Free medicine

Spartanburg County's employee clinic gets high marks from patients

FEBRUARY 18, 2010 9:58 a.m. (0)

Tony Bell was visiting the clinic he helped set up for Spartanburg County employees recently, and the clinic’s advising physician happened to be there.

“My shoulder has been bothering me forever and a day,” said Bell, sporting a blue canvas arm sling late last week. “He said, ‘Why don’t you get an MRI?’ I hadn’t gotten back to my office before they were calling me to set it up.”  Continue reading...

 

A different kind of doctoring

MDVIP promises a lessened patient load, no-wait appointments

NOVEMBER 29, 2010 2:54 p.m. (4)

Seeing 40 patients a day, spending maybe 10 minutes tops on each, being quick with the prescription pad, shuffling them in and out, backing them up in the waiting room, going home exhausted, stressed out, discouraged.

That’s not why Leslie Long and Nancy Netter went to medical school, and they walked away, not from medicine but from the traditional office practice that wore them out and, as they saw it, shortchanged patients.

Long and Netter joined MDVIP, a network of doctors who limit patient load to 600, promise no-wait appointments, give 90-minute physicals, spend at least 30 minutes on scheduled appointments, stress preventative care, and are always a phone call away.  Continue reading...

 

St. Francis to expand cancer program

Health system will offer specialized treatment options

FEBRUARY 17, 2011 2:18 p.m. (1)

Bon Secours St. Francis Health System is adding internationally known cancer specialists, expanding its cancer treatment facilities, improving patient access to clinical trials and offering specialized treatment options in response to a growing demand for cancer treatment in the Upstate.

An integral part of the expansion is the St. Francis Hematology Oncology Center for the treatment of blood cancers and disorders, which are among the most difficult to diagnose and treat. Doctors are able to tailor treatment by examining the cancer genes.

Three doctors will lead the center: Dr. Gary Spitzer, one of the primary physician architects of stem cell transplantation at M.D. Anderson Hospital and a doctor who helped develop treatment regimes for Hodgkin’s lymphoma now considered standard of care; Dr. Frits van Rhee, an internationally recognized specialist in the treatment of multiple myeloma and Castleman’s disease who is known for his work in gene array therapy; and Dr. Devena Alston, an oncologist with expertise in blood and solid tumors.  Continue reading...

 

First in class

For students at the Edward Via College for Osteopathic Medicine, it’s not just about the medicine, there’s a mission, too

AUGUST 18, 2011 10:05 a.m. (0)

The first class of the Spartanburg campus of Edward Via College for Osteopathic Medicine began classes last week in a new building on ground that once was home to one of Spartanburg’s biggest textile mills.

The mill’s 182-foot smokestack, the tallest structure of its kind in South Carolina, is preserved on the site as a reminder of what had been the world center of the textile industry.

“The students love it,” said William King, associate vice president of student services. “It is a tie to history.”  Continue reading...

 

Med school becomes No. 136

Greenville Hospital System, USC earn preliminary approval for The University of South Carolina School of Medicine – Greenville, joining the ranks of the nation's 135 other medical schools

OCTOBER 7, 2011 10:03 a.m. (0)

Jerry Youkey was in Spain when the call came.

The University of South Carolina School of Medicine – Greenville had earned preliminary approval — the biggest hurdle in the effort to expand doctor training in Greenville.

Youkey, the dean of what is now the nation’s 136th medical school, started emailing. Mike Riordan, president and chief executive officer of the Greenville Hospital System. Spence Taylor, the medical school’s senior associate dean for academic affairs and diversity. Harris Pastides, president of the University of South Carolina. Michael Amiridis, USC provost.  Continue reading...