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Feussner relishes return as clinician, educator  by Cindy Abole Public Relations A year ago, John R. Feussner, M.D., was already sitting on top of what most people would consider a stellar career in medicine and public service. For the past six years, he worked in Washington, D.C., addressing national and international health policy issues, honed medical research and developed health outcomes and quality indicators for specific patient populations.  Today, his work is not as far removed from Washington as one might think. He has assumed the roles of leader, clinician-scientist and educator as chairman of MUSC’s Department of Medicine.  Although his return to clinical medicine and academia is promising for the institution, its timing is a challenge in today’s unsettling economy where dwindling budgets, cuts in health care, staff shortages and lack of work space dominate the agendas of many of the nation’s academic medical centers. Despite all of this, Feussner remains energetic, positive and determined.  “I can’t be discouraged by these current challenges and difficulties because I know these are tractable problems,”  Feussner said. “It’s my job, the job of our faculty and our leadership, to deliver solutions for the hard tasks that confront us. When done, this is what will set us above our peers. The opportunities and potential here are tremendous.” The opportunities that Feussner speaks of include everything from institutional leadership, to the university’s training and development of medical staff and delivery of patient care. He regards MUSC President Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., and MUSC College of Medicine Dean Jerry Reves, M.D., as truly visionary leaders. “I would not have moved to MUSC had it not been for these two exceptional and effective leaders,” he said. “With that kind of leadership, MUSC can’t help but  succeed in fundamentally new and different ways. Leadership makes the critical difference.” A dedicated clinician and fervent educator, Feussner praises the institution’s reputation for education and clinical teaching excellence benefitting its medical students and house staff.  He admits his return to academic medicine resulted from the opportunity to again work “up-close and personal” with the fresh faces of the future.  “What makes our medical center special compared to other hospitals that aren’t academic institutions is the fact that our additional responsibility includes the chance to create and mold tomorrow’s medical care,” Feussner said, regarding how MUSC is one of two South Carolina institutions dedicated to training and preparing the state’s physicians, nurses, therapists, physician assistants, pharmacists, etc. “If this is not creating the future then I don’t know what is.” Feussner’s goal for the Department of Medicine reflects that of the university’s strategic goal: to build the academic mission in different ways by improving upon it. In clinical care, the Medical Center’s focus is to provide excellent medical care—a goal that many people working in the Medical Center have already achieved.   MUSC’s appearance on Solucient’s list of 100 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals was unveiled in late October. Other programs including MUSC’s Transplant Services and the Digestive Disease Center’s services are nationally ranked.  In the areas of research, MUSC has managed to grow in its research potency. Areas like bioscience, clinical epidemiology, hypertension research, biochemistry, cell biology, diabetes, health disparities and other outcomes research are well-known. With the Department of Medicine being a research-intensive department, Feussner looks forward to new and continued growth and collaboration across campus.  Feussner joined MUSC last August, replacing former Department of Medicine chairman Ian Taylor M.D., and interim chair Allen Johnson, M.D. As former chief of research and development officer for the Veterans Health Administration, he managed a nearly $1 billion dollar-per-year budget for the VA Research Program and participated in other interests in geriatric medicine. Overall, he has dedicated more than 28 years working with the VA. Prior to that, he headed Duke University’s Department of General Internal Medicine for eight years, developing new clinical research programs and successful community-based clinical outreach programs. A graduate in biology from the University of Pennsylvania., Feussner completed medical school at the University of Vermont, graduating at the top of his class. All of his clinical medical training occurred at Duke University where he was professor of medicine before moving to Washington. He went on to earn his masters in public health from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 2000.  “We’re fortunate to get Jack Feussner at a point in his career that he’s looking to being a leader back in academia and leading MUSC’s Department of Medicine,” Reves said. “He’s a positive, can-do, creative type of leader whose varied background and success in previous responsibilities is spectacular. The role of chairman is looked upon by everyone in the medical center as a visionary—someone who helps chart the course of the entire academic medical center mission. His leadership will energize and help move MUSC forward quickly.” In his role, Feussner has identified three statewide health priorities that he will tackle: cancer, cardiovascular disease and geriatrics. He sees Hollings Cancer Center as a huge asset to the institution, the South Carolina community and cancer patients in the region. By focusing on the management of oncology diseases, Feussner will work closely with center director Carolyn Reed, M.D., in the continued recruitment of key researchers and clinicians to help the center move ahead in its quest to complete designation as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). With heart disease ranking as the state’s number one killer among S.C. adults, it became the primary goal of the institution to build a cardiovascular disease program. Under the direction of Cardiology Division director Michael Gold, M.D., Ph.D.,  the program is ranked nationally and continues to grow. Feussner’s own interests in geriatric medicine is of particular value. He hopes to collaborate with the Center on Aging and other researchers to expand both clinical research and basic research opportunities, while developing ways to improve health promotion and disease prevention among the state’s elderly populations. Other diseases and health concerns he would like to address are breast, cervical, lung, prostate, colon and skin cancers among South Carolinians.  Feussner’s role in VA affairs is not mute. His involvement has helped MUSC develop a closer relationship with the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center. MUSC’s building initiative looks at teaming with the VA hospital to create a single, 21st century medical complex should the university decide to build its new proposed hospital in downtown Charleston.  “He’s a wonderful addition to our Medical Center leadership,” said John Heffner, M.D., medical director, Medical University Hospital. “Dr. Feussner’s professional experiences bring to MUSC a seasoned leader who has worked in the top circles of experts who shape our national health care policies. His leadership style imbues forthrightness and commitment to the highest standards of professionalism and excellence in health care. He has already impacted the quality of care at MUSC through his support of our health care outcomes programs. His background in the VA Health Administration is very important because of what it means to secure a close relationship with the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center and to partner even more closely as we begin to build our new Medical Center. He has already provided critical insights in articulating joint benefits for us and the VA as we begin discussing plans to build a new state-of-the-art hospital together.”   Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.