MUSC Bicentennial: MUSC Health

MUSC stands as a paragon of excellence by offering top-ranked patient care while nurturing the next generation of health care leaders. Rooted in a steadfast commitment to innovation, it pioneers groundbreaking medical practices and technologies. Moreover, MUSC is deeply engaged with its community, ensuring health care reaches every corner. This harmonious blend of exceptional patient services, leadership cultivation, relentless innovation, and community dedication defines MUSC's legacy, making it a place of hope, healing, and progress in the ever-evolving landscape of health care.

Three doctors look towards a machine in the foreground while performing surgery. All three are in scrubs, masks, and glasses. — Jennifer Ridgeway, PA-C, MUSC President Dr. David Cole, and MUSC resident John Jordan “Shockley” Nunnery, M.D. check a reading on a machine while performing a mastectomy at Rutledge Tower.

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A view of an operating room from above. A patient is on the table surrounded by four people in scrubs while two other people tend to other tasks.

Then. Pioneering Progress in Health Care & Research

Over the years, MUSC has played a pivotal role in advancing health care and medical research. In 1948, the General Assembly passed an act allowing Charleston County to acquire land. A two-block area bounded by Doughty Street, Ashley Avenue, Mill (now Calhoun) Street, and Lucas Street was selected for the first MUSC hospital. The hospital was the first part of what became the Charleston Medical District complete with buildings, such as the Storm Eye Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Hollings Cancer Center, Ashley River Tower, and most recently the Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and Pearl Tourville Women’s Pavilion.

A woman in scrubs, mask, and glasses stands over a patient on the operating table with surgical instruments in front of her. A man in scrubs, mask, and glasses is behind her looking off to his left.

Now. Commitment to Excellence

MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality and safest patient care while educating and training future generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Patient care is provided at 16 hospitals (includes owned and affiliated), with approximately 2,700 beds, and four additional hospital locations in development; more than 350 telehealth sites and connectivity to patients’ homes; and nearly 750 care locations situated in all regions of South Carolina.

In 2023, for the ninth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. MUSC and its affiliates have collective annual budgets totaling $5.9 billion. The nearly 26,000 MUSC team members include a world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, students, affiliates, and care team members who deliver and support groundbreaking education, research, and patient care.

Next. Forging Stronger Community Bonds & Innovating for the Future

“We look forward to furthering our relationships and deepening our relationships with local communities. We’re going to continue to remain on the cutting edge of breakthrough medical care. That'll be us. That will always be us. We are deeply proud of the innovation that's built into our DNA.”

– Patrick J. Cawley, M.D., chief executive officer, MUSC Health and executive vice president for Health Affairs, University