Spartanburg Wins National Alliance Recognition
Congratulations to the SCMSA for winning the 2019 Health Awareness Promotion (HAP) Award at the AMA Alliance Annual Meeting held in Chicago this past June. Lib Orr accepted the award on behalf of our Alliance for the Docs Who Rock Spartanburg benefit for Childrens Cancer Partners of the Carolinas. Lib then presented the HAP Award to President Peggy Pitts at the August 2019 Board Meeting. Congratulations to Peggy, Lib and the DWR Committee for all their hard work on this great project.
Doctors Step Out of the Emergency Room and on to Stage for ‘Docs Who Rock’ Benefit
March 9, 2019
Dr. Octavia Amaechi took center stage Saturday night, showing off her vocal skills at the Docs Who Rock fundraiser held at Wofford College to benefit the Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas.
Amaechi was among nine local doctors who participated. Each doctor was paired with a band to perform a variety of songs. Amaechi joined the Rock and Roll Reunion to kick off the night before a crowd of nearly 2,000 people. When she is not singing hits by Tina Turner or The Blues Brothers, Amaechi is a hospitalist with Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System.
Growing up in church, Amaechi started singing solos in the choir at age 9. She’s always looking to share her love for singing with others.
“As long as I can remember, I have enjoyed using my gifts and talents,” Amaechi said in a brief interview before the show started. “To be part of this event is a real blessing. It’s something to really get excited about. When children hurt, it makes me hurt, because we were all children once and children are something we can get behind.”
The event was presented by Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System and hosted by the Spartanburg County Medical Society Alliance with the support of the Spartanburg County Medical Society. Each band performed several hits at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium.
For the opening act, all of the doctors joined each other on stage and performed Queen’s hit “We Will Rock You.” That song set the tone for the rest of the evening, building the excitement.
Dr. Joseph Boscia performed lead vocals and guitar in his band Missing Monday. He’s a pulmonologist at Spartanburg Medical Center. Throughout the year, Boscia’s band does special performances for families and their children facing health issues.
“The kids and families always appreciate it so much when you meet with them,” he said. “I am a rock star who just happens to be a doctor. It’s so thrilling to be up on stage.”
Missing Monday wowed the crowd with hits from Billy Joel, Blondie and Tom Petty.
The benefit’s goal was to raise $150,000 for Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas. The organization’s board chairman, Ryan Gaylord, said he believed the event would likely reach that goal.
“It’s important for us to support these families and their children and work to make their lives better” Gaylord said. “All of the doctors’ staff were here tonight cheering them on.”
Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas is on track to serve about 900 families and their children in North and South Carolina. The group assists children and their families by providing financial support for transportation, food and lodging associated with treatment. The nonprofit also offers families assistance with coordinating access to care.
Fundraising Success – goupstate.com
SCMS and SCMSA raise funds for Fun Rooms at SC School for the Deaf and Blind
A donation from the Spartanburg County Medical Society and Alliance will fund the renovation of two fun rooms at the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind.
Fun rooms provide a comfortable environment in the dorms for students to play games, watch television, and just relax after the school day and after-school activities are completed. The Medical Society’s donation of $6,423.10 will be used to update fun rooms used by residential students attending the Elementary School for the Deaf.
“We are honored to work with The Walker Foundation and the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind for our 2017 community project. Our membership strives to help improve the lives of our communities here in Spartanburg, and we are truly excited to have the opportunity to impact the lives of the children served by the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind”, said Dr. Greg Valainis, president of the Medical Society’s Board of Directors.
“The fun rooms are an important part of creating a homelike atmosphere in the dorms,” said Ann Akerman, chief executive officer of The Walker Foundation, the school’s fundraising arm. “We are grateful to the Medical Society for making the renovations a reality.”
Fundraising Announcement – GoUpstate.com
SCMSA Raises nearly $50,000 for iPads and Accessories for McCarthy Teszler School
McCarthy Teszler School is a school for special needs students ranging in age from three to twenty-one years in Spartanburg County. Disabled or multi-handicapped students have access to on-site physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, as needed. The Spartanburg County Medical Society Alliance has taken the lead in helping McCarthy Teszler School acquire new technology for use with its students for learning and communication.
In fall of 2013, the Spartanburg Medical Society and Alliance visited MTS and learned that iPad technology is the only way many children at the school can communicate. They tell teachers what they want, how they are feeling or what they need with the touch of a screen. Unfortunately, the school lacked the resources to acquire these iPads and found that some classrooms only had one iPad to serve all its students. The Society and Alliance determined action was needed immediately to assist MTS in acquiring more iPads and plans for a fundraiser within the Medical Community were started. In February of 2014 the fundraiser Toddies for Tablets raised over $21,000 for the purchase of 40 new iPads for MTS. These funds were presented to MTS faculty and students in March of 2014 and iPads were purchased and distributed throughout the spring and summer.
Fundraising Announcement – GoUpstate.com
Fundraising Success – GoUpstate.com
After purchasing these new iPads for MTS, SCMSA realized that many of the school’s most severely physically handicapped students were not able to benefit from the new technology because of their inability to use their hands to control the iPads. In Fall 2015, SCMSA applied to the Mary Black Foundation to help fund a grant to acquire Eye Go hardware and software to allow these students to manipulate the iPad with their eyes. In January of 2015, SCMS and SCMSA joined with the Mary Black Foundation to present a check for nearly $27,000 to MTS. With the donations in 2014, this brings a total of nearly $50,000 in donations to MTS for iPads and accessories to encourage communication among their students, faculty and caregivers.
Photo Gallery – MTS School
Mary Black Foundation Annual Report
MBF Grant Announcement – GoUpstate.com