with the Defense IntelligenceAgency. He credited Rick Johnson,chief of KU’s Police Department,for supporting him as an Armyreservist.

“A lot of people here haveexperienced personal loss, and yetthey’re still focused on our mis-sion,” stressed DeMoss. “I look outmy window at the Pentagon everyday and every night, and it’s areminder of why I’m here anddoing my job.”

Employee’s daughterescapes Pentagon

That same morning, 20-year-old Seaman Sarah Cole, daughterof Roy Cole, a PC support/helpdesk technician in HospitalInformation Systems, was at herdesk in the “B” ring of thePentagon, working naval intelli-gence. After hearing that two air-liners crashed into the World TradeCenter, she knew her superiorswould want more information, soshe began downloading photosfrom the Internet. That decisionlikely saved her life.

Seaman Cole stepped awayfrom her desk to show the photosto a co-worker. Within moments,an airliner hit the Pentagon as well.Items in her office fell to the floor,the ceiling collapsed, and a holewas blown through a nearby wall,allowing her and a co-worker to

flee into the Pentagon’s courtyard.Through the black smoke, theyyelled to others to follow thesound of their voices to safety.

Here on the KU Med campus,Roy Cole was repairing a comput-er when he heard about thePentagon tragedy. Immediately, hetried to call his daughter’s cellphone.

“Her cell phone was in herpurse, and her purse was a casualtyof the incident,” stated Cole.

His worst fears vanished whenhe talked with his daughter bymid-afternoon. Despite minorinjuries, Seaman Cole continued to

20 SEPTEMBER 2001 • VOLUME 3 • NUMBER 36

Pentagon tragedy hits closeto home for KUMC staff

hile many KUMC employ-ees huddled around TVsand listened intently to

radio reports of the Sept. 11 terror-ist attacks in New York and inWashington, D.C., a few foundthemselves much closer to theaction. Thankfully, all were safe.

KU police officer viewsPentagon destruction

Just down the Potomac Riverfrom the Pentagon, KU PoliceOfficer Gary DeMoss was on duty atthe Defense Intelligence Agency. Afirst lieutenant in the Army Reserve,DeMoss had arrived in the nation’scapital two days before to start athree-week special assignment.

KU Police Sergeant PhilGicalone called DeMoss’ cellphone after learning of thePentagon attack.

“I got his voice mail, whichconcerned me. I thought he was inthe building that was hit, but fortu-nately he wasn’t,” said Gicalone.

From his hotel, located just aquarter of a mile from thePentagon, DeMoss had a bird’s eyeview of the destruction.

“I could look out my hotelwindow and watch the Pentagonburning. Even my room smelled ofsmoke,” DeMoss recalled.

Because of the need to gear upthe military, DeMoss has now beenplaced on indefinite assignment

Seaman Sarah Cole, daughter of KU Med

employee Roy Cole.

THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER

W

See Pentagon, page 3

Stechschultewins top award.

See page 6

Even in a facility like ours where the extraordinary

is commonplace, the response at KU Med since the

events of September 11, 2001 has been remarkable.

In spite of the grief over the senseless loss of so

many lives, our staff

remained focused on patient

care. Classes continued at all

the schools here. Employees shared the joy of other

employees when calls were finally received that loved

ones in New York and Washington were safe.

The campus came together through a joint prayer

service. The University’s Diversity Advisory Council

organized a ribbon distribution for all.

Not surprisingly, because we are a facility dedicat-

ed to helping people, we wanted to do more. People

were pushing hard for a blood drive, but the logistics

and needs of a blood drive to help the people on the

East Coast were difficult. There will be a blood drive

on September 27 and 28, which will be in time to help

hundreds of people.

The events also have focused attention here, about

our disaster plans and our

preparations to handle a cri-

sis of this magnitude.

KU Med not only has crisis plans, but holds crisis

drills to test the plans. We are constantly reviewing the

plan to make sure it is as strong as it can be.

While the issue is at the forefront of everyone’s

mind, directors and managers throughout KU Med

should review their existing plans. Revised plans are

being prepared now based upon recent drills and other

ongoing reviews.

Thank you again for your continued dedication to

our patients.

Executive Forum

Tragedy unites us all

Irene M. CummingPresident and Chief Executive OfficerKU Med

2

As the ripples from Sept. 11 spread across the country, children may have the most difficult time coping.

Martha J. Barnard, Ph.D., clinical associate professor of Pediatrics at the KU Children’s Center, offered

some ideas on how to talk to children about what happened, including:

Children need help to cope with tragedy

• Answer questions, but answer only what’s asked.

Don’t elaborate or volunteer more information

than necessary.

• Keep life as normal and calm as possible.

• Observe evening routines and discipline. Children

should eat dinner, do their homework and get

ready for bed. They shouldn’t be glued to the TV.

