YES Campaign hits home stretch ending June 30

This year’s MUSC Yearly Employee Support (YES) Campaign has seen an explosion of generous employee giving, with the thermometer currently rising toward the $440,000 mark.

Since 1985, this 90-day fundraiser has benefited scores of hospital programs. Thanks to the generosity of MUSC’s faculty and employees, over $8 million has been raised, which will improve the lives of countless patients and enhance numerous programs. With June well underway, there is still time to give to the fund of your choice, and many programs are in need of your support.

The CARES Clinic Vaccination Program, for instance, is dedicated to making medical health care accessible to people regardless of race, religion or economic background. Every year physicians and students volunteer their time to treat disadvantaged patients. These preventive and often lifesaving inoculations are provided free of charge to protect against a variety of illnesses such as flu, pneumonia, tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis.

The Family Meal Coupons Project reinforces the importance of putting patients and families first. In many instances, family members at the Children’s Hospital do not have the means to purchase meals while their children are recovering. Through this program, meal tickets are provided to patients’ family members who otherwise might go hungry while providing constant comfort and support at their loved one’s bedsides.

The Bone Marrow Transplant Pediatric Bone Marrow Psychological program strives to offset the effects of isolation on children during bone marrow transplants. Providing entertainment and fun activities lifts patients’ spirits and aid in their recoveries.

The Harm Reduction Strategies to Combat Opioid Overdose program provides a valuable service to those in potentially deadly situations. During an opioid overdose, respiration slows and many find themselves no longer able to breathe. In the past, many have died waiting for EMS services to arrive with a drug that the MUSC team can now provide, often free of charge.

Jordan Cooler, PharmD, a second-year psychiatry pharmacist resident, explained the drug naloxone’s lifesaving applications.

“Naloxone, brand name Narcan, is an opioid antagonist that is available as a nasal spray. What that means is if a person has ingested too many opioids and finds him or herself in an overdose situation, a family member, friend or bystander can administer naloxone. It essentially travels to the opioid receptor and knocks the opioids off, thereby quickly taking a patient out of an overdose situation.”

Clint Ross, Pharm.D., assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy, agreed, adding, “The provision of naloxone to patients at risk for opioid overdose also allows a perfect opportunity to provide education regarding overdose prevention and the importance of calling 911.”

Providing this nasal spray to a patient’s family or loved one helps combat the needless death that often follows an opioid overdose. Cooler explained that kits containing naloxone are given to those who are identified through a screening process as “at risk” and have no other means to obtain it.

While the YES Campaign has provided necessary funding for many vital programs at MUSC and in the Charleston community for more than 30 years, there is still so much more to accomplish. Whitney McLuen, employee campaign coordinator, orchestrates the YES Campaign each year. She explained how important giving is to the future of many valuable programs.

“This year, we received 35 applications, but unfortunately, while support to the YES Family Fund continues to grow in each year’s YES Campaign, we still don’t have enough to cover the growing need of financial support.”

While wrapping up this year’s campaign, the wise words of Charles Dickens ring true. “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”

The last day to give to the YES Campaign is June 30.

2018 YES Family Fund Projects

• Ozzie’s Project — 7East/Child Life
• CARES Vaccination Program — Family Medicine
• Rides and Resources for Recovery — Institute of Psychiatry
• (BMT )Pediatric Bone Marrow Psychological Program — Child life/ Hematology/ Oncology
• Summerville Clinic Family Requests — MUSC Specialty Clinic and After Hours Care
• Harm Reduction Strategies at MUSC to Combat the Opioid Overdose Epidemic: Providing Take Home Naloxone Nasal Spray to High–Risk Patients — Pharmacy Services
• Project Pressure Vests — Institute of Psychiatry
• Can–Teen Support Group — Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology
• Children’s Hospital Grief Resources — PICU/7C Child Life
• Patient and Family Centered Care and Video Conferencing Technology in PCICU — Pediatric Cardiovascular ICU (PCICU)
• VECTA Distraction Station for Pediatric Emergency Departments — Child Life
• Operation Bag Buddy- Institute of Psychiatry 4N — Addictions Unit
• Project Secure the Small Fries–Car/Booster Seat Vouchers — Case Management and Care Transitions
• Child and Adolescent Unit Environmental Enrichment Project — Institute of Psychiatry
• Healing Through Music — Child/Youth Psychiatry
• Cardiac Condiment Caddy — A5 EX
• Musical Mondays — 5 East ART
• Charleston Teen and Family EMPOWERR Program — Psychiatry
• Discharge Hang Tags to Protect our Vulnerable Infants and Reduce Readmissions — Case Management/Neonatal ICU