time job. Your siblings live far away;

they tell you what they think you ought to

do, but you’re the one who’s right here,

dealing with it every day. Maybe they don’t

agree with all the decisions being made;

the stress of that division, on top of the

illness itself, has you totally overwhelmed.

That’s where the Tuomey Palliative Care

Team comes in.

By Traci Quinn |

Deb embry is the nursefor Tuomey’s newPalliative care Team.

4 LifeTimes | Winter 20124 LifeTimes | Winter 2012

“It’s all about comfort,compassion, support and

empathy,” said Kim Price, anadministrative director at

Tuomey.“Sometimes patients – and their families -- just need us to listen. And our new team

has the time to spend talking and listening, educating them on the disease

process, understanding their unique situation, really hearing what their story is.”

WE WANT YOU TO FEEL BETTERPalliative Care is an extra layer of “comfort care” for people

with a serious illness. If our team can help you better manage your symptoms, find ways to lessen your pain, support you and your family during your hospital stays and teach you how to cope once you get home, your quality of life will improve dramatically. And once that happens, you’ll respond to treatments better, be more likely to be compliant with your medicines, and return to the hospital far less often.

For example, if you’re in pain or you’re suffering from nausea or having problems sleeping, it’s easy to become exhausted, anxious or even depressed. That makes you feel even worse – as a result, you may not eat well or want to take your medicine. If the team can improve your ability to tolerate your medical treatment and help your family members understand your condition, requirements and options, you’ll all be able to carry on with your daily lives a little more easily.

Price is the director of Tuomey’s Home Health and Hospice services and now heads up the new care team. Her excitement is contagious. “We had to find a way to spend more time talking to patients, understanding what their situation is, listening for the whole story,” she said. “So many times in the hospital we deal only with the physical, but it’s not just the physical that can make us sick. Emotional elements play a huge role in our health, and we have to start taking a more holistic approach. We have to include the spiritual, the emotional and the psychological aspects of a person’s life in their care.”

The team handles situations as varied as the patients themselves: Dad seems depressed and doesn’t want to take his meds anymore. The daughter of a woman who may need a feeding tube is torn because she knows her mom didn’t want one but Mom never signed a Living Will. A man with diabetes has been hospitalized seven times in two months and it’s partly because he doesn’t understand how to take care of himself at home.

A large portion of Palliative Care is educating people. “If you’ve got a patient who keeps returning to the hospital

over and over, you’ve got to find out WHY,” Price said. “It’s not always just the physical: Maybe he can’t afford to pay for his meds; or he doesn’t know how to manage his disease; or they haven’t filled out the right paperwork to get the help they need. We can help with that.”

MAKING CONNECTIONS“Patients are just so overwhelmed,” Price said. “Maybe

they’ve got a family doctor and an oncologist and a surgeon and the people they speak to in Radiology and Pathology, the nurses, the aides, the case managers – it’s hard to form a bond with all those people when you feel like you’re in a whirlwind.


“With Palliative Care, the patient and the family members see the same person every day, and it’s easier to connect, to get comfortable, to ask hard questions.”

And that’s often when the team finds out what’s really going on with a patient.

“When we meet with the family, the first step is to let them just talk about their loved one, help us get to know Mom or

Dad or the sister or brother or child who’s sick so we can work together to find the right

approach to their care.”Sometimes family members are divided

over that care. Perhaps the grown children don’t live here and aren’t as involved in

the daily care of that person and they feel like their voice isn’t being heard. Or one lives far away and feels guilt about

not being closer, so he’s got anxiety or may just need to talk. “There are so many needs, so many stories,” says Tina

Silvester, a social worker at Tuomey. “We work with families -- we help them make a smooth transition between the hospital and home or a nursing home -- but we can’t know everything.”

That’s what makes the Palliative Care team such a “tremendous asset” to the staff.

“It’s been amazing,” Silvester said. “And Deb Embry, the team nurse, is so compassionate, so calm and comforting. She’s wonderful.”

She had several examples just weeks into the new program. In one, a patient had cancer that had metastasized. She was in a great deal of pain. She’d been at home, but had been brought back to the hospital and was highly combative. “She was angry,” Silvester said. “She wanted to go home and was trying to leave. Her daughters were crying, upset … they were unable to give her the level of care she needed, but she just wanted to go home!” She said Embry was called in to talk to the daughters – “ because they were so nervous and upset and just unsure of what to do” -- but instead, Deb came in, quietly led the patient back to her room, turned the lights down and put on some light music. “She just calmed her down. It took someone special to take this woman who was so angry, in such pain and on the edge, to this state of peace. She just spent time with her, listened to her concerns.”

She says it’s a perfect illustration of the fact that there’s “so much more involved in patient care than what is medically wrong with you.”

COMFORT IN A TIME OF NEEDThe Palliative Care Team includes an RN, a social worker, a

chaplain, the patient and a member of the family who’s agreed to be a spokesperson. Embry is the nurse dedicated to the team, and she’s thrilled with her new post.

“People with long-term or serious illnesses have an even greater need for information and assistance,” she says. “Some of them may be feeling a loss of control. We offer patience, empathy and compassion.”

