August 14, 2018: Dr. Jacob Mintzer, MD joined Roper St. Francis in 2013 following 20 years as a professor at MUSC and has helped to spearhead Alzheimer’s research in the region. He was born in Argentina and said his 
dream was to change lives in people. On a trip to Israel he overhead a PhD student presenting his thesis which included business plan & exit strategy. He found this to be compelling in that people today always want to look to the future, rather than living for today, and his goal has been to solve today’s problems.
Early on at Roper he felt a need to develop a strategy to solve problems. After receiving an MBa from Citadel he has strived to combine his medical knowledge with his business sense. He is proud that his department has received over $40M in grants and has 5 patents. His department has grown 30% every year and he believes a Hospital is a wonderful place to find problems that need to be solved. He gave some examples:
- His team observed that there is a great inefficiency in the process of pumping and heating breast milk. Many of the vital nutrients are not passed from the mother to the child simply because of the design of the bottle. They observed that a majority of the methods used to heat the milk disintegrates a lot of the proteins and therefore many new mothers are pumping for the wrong reasons. Working with an Israeli company they have designed a product to heat breast milk without damaging milk. The process preserves 95% of immunoglobulins and is significantly better nutritionally for the child.
- In another instance a nurse observed that in the hospital there was no method for easily identifying what bottle belonged to which mother in the birthing unit. All the bottles at the hospital were the same and all the pumped milk for the nursery was stored in a standard refrigerators used by many different people. The chance of mixing up bottles was very high. Every mother wants to know that when she sends her child to nursery that her child is getting her milk. His group has developed an app and a chip that can be placed on the bottle to monitor each individuals bottle. That what the babies are ensured of getting their mother’s milk. Such a simple problem but one that nobody had a solution for.
Dr. Mintzer is also very involved in Alzheimer’s research. He has 30 years’ experience in clinical trials dating back to 1981. He stated that with Alzheimer’s your immune system doesn’t work. People have a trigger which causes the Alzheimer’s virus to start. Not all people have the second trigger which is an additional defect in immune systems that doesn’t allow inflammation in the brain to stop. He discovered in people with Alzheimer’s their immune system looks disrupted. It was discovered that in patients with Alzheimer’s a bone marrow transplant seems to stop Alzheimer’s. He is aware of 2 cases where Alzheimer’s patients who had a bone marrow transplant showed improved afterwards. He is starting this research at Roper. Healthcare institutions are starting to take some “risks” with new technologies and there are new companies coming to CHS. We will see benefits from this new research. He helped started the Elderly Center to improve quality of life from the day you are born to the day you die. To generate “innovation” they tell folks it’s safe to be ”unsafe”. He is excited by the opportunities that he sees in Charleston to help everyday people today.
-Steve Coe, Keyway Committee
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
• Tom Leonard gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
• Tim McVicker introduced our Visiting Rotarians and guests.
• President Alex Dallis presented Health and Happiness.
• Past President Dan Ravenel introduced our speaker, Dr. Jacobo Mintzer, who discussed Roper Innovation.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
August 21, 2018 | Issue 4901 | President: Alex Dallis
COMING EVENTS
- August 21 – Cheryl Irwin, 9/11 Survivor
- August 28 – Susan Johnson, Blue Zone Project
- September 4 – No Meeting
- September 11 – TBD
NEWS BRIEFS
Back to school is a little easier with Hootie’s Homegrown Roundup & Rotary
Despite the imminent return to the classroom, grumpy teachers and piles of homework, there were nothing but smiles at Burke High School last weekend as thousands of kids from around the region lined up for the Hootie’s Homegrown Roundup. The event, inspired by the founding members of local legend band Hootie & The Blowfish, has become an annual tradition to kick off the start of another school year. It features a range or booths and displays of all sorts of back-to-school services, activities and programs, even a place to get a free haircut. But the main draw is the expanse of school supplies, donated by local companies and organizations, that fills the gymnasium – literally a ton (or more) of free stuff to equip the would-be scholars.
Front and center in the giving was the Rotary Club of Charleston, which anchored the key first corner of the handout line. More than a dozen Rotarians gave up their Saturday morning gardening routines to man the giveaway lines, handing out everything from calculators to rulers and notebooks to crayons and glue sticks. Happy students stuffed their backpacks with the helpful supplies, with grins and laughter to show their appreciation. Through it all, our own Paul “Sarge” Stoney directed the handout with military precision, keeping the lines of recipients flowing and fellow Rotarians on their toes.
