Anderson Observer

Anne Harder, an AP English/Teacher Cadet Teacher at T.L. Hanna High School, has been named Teacher of the Year by the W.A. Hudgens American Legion Post 14 in Anderson.

Each American Legion post is eligible to select one representative as its Teacher of the Year and forward that nomination to the state competition. A committee at the state level will review the nominations and choose a statewide winner later this year.

Mrs. Harder was previously named Teacher of the Year for Anderson School District Five for the 2008-2009 school year. She will be honored for her American Legion award at the Tuesday, March 16 meeting of the Anderson School District Five Board of Trustees. The meeting will be held at 6:30 in the District Administrative Office on Pearman Dairy Road.

Patients in AnMed Health’s intensive care unit now have access to an extra layer of care with the addition of an eICU. 

Using the power of telemedicine, intensive care patients can be monitored remotely by board-certified intensivists and critical care nurses at Advanced ICU Care in St. Louis. An eICU does not replace the need for highly-skilled, onsite clinicians, and patients’ care is still directed by their local doctor. What the service can provide is a set of expert eyes to follow patients’ progress around the clock. 

Clinical decisions in the ICU are often based on a continuous stream of data, from physiologic data and laboratory results to vital signs and medications. With an eICU, this data is communicated electronically in real time to both bedside caregivers and the eICU Monitoring Center. Cameras and videoconferencing equipment allow the eICU staff to see and communicate directly with patients, families and onsite clinicians. The system also provides automated alerts, which identify potential patient problems earlier and allow physicians to intervene sooner.

In studies, eICUs have been shown to improve outcomes and reduce patients’ lengths of stay. One 10-bed ICU in an academic-affiliated community hospital saw on average a 30 percent decrease in severity adjusted hospital mortality and a 47 percent decrease in ICU complications. Patients’ lengths of stay also decreased by 32 percent.

“The eICU is a great way to supplement the already outstanding care provided in our intensive care unit,” said Dr. Mike Tillirson, AnMed Health’s chief medical officer. “Doctors and nurses in the eICU Monitoring Center are specially trained in critical care and have decades of experience. Adding their expertise to our compassionate and award-winning team is a great example of what it means to ‘blend the art of caring with the science of medicine to optimize the health of our patients.’”

The communication system – which includes a camera, microphone and speaker – is only active when requested by the bedside nurse or during prescribed “virtual rounds.” When activated, the camera moves from pointing at the wall to pointing at the patient’s bed and an audio signal alerts any nurses who may be in the patient’s room. There is no video or audio recording capability, and patient privacy is respected during virtual rounds.

To learn more about Advanced ICU Care, go online to www.icumedicine.com

Anderson University will host the 21st Annual Foothills Writers Guild Workshop on March 26th and 27th.  On Saturday morning, March 27, the guild will offer sessions on each of these key aspects of songwriting:

Session 1 (10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.) :  "Turning Life Into Song Lyrics"

Session 2 (11: a.m. - noon):  "Matching Lyrics to Melody"

These powerful sessions will be conducted by the successful upstate recording artist, Christopher Branch.  Mr. Branch will perform at the Electric City Playhouse on March 12, to launch his third CD, "And If All These Things Are True."  

This singer / songwriter / musician is currently President of the Foothills Songwriters.  He was raised in the Foothills of South Carolina and has been a successful solo artist and frontman for the extremely talented band, Cedars Of Lebanon.  Known for an honest writing style, his work shows his blue-collar, bible-belt upbringing.  His knack for mixing introspective and playful lyrics with a percussive guitar style, and a sometimes bluesy/sometimes angelic voice, has gained him many fans around the Southeast. He has been featured at various events and festivals and has shared the stage with many respected artists such as Need To Breathe, Jars Of Clay and Tom Conlon. Christopher’s songwriting repertoire is wide-ranging for a young man and his songs have been covered by many regional artists. 

Admission covers both sessions and is only $50 for adults and $15 for students.  Students under 18 will need a student ID and must be accompanied by an adult.  Seating is limited and expected to fill up quickly - advance enrollment is strongly encouraged.  For enrollment information please call 864-231-6666 or visit www.foothillswritersguild.org.

WASHINGTON -- Democrats facing strong headwinds this election season have at least one reason for optimism, according to polling that found the party's large African-American voting bloc eager to stay involved even without Barack Obama on the ballot.

About two-thirds of black adults in four states say they are closely following news about the upcoming midterm elections, and between 74 percent and 80 percent say they are very likely to vote, according to the poll, conducted by the nonpartisan Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. The organization surveyed 500 African-Americans in each state - Missouri, Indiana, Arkansas and South Carolina - all of which have Senate races in November.

How many of those voters follow through with their intentions will help determine if Democrats hold control of Congress. In many competitive congressional districts, blacks make up a quarter of the electorate, and they vote overwhelmingly for Democrats. Their surge during Obama's 2008 victory is widely credited with helping sweep many down-ballot Democrats into office who might have otherwise lost. (Complete Article Here)

One of the nation’s top historians will be on the Anderson University campus to discuss Civil War history. Vernon Burton, author of numerous books on religious, social, and political history, will address Anderson University students at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 22.

Burton’s widely popular first book was entitled, In My Father’s House Are Many Mansions and his most recent work, The Age of Lincoln, was a runner up for the Pulitzer Prize in History for the past year. 

Burton is the incoming President of the Southern Historical Association, which is one of the largest historical associations in the country.

The Brooks Center for the Performing Arts at Clemson University will host
it's biggest night of classical music in the center’s 16-year history at 8
p.m. Wednesday, March 24.

Read the entire news release at:
http://www.clemson.edu/media-relations/article.php?article_id=2547

Anderson County Meals on Wheels will host its semiannual Spaghetti Fundraiser on Thursday, March 25, 2010. Lunch will be available from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.  Dinner will be available from 5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.  Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for children (12 and under).  Meals include spaghetti, salad, bread, dessert and tea.  

Delivery is available for lunch orders to a location ordering 10 or more meals.  To place a delivery lunch order, please call 864-225-6800 no later than Tuesday, March 23, 2010.

You may purchase your tickets in advance or pay at the door.  We accept cash or check.  Meals on Wheels is located at 105 S. Fant St., Anderson.

All proceeds will benefit the elderly and disabled recipients of Anderson County Meals on Wheels. http://www.acmow.org/ACMOW/Welcome.html

ANDERSON COUNTY, SC— Clemson University and Anderson County invite the public to review and offer comment on an application for Recreational Trail Program funding during a public meeting at 1 pm on Wednesday, March 10th. The meeting will be held in the 2nd floor conference room at the Anderson County Historic Courthouse, 101 South Main Street, Anderson, SC.

This competitive grant is administered by the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. The Fants Grove trail system is used by horse riders, hikers and mountain bikers. The grant money will be used to make improvements to the trailhead for Fants Grove trail system, located on Woodburn Road adjacent to Garrison Arena.  Approved funds will be used to provide improved parking facilities for the purpose of public safety, access, and convenience.”

Documents related to the grant application will be made available online at www.andersoncountysc.org.  For questions, please send email to AndersonCountyGrants@gmail.com, or call 260-4701.