She says it helps that she has a real “heart for the job.”“Not everybody wants to deal with the ‘heart’ issues, but it’s

where God has put me. I have a fair understanding of what families go through when a loved one is suffering. They ask themselves, ‘Am I doing the right thing? Am I making the right decisions? What else should I be thinking about?’”

Embry has great credentials: She’s been an advocate for people her entire adult life. She started the Disabilities and Special Needs Board in Clarendon County in 1977 and was its executive director for 12 years. She went back to school at age 42 to realize a life-long dream to become a nurse. She worked for Hospice before turning to “comfort care.”

“It helps that I have a good background in healthcare and an understanding of how medications work and how diseases impact the body and how it’s all connected,” she said. But all the medical stuff aside, she said, “The thing we always have to remember is that before they are patients, they’re all just people first.”

Price agrees. She says it’s exciting to get back to one of the most fundamental elements of caregiving: tending to people when they’re at their neediest.

“You go to nursing school to be a servant, to take care of the sick,” Price said. “Every patient isn’t going to welcome you with open arms. They’re sick! Some are scared, and some are really needy, but it’s our job to find out why they’re not talking or not eating. That person may be wondering if she’s going to have to go into a nursing home, or if she has enough money to pay her bills.

“Sometimes when a patient or family member is being demanding or even rude, they really just need someone to listen. Sometimes they just need answers.”

For details about the Palliative Care Team or to find out if they can help you, call 774-8727.

6 LifeTimes | Winter 20126 LifeTimes | Winter 2012

Advanced ICU Care® utilizes a network of high-

definition cameras, a vital-signs monitoring system and immediate digital access to diagnostic test results to bring highly trained intensive care physicians into patient rooms – electronically. It means that patients have access to a skilled physician 24 hours a day, all at the press of a button.

The goal of this off-site monitoring program is to improve patient safety and care, reduce the amount of time patients stay in the ICU, lower mortality rates and lessen the amount of time the average critical patient spends on a ventilator.

“They won’t replace any of our doctors,” said Charlene Brogdon, administrative director over Tuomey’s Intensive Care Unit. “And it won’t change the responsibilities of our nurses at all. This is just an extra layer of support.”

Tuomey recorded more than 1,000 admissions to the ICU in 2010. Typical causes are acute respiratory failure, cardiac instability and organ failure. These patients need around-the-clock care, intense monitoring and complex treatments. Sometimes, the changes in a patient’s condition are subtle. Often, they require immediate intervention.

Each of Tuomey’s 17 ICU beds will be equipped with a monitor screen, a high-definition camera and communication devices. The medical team at Advanced ICU Care, located in St. Louis, Mo., will constantly evaluate each patient -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week – checking vital signs, monitoring medication, and tracking lab results. If a patient’s condition worsens or changes significantly, they are there to respond immediately. The intensivist will evaluate the patient and decide if a doctor needs to be called to the bedside. Alternatively, the nurse could push the “alert” button for the Advanced ICU Care team and an intensivist can interact with the nurse, the patient and his/her family.

“Critical care intensivists are very hard to come by,” Brogdon explained. “There aren’t many coming out of school, and the big city, big teaching hospitals tend to get them before we do. But we need them! They can’t offer hands-on treatment, but they can help us prioritize, have more rapid intervention if

something is starting to go wrong.” Wendy Bonds, the

ICU’s clinical manager, explained: “If you need an

order for a new medicine, that requires a doctor’s order. If you have a patient on a ventilator who’s ready to come off in the middle of the night, that requires a doctor’s order. With the physicians on the team at Advanced ICU Care, we can get the go-ahead to take the patient off the ventilator right then, without having to call a local doctor and wait for him to come in to the hospital, which means the patient can be moved from the ICU that much more quickly.”

A ventilator is used either to breathe for a patient unable to do so for himself or simply assist his breathing if he’s having difficulties. Ventilator patients are monitored for heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation. The ventilator is life-saving, but it doesn’t fix the primary disease or injury; it’s important to a patient’s well-being to come off of it as quickly and as safely as possible. The Advanced Care team in St. Louis will be available 24 hours a day to work with our respiratory therapists and nurses to ensure an efficient transition.

“We are so busy with patients,” said Sonya McDaniel, Respiratory Care manager. “By the time a doctor can

Critically ill patients in Tuomey’s ICU will soon be getting more intensive care than ever before. Tuomey is embracing the revolutionary field of “telemedicine

technology” to provide our skilled bedside nurses and physicians in the ICU with

the clinical expertise of additional board certified intensivists and a team

of critical care nurses.

LifeTimes | Winter 2012 9

call us back to get an order to take a patient off the ventilator -- we’re already involved with two or three other critical care patients. Having direct access to Advanced ICU Care intensivists is going to make us a lot more efficient with these patients.”

“The Advanced ICU Care team will be like having several more Doctor Whites,” Bonds agreed. “It’s a huge support network.” She was referring to Charles White, a pulmonologist and Tuomey’s acting intensivist.

“It’s really a three-man job,” said Dr. Gene Dickerson, vice president of Medical Affairs at Tuomey. “Dr. White has been doing it alone all these years.”

