September 10, 2007
VA health under secretary sees advantages of collaboration in Charleston
Charleston, S.C. — Today in Charleston, S.C., Michael J. Kussman, M.D., under secretary for health in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), joined Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) and committee member Henry Brown (R-S.C.) to discuss “synergies of excellence” in the potential joint venture between the Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).
“We are setting a course to build a new paradigm,” said Buyer of plans to share facilities and expensive medical equipment. “Both the VA and MUSC stand in close proximity and the opportunity and timing are there to capture the synergies of excellence.”
Last year, Congress authorized $36.8 million for VA to enter into an agreement for the planning and design of a co-located joint use medical facility to integrate the delivery of veterans’ health care services with the MUSC five-phase hospital replacement project that is underway.
The visit included a tour of MUSC’s new 156 bed cardiovascular and digestive disease hospital that is scheduled to be fully operable in January 2008. The state-of-the-art facility was built to meet the latest building codes for the seismic and hurricane vulnerabilities of the peninsula where both VA and MUSC are located. The facility will accommodate the latest technological advances, with single private patient rooms and dedicated clinical and family areas. It is the first phase of the MUSC hospital replacement project.
MUSC President Raymond Greenberg, also present at the meeting, praised the working relationship between the staffs of the two facilities and told the group that there is “a compelling case” for collaboration.
Kussman said that this was his first time to “walk the terrain” and get a feel for the very close geographic proximity that exists between VA and MUSC. Impressed with the quality of care being provided to area veterans, he also noted that the VA and MUSC have one of the best working relationships of any VA and medical affiliate in the system. Kussman told the group of his commitment to building on the strong collaboration that exists between VA and MUSC.
Brown said, “Enhancing collaboration between VA and MUSC represents a historic opportunity to ensure access to high quality care for the
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