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Greenberg answers minority faculty concerns by Dick Peterson Public Relations He said he came to listen and that’s what he did.  Minority faculty forum coordinator Angie Anderson, left,  MUSC president Dr. Ray Greenberg, CHP assistant professor Ukeme Usanga and director, Center for Academic Excellence, Tom Waldrep, prepare for the forum, held Wednesday, Feb. 16. MUSC President Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., listened and answered questions as those gathered for the Office of Diversity’s Minority Faculty Forum voiced concerns about health care for uninsured patients, about the medical center’s financial shortfall and accounting system problems, and about employee and faculty work environment. “MUSC is in a unique moment in time,” Greenberg said. “It’s an opportunity to examine our work.”  Stating MUSC’s core purpose to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina, he said that researchers, clinicians and teachers should use this core purpose to form their highest ideals. It should be the standard against which they assess their performance, he said. At the request of Office of Diversity director Thaddeus J. Bell, M.D., Greenberg gave a “Cliff Notes version” of a presentation he delivered to S.C. Gov. Jim Hodges and to the state’s Black Caucus on federal funding for health care. “Congress three years ago balanced the federal budget on the backs of the poor and uninsured,” Greenberg said. He explained that cutbacks have affected direct and indirect payments through Medicare to support the MUSC teaching mission and disproportionate share funds for Medicaid patients. Phased in over the past few years, the cutbacks now amount to a $40 million shortfall. “For Charleston Memorial Hospital, 40 percent of the budget has been removed, and they’re in some pretty serious red ink,” Greenberg said, adding that this carries with it implications for the health care of minority populations in the state. He said that while anticipated tobacco settlement funds ought to be dedicated to health care, those funds are also being eyed by economic developers in the state. Answering a concern of Eddie Greene, M.D., Greenberg said that because of the attention given to Y2K, issues surrounding the university’s computerized accounting system have been deferred. He said efforts are under way to integrate the vision of the university’s Information Technology office with day-to-day operations that have been outsourced to CCIT.  “This is a fundamental part of our operations that has not been up to speed,” Greenberg said, acknowledging that changes need to be made. He was also asked about the possibility of tuition waivers for MUSC employees who enroll in doctoral degree programs at MUSC. Greenberg said the issue needs to be explored to finance such a program in a way that handles this issue equitably for all faculty and staff. Bell outlined Office of Diversity plans to expand minority services to the three largest minority groups on campus: Hispanic, Asian and African American students. He appealed to the faculty in attendance: “When you see minority students rotating on your service, encourage them. Remember, mentoring doesn’t come from the Office of Diversity alone.”