• Compare the incident to a schoolyard bully. Tell

them our country will not put up with bullies.

• If children are frightened, and ask why this hap-

pened, tell them, “This is a national tragedy, but

let mom and dad worry about this, you don’t

have to.”

• Assure children that their home is safe.

work throughout Tuesday, pitching tents for the rescueoperation and taking damage and casualty reports.Seven of her co-workers are still missing.

“People in my department were glad to hear thatshe was okay,” Cole said. “They were praying for her.”

Bus returns staffers safely to Kansas CityA couple of miles from the Pentagon, Charles

Porter, MD, a cardiologist, was attending a conferenceof the Heart Failure Society of America. During a mid-morning break, he saw a huge cluster of people gath-ered around a TV and joined them, watching newsreports in transfixed horror.

“People wanted to call home, but nobody’s cellphones were working,” described Porter. “The lines atthe pay phones were tremendous.”

According to Porter, interest in the conferenceimmediately waned — everyone focused on getting outof town as quickly as possible. Rental cars were goneby noon. By late afternoon, caravans of travelers wereforming, chartering buses to take them home.

Among those who chartered buses were six KUMed staff members in Washington for a computer con-ference. The group included Tammy Shepherd, chieffinancial officer, Jayhawk Primary Care; Chris Hansen,vice president, Ambulatory Services; Bill Mumford,director, Hospital Information Systems; Dan Herrman,director, Patient Financial Services; Carol Wright, assis-tant director, Applications; and Bob Spaniol, assistant

director, Support Services. Another HIS employee,Maria Brown, manager, Clinical Applications, flewback to Kansas City early Saturday morning.

Porter contacted Hansen and Mumford and madearrangements to catch a ride on their Kansas City-bound bus, which was scheduled to leave at 9 a.m.Wednesday morning. He also tried to get in touch withfellow cardiologists Daniel Lips, MD, and PeterTadros, MD, who were attending the TranscatherCardiovascular Therapeutics 2001 meeting at theWashington Convention Center. The pair was finallyable to reach Porter, just as the bus was pulling awayfrom the curb.

“We diverted the bus to the Convention Center topick them up,” said Porter. “If Dr. Lips had called fiveminutes later we would have been on our way out oftown, and there would have been no turning back.”

“As we left, we drove right by the Pentagon. Itwas very eerie,” added Mumford. “We all felt morecomfortable to get out of Washington.”

After a 20-hour bus ride covering more than 1,000miles, a tired but thankful KUMC group arrived backin Kansas City early Thursday morning.

“It was a numbing experience to be there, knowingthat this plane flew right over us, and we were oblivi-ous to it at the time,” explained Porter. “Your concernsare so trivial when you look at the picture of all thosewho would never get home.”

3

Pentagon (continued from page 1)

Members of KU Med’s Hospital Information

Systems (HIS) had to make a quick exit from a

computer conference they were attending in

Washington, D.C. Sept. 11. They were able to

charter a bus to make the long trip home.

Pictured at left are Carol Wright, assistant

director of applications, Bill Mumford, director

of HIS, and, far right, Tammy Shepherd, chief

financial officer.

Homeward bound

Administrators also attended the luncheon to welcome

new faculty. Ruth Schukman-Dakotas, director of safety

administration, Christopher Knepper, chief financial

officer for Kansas University Physicians, Inc., David

Pinson, Ph.D., interim director of lab and animal

resources, and Dan Hightower, director of facilities

management, chatted at the luncheon.

New faculty members had a chance to get acquainted at a luncheon in their

honor Sept. 12. Below, new faculty members Cynthia Haddock, Ph.D., pro-

fessor and chair of health policy and management, and Jim Paul, Ph.D.,

assistant professor of health policy and management, at the luncheon.

A new linear accelerator was installed in the

Radiation Oncology department Sept. 16.

The machine allows radiation to be directed

at a tumor with minimal damage to sur-

rounding tissues. The old machine was

removed Sept. 15. Above, workers watch as

the new machine is hoisted into the air for

installation through the roof of the

Radiation Oncology unit.

Renee Johnson, surgery coding, receives a white ribbon from

Charles Romero, diversity coordinator, to commemorate the terror-

ist attacks on Sept. 11. Helping Romero are Mike Ahlers, Telehealth

for Kansans project manager, far left, and Brian Van Norman, pro-

gram manager in the School of Medicine, right.

New faculty luncheon

Ribbons of hope Linear accelerator

4

Front & Center . . .

KUMC nursing students participated in health screenings at the Rosedale

Uproar Sept. 8. The annual event, featuring food, fun and games, is held

in the nearby Rosedale community. In the background, Barry Harrell,

junior nursing student, takes a blood pressure reading for a local resident.

