A Conversation With Health Sciences South Carolina CEO Dr. Helga Rippen
June 2, 2015
On Tuesday of this week, Health Sciences South Carolina (HSSC) was awarded a $15.3 million grant from Charlotte-based philanthropy organization, The Duke Endowment, to support the transformation of health in South Carolina and North Carolina.
LowcountryBizSC:
First, tell me a little about Health Sciences South Carolina (HSSC).
Helga Rippen:
HSSC was created in 2004 by the leaders of South Carolina’s largest research universities and health systems who recognized that by setting aside competitive differences, they could work together to improve the state’s health status more effectively and without duplicating efforts. Our slogan clearly states our vision: “Good Health Made Possible®.” For more than a decade, HSSC has worked diligently developing a statewide health information technology (IT)-based infrastructure to empower researchers and clinicians to make our dream reality.
Today, HSSC’s supported organizations are Clemson University, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), the University of South Carolina (USC), as well as AnMed Health, Greenville Health System, McLeod Health, MUSC Health, Palmetto Health, Self Regional Healthcare, and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System. Researchers and clinicians from these organizations are working together on a wide range of research initiatives, including developing critical health information research tools, designed to help improve health in our state.
LowcountryBizSC:
This past Tuesday, The Duke Endowment awarded HSSC a $15.3 million grant, its third multi-million award in a decade. What motivated their investment?
Helga Rippen:
The Duke Endowment, like HSSC and its supported organizations, knows that good health is a precious commodity. One of the Endowment’s missions is to fund initiatives that improve health in South Carolina and North Carolina. They believe in our vision that investing in IT infrastructure and enabling exceptional researchers will accelerate innovation and discovery in this vital area. The two states have unacceptably high rates of diabetes, obesity, stroke and heart disease, which not only are harmful to individual citizens, but also strain the health systems and economies of the two states. The Duke Endowment also understands that such infrastructure requires significant investment and time to build.
When HSSC applied for this grant, we stated that we wanted to leverage our successes in South Carolina with our neighbor North Carolina. Specifically, we wanted to collaborate with Duke University, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Bringing the “big six” research universities and their respective health systems together to elevate health in the Carolinas is a significant accomplishment that will allow HSSC to continue to build upon our IT infrastructure. The Duke Endowment is investing in our ability to bring together the best academic researchers in the Carolinas to improve the health of all Carolinians.
LowcountryBizSC:
How has HSSC been so successful at convening large, statewide health initiatives?
Helga Rippen:
Our role from day one has been to be an enabler and convener, providing the tools and support that bring together talented people to do great work. Thanks to The Duke Endowment, HSSC now has the IT infrastructure, sophisticated analytical tools, and processes that make it much easier for researchers and clinicians to work together on research and health improvement initiatives.
Our infrastructure has also opened the door to external projects like the Preventing Avoidable Readmissions Together Program we’re doing with BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and the South Carolina Hospital Association. With the help of HSSC’s IT infrastructure, South Carolina hospitals have reduced readmissions by 15 percent and saved some $14 million in just two years. South Carolina researchers are also using HSSC’s research tools to study diabetes in youth, traumatic brain injury, pediatric pneumonia, and cancer diagnosis following trauma. Thanks to the Endowment, we’ve brought and will continue to bring a wide range of organizations to the table to make good health possible in South Carolina, and now in North Carolina as well.
LowcountryBizSC:
What does the future hold for HSSC?
Helga Rippen:
The big health issues facing us today are complex. In order to solve them, we need more than researchers and healthcare clinicians at the table. We plan to expand our “Learning Health System” model to a “Learning Health Community” and include other entities that can be part of greater solutions. We want to close the loop, bringing together research, community discoveries, and innovations and make them available to those who can use them. HSSC will develop an online collaborative to share knowledge, lessons learned, and tools across the Carolinas. As an enabler and convener, HSSC’s door is always open.
LowcountryBizSC:
You’ve been in South Carolina as the president and CEO of HSSC for a little more than three months. What’s your impression?
Helga Rippen:
First, it was a huge honor to be selected to lead and serve with HSSC and to work with our wonderful universities and health systems. What has impressed me the most has been the passion this state has for improving health and the willingness of big organizations to work together and do new things. That’s very unique in this day and time—which again is why The Duke Endowment continues to invest in HSSC’s mission. Finally, I am very excited that we are continuing to build upon the Learning Health System infrastructure that can make good health possible across the Carolinas.
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