Return to Main Menu

Schuman celebrates agromedicine achievements by Cindy Abole Public Relations Epidemiologist Stanley Schuman, M.D., Dr.PH, has spent a lifetime caring about the environment and people’s health. Now retired, Schuman can proudly look back on his 17 years as medical director of South Carolina’s agromedicine program and celebrate his 55 years in medicine. An accomplished practitioner, scientist, and model citizen, the St. Louis-born Schuman is also celebrated as a poet, beloved husband, father and grandfather. A quiet and reserved man of 78 years, Schuman made his mark on campus in 1984 as South Carolina agricultural and environmental guidelines underwent some needed shaping. Working with Clemson University and MUSC, he initiated the South Carolina Agromedicine Program promoting safe and effective food production, agricultural technology, pesticide management and preventive medicine. His insight and efforts helped motivate a statewide collaboration and understanding that quickly evolved into an award-winning program. In 2001, he was honored with the South Carolina’s highest civilian award, the Order of the Palmetto, for his lifetime work and dedication as a physician, teacher, educator and humanitarian.  From its modest roots in the Department of Family Medicine, the program has grown beyond expectations under Schuman's guidance. Surviving on a small support staff and budget, the program has managed to uphold its mission: to provide public service, education and research.  “Dr. Stanley Schuman has been an instrumental friend and father to the combined success of this program,” said William Simpson, M.D., the new director  who joined the program in 1995. “He has shown that through much effort, dedication and creativity anything can be accomplished even on a limited budget.” Agromedicine is a combination of medical science, farming and its effects within an environment. Cases can vary from food quality issues to exposure to insect bites and stings, and pesticide poisoning. The staff responds to about 300 consultations annually via phone calls, case investigations, research, consultations and referrals. Their objective is to provide health-related information to the public. Schuman was instrumental in organizing the Southern Agromedicine Consortium in 1986. His goal was to assemble faculty from land-grant colleges and medical institutions to address medical problems of farmers and people in agriculture. Almost a decade later, the group evolved to become a national organization known as the Agromedicine Consortium. Borrowing from the success of Clemson Cooperative Extension Service  network of agents located around the state, Schuman helped develop the program’s own team of 225 trained physicians and other medical staff who are trained to handle questions and respond to referrals within their communities. A computerized database resource and information is distributed through a monthly newsletter to these  practitioners, locally in 46 counties around the state.  "Dr. Schuman's legacy will be the statewide agromedicine network he spearheaded," said William J. Hueston, M.D., professor and chairman of family medicine. "He realized that one person, even someone as smart and dedicated as himself, could not improve the health of all of the agricultural workers of the state. He saw that in order to do this, he needed to enlist the help of local doctors right in the rural communities who could be his eyes and ears by identifying health-related agricultural problems. In addition to sharing his knowledge with these doctors, he shared all the credit for helping thefarmers in this state." For education, the group progressively made efforts to be present and proactive within communities, meeting with public groups and attending agricultural, industrial and civic meetings to discuss agromedicine issues. Besides providing information, their presentations have a preventive educational theme. The staff is also involved in training medical professionals and staff, students and residents. Fourth-year medical students can work with the program for a one-month elective. Family medicine residents  participate in a required rotation in occupational and environmental medicine.  “We’ve made a lot of strides by our dedication to educating people with scientific-based information,” said Simpson, of research shared concerning sun exposure, mold and West Nile Virus, among other topics. “We’ve provided a lot of preventative education that really can’t be measured.”  The group has been successful preparing educational brochures on statewide issues including fire ants and brown recluse spiders and other subjects. Today’s concerns, according to Simpson, include  the West Nile Virus because of the state’s growing mosquito population (since the end of the drought), and the risk of food terrorism since 9/11.  The program has already consulted with staff at the S.C. Emergency Food Safety Task Force to discuss food, supply, food safety and quality issues.  Like many scientific programs at research institutions, the program has felt the pinch of higher education budget cuts in funding. Both Clemson and MUSC have improved collaboration to stretch limited dollars. “Dr. Schuman’s ideas continue to be a stimulus to what this program stands for,” Simpson said. “Despite budget cuts, public education and research continue to be priorities. We need to continue providing creative ideas that deal with our current challenges in order to be successful in the future.” Schuman is co-author of several books, “Agromedicine: The Rural Practitioner’s Guide to Agromedicine” and “A User’s Guide to Agromedicine: A South Carolina Model.” In his retirement, he also finds time to write poetry and enjoy family.    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.