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Published monthly for CC employees by Clinical Center Communications Klein to head blood association Medicine for the Public artwork shines again in CC gallery CC patient chronicles experiences here < |
Blizzard hits; CC keeps going |
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The recent snowstorms caught the Washington, D.C., area unprepared. Although snow totals ranging from 12 to 18 inches caused the Federal government to close down for two days last month, the Clinical Center stayed open, continuing to provide uninterrupted care to patients. "My special thanks to all the staff who came in during the inclement weather and kept the place running so smoothly. Also thanks to Maureen Gormley, Elaine Ayres, and Pat Piringer for their help coordinating things," said CC Director John Gallin. With the cafeterias closed, the Nutrition Department was the main source of food for employees who desired more to eat than a candy bar and a soda. Nutrition staff prepared 100 boxed lunches for staff who stayed for extra shifts the night of the blizzard. Outpatient Department staff were also on hand to coordinate various activities, including delivering those boxed meals, coordinating bed assignments for staff who stayed overnight, arranging transportation, and fielding numerous phone calls from NIH employees and patients. The surrounding community chipped in to help as well. "Channel 9 called asking if we needed them to make any announcements for us," said Maureen Gormley, the CC's chief operating officer. Once the call went out, volunteers with 4-wheel-drive vehicles ferried hospital staff from all over the area. "The NIH police also helped out by transporting emergency staff from the Metro station to the their work areas and driving patients from hotels to their hospital appointments," Gormley said. |
Medicine for the Public artwork shines again
in CC gallery
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Like beautifully colored gems extracted from a dark cave, original illustrations created for the Clinical Center's popular Medicine for the Public (MFP) lecture series have been pulled from storage, framed, and put on display in Gallery I. "I was astonished at this wonderful collection of art that has been here all this time," said Lillian Fitzgerald, of Fitzgerald Fine Arts, curator for the CC's art galleries. The Medicine for the Public lecture series was created by the CC in 1977, and has been presented every fall since. Lectures on disease topics are presented by NIH scientists and are illustrated by original art that helps translate medical terminology into understandable concepts. In the spirit of the new millennium, Fitzgerald wanted to pull together a collection of art that reflected NIH's history. During discussions with Colleen Henrichsen, chief of CC Communications, which runs the lecture series, and Linda Brown, of the Medical Arts and Photography Branch (MAPB), Fitzgerald said the idea of displaying the MFP art quickly took shape because the pieces fulfilled several goals at once. "The illustrations are appealing from an artistic perspective, and they reflect artistic styles over the past 20 years, but they also depict a history of NIH's work," she said. Lecture topics are selected each year on the basis of current research, new findings, and public interest. With over 180 lectures in 23 years, there are an estimated 9000 visuals in storage. "We couldn't sort through all of them, so I selected some that particularly appealed to me," said Fitzgerald. Brown pointed out that "we could change the exhibit every month for 10 years and not run out of illustrations." Originally titled "Medicine for the Layman," the series was developed as a means of reaching out to the general public with information on clinical research, and to make people aware of what NIH does and how it contributes to the public health of the nation. "The challenge was to create a means of conveying complex medical and scientific information to nonscientists. This was achieved by creating understandable, recognizable, and sometimes humorous visual images to accompany the lecture," said Henrichsen. As with any work of art, sometimes the images connected with the viewer, and sometimes not. But always the artistic quality remained high. "When we selected artists for Medicine for the Public, we always looked at the quality of the art first," said Ron Winterrowd, retired chief of MAPB. "Then we looked at which artists had the ability to work effectively with the doctors. And then, of course, they had to be able to meet the due date." After the lectures were over, many of the illustrations reappeared in a series of booklets developed from the talks. Although budget constraints have stopped development of illustrations for current MFP lectures, a new use for the art from past lectures is on the horizon. "Lillian presented the idea of decorating selected areas of the new hospital with some of these illustrations," said CC Director Dr. John Gallin. "We thought it would be an excellent new use for these interesting and beautiful images. Also, since the art is already owned by the Clinical Center, there's a cost savings from not having to purchase new pieces." The MFP art will be on display through March 1 in Gallery I, which is along the diagonal hallway that leads from the North Lobby to the Center Lobby elevators. The Clinical Center maintains three other galleries and three sculpture cases. Shows are changed six times a year. "There is often an NIH or CC connection in the shows," Fitzgerald said. "In addition to the MFP art, the current show has works by the wife of an NIH doctor and a CC nurse who was so inspired by the galleries that she returned to school to study art." (See below.) An exhibit last year showcased art by the mother of an NICHD doctor. In addition to providing inspiration and enjoyment, the galleries benefit CC patients and their families. According to Crystal Parmele, art director for the CC galleries, "We ask that the artists make their works available for sale, with 20 percent of the price donated to the Patient Emergency Fund. Only in special instances are pieces not for sale." The MFP illustrations, however, represent one of those special instances. They will remain in the CC's permanent collection. For further information on the galleries, contact Crystal Parmele at 2-0115. --by