MUSC names Richard L. Anderson executive vice president for finance and operations

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Oct. 8, 2021) – David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, president of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), has announced the appointment of Richard L. Anderson as executive vice president for Finance and Operations. Set to assume the role on Nov. 1, Anderson will be directly responsible for a number of central university units, including engineering and facilities, university finance, university operations, enterprise risk management, and strategic analytics and process improvement. Reporting to President Cole and serving as a member of the president’s council, Anderson will participate in all major decisions that affect the university. He will also serve as the administrative liaison to the Office of the President, working closely with the president to provide support in managing and integrating the functions of the office.   

As the university’s senior financial and administrative officer, Anderson will be responsible for capital and operating budget preparation and oversight. He will ensure the delivery of services and overall support of the university’s academic, research and clinical priorities, while leading a team of 1,000 employees. He will provide leadership in the development and continuous evaluation of short- and long-term strategic financial objectives and sound financial policy, including internal controls and risk management. Additionally, he will have broad oversight of all campus physical planning and construction efforts, including collaboration with local and state regulatory agencies. Anderson will also serve as the administrative liaison for the Board Physical Facilities Committee, and the Finance and Administration Committee. The MUSC/MUHA (Medical University Hospital Authority) combined Board of Trustees approved his appointment during its recent regularly scheduled meeting.  

 

“We look forward to welcoming Rick to the MUSC team,” President Cole said. “His deep experience and talent as a leader, administrator and business partner make him a solid choice for this challenging, multi-faceted position.” 

Anderson has worked in public higher education for more than 30 years in roles of increasing responsibility through accounting, finance, operations and administration. For the past five years, he has served as the executive vice president for Finance and administration at the University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). Currently, he oversees UTRGV’s $633 million budget and a team of 1,100 employees across areas that include finance, budget, operations, risk, procurement, police and business services, information technology and information security. 

During his tenure at UTRGV, Rick played a pivotal role in growing the university’s operating budget by nearly $200 million, developing and implementing a five-year comprehensive operating and capital financial plan that supports the university’s strategic plan and campus master plans. He also helped to set up the new medical school, expand a clinical enterprise and residency programs, and purchase land designated for construction of a 38-acre future clinical campus. His work also entailed implementing a new enterprise resource planning system and a new electronic medical record system.    

Prior to UTRGV, Anderson spent six years at Washburn University as the vice president for Administration and Treasurer. He also served for six years at the University of Missouri – Kansas City, two years as assistant vice chancellor for Administration and four years as vice chancellor for Administrative Services.  

Early in his career, Anderson built a foundation in accounting and budgeting at Oklahoma State and University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, respectively. He spent six years as the assistant dean and chief financial officer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and four years as the senior associate dean and CFO at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He began his career as an auditor for KPMG, working in that position for three years.        

Anderson earned both of his degrees from Oklahoma State University; a Master’s in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in accounting. He is also a Certified Public Accountant. 

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Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is home to the oldest medical school in the South as well as the state’s only integrated academic health sciences center, with a unique charge to serve the state through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and nearly 800 residents in six colleges: Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. MUSC brought in more than $271 million in biomedical research funds in fiscal year 2020, continuing to lead the state in obtaining National Institutes of Health funding, with more than $129.9 million. For information on academic programs, visit musc.edu. 

As the clinical health system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest quality and safe patient care while training generations of compassionate, competent health care providers to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Close to 25,000 care team members provide care for patients at 14 hospitals with approximately 2,500 beds and 5 additional hospital locations in development, more than 300 telehealth sites and nearly 750 care locations situated in the Lowcountry, Midlands, Pee Dee and Upstate regions of South Carolina. In 2021, for the seventh consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org. 

MUSC and its affiliates have collective annual budgets of $4.4 billion. The more than 25,000 MUSC team members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers and scientists who deliver groundbreaking education, research, technology and patient care.