TACHL Success Stories

Dr. Leigh Ridings is a licensed clinical psychologist at MUSC. She worked with TACHL, via the Trauma Resilience and Recovery Program, to provide mental health care to young children after traumatic injury. This resulted in novel ideas to adapt the TRRP model and develop a new, integrated model of care. Dr. Ridings was awarded a pilot grant from the South Carolina Telehealth Alliance to develop her “CAARE” concept via interviews with caregivers of young children after injury, and also was awarded a TACHL pilot grant to survey 75 pediatric trauma centers. Most recently, she received a K23 career development award from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Dr. Ruggiero serves as the primary mentor on her K23 award.

Dr. Aaron Lesher is a pediatric burn surgeon at MUSC. Dr. Lesher worked with TACHL as he led the development and pilot testing of a novel telemedicine optimized burn intervention (TOBI) for pediatric burn-injured patients and their caregivers. He was awarded a $200,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina Foundation grant to build the initial app, and then was awarded a K23 career development grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Dr. Ruggiero serves as his primary mentor on the K23 award, which launched in 2020. The award will give Dr. Lesher more time to pursue his innovative model of care that may change the paradigm of how clinicians treat burn patients.

Dr. John McGillicuddy - Dr. John McGillicuddy worked with TACHL & CON mentorship team, and received a SCTR KL2, 3-year development award. With guidance from TACHL leadership, Dr. McGillicuddy created and tested an mHealth medication regimen adherence program with 20 kidney transplant recipients. From that project, he gathered analyzed and incorporated acceptability and usability data into an NIH R01 application, which was scored and funded upon initial submission. Dr. McGillicuddy recently completed recruitment and is in process of follow up and data analysis for a competing renewal submission in Spring of 2020. He will continue his work in partnership with TACHL mentorship team.

Dr. Shannon Phillips worked with TACHL, CON mentorship team, and an MD partner on a SCTR KL2, 3-year development award. She adapted and refined an existing app to meet the needs of child-parent dyads (children with sickle cell disease)
She gathered, analyzed and incorporated acceptability and usability data into an NIH K23 application, which was recently funded. Dr. Phillips will continue her work in partnership with TACHL mentorship team as she runs her grant.

Dr. Ennis James worked with TACHL & CON mentorship team in conceptualizing an intervention to address fatigue experienced by patients with sarcoidosis. The TACHL mentorship team guided Dr. James through preparation of an initial R21 submission. The first submission received a 28th percentile score. TACHL mentorship then guided Dr. James through the grant proposal revision process including addressing reviewer comments, collecting additional data, and strengthening his C.V. through presentations and publications in preparation for a resubmission. Dr. James received an 8th percentile upon and received funding in September 2020. Dr. James and TACHL mentorship team will continue their partnership throughout the R21 and in preparation of an R01.