• Where will MUSC be and what will it be known for in 10 years?
• Where will the dollars come from that run the academic enterprise at MUSC? q
• Are we positioned to weather the storm and take advantage of the opportunities before us?

We hope that by asking these questions, assessing our resources and searching for solutions, we can open a campus-wide dialogue that leads to a solid financial foundation for this medical center that will continue us on the road to becoming one of the top medical research institutions in the United States.

Projections of patient-derived income suggest present and/or imminent declines in the current market-driven health care climate. There is no predictable end in sight. Such factors as changes in the way health care is delivered and insured, the aging population, and constraints on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are serious issues that drive this decline in income from direct patient care. Also especially relevant to academic health centers is the reduction of teaching allocations from federal sources.

The outlook for research has never been better, particularly for federal agency funding of biomedical research. Projections for doubling NIH resources from 14 to 28 billion dollars over the next five years are on track in both Houses of Congress. Industry has recognized that spending dollars in academic health centers is a valuable investment which enriches the climate for corporate growth and development.

MUSC is doing very well with 29 percent increase in research dollars over the previous fiscal year. Continued growth is predicted but is partially dependent upon efficient revitalization and new construction of research space as well as continuing recruitment of funded investigators and the improvement and maintenance of an appropriate infrastructure to support competitive research. However at the present time it appears there may also be an additional impediment to growth of the research enterprise: that is, a perceived lack of awareness and respect for what research can mean to the economies of the university, the community, and human health.

The research enterprise is in a remarkable and sustainable growth phase dependent upon enterprise of the research community and the commitment of leadership to support the infrastructure to permit and facilitate its growth. MUSC has enormous potential to join the ranks of the top medical research institutions. To do so will require the full support and involvement of the entire research community, and the university administration to guide and facilitate the achievement of this desired goal, which should be a collaborative effort with input and feedback at all levels.

E. Carwile LeRoy, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Chairman Department of Microbiology and Immunology

James S. Norris, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine and Vice Chairman Department of Microbiology and Immunology Assistant Dean Graduate School