White has served Tuomey as a pulmonary/critical care specialist since 1981. The Advanced ICU Care team will alleviate the strain on him – “we want him around another 20 years!” Bonds

said – and will give patients in the ICU immediate, real-time access to expert medical attention around the clock.

“This will be a great addition to our hospital and will complement our medical staff,” White said. “It will not replace any of our staff members but will give them backup when caring for difficult cases in the ICU and access to medical expertise that may not be immediately available in the hospital, no matter what time it is. And we may be able to attract new medical staff when they realize we have this system in place.”

He also said that continuous contact with a physician during the weaning process from a ventilator can facilitate more rapid weaning, which could reduce ventilator-associated complications and pneumonias.

“Many of the hospitals we work with say that having an extra layer of care

in the ICU has resulted in improved patient outcomes, reduced complications and reduced lengths of stay in the ICU,” said Mary Jo Gorman, M.D., M.B.A., chief executive officer and co-founder of Advanced ICU Care. “Patients go home sooner and more safely to their families. This program provides an extra set of eyes and resources for hospitals to offer patients. Doctors sleep better at night knowing that Advanced ICU Care is continually monitoring their patients when they can’t be there. Critical care nurses have a dedicated, experienced intensivist 24/7/365 and are relieved of the stress that accompanies the need to contact a doctor when one is not available.”

Dickerson said that the team worked with Tuomey’s doctors and nurses to decide how best to utilize this monitoring service.

“The doctors on the team in St. Louis will be like consultants; over time, they’ll learn how to best interact and what level each doctor will be comfortable with. We want their medical staff to become part of our medical staff. We’ll talk by phone, we’ll meet face to face – we want tight integrations and for our improvements and achievements to be theirs.”

“Your doctor will still be your doctor,” he said. “Your nurse will still be your nurse. My reliance on the ICU nurses at Tuomey is not going to change at all. But now they have the comfort of knowing they have an extra layer of critical care support.”

Pulmonologist Dr. Charles White,ICU Administrator Charlene Brogdon and Wendy Bonds, the ICU clinical manager, are excited about the addition of Advanced ICU Care team and monitoring system.

We’ve GotYour Back

By Brenda P. Chase


Sumter Orthopaedic Associates is proud of its commitment to the people

of our community, and when it comes to your healthcare, they’ve got your back – literally!

“There is absolutely no reason to leave this community for back-related issues,” said Jay Cox, Tuomey’s president & CEO, who suffered from a herniated disk. “I know this personally. When I needed back surgery, I knew that Doug deHoll would take great care of me. And he did. The relief after surgery was immediate.”

A partner with SOA, deHoll is excited about the options he can give patients right here at home.

“We are fortunate at Tuomey to be able to offer a full complement of minimally invasive surgical techniques for the spine,” deHoll said. “Typically, the goals are the same as traditional methods, just performed in a less invasive way, which allows people to get back to work and life much faster. Several of these methods allow the patient to go home on the same day as

the surgery.”A 1991 graduate of The Citadel,

deHoll completed medical school at the USC School of Medicine in Columbia in 1997. He completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Texas in San Antonio, and followed that program with a spine surgery fellowship at the renowned Leatherman Spine Institute at the University of Louisville, Kentucky.

In his Sumter practice deHoll works as a spine surgeon, specializing in necks. Patients benefiting from his services might be those who suffer from ruptured disks, scoliosis, disk herniation, tumors, trauma or degenerative disorders of the spine.

“We can take care of just about anything when it comes to your back,” deHoll added. “We have the latest diagnostic testing available, and we have an incredible surgical team backing me up.”

Growing up as the son of an orthopaedic surgeon in Anderson, deHoll had great respect for his father. He loved what his father did, and knew

that was the direction he wanted to follow.

“What I love about spine surgery is the opportunity for immediate results with certain procedures,” deHoll added. “To have a patient in the recovery room tell you their pain or numbness is ‘gone’ is so rewarding for both me and the patient.”

After his training in Texas, deHoll spent the next four years in Columbia; he really did not enjoy working out of four hospitals and three offices.

“I love the idea of coming to one hospital and one office each day, and Tuomey really provides the ideal work environment,” deHoll added. “The partners at Sumter Orthopaedic Associates do a terrific job, and I’m glad to be a part of this team.”

In addition to practicing medicine and raising a family, deHoll enjoys fishing and bird hunting. He and his wife, Susan, a Greenville native, have three children, ages 15, 13 and 10, and have loved living in Sumter.

To reach Dr. deHoll or Sumter Orthopaedic Associates, please call 774-7621. deHoll and his partners are proud to serve you.


In every successful endeavor, there is always one person working quietly behind the

scenes to make sure that everything is done right, serving gently in the background to make sure success is inevitable.

The Tuomey Foundation’s Festival of Trees is no exception. And the man making sure that everything turns out “just so” is the impeccable J. Grady Locklear. It is his passion for Hospice that drives his enthusiasm for this project.

“My love affair with Hospice came about when my parents needed Hospice,” Locklear said. “They came in and taught me how to deal with death. They taught me how to deal with it then and now. It was an incredible gift.”

So when Locklear was asked to head up the Festival of Trees program many years ago, he jumped at the chance to raise money for Hospice.