The event has fast become a favorite among Rotarians for the hands-on experience of helping kids and seeing their gratitude up close and personal. Of course, the chance for a brush with fame is an extra incentive, too, and this year didn’t disappoint. In addition to cameos by our own Mayor John 
Tecklenburg and Police Chief Luther Reynolds, the man himself — Darius Rucker – made a special appearance and spent quality time with the kids – and adults – posing for selfies and signing autographs, as well as graciously thanking all the dozens of volunteers who supported the event. The Homegrown event was the first appearance of a big weekend for Darius and the boys, who performed a reunion of classic Hootie & The Blowfish magic later that night.
For Rotarians looking for a real “Service Above Self’ experience and seeing first-hand what a difference we make, mark your calendars for next year and the next installment of The Hootie Homegrown Roundup.
RCCF Grant Applications Being Accepted
The Rotary Club of Charleston Fund (RCCF) is accepting requests for grants. Interested organizations are required to submit a Letter of Inquiry and complete a grant application prior to September 1 to be considered. The application and other details regarding the grant process can be found on our club’s website — www. charleston-rotary.org.
The CART Fund
Our Rotary Club was proud to support the CART “Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust” at this past Tuesday’s meeting by asking members to voluntarily place donations in the CART buckets on the tables.
The CART Fund is dedicated to raising funds to provide “seed” money for cutting edge, high impact research in hopes of finding a cure/prevention for Alzheimer’s disease. Started by one SC Rotary club in district 7770 in 1995, CART has been adopted to date by all Rotary district clubs in Georgia and the two Carolinas as well as a number of individual clubs throughout the United States. Assistance from the American Federation of Aging Research was invaluable in validating CART as a legitimate funding source for Alzheimer’s research.
Thanks to all those who generously contributed to The CART Fund at the last meeting. There will be other opportunities to contribute this year.
Join the PR Committee and Earn Service Hours, too! (Fame, notoriety and recognition from your peers is FREE!)
We’re looking for 3 to 4 Rotarians to help us spread the word about our Club through various communications channels. Your contributions will reach countless Club members, family and friends, as well as the local community at-large more than 36-times a year! Your feature stories and timely coverage of Rotary Club events may also be picked up by District, National and International Rotary news channels.
Don’t worry if your’re not an expert techie, can’t write like Hemingway and Pat Conroy, or wield a camera like Steve McCurry or Annie Leibovitz – our super-qualified A-team will be right there to support your efforts with training and guidance you’ll need to see your by-line and photo-credit circulation grow to an epic scale.
Social Media Manager: Work with team members, committee heads and the Board on developing, publishing and promoting social media content for the Club. Active channels now include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. Familiarity with these or emerging platforms will be helpful, as will knowledge of what makes for successful SM content. Experience with search optimization techniques will earn you immediate MVP status. While your own exposure to Social Media is helpful, it is not essential. The team will gladly train our e-challenged volunteers, too!
Keyway Production Manager: Work with co-chairs, Keyway editor and our content development team to publish our weekly newsletter on club web site. Familiarity with web publishing and content managing systems (e.g WordPress) a plus.
Keyway Content Developers: Copywriters & storytellers who can develop short-form, original content including summary articles, possibly combined with team-generated photos and/video content, to provide coverage of weekly meetings and presenters, as well as occasionally produce special features on past or upcoming club events, special projects and fundraisers.
So if you are interested in maximizing your Rotary experience, this is your chance to create an immediate and long-lasting impact on how our Club is regarded by current and prospective members. You will also be shaping how our Club will be recognized by our peers, our community and by Rotary International for the good work of our members.
Join the Charleston Rotary Press Corps and help generate that buzz! Contact Mike Sottak, [email protected], or Rob Byko, [email protected], for more information.
MEMBER NEWS
Member News
President Alex presented new members Owen Clary and Robert Sullivan with their Blue Membership Badges this past Tuesday. Owen and Robert are both “seasoned” Rotarians as they were both previously members of other Rotary clubs prior to moving to the Charleston area. We appreciate their enthusiasm and dedication to Rotary. Congratulations to both Owen and Robert!