The KUMC Bone Marrow and Stem Cell

Transplant Program held a dinner Sept. 15

for former patients and their families. Barry

Skikne, MD, professor of hematology/

oncology, is pictured with Lisa Young, a

1986 marrow transplant recipient.

Rosedale Uproar Celebration of life

There’s something fishy in nursing Unit 42

these days. The unit is studying customer

service from a book called Fish! The book

is based on performance principles from the

employees at Seattle’s World Famous Pike

Place Fish Market.

Registered nurses viewed a film Sept. 13 on how to improve customer service.

Pictured from left rear are: Sara Willdermood, Angela Rueter, Joyce Atchley,

Cheryl Calhoun, Margo Sweeney (a.k.a. Fish Face) and Kristi Masters. In front,

from left, are Erin Mahlios and Tracy Vandenoord.

Go fish

5

Answer all of the questions

below correctly and you could

win a $10, $5 or $2 cafeteria

meal ticket. Brad House, MSE,

RD, LD, a dietitian in the renal

dialysis unit, prepared this

week’s quiz.

What is the number one

cause of kidney failure?

a. High blood pressure

b. Diabetes

c. Heart disease

d. Medication toxicity

With kidney disease, potas-

sium is an important issue.

Which of these foods is the

highest in potassium?

a. Bread

b. Rice

c. Honeydew melon

d. Apple

Phosphorus and its effect

on your bones is another con-

cern with kidney disease.

Which of these foods is the

highest in phosphorus?

a. Banana

b. Pasta

c. Green peppers

d. Milk

Nutrition Quiz

6

Your name:

Phone number:

Place your entry in the specially-marked box in the cafeteria.

Display urges toleranceAn unusual display will be a prominent part of the upcoming

“Issues of Sexual Orientation in Healthcare Symposium,” to beheld Sept. 26 in the School of Nursing (SoN) atrium.

The “Shower of Stoles” is a collection of liturgical stoles sentto Martha Jullierat, former Presbyterian minister from Minnesota,who left the clergy when she revealed she was a lesbian.

The stoles, often seen as a symbol of ordination, are worn byclergy during religious ceremonies.

In 1995, Jullierat and her partner asked friends and colleaguesto send stoles so that they could be hung in her former church inrural Missouri on the day Jullierat was to set aside her ordination.

Jullierat, now the director of the stoles project, will deliver thekeynote address at noon during the daylong symposium. The stoleswill be on display from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in the SoN atrium.

The display is sponsored by the KUMC Gay, Lesbian,Bisexual, Transgendered and Allied Student Organization, StudentsEducating and Advocating for Diversity, KUMC Interfaith, StudentUnion Corporation, and KUMC Diversity Advisory Council. Thesymposium is sponsored by the Diversity Advisory Council.

Stechschulte honored withLaureate Award

Daniel J. Stechschulte, MD,director of Allergy, Rheumatology,and Clinical Immunology, was

awarded theKansasChapterLaureateAward attheAmericanCollege ofPhysicians-

American Society of InternalMedicine meeting September 7-8.

The Laureate Award honorsthose Fellows or Masters of theCollege who have demonstrated acommitment to excellence in med-ical care, education, research, and

community and professional service. Stechschulte received his med-

ical degree from the St. LouisUniversity School of Medicine andtrained in internal medicine atKUMC. He completed a researchand clinical fellowship in Allergy,Immunology, and Rheumatology atthe Massachusetts General andBrigham Hospitals in Boston. Hejoined the KUMC faculty in 1973.

“Dan Stechschulte is a modelteacher and a caring clinical schol-ar,” said Thomas DuBose, MD,chair of the Department of InternalMedicine. “Many students and resi-dents in our department are betterphysicians today because of hisexample and influence.”

Auxiliary BazaarKUMC’s Auxiliary seeks donations

of baked goods, used CDs, books and

videos, and vintage jewelry for its annual

Bazaar Oct. 24 and 25.

All the items in this year’s Bazaar

will be donated or made by Auxiliary

members and KUMC staff.

“We’re looking for all types of

baked goods, like cookies, cakes and

pies,” said Marilyn Lucas, Auxiliary

president. “We want CDs, books and

videos that are in good condition.”

In preparation for the Bazaar,

Auxiliary members will hold crafts

workshops in each other’s homes

over the next few weeks. They will

recondition vintage jewelry and

spruce up Christmas wreaths and silk

flower arrangements.

Funds raised from the Bazaar will

go to many projects across the KUMC

campus. If you are interested in donating

items to the Bazaar, take them to the

Volunteer workroom across the hall from

the Senior Resource Center, located just

inside the front door of the hospital.

Health career fairrescheduled

The health career fair postponed

Sept. 11 has been rescheduled for

Oct. 25 in Hixson Atrium.