“We’ve raised more than $450,000, and now our goal is to start a Hospice House,” he added. “It is a priority for the board. The whole point of Hospice is dying with dignity, and when we have our Hospice House, it will be like a home. It will give everyone a place to die with dignity. What a gift for those families!”

Tuomey’s President & CEO Jay Cox knows what a gift this hospital and its Foundation has in Locklear.

“This program is so successful because of Grady’s hard work and dedication,” Cox said. “We simply could not do it without him.”

Locklear will be the first person to tell you that he does not do it alone.

“The wonderful thing about this program is that it goes back to the committee. We have such a loyal group of people working on this project,” he said. “We start every meeting with a Hospice moment. We hear about a Hospice patient or a family that we’ve helped. So the whole focus of the meeting and the philanthropic work is always on Hospice. Always.”

The 2011 Festival of Trees program raised another $66,000, a new record, for The Tuomey Foundation and Hospice. We would like to thank Dr. Locklear and his committee for their tireless dedication and service. Your commitment to the Sumter community is truly a gift.

The Man behind the TreesBy Brenda P. Chase


The goal is simple: Tuomey wants to make sure that no one needs to leave Sumter

for their healthcare. We want to provide every possible line of service so that our community has the best options, right

here at home.But after you talk with the women

who work to recruit physicians, you realize the goal is the ONLY simple part.

“We’re out there competing with hospitals all across the country,” said Lynn Sherrill, manager of Professional Recruitment. “We are currently working on recruiting 14 different specialties, and it takes a constant effort to make sure these doctors know who we are and where we are located.”

Sherrill, who has worked in Recruitment at Tuomey since 2005, said the hospital is currently recruiting everything from primary care and emergency medicine to pulmonary and rheumatology. And they’ve traveled

as far away as San Francisco, Boston and New York to

make sure they bring the best candidates back to Sumter.

“We have a beautiful campus and a terrific medical staff,” she added. “So if we can

get them here for a visit, we are

usually very competitive.

And right now we

are extremely busy. We have recently brought in about 20 physicians for visits.”

Tuomey’s current medical staff consists of about 150 physicians, representing approximately 25 medical specialties.

Since most residents want to know where they are going by the Christmas before they conclude their program in the summer, Sherrill said this is definitely the crunch time. Final negotiations are under way for many, and several new doctors have committed to Tuomey already.

“We have a very friendly community, and the visiting physicians really like it here,” said Jillian Huckeba, who also works in Professional Recruitment. “If they don’t choose Tuomey, it is usually because they want a larger metropolitan area instead. But we have a lot to offer. The proximity to the beaches and the mountains is always a great selling point.”

Physicians in larger communities – like Greenville or Charleston – can often make more money, so sometimes that can be a deterrent, Sherrill added. But on the same note, some doctors are looking for a smaller community, a place like Sumter where they can serve one hospital and make it across town in 15 minutes.

And some doctors are looking to come back home.

“We want to make sure that we always touch base with the folks from our community. We have a lot of people from here who are in medical school, and I always want to let them know that we would love for them to come back home,” Sherrill said. “That is actually my favorite thing to do: I love bringing someone back home to practice medicine.”

BringingPhysicians

HomeBy Brenda P. Chase


When it comes to the patients at Tuomey Healthcare System,

safety is always job one. And in the radiology department, there is nothing more important than radiation levels, and keeping them as low as possible.

“We want the best for our patients, and that means using low-dose radiation units,” said Earl Sims, manager of Tuomey’s Inpatient Imaging services. “With the purchase of our new CT scanners here and at the Outpatient Imaging Center, we are a true low-dose radiation department. We are the only facility in our area who can offer this service, and that’s extremely important for the care of our patients.”

With the new CT scanners now in

operation, Tuomey has doubled its service capabilities, Sims added. And it also provides the opportunity to control contrast media dosage based on the person’s body mass.

“This is a major step forward in care, because it means a person only gets the amount of contrast they need,” he said. “It keeps the dosage as low as possible.”

Radiologist Dr. Bert Parker agrees that the low dosage is extremely important for a patient’s safety.

“Patients are getting the smaller doses of radiation now because it is based on their body mass, but the quality of the diagnostic image is still excellent,” Parker said. “We can still see the very small nodules in the liver or an appendix that is about to rupture, but it is now even safer for our patients.”

In addition, Tuomey has also added six new state-of-the-art high-end ultra sound units. And plans are underway for an additional Direct Ray System in the Operating Room. The DR system

provides images in approximately 5 seconds, so that surgeons

can see what they need in a matter

of seconds. Tuomey already has this system in place in the OR, but an additional unit will provide even

more coverage, meaning patients’ time in the OR can be cut dramatically.

“We also have a dose registry now in place, so a physician can see how many scans a person has had,” said Parker, adding that each time a person has a CT scan, the dosage of the test is recorded in the patient’s medical record. “This is extremely important for patients, especially those – like a cancer patient – who are having a number of scans. We can monitor the dosages and keep the patient safe.”

And if there is a close second to safety and patient care, it is convenience for our radiology patients.

“We have combined radiology with the registration process. Now you don’t have to stand in line at the front lobby when you come in; we will do everything for you in the radiology department,” said Kim Jolly, Administrative Director. “This is where we have probably stumbled in the past. This has been a complaint and we want to do things right for our customers. They will come straight to radiology now and it will be a one-stop shop.”

