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Letters of gratitude to Dr. Ray Greenberg, staff I (we) have received many letters commending MUSC faculty and staff for outstanding patient care.   These letters, or excerpts from letters, from patients and their families provide ample evidence of their high regard for our clinical services. I am pleased to share some of them with you, and recognize those who are providing skilled and compassionate care. —MUSC President Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D. Dear Dr. Greenberg, I was blessed with a kidney transplant at MUSC last June 2005. I feel like a new man since receiving this gift. I am writing to commend you for the magnificent group of people (nurses, doctors, pharmacists, lab techs, receptionists, etc.) you lead at MUSC. The following people (or groups) reflect MUSC beautifully:   Laura Hildebrand (kidney transplant coordinator): This wonderful lady who encouraged me from 2002-05 as I sought approval for a transplant. When I would speak with Laura on the phone, her tone of voice showed concern for me—this was very important because of the stress I was under.   Nurses attending room 625E: During my stay, the nurses were friendly, polite, kind, very attentive to me, friends and family. All nurses were skilled at their profession.   Physicians/Pharmacist/Post-Transplant Coordinator: The physicians have been exceptional. Drs. Prabhakar Baliga, Angelo Lin, Karen Garn and Kenneth Chavin are some of the doctors to be thanked. Elizabeth Ashcraft was great at clearly explaining about medications. Post-transplant coordinator Elizabeth Castens has been a joy to work with.   Home Healthcare Nurse: Kelly Artiz was the nurse who monitored me after discharge. She gave me some suggestions of how to deal with various post-transplant problems.   Lab technicians: The ninth floor techs drew blood from me daily and always did it painlessly. They were always friendly and polite throughout each procedure.   The time spent at MUSC last summer was like visiting family that loved me. I wish I could adequately express to each MUSC person how much they mean to me. I’m hoping this message can relay my appreciation and thanks to each one. Dear Dr. Greenberg, I am an employee who is very happy with her job at MUSC. However, I was a patient on the Neurosurgery floor last December.      Dr. Sunil Patel was planning on doing back surgery using laparoscopy, however, when they got into my lower back, there was much more damage than they had anticipated, so full-scale opening of my back was required.      I had several very serious problems after the first surgery and the reason that I am writing is not to bore you with my hospital stay, but to praise the entire staff of the Neuro Unit as well as Dr. Patel and his entire staff, most especially his very patient assistant, Sue Bobo. The nurses were so caring and kind, and after four stays in two months on the unit, I became aware of how very busy, but efficient and kind, a group of people could be. Dr. Greenberg, Drs. Istvan Takacs and Ken Bergmann did a wonderful job in a treatment for Parkinson’s disease administered to my brother’s wife. They are heroes in our family. Dear Dr. Greenberg, I am writing to commend Dr. Mark DeLegge and nurses Colleen Alcott, Susan Rivers, Lucretia Wilson and Melissa Youngblood.      My husband was referred to this outstanding group for post-operative therapy following an esophagectomy. The road to recovery has not been easy. Time after time, this dedicated team rose to the challenge.      Dr. DeLegge and his nurses have been able to go beyond the dimension of medical procedures and tap into the healing power of the human spirit. Hope is a powerful motivator. Their patience and perseverance prevailed. Today, our loved one is cancer-free and is living a viable life.   Professional superiority, dedication and diligence are the variables that led to the successful resurrection of my husband’s life and afforded me a sense of stability in my life.   Please extend my gratitude and appreciation to this exceptional team of professionals. The strength of the administration and personnel is evident in all phases of the infrastructure of the hospital. Dear Friends at MUSC, On behalf of my family, thank you for the care and support you gave our loved one during the past several months as he worked through heart disease, heart failure and ultimately a heart transplant in December.      It is difficult for us to put into words our gratitude for the genuine interest and personal care demonstrated while he was going through his treatment and surgery. As a parent, it was very reassuring to know our son was being cared for by a medical staff that not only was knowledgeable in the latest technological advances in addressing heart disease, but also provided a very friendly and caring approach to helping him get through each day. We are convinced there was not a better place for him to be resolving his medical condition.   During the past several years we have come in contact with a group of medical professionals, starting in the Pediatric Cardiology Department to the Adult Cardiology Department, that is second to none. Each step of the way, his medical needs were addressed in such a way that we felt everyone was genuinely interested in his well-being. MUSC's personal touch has been and continues to go a long way in helping him maintain a very positive attitude which is critical for his success.      Dear Dr. Greenberg, My husband was recently admitted to MUSC for abdominal pain. During the past 16 years he has been treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) in Baltimore since we live on the Eastern Shore. We have always considered JHH to be a wonderful facility. We still feel that way, but feel MUSC is right up there with them.      We have been coming to South Carolina for the last 20 years and have always worried about where we would go if my husband had complications from his illness while we were here. We now know we do not have to worry anymore.      Our experience at your facility was wonderful from beginning in the ER and finally at 6East (Nephrology).      As soon as we got into the ER we were greeted by Dr. Steven Saef (a wonderful and compassionate man). From there my husband was admitted to 6East under the care of Dr. John Arthur and his team. They contacted my husband’s physician at JHH to coordinate his care. Incidentally, the nursing staff on 6East was also excellent.      We found everyone to be caring, compassionate and willing to listen to our concerns. Everyone went out of their way to make sure my husband received quality care.          Friday, July 14, 2006 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.