Congratulations to Jeanne Jamme, who was recognized this past Tuesday with a PHF +2 pin by our International Service Director, Karl Riner. The Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of US$1,000 or more to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. We appreciate Jeanne’s dedication and continuous support of The Rotary Foundation.
With much regret, the Board accepted the resignations of Andrew Dymek, Doug Hart and Sharon McGhee at its meeting this past Tuesday. We will miss these members and wish them all the best.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Rotarian: Peter Arnstein
• Joined: 2018
• Sponsor: Heidi Finniff
• Membership Involvement: New Red Badge Member
• Classification: Executive Coaching/Consulting
• Profession: Managing Partner, Arnstein Executive Coaching & Consulting
• Something Unique About Yourself: I finished reading Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” recently. Great book. I predict that over time it will be considered a classic.
Birthdays
- August 23 – Bill Prewitt
- August 26 – Rudy Gill
- August 27 – Peter LaMotte
By the numbers
Attendance on August 14, 2018: 84
Not in attendance: Allen, Arnstein, Barry, Beam, Berlin, Brack, Bullard, Byko, Carico, Channell, Christian, Coghill, Cole, Cook, Cooper, E., Cooper, J., Cooper, M., Deavenport, Diminich, Dopp, Echols, Embry, Gill, Hart, Holmes, Hudnall, Husser, Jones, Kaynard, Kerrigan, Kohli, Krumwiede, LaMotte, Lietzow, Livingston, Lucy, Marty, Moring, Plotner, Prewitt, Riley, Rust, Schmidt, Seguer, Smith, H., Stokes, Strickland, Taylor, E., Tecklenburg, John, Teller, Van Bergen, Welborn, Whitaker, Willey, Williams, D., Youngs
Out of Town Make-ups: None
WELLNESS TIP
Enjoy Nature’s bounty
Enjoy fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables at their organic best. Consuming foods that are cooling and light — fresh fruits, vegetable juices, raw vital salads, and lots of water — will nourish your body for summertime activities. Include some protein with one or two meals. There are a number of light, nourishing proteins that don’t require cooking. Most of these complement fruits and vegetables nicely– nuts, seeds, sprouted beans, soy products, yogurt, kefir, and cottage cheese. Fish and poultry can also be eaten.
AREA CLUB MEETINGS
Mondays
- Summerville – Oakbrook: 7:30 a.m., Monday, Westcott County Club, 5000 Wescott Club Drive, North Charleston
- North Charleston: 12:30 a.m., Monday, Hilton Garden Inn, 5265 International Blvd, North Charleston.
- Summerville Evening: 5:30 p.m., Monday, Montreux Bar and Grill, 127 W. Richardson Ave., Summerville
Tuesdays
- East Cooper Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Cooper River Room at Waterfront Park, Mount Pleasant
- Charleston: 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Hall’s Signature Events, 5 Faber, Charleston
- Goose Creek: 12:45 m. Tuesday, Gilligan’s, 219 St. James Ave., Goose Creek
Wednesdays
- Daniel Island: 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Daniel Island Club, 600 Island Park Dr., Daniel Island
- St. John’s Parish (John’s Island): 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, 2817 Maybank Highway, Unit 1, John’s Island
- Mount Pleasant: 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Harbor Breeze Restaurant, 176 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant
- Summerville: 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sticky Fingers, Summerville
Thursdays
- North Charleston Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Embassy Suites, 5055 International Blvd., North Charleston
- Moncks Corner: 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Gilligan’s Restaurant, Moncks Corner
- St. Andrews (West Ashley): 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Bessinger’s BBQ, 1602 Savannah Highway, Charleston.
Fridays
- Charleston Breakfast: 7:30 a.m., Friday, Harbour Club, 35 Prioleau St., Charleston
SOCIAL MEDIA
Our Rotary club actively uses social media — and we encourage you to interact with us through social media.
- We’re on Facebook. Take a look at our page and be sure to “like us”.
- We’re on Twitter. You can follow us @chasrotaryclub.
ABOUT THE KEYWAY
The Keyway has been published weekly as a newsletter for the Rotary Club of Charleston for more than 90 years.
- President: Alex Dallis
- Keyway editor: Don Baus [email protected]
- Executive secretary: Carroll Schweers, [email protected]
- Mailing address: Rotary Club of Charleston, P.O. Box 21029 ,Charleston, SC 29413-1029
- Copyright 2018, Rotary Club of Charleston. All rights reserved.