Additional plans for the Imaging Department include extended hours for the MRI on the main campus, and we will also extend our services on the weekends for our inpatients. Ultrasound, MRI and nuclear medicine will now all open on Saturdays, providing even more convenience for our hospital patients.

“I get to work with some wonderful people, and I love the potential for what we have to offer to the community,”

said Jolly. “We are seeing our mission come to life.”

Safety First Tuomey brings you the area’s onlyLow-Dose Radiology ServicesBy Brenda P. Chase

Tuomey FellowsClass XII of the Tuomey Fellows began this fall as 16 eager community leaders were selected to be a part of one of the most talked-about programs in Sumter. It has been 12 years since Class I paved the way for getting an “inside the tent” look at healthcare and, in particular, learning first-hand all that Tuomey has to offer in the latest technology and care for Sumter and its surrounding counties.

The Tuomey Fellows curriculum is eight months long and highlights just some of the areas of excellence at your hospital. Participants meet with physicians, learn about radiology, the Cancer Treatment Center and Cardiology, and spend an evening in the ER. They are also able to observe a surgery, and this always proves to be an incredible educational experience.

The goal of the program is to create ambassadors for Tuomey. This is a responsibility that, once they have graduated and are officially Tuomey Fellows, they take very seriously. We have 177 individuals who have successfully completed the program. These leaders have made a tremendous impact on this place of healing and are very much a part of the Tuomey family.

GranTs and allocaTions The Tuomey Foundation Grants and Allocations steering committee was able to award $257,604, a 50% increase over the last year, to 27 unique projects, encompassing 22 departments or community programs at Tuomey Healthcare System. A special thank you goes out to those who serve on this important committee, for the many hours they spent researching each individual grant request. The Tuomey Foundation’s greatest accomplishment is giving back to the great community in which we live, love, work, worship and serve.

women oF Tuomey eVenT: BaGs, BlinG, & BauBles The Women of Tuomey held a fabulous fall event at Tuomey in October: “Bags, Bling and Baubles” brought more than 100 women together to enjoy a silent auction on new or “like new” designer handbags and nice costume jewelry. There was also a cash and carry section of wonderful


The TuomeyFoundation JEFF FAW

class XiiK. C. CousineauRob FauviePeyton FloydRobin GlennGuido HobiDutch Holland

Alvin HolstonMary KolbCharles McCreightChris NiebuhrSuzanne PalmerJanice Poplin

Jean RiddleSheri SingletonBud SmithChris Somheil

pieces of jewelry, as well as gently used handbags. Lunch was provided by Tuomey’s Food and Nutrition department. This event grossed nearly $8,000, and all proceeds benefit “The Boutique … From Tuomey with Love” cancer resource center and wig boutique. A special thank you to our presenting sponsor Belk, the numerous other corporate sponsors who contributed to the success of this event, the many individuals who donated items for the auction, as well as the committee members who spent so many hours working to make this event such a huge success.

FesTiVal oF Trees The Tenth Annual Festival of Trees got off to a magnificent start with a tree-lighting ceremony on Dec. 1 in the main lobby of the hospital. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Ploger, the parents of Melissa Smith, spoke about what Tuomey Hospice meant to them, and then they had the honor of lighting the Circle of Lights tree. Lights were purchased by donors who wanted to honor or remember their friends, family or loved ones. Attendees were also graced with the joyful sounds of Christmas music performed by the Sumter High School Chamber Choir.

This year, there were 56 trees to enjoy in the main lobby, on all of the floors, in the cafeteria, in the lobby of Day Surgery, the Bell Women and Infants’ Pavilion, Outpatient Surgery and Mammography. These trees were sponsored and decorated by various businesses and individuals in our community, and each had a very unique theme! We are always blessed by the decorators’ dedicated and caring efforts to bring the Sumter community the very best in tree décor.

All proceeds from tree sponsorships and the Circle of Lights benefitted Tuomey Hospice Services. This year we grossed over $66,000. To date, since 2002, we have raised over $450,000 for Tuomey Hospice, which enables patients to spend their final days being cared for by

Hospice nurses but surrounded by their loved ones. It is truly death with dignity, as loved ones leave this world for the next.

We would like to recognize the dedicated steering committee members who worked so diligently to make sure this event was a huge success: Dr. J. Grady Locklear, Chairman; Mrs. Barbara Burchstead; Mrs. Fair Edmunds; Mr. Pat Joyner; Mrs. Deree Long, Hospice Clinical Manager; Mrs. Kathy McElveen; Mrs. Virginia McFaddin; Mrs. Kimberly Price, Administrative Director of Hospice Services; Ms. Sarah Rumph; and Mrs. Betty-Routh Steele.

sumTer arTs sHowcase We are getting ready for the 15th Annual Sumter Arts Showcase, presented by Miss Libby’s School of Dance and Gymnastics and the Junior Welfare League of Sumter. Mark your calendars for the last weekend in February. More details will follow. You may follow the latest updates as they develop at www.sumterartsshowcase.com.

