Human Centered Design

Response to COVID

Virtual Visits

MUSC telehealthWith the onset of the pandemic, rapid changes to the way healthcare is delivered were needed to minimize the impact the virus had on patients and reduce staff exposure. Luckily for South Carolinians, the Medical University of South Carolina, one of only two Telehealth Centers of Excellence nationwide, already had an excellent telehealth infrastructure and our health care providers in the Department of Surgery were quick to pivot to the new model, finding added benefits in the process. Our improved model of care now includes a telehealth format that is systematized to offer care for tertiary referrals, monitor post-operative recovery as well as offer pre-screening for certain surgeries, and provide better access to care across the state.

Virtual Tumor Boards

Leaders at MUSC’s National Cancer Institute-designated Hollings Cancer Center were among the first to adopt the new virtual platforms for all tumor boards to help ensure that treatment and care were uninterrupted. Before COVID, thoracic, neuro-oncology, endocrine and breast tumor boards were meeting in-person, with some of our off-site providers joining virtually. David Mahvi, M.D., who served as oncology chief for MUSC’s Integrated Center of Clinical Excellence, said the virtual tumor boards will become permanent, thanks to the successful, seamless shift from in-person conferences and the popularity of the virtual platforms.

We are Ready

We are Ready CampaignPrabhakar Baliga, M.D. was the lead visual in the MUSC Health TV commercial that focused on the safety and continuation of care for all South Carolinians as we moved forward in the wake of COVID. Undaunted. And ready to take care of you.

At the Forefront of Discovery

serology testResearch led by Shikhar Mehrotra, Ph.D., scientific co-director of the Center for Cellular Therapy and co-leader of Hollings’ Cancer Immunology Program, found that people who successfully fight off COVID-19 without showing symptoms have much higher levels of Ig G antibodies against the virus’s spike protein than do patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19. The innovative ELISA test that Mehrotra’s team developed to measure antibody titers could be beneficial for determining how long immunity lasts after vaccination or infection and for informing vaccine design.