SC

MUSC Leader Stepping Down

After thirteen years at the helm of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) agency head Ray Greenberg is stepping down – sources familiar with his plans tell FITS. Greenberg is reportedly leaving MUSC to pursue the No. 2 job in the University of Texas hospital system. The MUSC board…

After thirteen years at the helm of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) agency head Ray Greenberg is stepping down – sources familiar with his plans tell FITS.

Greenberg is reportedly leaving MUSC to pursue the No. 2 job in the University of Texas hospital system.

The MUSC board is having a conference call Wednesday morning – at which point Greenberg will make the announcement official, our sources say. A formal press release will follow.

Greenberg is the second leader of a major government-run institution to step down this year, following Clemson University president James Barker – who resigned his post in April to take a six-figure teaching job with the school.

UPDATE: The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier is now confirming our reporting. In its story, the paper quotes Greenberg as saying his decision to leave was “very difficult.” The paper says Greenberg’s departure will be effective in late August.

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27 comments

Dr. Phil July 9, 2013 at 10:16 pm

MUSC’s budget is $5 billion — that’s with a B. Compare that with the entire state budget of $25 billion. MUSC’s CAFR (comprehensive annual financial report) is separate from and not included in the state budget.

My doctor friends say that MUSC controls medical economics (rates and policies) for the entire state with an iron fist.

Former president James Edwards had the gall to personally solicit patients from independent physicians when MUSC’s Hollings Cancer Center opened.

MUSC’s board is entirely too large, its costs are out-of-control, and board members are poor stewards of this monster of a machine.

The S.C. legislature, of course, controls MUSC by its appointment of MUSC board members, who are chosen entirely on political grounds.

The legislature recently pushed aside the philanthropist and health-care volunteer Susan Pearlstein in favor of the brother of Rep. Leon Stavrinakis — whose business experience is operating two small Greek restaurant/bars. Pearlstein’s experience includes managing a $350 million business with thousands of employees.

Ray Greenberg is a great administrator and this is a loss for MUSC.

I don’t expect MUSC’s board to exercise good judgment in his replacement.

It is like a large, unmanned, out-of-control locomotive, like the one that wrecked in Montreal on Sunday.

Thank you, politician-legislator-morons.

Reply
James July 10, 2013 at 2:14 pm

Good Lord Susan, at least wait 5 minutes before commenting. Your biggest ally just flew the coup. Bet you want your 5 mil back now…

Reply
Dr. Phil July 11, 2013 at 9:14 am

Dear “James” (Rep. Leon Stavrinakis), I am not Susan Pearlstein. I’ve never met her or communicated with her. Read about her in the newspaper. You do the citizens of S.C. no good putting on MUSC’s board of directors your brother, the operator of a small restaurant with a handful of employees (he provides no health insurance to them). And whose knowledge of health / medical issues / hospital management is zero. But with a family connection like you, hey, an MUSC board seat is a snap. The newspaper reports that the Pearlstein family has members who since the 1960s were treated at MUSC for life-threatening diseases, including cancer, and has been very generous donating to MUSC with no expectation of a quid pro quo. Your accusation of that is shameful. MUSC’s 19-man board has no woman member. Women comprise 53 percent of admissions at MUSC. Sound a little odd? You help the good ole boy system to work well in S.C. You’re not doing us any favors.

Reply
Dr. Phil July 9, 2013 at 10:16 pm

MUSC’s budget is $5 billion — that’s with a B. Compare that with the entire state budget of $25 billion. MUSC’s CAFR (comprehensive annual financial report) is separate from and not included in the state budget.

My doctor friends say that MUSC controls medical economics (rates and policies) for the entire state with an iron fist.

Former president James Edwards had the gall to personally solicit patients from independent physicians when MUSC’s Hollings Cancer Center opened.

MUSC’s board is entirely too large, its costs are out-of-control, and board members are poor stewards of this monster of a machine.

The S.C. legislature, of course, controls MUSC by its appointment of MUSC board members, who are chosen entirely on political grounds.

The legislature recently pushed aside the philanthropist and health-care volunteer Susan Pearlstein in favor of the brother of Rep. Leon Stavrinakis — whose business experience is operating two small Greek restaurant/bars. Pearlstein’s experience includes managing a $350 million business with thousands of employees.

Ray Greenberg is a great administrator and this is a loss for MUSC.

I don’t expect MUSC’s board to exercise good judgment in his replacement.

It is like a large, unmanned, out-of-control locomotive, like the one that wrecked in Montreal on Sunday.

Thank you, politician-legislator-morons.

