Women physician day

 National Women Physician Day, recognized on Feb. 3, salutes and celebrates the contributions of women physicians who care for men, women and children in their communities. The following are some comments and recognition honoring MUSC physicians for their work and dedication to others by patients and colleagues.

Sarah Giordano, M.D., Hematology/Oncology, Physician of the Month award

I work with Dr. Sarah Giordano, who specializes in breast cancer. Dr. Giordano contacted me from Chicago where she was attending the ASCO conference. A new treatment had just been presented for a hard-to-treat form of breast cancer, and she had a patient in mind that needed this treatment. She asked me to work right away to obtain insurance approval and to notify the patient. When I spoke with the patient and told her that Dr. Giordano had thought of her specifically while away in Chicago at a large medical conference, she was so touched she had to hand the phone to her sister. This level of caring is 100 percent Sara Giordano. She is one of the most caring and passionate physicians I have ever worked with, and that is just as important for every patient’s recovery, as much as the treatment she prescribes.
— Nominated by: Katrina Landers, financial coordinator, Specialty Care East Cooper

Christine Carter-Kent, M.D., Pediatric Procedure Area, Physician of the Month Award

I am honored to nominate our medical director of the pediatric procedure area, Dr. Carter-Kent, for the physician of the month award in recognition of her outstanding leadership and tireless efforts in supporting our unit, her patients, and their families.  She is a compassionate, kindhearted and caring physician that handles stressful situations and gets patients to relax when others cannot. Her professional approach definitely helps to increase MUSC and the PPA’s success rates. Her abilities allow her to work with patients of all ages in the PPA and her effectiveness knows no age bracket. The feedback I receive from her patients has always been positive and glowing. Her practice is centered on making sure each and every patient can get the exact care they need with a smile and true concern… and sometimes even an NFL jersey.

A patient of Dr. Carter-Kent loves the NFL, so she recommended we have an NFL day the next time the patient came in for his  procedure. We did just that. NFL jerseys, footballs, and a celebration all served to boost this little guy’s spirits. Truthfully it was a fun day for all the patients and the whole staff.  But what is also worth mentioning is how the efforts of one person, one particular person, can truly make a difference in a child’s life. We are proud to work alongside her.
— Nominated by Zeh Wellington, OR charge nurse, Perioperative Services

Michelle Hudspeth, M.D., Pediatrics-Hematology/Oncology, Nothing BUNDT the Best MUSC Nursing

Dr. Michelle Hudspeth’s BUNDT award stands for bright, unbelievable, never-stops, dedicated and thorough. She treats all of her patients as if they were her own family. She is a dedicated department chair and medical director for 7B who is very invested in her intraprofessional team.
— Nominated by: Melinda Biller, RN, 7B nurse manager and team

Patient compliments about female physicians

• Parents of twins would like to thank the many people involved in the care of their twins during their long hospital stay. The patients’ mother states the expertise of the staff in helping diagnose her son has changed the course of his life. The parents state they are hopeful for a normal life with their children, which would have never been possible without MUSC. They would particularly like to thank Laura of the Special Care Nursery for attempting to feed the twins and Dr. Dorothea Jenkins, Department of Pediatrics, for listening to them and devoting so much of her time to providing the most appropriate care for their children.
• A patient would like to thank MUSC for the excellent care provided to her. She states a few people stood out during her admission. She would like to thank Dr. Camelia Marculescu, Infectious Diseases Division, Dr. Jessica Cook, hospitalist, and Dr. Shruti Puri, a fellow in Infectious Diseases Division, for their care, taking the time to explain her treatment in a way that she could understand, for never talking over her and for including her in the conversations about medications and treatments.
• A patient who had a needle biopsy and would like to recognize Dr. Laura Roberts, Department of Anesthesia, for her care. The patient states she suffers from myasthenia gravis and Roberts was very precise and careful in her approach in anesthesia, secondary to her condition. The patient states she was very impressed with the care she received from Roberts.
• A patient said she has never had a physician treat her with as much respect as she got from Dr. Sarah Mennito, Department of Pediatrics, who carefully listened to her concerns as a parent.