'Giving Back' to the ones who give so much to us

There’s no question, hospitals can be a scary place. After all, we aren’t usually there under the best of circumstances. But sometimes those feelings of fear and uncertainty can turn into hope and optimism. Miracles – big and small – happen every day at MUSC Health. Broken bones are set. Wheelchairs are left behind. Cancer is defeated.

And when these glorious acts of fate happen, many times with them comes a family filled with gratitude. And they want to say thanks. Thanks to the doctors, nurses and others who cared for them during their stays at MUSC. Thanks in a way that goes beyond words. These thanks are why the MUSC Giving Back Program was established 10 years ago. 

Sometimes donors direct their gifts to particular areas, but other times, they just want the hospital to use their donations to improve the level of care at MUSC. People can make these donations at any time during the year. But once a year – typically for a few weeks in July – dozens of programs within MUSC submit proposals for needs or wants in the form of hospital upgrades, new equipment, new and expanded patient-care programs, patient education materials and continuing education for caregivers, which are then allocated from the Giving Back funds. 

This year, 11 grants totaling over $14,000 were awarded to different programs within the hospital and university. When it comes to which proposals are accepted, program chair Stephanie Taylor, explained that the committee has a hard time choosing between so many worthwhile projects. 

“There are certain programs where these donations have the most impact – and those are the projects we’re looking at. Obviously, we wish we could accept them all.”

This year’s Giving Back grant recipients were:

Ellie’s Way legacy kits

Palliative Care

Awarded $2,000

Legacy work is the practice of providing memory making and transitional objects to those losing a loved one or to patients and families coping with prolonged hospitalizations. At end of life, it both honors people and aids in healthy bereavement by creating an enduring, tangible connection. For those dealing with chronic illness and/or long hospitalizations, legacy work provides comfort and bonding to loved ones for whom patient visits may be limited. 

Ellie’s Way kits are packed with crafts and supplies for making keepsakes that help patients and their loved ones to feel connected even when they’re apart.

Included in the kits are glass stones that can be customized with a thumb or fingerprint on the back. When families are separated by illness, patients can rub the stones to feel close to their families. Families sometimes use them to pray or send positive thoughts to their loved ones. For some families, the stones can help them to cope with the loss of their loved ones.

Comfort kits

Volunteer Services

Awarded $2,000

Comfort kits are a valuable resource for families who come to the hospital for an emergency as well as for those who are here for extended stays. The kits include personal necessities, such as shampoo, conditioner, lotion, toothbrush and toothpaste, a comb, pen and paper, soap and an emery board. Each kit bag is hand sewn by the Pimlico Ladies Club. A grant of $2,000 will supply 1,250 comfort kits. 

Fidget toys for children in foster care 

Pediatric specialties

Awarded $600

Sensory/fidget toys can very often help children in foster care cope during medical appointments and other stressful life events at the Foster Care Support Clinic. The grant will help purchase 30 sensory fidget toy sets and help more than 300 patients. 

Drawn together

Arts in Healing

Awarded $2,000

Studies show that stuffed animals provide children with comfort and companionship. Children practice all sorts of skills with their stuffed animals. They teach, talk and take care of them and in so doing, rehearse everything they have learned through observation. These special plush friends often remind the child of home and provide a sense of security.

The Arts in Healing team will use the grant to buy premade stuffed animals and fabric markers the children can use to color, draw or write about their feelings on the animals. The grant will help them to serve up to 320 families.

Therapeutic activity supplies

MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital Emergency Department

Awarded $1,500

The grant will help the Emergency Department at the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital to build activity carts for pediatric patients and patients with sensory needs, such as autism spectrum disorders. The carts will include questionnaires, sensory toys, books and stuffed animals to help these patients to feel engaged and more comfortable in their new environment. 

Sensory stimulation materials

Senior care unit, Institute of Psychiatry

Awarded $1,490

The senior care unit at the Institute of Psychiatry provides short-term care for adult patients with a broad range of mental health disorders. They will use the grant to buy a cordless sound machine, a cordless diffuser for aromatherapy and oils, various activity/sensory stimulation lap pads, an herb garden kit, weighted wraps and lifelike interactive companion “pets” for comfort and nurturing. These items help to keep patients’ minds active and calm. 

The D-Pod Autism Friendly Initiative

Emergency Services

Awarded $1,350

The Emergency Department at MUSC is organized in five pods. A nurse in the D-Pod came up with the idea for the D-Pod Autism Friendly Initiative. The initiative includes building an autism-friendly toolkit to help with the sensory and communication needs of patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The grant will buy supplies for the toolkit like noise-canceling headphones, fidget items/stress balls, a weighted lap band, EZ talk communication board and caregiver communication cards.

Bedside shift report education/patient engagement

Quality Department

Awarded $1,550

The Quality Department will use the grant to make videos that show how best to include patients and their families in shift change. The goal is to ensure that care teams communicate all important information about care while giving the patient an opportunity to ask questions. The grant would cover the cost of videography and closed captioning for two videos.

Support for children with diabetes

Pediatrics Endocrinology

Awarded $300

The Division of Pediatric Endocrinology sees an average of 130 to 140 new diabetic patients each year. Many of these patients have difficulty accurately managing carbohydrates and calculating insulin. A book titled, “The CalorieKing Fat & Carb Counter” helps children and their families to effectively manage carbs so that they can administer insulin properly. The book also provides nutrition information for many local restaurants. This grant will allow the division to purchase about 30 books for its patients. 

MEDUCARE pediatric transport

MEDUCARE Pediatric Trauma Team

Awarded $750

The MEDUCARE Pediatric Transport Team transports children and babies to and from the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital by ambulance and helicopter. The $750 grant will allow the team to buy two Ferno Neo Mate infant restraint systems. The system’s unique design keeps a baby’s head stable on a stretcher. This is especially important for babies who are younger than  2 months old and cannot control their heads. 

Testing kits for A1C

Pharmacy

Awarded $2,000

Even though measures have been taken to reduce the risk of COVID-19, there are still patients in high-risk groups who do not feel comfortable coming to a facility for care. Still, tracking blood sugar levels is important. The A1C is a simple blood test used to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes and  is one way providers can assess a patient. This lab is typically drawn quarterly. There are home testing kits for A1C available, but they are not covered by prescription drug plans. Each kit costs $55 and includes four tests – one for each quarter – plus the cost to ship it to the patient. A grant of $2,000 allows for the purchase of kits for 30 patients.