THe FoundaTion is moVinG! The Tuomey Foundation office is moving after the first of the New Year 2012. Our new office will be located at the corner of Main and Hampton in downtown Sumter, with our main door positioned in the courtyard across from Hampton’s. Please look for more details about this move to come.

v You now have several ways to keep up with The Tuomey Foundation. Please look for us on Facebook and Twitter (@TuomeyFound)!



Breast CanCer support Group Contributions:

Mozell S. Thompson

CirCle of liGhts Contributions:

Linda and Wayne HogonVirginia McFaddinSouthern Roofing Services, Inc.Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Tobiere

Honorariums:

Judy and Robbie Bessinger Alice Bessinger

William M. Dykes John R. DuPree

Dr. J. Grady Locklear Tammy Achziger Mr. and Mrs. Bobby L.

Matthews, Sr.

Richard P. Moses Mrs. John Mahon

Mary Ellen Owens Dr. and Mrs. J. Dale Cannon

Colleen and Richard Schoenfeldt

Candi McLeod

Dr. Hugh T. Stoddard, Jr. Jodeil B. Altman Hattie M. Lewis Mr. and Mrs. Perry Woodward

Memorials:

Frankie and Haynes Barr Lucy and Chip James

Rev. Richard Baxter Delcia Harper-Baxter and

Marlena Baxter

Bennie B. Blackmon Colleen Blackmon

Harry Colclough, Jr. Rev. Dr. Franklin D. Colclough, Sr.

Raymond Cook Fay Cook

Dr. S. Perry Davis Curtis & Croft, LLC

Dr. and Mrs. T. B. Davis Dr. Edna L. Davis

Julian R. Dixon Myrna Dixon

Lawrence DuPree Sylvia L. Witherspoon

Annette Edwards Rev. Dr. Franklin D. Colclough, Sr.

J. H. Faw, Jr. Jeanne and Jeff Faw

Dr. Lea B. Givens Ann and Paul Johnson Maj. Gen. (Ret.) and Mrs.

Thomas R. Olsen Dr. and Mrs. John E. Rowe, III Donna Aleada Weldon

Barry Heath Mary Goff

Jeanette and Bill Hensley Jeanne and Jeff Faw

Mary Herring Reedy Herring Pat and David Player

Stevenson H. Kay Dr. and Mrs. John E. Rowe, III Donna Aleada Weldon

Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Locklear Dr. J. Grady Locklear

Jeanette B. Loomis Letitia Pringle-Miller

Richard C. McLeod, Jr. Diane Chappell Annie Laurie and Richard C.

McLeod

William Jack McElveen Eva McElveen

Mrs. Troy Moore Vicki and Chris Singleton

Eleanor R. Moses Mrs. John Mahon

Buddy Russell Rash Corinne and Robin Rash

Brent Rembert Glenda Hawkins Henry Rembert

Jane R. Singleton W. B. Singleton

James Ray Smith, Sr. The Family of James Ray

Smith, Sr.

R. Kevin Talley Marla, Lauren and Rebecca Talley

Daniel Thomas Thigpen Mr. and Mrs. H. T. Thigpen

Steven Thompson Kris and Les Thompson

Lou Ann P. Walker Dr. and Mrs. John E. Rowe, III

Willard Jackson Welch Alice Welch and Family

Betty Williams J. D. Williams, Jr.

Dorothy and Harold Wright Fay Cook

Paul Wright Fay Cook

ContinuinG MediCal eduCation Contributions:

Potomac Center for Medical Education

endowMent Contributions:

Elaine D. Korn Charitable TrustMr. and Mrs. Hubert Osteen

festival of trees Tree Sponsors:

Adams Outdoor AdvertisingAnonymous (In honor of Dr. J.

Grady Locklear)Anonymous (In honor of Sadie

Cissom and in memory of James Cissom)

BB&TBD DiagnosticCampbell Paving SpecialtiesCarolina Children’s DentistryCarolina MedCare AmbulanceDr. Brent Carraway and Dr. Dee

Friday-CarrawayCentury 21/Hawkins & KolbThe Citizens BankColonial Aesthetics Advanced Laser

and Day SpaComfort SuitesCreech Roddey Watson Insurance

Early Autism Project, Inc.Elmore-Hill-McCreight Funeral HomeEpps OrthodonticsFarmers Telephone Cooperative, Inc.First Citizens BankRoy N. Flynn (Sumter Cut Rate

Drugs)Galloway & Moseley JewelersInfusion Care of South CarolinaJob’s Mortuary, Inc.Jones Buick Pontiac GMCKing Feed LLCCynthia Kolb, MD (In memory of

Richard M. “Butch” Kolb)Lewis Lawn ServiceLighthouse of SumterBruce T. LightseyLivingston Trucking and Grading, LLCDr. J. Grady Locklear (In memory of

Mr. and Mrs. James P. Locklear and nephews: Richard Locklear, Brian Locklear and Don A. Lockey)

The Martin FamilyMiller Communications, Inc.Miss Libby’s School of Dance &

GymnasticsMorningside Assisted LivingNexsen Pruet, LLCPiggly Wiggly Stores (In memory of

Dr. S. Perry Davis)QuiznosReliable Medical Equipment LLCDr. Luns C. RichardsonCaren and Milton Schwartz (In memory of Rosa Schwartz)Ramon Schwartz (In memory of