Reply
James July 10, 2013 at 2:14 pm

Good Lord Susan, at least wait 5 minutes before commenting. Your biggest ally just flew the coup. Bet you want your 5 mil back now…

Reply
Dr. Phil July 11, 2013 at 9:14 am

Dear “James” (Rep. Leon Stavrinakis), I am not Susan Pearlstein. I’ve never met her or communicated with her. Read about her in the newspaper. You do the citizens of S.C. no good putting on MUSC’s board of directors your brother, the operator of a small restaurant with a handful of employees (he provides no health insurance to them). And whose knowledge of health / medical issues / hospital management is zero. But with a family connection like you, hey, an MUSC board seat is a snap. The newspaper reports that the Pearlstein family has members who since the 1960s were treated at MUSC for life-threatening diseases, including cancer, and has been very generous donating to MUSC with no expectation of a quid pro quo. Your accusation of that is shameful. MUSC’s 19-man board has no woman member. Women comprise 53 percent of admissions at MUSC. Sound a little odd? You help the good ole boy system to work well in S.C. You’re not doing us any favors.

Reply
Sour Grapes July 9, 2013 at 10:53 pm

Looks like Susan Pearlstein or one of her minions paid by her Daddy’s fortune has named herself as Dr. Phil? Hey Susan, get over the Stavrinakis ass whipping laid upon you. Money can’t buy you a Board seat.

Reply
CNSYD July 10, 2013 at 10:46 am

If you are so anti Pearlstine, it would seem you would know how to spell her name.

“Money can’t buy you a Board seat” Really? many names on many boards come to mind. I wonder how the late Michael Mungo got on the USC board, for example.

Reply
Sour Grapes July 9, 2013 at 10:53 pm

Looks like Susan Pearlstein or one of her minions paid by her Daddy’s fortune has named herself as Dr. Phil? Hey Susan, get over the Stavrinakis ass whipping laid upon you. Money can’t buy you a Board seat.

Reply
CNSYD July 10, 2013 at 10:46 am

If you are so anti Pearlstine, it would seem you would know how to spell her name.

“Money can’t buy you a Board seat” Really? many names on many boards come to mind. I wonder how the late Michael Mungo got on the USC board, for example.

Reply
GrandTango July 10, 2013 at 6:21 am

Wow: FITS is such a NEWS Hound w/ his tempting headlines.

I also hear The mgr. at the Bush River Rd. Dollar General (No. 975) is being reassigned to the Barnwell Store (No. 188) and there may be some changes at the Taco Bell Hwy. 378.

Reply
Polyphemos July 10, 2013 at 6:56 pm

One begins to wonder whether the go-along policy the Republicans have been employing has turned into rope-a-dope.

You can’t just fire everybody, because some people are good employees of the State and know how things work. But you can’t trust doctors and lawyers to make medical law either, because half of them are incompetent crooks looking for ways to avoid losing their jobs at best and avoiding eventual prosecution at worst. We also have one the most restrictive drug laws of all the states, justified by the limp argument of the war on drugs, but, in fact, a guarantee that you must make a $90 doctor’s appointment before you can buy 30 sleeping pills for $10.

Finally, there is no doubt in my mind that brother Greenberg is leaving a lucrative #1 job to take a less lucrative #2 job, just to get out from under the incredible political vise that he had daily to endure. Look at the combative arguments, herein! Excuse me, but they are all legitimate gripes and they ALL add to the pressure.

Left up to me, I’d hogtie every legislator in Columbia, returning only when I was finished. Then, I would re-evaluate the entire board, firing all but six people. I’d keep two general physicians, two accountants, and two business people. I’d beg Greenberg to come back, and promise him that anytime any legislator from Florence opened his mouth, he’d be shot. I’d personally keep my friend Jim Edwards occupied, ’cause I like Jim. It wouldn’t solve all the problems, but it might make things simpler and keep MUSC a premier operation, which I think EVERYBODY will agree is true.

Reply
Gene July 10, 2013 at 7:35 pm

MUSC is bigger than any state entity except DHHS, whose annual budget (which includes Medicaid), is $5.5 billion.

So, it’s a mega-monster that collects and breathes out money like a hurricane, requiring business skills of a Fortune 500 company and technical knowledge of a physician.

It also relies on subsidies in the form of research grants from the Federal government, and keeping that spigot flowing — and attracting researchers that can get those grants — is a big part of the President’s responsibility.

We may never know the true reason(s) for Ray’s departure, but a disfunctional, unhelpful and ignorant board is generally high on the the list of any CEO’s departure. Very often, it is NOT compensation or status, but rather, “the boss.”

In this case, for President Ray Greenberg, widely recognized as a good administrator who has kept the monster out of regulatory trouble and scandal (different from Jim Edwards — remember the Dr. Ross and “the radiologist reading X-rays on vacation” scandal?), “the boss” is “the board.”

I wouldn’t give you ten cents for that board, which is loaded to the waterline with political hacks.

Reply
Polyphemos July 10, 2013 at 9:06 pm

Can’t argue about anything you’ve said. But it’s also a monster that wrote the book on kidney transplants, invented the true suspension airbed for full body burn patients, improved the kidney machine to the point that they could train a poodle to run somebody on one, made incredible jumps in chemical and transactional psychiatry.. I could go on..

We’re never going to get any organization to be perfect, and any teaching organization is filled with little princes and princesses, but I hope we don’t so screwed up, we throw the considerable baby out with the nasty bathwater.

Reply
Gene July 10, 2013 at 10:45 pm

Agreed.

