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Woodbury takes new job to guide facilities growth by Cindy Abole Public Relations After more than a decade of leadership and service to clinical physicians, staff and the MUSC community, Marion Woodbury, will step aside as CEO of University Medical Associates (UMA) to assume the role as special assistant to the president.   The role is not foreign to him; It  will still provide him with the work and challenges that are his forte - guiding the university forward in the expansion of clinical services and long-term plans for potential growth.   Some of his former positions with MUSC include: vice president for finance and administration; deputy executive director of hospitals and clinics; and associate hospital director.   Marion Woodbury In his new position, Woodbury will work on the planning, funding and construction of future clinical facilities and expansion. More specifically, he will address funding issues related to the institution’s current debt structure and recommend ways to help increase the school’s borrowing capacity.    “This last decade with UMA has been an especially exciting time for me, as have been the past 34 years working at MUSC,” Woodbury said. “I’m so deeply indebted to this institution for the opportunity it has afforded me through the years.”   Woodbury will assume his new duties beginning Sept. 1 while continuing to function as CEO of UMA until the university completes its search for a new CEO. “Marion brings several unique strengths to this institution,” said MUSC President Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D. “As a former hospital COO (chief operations officer), he knows all about the concerns and issues of running an inpatient facility. Through the UMA, he is aware of the needs and interests of practicing physicians. His professional background in finance and his ability to solve fiscal challenges has been an asset to the  institution.”   During his tenure at UMA, Woodbury’s accomplishments have been notable. They include the establishment of a separate retirement program for all members and the creation of the Primary Care Network. He also assisted in the development of new outpatient facilities for MUSC physicians, which 10 years ago, were limited to only two floors in the Clincial Sciences Building. Woodbury was instrumental in the acquisition of Rutledge Tower and most recently, Charleston Memorial Hospital and other sites. Under his leadership, UMA has increased revenues from $48 million  to $176 million. Outpatient visits have grown from 180,000 to 650,000.  The last several years have been a rocky time for the university’s physician practice group. Within this fiscal year, UMA managed to turn around a $6.6 million deficit during mid-year to close at near the break-even point.    “Our relationship with UMA has always been a very positive one,” Greenberg said. “What we’ve seen is that we’ve been through perhaps the most challenging time financially and that our relationship has been reinforced in the process.”   A top priority in Woodbury’s new role will be to work closely with Hospital Authority administration and MUSC Medical Center staffs as they collaborate with an external planning firm to help assess the university's building and construction status and prepare a long-range clinical facilities plan.   “We’re excited to be able to work with Marion in this effort because he brings so much energy and ability to the table,” said Stuart Smith, vice president for Clinical Operations and executive director, MUSC Medical Center.   In 1999, the campuswide Facilities Master Planning Effort was first introduced as a concept to address the need for a replacement hospital and determine the details of a phased hospital replacement strategy. Just last week, MUSC’s Board of Trustees approved efforts to move forward in the procurement of outside consultation to implement this plan.    “We believe in order to be the leader in health care delivery for the Lowcountry and the state, we need to have state-of-the-art facilities to attract the best practicing clinicians and specialists to serve our patients' needs,” Greenberg said.   “The recent election of new UMA officers and newly-installed president, Bruce Elliott, M.D., Department of Surgery, will bring a fresh outlook for the university’s faculty practice plan guided by an experienced core of physicians and balanced with the additional management expertise of a new CEO. It will be the CEO’s role to manage the day-to-day operational issues of the organization, while coordinating with Elliott, as president, who will focus on policy issues,” he said.    As for Woodbury, he's grateful for the positive support he’s received through the years.    “Working with the UMA members has been a particular pleasure for me,” Woodbury said. “I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve in this capacity. I believe we’ll be able to do something positive within the next two years to improve our environment, our clinical facilities and relationships with people throughout the community and state.”