MUSC Health appoints new chief medical officer for Charleston division

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Oct. 24, 2024) – MUSC Health-Charleston Division recently welcomed Erik Summers, M.D., FACP, as chief medical officer (CMO). As CMO, Summers is responsible for clinical care delivery, including inpatient and ambulatory (outpatient) services, at the MUSC Health-Charleston Division. His other responsibilities include optimizing resource use, improving performance, improving quality and improving clinical operations. Summers brings more than 20 years of clinical and teaching experience.

“We are pleased to have Dr. Summers join our MUSC Health-Charleston Division executive leadership team. His background, experience and focus on patient-centered care make him an excellent fit for this role. His collaborative approach to providing health care makes him a wonderful addition to our team,” says Saj Joy, M.D., MBA, MS, CPE, MUSC Health-Charleston Division Chief Executive Officer. 

Summers joined MUSC Health from Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston Salem, North Carolina, where he helped create the Patient Flow Operations Center and multiple inpatient and consult services, which included the orthopedic co-management service, diabetes management service and hospitalist cardiology service. 

Summers earned his medical degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He completed a residency in internal medicine at East Carolina University Health. He holds certifications from the American Board of Internal Medicine and the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons. Summers is also a member of the Chief Medical officers group steering committee for the Association of American Medical Colleges. 

Attached photo: Erik Summers, M.D., FACP; courtesy of MUSC

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About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates over 3,100 students in six colleges and trains 950+ residents and fellows across its health system. MUSC leads the state in federal and National Institutes of Health and research funding. For information on our academic programs, visit musc.edu.

As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. In 2024, for the 10th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.

MUSC has a total enterprise annual operating budget of $7.1 billion. The 31,000 MUSC members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, contract employees, affiliates and care team members who deliver groundbreaking education, research, and patient care.