The hospital is looking for nurses

in all specialties, health care assistants

and unit clerks.

Candidates will have the

opportunity to talk to nurse managers,

unit managers, clinical staff and

department directors, as well as rep-

resentatives of the hospital’s Human

Resources department.

Sign language classesAlthough classes have already

begun, there’s still time to register for

sign language classes being offered

by the Office of Interpreting Services.

There are two levels of beginning

instruction, covering basic sign

vocabulary, basic health/medical

terms, information about deaf culture,

how to work with a deaf client,

and how to utilize interpreters.

Fees for the classes are $50

for each 10-week session. A course

book is available at the KUMC book-

store for $30. For more information

and to register, call 8-1227.

Rural job dayRural Health Education

Services at the University School

of Medicine-Wichita will sponsor

Kansas Healthcare Job Opportunities

Day Oct. 12 in Hixson atrium

and Wahl Hall East.

The event is open to health care

physicians and students who want to

learn more about rural health care

opportunities. It will feature exhibits

by rural health care employers and a

panel discussion geared toward all

health professionals.

There is no fee for participants,

but pre-registration is requested.

Register at 316-293-2649 or toll free

at 888-503-4221. Online registration

is also available, at

ruralhealth.kumc.edu.

Cancer symposiumA continuing education program

titled “Hereditary Cancers: Breast,

Ovarian and Colon Cancers,

Identification and Management of

High Risk Families” will be held

Sept. 29 from 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at

the Westin Crown Center Hotel.

The program will highlight the

importance of cancer genetics in

clinical practice. More information

is available at kuea.org.

The afternoon part of the pro-

gram, “Women of Cancer,” is a

symposium for women who are

undergoing or who have undergone

cancer treatment. For more informa-

tion, click on womenofcancer.com.

visit us online at:http://www2.kumc.edu/publications/inthecenter/

7

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CLASSIFIEDS, ETC.c o m i n g

u p

Irene M. Cumming Donald Hagen, MDPresident and Executive Vice ChancellorChief Executive Officer University of KansasKU Med Medical Center

Toni Wills, Editor

Jan Lewis, Senior Writer

Perry Fowler, Graphic Designer

Mary King, Communications ManagerIn the Center, a weekly employee and student pub-lication of the University of Kansas and KU Med, ispublished by the KU Med Public Relations andMarketing Department. Send story ideas to ToniWills, G114 Hospital, e-mail: <twills2> 8-1846, orMary King, e-mail: <mking> 8-1298.

Ad Policy - Send or bring your ad to G114 KU Med,or fax to ext. 8-1225, or e-mail: <twills2> by noonThursday of the week before it is to run. Ads run freeof charge for employees, students and volunteers.For-sale ads are limited to three items. All ads mustinclude the advertiser’s name and work extension(or student box number) for verification. Only homephone numbers–no pager numbers or work exten-sions–will be published. Please include area code.No ads for commercial services or pets for sale willbe accepted. Ads will not be taken by telephone.Only one phone number per ad. Ads may be held aweek if space is limited.

Friday, September 21• Psychiatry Grand Rounds series,

“Attention Deficit HyperactivityDisorder,” Robert Doyle, MD,director ADHD program, HarvardMedical School, 10-11:30 a.m.,third floor Sudler.

Tuesday, September 25• Cardiac health program, “Sudden

Cardiac Arrest,” noon-1 p.m., KU MedWest, 7405 Renner Rd.,Shawnee, Kan.

• Final oral examination for thePh.D. in toxicology for LiejunGrace Guo, 1 p.m., G030 Breidenthal.

Wednesday, September 26• “Issues of Sexual Orientation in

Healthcare Symposium,” 9 a.m-4:30 p.m., School ofNursing. Keynote address: MarthaJullierat, noon-1 p.m., SoN, Room G013.

• “Shower of Stoles,” display, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., SoN atrium.

• Diabetes self-management trainingclass, “Acute Complications: Highsand Lows,” Beth Conrad, RN,Cray Diabetes Center, 9-10 a.m.;“Physical Activity and Exercise:Get Moving,” Perri Cagle, clinicalassistant professor, KUMCPhysical Therapy Education, 10-11 a.m., Cray Diabetes Center,Room 1107.

Thursday, September 27• Cancer care and prevention program,

“Cervical Cancer - Are You at Risk?”10-11 a.m., Wyandotte Room.

• Final oral examination for thePh.D. in toxicology for Eric B.Harstad, 1 p.m., G030 Breidenthal.

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WHAT I’LL DO WHEN I GROW UP?I’LL TOSS A COIN. HEADS, I’LL BE ATEACHER. TAILS, I’LL GO WORK ATKU MED. EITHER WAY I’LL BEHELPING PEOPLE.