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An open invitation to MUSC family

A special inaugural symposium entitled “A New Century of Public Health: Eliminating Disparities” will be held Thursday, March 30, from noon to 2 p.m. in the Basic Science Building Auditorium.

The program honors Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., who will be installed as MUSC president later in the day. Employees can also view the program through closed circuit television in 302, 402 and 502 of the Basic Science Building, Baruch Auditorium, the Institute of Psychiatry Auditorium, 802 Harborview Tower and through Channel 24 of the hospital's closed circuit television system.

“A symposium centering on reducing health disparities in the new century is an appropriate prelude to the inauguration of Dr. Greenberg,” said Barbara C. Tilley, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Biometry and Epidemiology and coordinator for the symposium. “Dr. Greenberg has dedicated himself to optimizing the health of all South Carolinians, and he has made this a goal of his presidency.”

“In choosing participants for the seminar, we emphasized individuals with expertise in the diseases adversely affecting many underserved South Carolinians—hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes,” Tilley said. The speakers are leaders in their fields and include representatives of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the University of South Carolina and Howard University.

Harris Pastides, Ph.D., dean of the University of South Carolina School of Public Health and a longtime colleague of Greenberg's, will moderate the panel discussion. Pastides said that “Dr. Greenberg's appointment as president of MUSC presents a momentous opportunity in the history of South Carolina public health. In cooperation with the public health workforce and with other leaders, we will become better equipped to reverse many of the unfortunate indicators pertaining to the health of our citizens.” 

“There is great disparity in health among South Carolinians based on racial, ethnic and economic lines,” Pastides continued. “Having a nationally renowned public health leader at the helm of the Medical University will be a major step forward in promoting collaboration with MUSC and USC and ultimately in advancing the health status of all South Carolinians.” 

Pastides will begin the symposium with an introductory talk entitled “Health of South Carolina: Current and Future.” He will briefly discuss the chronic diseases plaguing South Carolinians. But his message will emphasize the future and how the academic community and professional public health community is poised to make significant changes. He will emphasize the need for population-based approaches and collaboration aimed at breaking artificial barriers among the academic, public health and private health sectors. 

Pastides' major research interest is in the fields of occupational and environmental epidemiology as applied to cancer and reproductive disorders. He currently has two co-authored books in press: An Introduction to Cancer Epidemiology and Environmental Epidemiology. He has extensive field experience in international environmental health and is an advisor to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the World Health Organization. He received his master in public health and Ph.D. in epidemiology degrees from Yale University.

Other participants in the symposium are:
Lucile L. Adams-Campbell, Ph.D., is currently director of the Howard University Cancer Center. When she received her Ph.D. in epidemiology from the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh in 1983, she became the first African-American female to receive a Ph.D. in epidemiology in the country. Adam-Campbell's research focuses on women's health issues and cancer prevention and control in the African Diaspora.

Darwin R. Labarthe, M.D., Ph.D., is associate director for cardiovascular health policy and research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His research interests focus on cardiovascular disease and hypertension. A member of the World Health Organization Expert Advisory Panel on Cardiovascular Diseases, Labarthe serves on the editorial board of Cardiovascular Risk Factors and is editor-in-chief of CVD Prevention.

Frank Vinicor, M.D., is a division director at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center on Diabetes Mellitus. A former president of the American Diabetes Association, Vinicor is interested in cardiovascular disease and diabetes as well as the linkage of epidemiologic science to public health care policy as it relates to diabetes. 

Michael D. Walker, M.D., was director of the Division of Stroke and Trauma at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and currently serves in the division's Neuroscience Center. His research interests lie in the treatment of malignant brain tumors, the management of stroke, the pharmacology of the blood brain barrier, and the design of major clinical trials in neurological disorders. Walker's academic background includes appointments at Harvard Medical School and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He was founding editor of the Journal of Neuro-Oncology.

Healthy South Carolina Initiative poster session
 A poster session highlighting the projects of the Healthy South Carolina Initiative follows the symposium on the first and second floor lobbies of the Library and Administration Building at 2 p.m.

More information on inaugural activities
MUSC faculty, employees and students  are invited to attend activities celebrating the inauguration of Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., as president of the Medical University on March 30 and the “MUSC Family” Party on the Horseshoe March 31. 

Employees will not be required to use annual leave to attend the installation ceremony at 4 p.m. at Gaillard Municipal Auditorium, but must make arrangements with their managers to ensure adequate coverage. Classes will be canceled between noon and 6 p.m. 

Buses will begin transporting employees and students to Gaillard Auditorium at 2:30 p.m., running at 15-minute intervalsfrom the Horseshoe. The last bus will depart at 3:45 p.m. 

Buses will transport guests back to campus immediately following the ceremony, approximately every 15 minutes, with the last bus departing Gaillard at 6:45 p.m.