Rosa Schwartz)Sibert’s Drug StoreSoutheastern Laser Med SpaState Farm Insurance – Ben GriffithStephens Funeral Home &

CrematorySumter Surgical Associates, P.A.Sumter Transport CompanySumter Utilities, Inc.Thompson Construction Group, Inc.Tuomey Fellows (2)

Tuomey Wound Healing CenterVPS Convenience Store Group –

Young’s Food StoresWalmart Stores, Inc., #0511Wells FargoScott Will ToyotaGlenn Y. Woodrum (Shoney’s)

Fellows Project:Roger W. AckermanDelcia Harper-BaxterBarbara S. BurchsteadHarry B. BurchsteadJames A. CampbellDr. C. Leslie CarpenterStephen CissomSusan A. CoxE. Lee CraigKathleen F. CreechCharles F. DennyDavid W. DurhamCharles E. FienningWilliam T. Fort, IIIJean E. GraySeptimus A. Harvin, IIIFrancis L. HillGenova W. IsaacJames E. JonesJohn T. Jones, Jr.O. Mack KolbDr. J. Grady LocklearRobert S. McCreightSusan R. McDuffieKathryn W. McElveenKenneth O. MimsFrederick B. MoultonMarion H. NewtonHarold R. NixonDavid M. PeekWilliam H. PriceDr. J. Keith RabonG. Kenneth ReeseJoe SingletonJoseph TobiereHarold L. (Hal) TurnerMichael C. WatsonJohn F. WeissMelissa H. (Boo) White

The Tuomey FoundaTionC o n T r I B u T o r s T o

sePTeMBer - noVeMBer 201 1


Golf sponsors

Presenting Sponsor:Horty, Springer & Mattern, P.C.

Gold Sponsors:Communication and Cabling

Systems, Inc.Nexsen Pruet, LLCPrudential John M. Brabham Real EstateThompson Construction Group, Inc.Tuomey Healthcare SystemVPS Convenience Store Group/

Young’s Food Stores

Silver Sponsors:Adams Outdoor AdvertisingAngio DynamicsBE&K Building Group, LLCBynum InsuranceCarolina MedCare AmbulanceFarmers Telephone Cooperative, Inc.Foothills Medical Supply LLCING Life Insurance and Annuity

CompanyM. B. Kahn Construction Co., Inc.MedAssetsMiller Communications, Inc.NBSCNilson Van & Storage/MayflowerO’Neal Flooring Services, LLCOtis ElevatorPricewaterhouseCoopersProgress EnergyStericycleSumter Living MagazineWells Fargo/Wells Fargo Insurance

ServicesYon-Drake Associates

Hole Sponsors:CMH Space FlooringHamptonsLewis & Babcock, L.L.P.Shred With UsThe Tuomey Family

Hole-in-One Sponsor:

Jones Chevrolet Cadillac

Patrons:American Forest Management, Inc.Excel Imaging Solutions, LLCGHA Technologies, Inc.Mickey SparrowSherwin-Williams #2712Sunset Country Club Pro Shop

Par 3 Sponsors:Farmers Telephone Cooperative, Inc.Hamptons

Food and Beverage Sponsors:Arby’sColumbia SnacksH & S Wholesalers, Inc.

Breakfast Sponsor:Chick-fil-A

hospiCe

Contributions:Bullock Funeral Home, Inc.Mary Jane CaisonMr. and Mrs. Eugene K. Weston, Jr.

Honorary Gifts:

Dr. J. Grady Locklear Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Matching Gift Program

Memorials:

Dennis W. Bryant Elizabeth and J. Hugh Bryant Joyce M. Durant

Betty L. Burnett Dr. J. Grady Locklear

Franklin Clyde Coker Beverly Beardsley

William L. Harritt, Jr. Dr. J. Grady Locklear

Stephen D. Lynch

Carol and Douglas Bailey Lavinia S. Lynch Toni and Derryl Stephenson

Iris S. Mills Mr. and Mrs. George H. Dutcher Mary M. Heriot Kathi Jones Mayesville Community Coalition

Beaty Eldridge Reynolds Dr. J. Grady Locklear

Rosa W. Schwartz Merrill Lynch

Dolris Straight Dr. Grady Locklear

Ruby A. L. Tomlinson Mary and Curtis Dillow Barbara S. McElveen Tomlinson Farms of

Lynchburg, LLC Richard Woodrow

dr. and Mrs. wendell M. levi, Jr. nursinG sCholarship

Memorials:

Jean Mahoney Parrott Clark Celeste W. (Leslie) White

nursery

Contributions:Our 365

tuoMey pride

Contributions:Mr. Stephen and Dr. Melissa ArscottGloria and Robert BatemanDr. and Mrs. Philip H. BrandtMr. and Mrs. LeRoy P. CreechGHA Technologies, Inc.Dr. and Mrs. Thomas W. HepferAndré G. McBrideDr. and Mrs. Wilmot S. McCollough, IIIDr. and Mrs. Gilbert E. Parker, Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. Osmar A. PinillaDr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Reynolds, Sr.Mr. and Mrs. Joseph C. SmoakMr. and Mrs. Earl WilsonSherry Winiarski

unrestriCted

Contributions:Deane and Roger AckermanBelk, Inc.Books Are FunGolf Services UnlimitedMr. and Mrs. Morris D. MazurskyDr. and Mrs. Henry P. MosesDr. Cynthia S. ReeseAdele C. ReiterDr. and Mrs. Kurt T. StroebelMr. and Mrs. Joseph TobiereDr. and Mrs. William F. (Ted) Young

