MUSC Trustees Receive Mid-year Updates on Operations Philanthropy Diversity and inclusion

Contact: Sheila Champlin

843-792-2691 | champlin@musc.edu

CHARLESTON, S.C. (December 14, 2018) – The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and Medical University Hospital Authority (MUHA) Board of Trustees held their regularly scheduled meeting to review the institution’s progress as the mid-point of fiscal year 2019 approaches.

Among the academic highlights shared with the board, MUSC President David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, noted the organization has received initial accreditation and is seeking applicants for a new Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program. The one-year training program was approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education for two fellowship slots annually with training starting in July.

“The new fellowship program will address a critical need in South Carolina by training physicians to become specialists in the care of older adults,” Cole said. “This is especially important because South Carolina is one of the most rapidly aging states in the U.S.”

In legislative matters, Cole said, “Our organization is committed to expanding access to care through as many avenues as possible. In fact, MUSC team members representing the College of Nursing helped shape Bill 345, which expands the scope of practice for advanced practice nurses in our state. The legislation is designed to help address the shortages in primary care providers by expanding the health care services these specialized nurses are able to deliver.”

“The next calendar year will see this institution take unprecedented steps to transform and grow in keeping with the whirlwind of change sweeping through the health care industry,” said Charles W. Schulze, CPA, chairman of the MUSC board. “This board is working in partnership, more closely than ever, with the administration to plan thoughtfully and act strategically for the near term and for the future.”

The recently announced purchase of four community hospitals in Chester, Florence, Lancaster and Mullins is one example of MUSC’s forward-looking initiatives focused on transformation and growth. Earlier this week, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster responded to a reporter’s question about the proposed acquisition, saying, “I think that’s a good idea. The rural areas need health care, and a lot of what MUSC is doing is trying to prevent bad health instead of just fixing it when you have it. They want to try to educate, inform and catch things early with people. We need to do that all over the state. I think that’s a step forward.”

The governor added, “We are lucky to have a fine institution like MUSC. They’re at the top of the list among organizations all over the United States as well as the world. It’s good to have that kind of power to be able to bring good medical attention and health care into rural areas, where it’s really needed.”

Board member Donald R. Johnson II, M.D., read a resolution lauding Mayor R. Keith Summey of the city of North Charleston in acknowledgement of his commitment to children’s health, business development and public service. In part, the resolution noted that Mayor Summey has “made it his priority to increase access and improve infrastructure to allow for better health care for all citizens in the Lowcountry. Mayor Summey’s vision included leading the charge for North Charleston to generously donate the land that made it possible for MUSC to build a world-class pediatric outpatient care facility to serve the children and the families of the Lowcountry and the state. The Medical University of South Carolina, in grateful appreciation, commends and thanks Mayor Summey for his leadership and his service to MUSC, the Lowcountry and the state. Let it be resolved that the Medical University of South Carolina Board of Trustees, on behalf of its students faculty and staff, declares the North Charleston MUSC pediatric facility to be named the MUSC Children’s Health R. Keith Summey Medical Pavilion.“

In other board presentations, Gustavo W. Leone, Ph.D., director of Hollings Cancer Center, said he’s thrilled that MUSC Health was named by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s top 25 hospitals in the treatment of cancer.

“We are honored, privileged and committed to fulfill the expectations of being one of the very top-tier cancer centers in the nation,” Leone said. “We have arrived as a leading academic institution, delivering impactful scientific discoveries and the highest quality cancer care at Hollings Cancer Center in a culturally diverse population. Such success is fueled by brilliant researchers, physicians and our expert staff.”

In Development and Alumni Affairs, during the first half of fiscal 2019, which began July 1, MUSC has raised more than $11.5 million in new gifts and pledges. While contributions were made to a broad variety of MUSC programs and departments, a significant portion of the funds were donated to support the new MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. Since the July 2014 launch of the fundraising campaign for the new children’s facility, MUSC has raised more than $138.3 million. Scheduled to open in fall 2019, the $385 million hospital will provide the most technologically advanced facilities available for the children of the city, state and region.

Anton Gunn, chief diversity officer and executive director of Community Health Innovation for MUSC Health, provided a thorough update of the institution’s progress toward its goal to Embrace Diversity and Inclusion. Among the highlights Gunn shared information on:

MUSC’s receipt of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award for Health Professions from Insight Into Diversity magazine.
The success of the second annual Inclusion to Innovation conference, which drew more than 80 participants from across the country in November.
Efforts to recognize and mitigate unconscious bias in hiring.
The 24^th annual call for nominations of students, faculty and staff for the Earl B. Higgins Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion Award.
The launch of an enterprise-wide plan for digital accessibility to comply with federal requirements.
Initiatives to recognize veterans who are part of the MUSC family, serving as faculty, staff and students as well as those veterans who are patients and visitors.

The MUSC/MUHA Board of Trustees serve as separate bodies to govern the university and hospital, holding two days of committee and board meetings six times a year. For more information about the MUSC Board of Trustees, visit: http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/leadership/board/index.html.

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About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and 750 residents in six colleges (Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy), and has more than 14,000 employees, including approximately 1,500 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $2.6 billion, with an annual economic impact of more than $3.8 billion and annual research funding in excess of $250 million. MUSC operates a 700-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), Hollings Cancer Center (a National Cancer Institute-designated center), Level I Trauma Center, Institute of Psychiatry, and the state’s only transplant center. In 2018, for the fourth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the number one hospital in South Carolina. For more information on academic programs or clinical services, visit musc.edu. For more information on hospital patient services, visit muschealth.org.