Dear Friends:

Yesterday, we celebrated the official holiday marking the birth of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, we pause to honor the inauguration of Barrack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. These two events, occurring in such close proximity, bring to mind Dr. King’s dream that future generations would “not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
Today, as we struggle with great financial challenges, we may draw further inspiration from another one of Dr. King’s speeches, in which he said, “The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land. Confusion is all around . . . but I know somehow, that only when it is dark enough, you can see the stars.” Here at the Medical University, looking into the night sky of our budget challenges, we are beginning to see some of those stars. I am pleased to share with you an update on our situation.
Last week, the State’s Board of Economic Advisors updated their revenue projections for the state and concluded that things were relatively stable since their December estimates. Key pieces of information, such as sales tax collections through the holiday season and corporate tax collections will not be available until February, so some caution is warranted. In the meantime, we have asked the individual financial teams within the Medical University to prepare contingency plans for further budget cuts, hoping that these plans will not have to be implemented this year.
We continue to explore ways in which we can operate more efficiently. These evaluations are far-reaching, covering the spectrum from basic business practices to the organization of our academic programs. For example, the College of Medicine has a retreat scheduled at the end of the month to review possible efficiencies in their structure and operations. The College of Nursing held a faculty retreat already in which important decisions were made about focusing their educational efforts. These and other discussions across campus will help to set future priorities.
Equally important, we have launched discussions with other institutions to explore how we might partner together to find savings. A series of four working groups has been created with representatives from MUSC, the College of Charleston and The Citadel to develop proposals for sharing of infrastructure. We are beginning separate discussions with our colleagues at Clemson and USC to investigate whether we can find efficiencies with them.
On the revenue front, we are exploring opportunities at both the state and federal levels. The U. S. Congress is considering stimulus legislation that could have a significant impact on MUSC, including increasing money for the Medicaid program, and increasing the budget for the National Institutes of Health and other federal research agencies. We may also benefit from new resources for clinical information technology.
At the state level, perhaps the greatest opportunity in the new legislative session will be an increase in the cigarette tax. Several proposals are being developed and there is optimism that one will pass this year. Possible funding opportunities include Medicaid support, as well as support for training and research into smoking-related illnesses.
In sum, the Medical University is continuing to work on many fronts to address our financial challenges. There can be no more urgent call to this task than Dr. King’s belief that, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: what are you doing for others?” Here at the Medical University, thousands of people are brought together by the shared goal of helping others and that mission will not be compromised as we move forward.
Thank you for all that you do to serve South Carolina.

Ray Greenberg

I hope that 2009 has started on a positive note for you and yours. There were many reminders during the holiday season of the generosity and compassion of the MUSC family. We concluded our Trident United Way campaign, and despite the challenges of the economy, we exceeded our goal of $230,000 to support many worthy projects in our community. In partnership with the Salvation Army and with support from the MUSC Transplant Center, Liz Nista, Angel Tree Coordinator, and co-coordinator Marian Taylor received from MUSC employees and friends more than 2,000 holiday presents for needy children in the Charleston region. In addition, more than $130,000 was raised for the Employee Furlough Relief Fund. If you have not already made a gift to this fund and you are able to do so, please consider making a contribution by the deadline of this Friday, January 16.
Without question, the most generous gift of all this holiday season was the donation of a kidney by Zachary Sutton, a student in the College of Health Professions, to a recipient that he did not even know. The transplant occurred on December 17, and both Mr. Sutton and the recipient are doing well. Our faculty members strive to nurture the values of caring and compassion in all of our students, and it is clear that our students can teach us all a great deal about generosity and selflessness. We thank all of the outstanding clinicians who run the organ transplant program at MUSC, and we thank Mr. Sutton for his courageous and inspirational gift.
As the New Year begins, it is traditional to make some resolutions. Perhaps you have already set some personal goals for yourself this year. In addition to those individual goals, I would ask that together we make a collective resolution for the Medical University. My hope is that we can work as a family to serve the people of South Carolina by coordinating and enhancing the combined talents and dedication of our extraordinary faculty, staff, and students. There has never been a time of greater need for us to join together for the benefit of our fellow citizens, and in serving others, may we find a renewed sense of shared commitment in the University and its mission.
Finally, the challenges of the economy remain at the forefront of our minds. Governor Sanford has released his budget for the next fiscal year and soon the General Assembly will begin its own deliberations on next year’s budget. The Board of Economic Advisors will issue a report on revenue collections for the current year this week. Even if revenue projections are reduced further from the December numbers, we do not expect a budget cut to be enacted at this time. However, it is likely that one could occur in the next several months. While we do not know how large such a cut would be, we have asked the individual units to prepare plans in anticipation of a reduction so that we can respond quickly and responsibly at the appropriate time.
As we move forward in the days ahead, I will do my best to keep you informed about any changes in the state budget and how we plan to respond to them through The Catalyst, Broadcast messages and our website dedicated to budget-related information, http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/musc/news/index.htm . In the meantime, I want to thank you again for all that you do for the Medical University and the people of South Carolina. In a time when each of us is being tested as never before, we have the opportunity to demonstrate our resilience and our resolve and I know that we will rise to the occasion.

With appreciation,

Ray Greenberg

MUSC has been a venerable institution throughout its nearly 200 year history. But that doesn’t mean “regime change” isn’t necessary every now and again to help the university regain its footing. Maybe one day I’ll be part of an MUSC where “excellence” isn’t just a hollow slogan. Maybe…