Memorials:

Virginia R. Andrews Dr. and Mrs. Laurie N. Smith Sumter Clarendon Lee

Medical Alliance

Junius P. Baker Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt

Nell M. Barr Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt Jeanne and Jeff Faw

Denise Best Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt

Elizabeth T. Bryan Charldeen L. Bozanek

Linda H. Coker Jeanne and Jeff Faw

James M. Copeland Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt

Warren C. Costner Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt

John J. (Jack) Doyle, III Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt

William J. Elliott Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt

Mary M. Foreman Charldeen L. Bozanek

Charlene Geddings Tuomey Healthcare System

Administration Tuomey Healthcare System

Clinical Nurse Managers

Ruth Geddings Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt

Dr. Lea B. Givens Alfred T. Heath, III Roper Laboratory Sumter Clarendon Lee

Medical Alliance

Dr. Frank Graybeal, Sr. Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt

William L. Harritt, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt Jeanne and Jeff Faw

Phillip Tommy Hawkins Dr. and Mrs. Laurie N. Smith

Venara A. Hewitt Sumter Clarendon Lee

Medical Alliance

Ronald J. Jeney Tuomey Healthcare System

Administration

Stevenson H. Kay Dr. and Mrs. Laurie N. Smith Sumter Clarendon Lee

Medical Alliance

Joe C. Kirven Charldeen L. Bozanek

Thomas J. Kirven, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt

Lt. Col. John C. Klapthor Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt

Buford S. Mabry, Sr. Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt

Wilson A. (Bubba) McElveen, Jr.

Murphy Tuomey Wilson

Sylvia L. Mease Jeanne and Jeff Faw Tuomey Healthcare System

Administration

Iris S. Mills First Citizens Bank

Margaret Virginia Mims Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt Jeanne and Jeff Faw

Alfred W. Murrell, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt

Curtis U. Pace Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt

Melissa Parker Charldeen L. Bozanek

Beaty Eldridge Reynolds Jeanne and Jeff Faw

Jason H. Robertson Jeanne and Jeff Faw

Dueain C. Sanford, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt

Thomas W. Scott Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt

Mary Francis Shaw Charldeen L. Bozanek


Elizabeth M. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Philip G. Palmer Tuomey Healthcare System

Administration

Amelia H. Teal Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt

Lolly Evans Thorne Dr. and Mrs. Robert P. Bland, Jr.

T. Douglas Tuomey, Jr. Murphy Tuomey Wilson

T. Douglas Tuomey, Sr. Murphy Tuomey Wilson

Lou Ann P. Walker Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt

Evelyn Wells Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt

James P. (Jimmy) Wilcox Charldeen L. Bozanek

Sara Wingate Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt

Michael H. Winiarski Milana and Nicholas Bizic Dr. and Mrs. Philip H. Brandt Amy and Neil Capretto Karen and Robert Clager Susan and Jay Cox Linda and Mark Crabbe Melvin R. Creeley Sue and Bill Devon Brandi L. Doerschner Jeanne and Jeff Faw Hill, Barth & King LLC Lynne and Blair Jacobson

MedAssets NBSC Suzanne and Fred Piccirilli Nexsen Pruet, LLC Linda and Joe Paul Janice Rosenberg Terry Scotti Mickey Sparrow Trish and Frank Stuparitz Tuomey Healthcare System

Administration Annie and John Williams

Jeanne C. watson onColoGy endowMent

Memorials:

Mary F. ArdMichael C. Watson

Frances L. SchwabenbauerCarolyn Bradley

wiG BoutiqueContributions:Jehovah Missionary Baptist

Church Ushers MinistryWells Fargo

woMen of tuoMey

Contributions:Catherine A. BrooksBarbara S. BurchsteadDee F. CarrawayJanice ChalmasBrenda P. ChaseStacy CliverCheryl ColemanSusan A. CoxMeg CreechCurtis & Croft, LLCDarla H. DeanJeanne H. FawFirst Citizens Bank

Laura E. HaygoodJulie S. HobdayBrenda A. HuberOlivia N. IveySylvia JamesDiane Pegram-JohnsonSherri JohnsonTammy Adams KellyKimberly McGowanAmanda C. McNultyJennett Towles-MickensNicole F. NorrisSusan D. OsteenPalmetto Family PracticeDibble Boyle ParkerEdna ParkerSusan B. ParnellMechelle S. PottsJudy C. RussCindy ScheeleMary B. SheridanTina Simenson

Vicki K. SingletonJanelle SmithMacaulay W. SmithKay StockbridgeNorma Roberts StoneDanielle WelchHarriette H. WimberlyColleen H. YatesNancy L. Zimpleman

Continued From Page 19

Should you notice an error or omission, please accept our apology and notify The Tuomey Foundation at (803) 774-9014.

129 N. Washington St.Sumter, SC 29150www.tuomey.com