Reply
Brigid July 11, 2013 at 4:07 pm

Was told by a high-falutin fancy New York City doctor that they are best lupus specialists in the country, world-class.

Reply
Polyphemos July 11, 2013 at 6:59 pm

I hate that I cannot remember the name of the genius doctor from McClellanville who has since passed on, who made so many discoveries along with Dr. Arthur V. Williams. He worked on Lupus and Williams worked on Kidneys. Both men of rare intellect and great humor. If anybody remembers his name, please add it here..

Slartibartfast July 10, 2013 at 6:56 pm

One begins to wonder whether the go-along policy the Republicans have been employing has turned into rope-a-dope.

You can’t just fire everybody, because some people are good employees of the State and know how things work. But you can’t trust doctors and lawyers to make medical law either, because half of them are incompetent crooks looking for ways to avoid losing their jobs at best and avoiding eventual prosecution at worst. We also have one the most restrictive drug laws of all the states, justified by the limp argument of the war on drugs, but, in fact, a guarantee that you must make a $90 doctor’s appointment before you can buy 30 sleeping pills for $10.

Finally, there is no doubt in my mind that brother Greenberg is leaving a lucrative #1 job to take a less lucrative #2 job, just to get out from under the incredible political vise that he had daily to endure. Look at the combative arguments, herein! Excuse me, but they are all legitimate gripes and they ALL add to the pressure.

Left up to me, I’d hogtie every legislator in Columbia, returning only when I was finished. Then, I would re-evaluate the entire board, firing all but six people. I’d keep two general physicians, two accountants, and two business people. I’d beg Greenberg to come back, and promise him that anytime any legislator from Florence opened his mouth, he’d be shot. I’d personally keep my friend Jim Edwards occupied, ’cause I like Jim. It wouldn’t solve all the problems, but it might make things simpler and keep MUSC a premier operation, which I think EVERYBODY will agree is true.

Reply
Gene July 10, 2013 at 7:35 pm

MUSC is bigger than any state entity except DHHS, whose annual budget (which includes Medicaid), is $5.5 billion.

So, it’s a mega-monster that collects and breathes out money like a hurricane, requiring business skills of a Fortune 500 company and technical knowledge of a physician.

It also relies on subsidies in the form of research grants from the Federal government, and keeping that spigot flowing — and attracting researchers that can get those grants — is a big part of the President’s responsibility.

We may never know the true reason(s) for Ray’s departure, but a disfunctional, unhelpful and ignorant board is generally high on the the list of any CEO’s departure. Very often, it is NOT compensation or status, but rather, “the boss.”

In this case, for President Ray Greenberg, widely recognized as a good administrator who has kept the monster out of regulatory trouble and scandal (different from Jim Edwards — remember the Dr. Ross and “the radiologist reading X-rays on vacation” scandal?), “the boss” is “the board.”

I wouldn’t give you ten cents for that board, which is loaded to the waterline with political hacks.

Reply
Slartibartfast July 10, 2013 at 9:06 pm

Can’t argue about anything you’ve said. But it’s also a monster that wrote the book on kidney transplants, invented the true suspension airbed for full body burn patients, made incredible inroads in the treatment of systemic lupus, improved the kidney machine to the point that they could train a poodle to run somebody on one, made incredible jumps in chemical and transactional psychiatry.. I could go on..

We’re never going to get any organization to be perfect, and any teaching organization is filled with little princes and princesses, but I hope we don’t get so screwed up, we throw the considerable baby out with the nasty bathwater.

Reply
Gene July 10, 2013 at 10:45 pm

Agreed.

Reply
Brigid July 11, 2013 at 4:07 pm

Was told by a high-falutin fancy New York City doctor that they are best lupus specialists in the country, world-class.

Reply
Slartibartfast July 11, 2013 at 6:59 pm

I hate that I cannot remember the name of the genius doctor from McClellanville who has since passed on, who made so many discoveries along with Dr. Arthur V. Williams. He worked on Lupus and Williams worked on Kidneys. Both men of rare intellect and great humor. If anybody remembers his name, please add it here..

Oprah July 10, 2013 at 10:45 pm

This is interesting since:

“Ray’s many contributions to MUSC and to South Carolina during his distinguished tenure as president cannot be understated, and he will be greatly missed. It has been a privilege and a pleasure to work with Ray over the past three years, and I wish him great success in his new role.”

Etta Pisano, dean of the MUSC College of Medicine

They never agreed on anything!

Reply
Oprah July 10, 2013 at 10:45 pm

This is interesting since:

“Ray’s many contributions to MUSC and to South Carolina during his distinguished tenure as president cannot be understated, and he will be greatly missed. It has been a privilege and a pleasure to work with Ray over the past three years, and I wish him great success in his new role.”

Etta Pisano, dean of the MUSC College of Medicine

They never agreed on anything!

Reply
Darth July 11, 2013 at 9:16 am

Hope it doesn’t sort out like SC State, just with bigger numbers… Pisano…

Reply
Darth July 11, 2013 at 9:16 am

Hope it doesn’t sort out like SC State, just with bigger numbers… Pisano…

Reply

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