Sue Kendall A Few Words I have spent the last 21 years working as a nurse, and 14 of those years were here at the National Institutes of Health. During my time at NIH, I have had the opportunity to view many wonderful works of art displayed in the galleries which line these hallways. I would always make an effort to enter and leave the building via the hallways with these exhibits, because it would help me begin and end my workday with such beautiful, sometimes thought-provoking images. It so inspired me, that I decided to go back to school to study art. I have now been studying in the evenings after work for two years, at Montgomery College in Rockville. I have concentrated mostly on watercolor, working under the wonderful guidance of Professor Andrea Burchette. It has been an adventure I never dreamed could happen, and it is a joy to have my work hanging in the very art-filled halls that inspired me to pick up a paintbrush. I hope that you will find something in these halls that touches your soul also. --by Leslie Stephens Leslie Stephens's work is on display in Gallery III, near the Admissions Desk. |
CC patient chronicles experiences here
Gianna Pedace Allentuck |
Knowing that you are not alone, that someone else has traveled the road you are on and lived to tell of the journey, can often be a great help to people coping with an illness. Former Clinical Center patient Gianna Pedace Allentuck understands this. In 1996, at the age of 25, she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and underwent chemotherapy at the Clinical Center as a participant in an NCI clinical trial. "While I survived the rigors of chemotherapy and continue to remain in remission, I firmly believe I would not have fared so well without the constant love and support provided by my family and friends," she said. "Unfortunately, however, there are those who do not have a support system equal to my own; and who do not survive their own battles with chemotherapy so well, sometimes succumbing to the cancer." As a tribute to family, friends, and fellow patients, and in an effort to reach out to other families coping with serious illness, Allentuck has written a book of essays, "Welcome to My Heart," detailing various experiences during diagnosis and treatment of her disease. In addition to providing emotional support for patients and their families, Allentuck wants the book to benefit others in a very concrete way. She plans to donate all proceeds from the sale of her book to The Children's Inn at NIH. "Our goal is to sell 3000 books and raise a significant amount for the Inn," she said. "I believe strongly in the loving, supportive atmosphere fostered by the Inn, and I hope this book will be of help to children and their families during such a frightening time." The following excerpt is from her essay entitled "The World Series": I had expected the NIH Clinical Center to be a sterile, serious place with doctors and nurses stiffly walking from room to room and patient to patient. Instead, I had been greeted with smiles and laughter. While the goals of the clinic remain serious, the staff are also serious about making the patients feel at ease, feel better, which is a huge step in the scary road to treatment and hopefully recovery.... NIH is one big major league with all the different departments acting as teams. I would become a player for the clinical team (the Yankees, let's say); and when we all worked/played together, my treatment game plan played out like the 1998 World Series. I had been scheduled for several tests that day, and each department we visited, from Phlebotomy to Radiology to the 10th floor nurses station to the 12th floor Clinic, pulled together as a team to make my appointments as comfortable as possible. The nurses who draw blood in Phlebotomy, conscious of my nervousness about giving blood, distracted me by playfully teasing each other about who was the best "draw" nurse.... One nurse in particular, named "the cat man" because he has so many cats, drew a picture of a kitty cat on my arm bandage after I told him about my two kittens, Bob and Chunky. While the bandage only stayed with me for about 15 minutes, the cat man's sensitivity and sense of humor have stayed with me since then. The staff of the Radiology Department were also sensitive to my nerves and my needs. When I went for my X-rays, CT scans, and "glow-in-the-dark" test, the nurses and technicians always offered me a heated blanket. Usually I was shaking from both anxiety and cold, and the cozy blanket always warmed my limbs and settled my nerves.... After Lee and I finished making the scheduled rounds, we returned to the 10th floor nurses station.... After thanking the doctors and Deb for their time, I asked for a moment alone with Lee so that we could discuss my entering the clinical trial versus undergoing standard treatments with Georgetown or a private clinic. Once the doctors had left the room, Lee and I reviewed the paperwork and the information that the doctors had given us and decided to sign up for the program. We felt that after dealing with the wonderful staff of NIH all day and finally ending up with obviously caring and intelligent doctors, in addition to the convenience of NIH, it would be best to join the protocol. I had been a "free-agent" weighing my treatment options, and I decided to sign with this team of superstars. A decision that has clearly paid off as we continue to hit home runs together each time I leave the clinic with another quarterly clean bill of health. For me, NIH has never been about individual status or priorities, but about teamwork. About working together to reach the ultimate goal - patient recovery - the victory in life's world series. "Welcome to My Heart" will be available starting Feb. 14 at NIH R&W gift shops and at www.sharinghearts.org. All proceeds will benefit The Children's Inn at NIH (www.childrensinn.org).
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Clinical Center News, 6100 Executive Blvd., Suite 3C01, MSC 7511, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-7511. Tel: 301-496-2563. Fax: 301-402-2984. Published monthly for CC employees by the Office of Clinical Center Communications, Colleen Henrichsen, chief. News, article ideas, calendar events, letters, and photographs are welcome. Deadline for submissions is the second Monday of each month. top | cc home page | nih home page | |
Dr. Harvey Klein
