CHARLESTON, S.C. (Feb. 13, 2026) – At its February meeting, the MUSC Board of Trustees reviewed the estimated cost and design process of the future cancer hospital in downtown Charleston. MUSC and its National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Hollings Cancer Center, in collaboration with the state, private contributors, partner hospitals and providers, are committed to reducing the cancer burden in South Carolina by building a comprehensive, statewide cancer ecosystem. Anchored by this new state-of-the-art comprehensive cancer hospital in Charleston, this hub‑and‑spoke model will deliver best-in-class care and an exceptional patient experience, supported by leading clinicians and care team members, advanced education and cutting-edge clinical trials aimed at improving outcomes and accelerating cures for patients across South Carolina and around the country.
The current estimated cost of the new cancer hospital is $1.115 billion, including approximately $885 million for construction and $230 million for equipment and furnishings, based on the project scope as of January 26, 2026. The budget is expected to come before the Board of Trustees for formal approval at a future meeting.
To enhance efficiency and the patient journey, MUSC is evaluating several emerging technologies and experience-focused systems, including digital navigation and wayfinding tools, interactive touchpoints, robotics and fully integrated digital systems. These features are designed to deliver a seamless, intuitive and supportive experience for patients and families.
Research and education are intentionally embedded in the hospital’s design, with dedicated spaces for scientific collaboration, clinical investigation and training. This integration reinforces MUSC’s National Cancer Institute–aligned mission and expands access to leading-edge clinical trials statewide.
Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Record Technology Advancements and Growing Investment Pipeline
MUSC will establish a new AI Center for Health Innovation and Informatics, creating an enterprise hub to coordinate and accelerate the responsible use of artificial intelligence across health care, research, education and operations. The Center will serve faculty, clinicians, trainees, researchers, staff and external collaborators.
“The Center represents a long-term strategic investment to ensure AI is deployed safely, efficiently, and at scale to advance patient care and scientific discovery,” said Marylyn Ritchie, Ph.D., chief AI officer for MUSC. “The Center will lead MUSC’s AI strategy, governance, innovation incubation and workforce development while partnering closely with various departments across the enterprise.”
Key components include three technical teams: AI incubation, synthetic data, and AI strategy and operations, along with an education and outreach team that will deliver role-based AI training, micro‑credentials and expanded learning programs. Initial build-out is expected to occur from March through June 2026, with full operations beginning in FY27.
Jesse Goodwin, Ph.D., chief innovation officer, provided an update on MUSC’s enterprise innovation strategy and recent achievements in commercialization and entrepreneurship.
MUSC is reporting record levels of invention disclosures and commercialization deals, along with national recognition for its scientific breakthroughs — including three MUSC technologies ranked among the top 10 most innovative CAR‑T advancements.
Entrepreneurial activity is accelerating through new training programs, expanded innovation space and the launch of two investment funds designed to help early‑stage life science companies overcome capital barriers. The first fund investment has been completed, with additional opportunities under review, strengthening South Carolina’s life sciences innovation pipeline.
Enterprise Resiliency: MUSC Earns National Recognition for Energy Leadership
MUSC earned two major distinctions for advancing energy efficiency and operational resiliency across its enterprise.
The comprehensive academic health system completed Dominion Energy South Carolina’s yearlong EnergyWise SEM pathway, receiving formal recognition and a $10,000 technical grant reinvested into analytics, hardware upgrades and process improvements. The program has helped MUSC strengthen energy governance, launch cross-divisional teams and execute efficiency projects that reduce utility costs while improving comfort and reliability.
Building on this progress, MUSC implemented a U.S. Department of Energy-aligned energy management system and was designated as a U.S. DOE ISO 50001-Ready organization. This reflects a shift from individual projects to a continuous‑improvement model, supporting long-term resiliency for clinical and research operations in a storm-prone region.
“We’re honored to be among the first academic medical centers in the country to earn this level of recognition,” said David Attard, chief facilities officer for MUSC. “As a public university, we take seriously our responsibility to be strong stewards of state resources and taxpayer dollars. These programs give us a proven framework to look programmatically at how we manage energy, deliver savings and ensure our facilities operate as efficiently as possible. This achievement underscores our commitment to using energy wisely and investing in resilient, reliable operations for our patients, students, researchers and the communities we serve.”
Education and Well-being: MUSC Student Advances to regional 3MT Competition
Erin Albrook, a Ph.D. candidate in the College of Graduate Studies, will represent MUSC at the 2026 Conference of Southern Graduate Schools Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition in Baton Rouge. Her research explores how neighborhood‑built environments influence childhood obesity risk, with a broader focus on prenatal and postnatal factors contributing to the condition. Her work aims to identify upstream prevention opportunities to help address the ongoing childhood obesity epidemic.
MUSC has been named a Wellbeing First Champion by the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation’s ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare initiative. The recognition, led by MUSC’s Center for Workplace Well-being, acknowledges the enterprise’s efforts to remove stigmatizing mental health questions from credentialing processes, ensuring clinicians can seek care without fear of professional consequences.
This national designation underscores MUSC’s commitment to fostering a compassionate, confidential, and supportive environment for its workforce. MUSC joins health systems nationwide in advancing a culture of well-being, where help‑seeking is encouraged, and caregivers feel valued and supported.
Tribute to Dr. Layton McCurdy
The Board honored the late Dr. Layton McCurdy, Dean Emeritus of the College of Medicine and Distinguished University Professor, with a moment of silence. A proud South Carolinian and MUSC alumnus, Dr. McCurdy led the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences to national prominence and later served more than a decade as vice president for Medical Affairs and dean of the College of Medicine. His contributions earned distinguished recognitions, including the MUSC Distinguished Alumnus Award and South Carolina’s Order of the Palmetto.
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About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates nearly 3,500 students in six colleges and trains approximately 1,050 residents and fellows across its health system. MUSC leads the state in federal, National Institutes of Health and other research funding. For information on our academic programs, visit musc.edu.
As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. In 2025, for the 11th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.
MUSC has a total enterprise annual operating budget of $8.9 billion. The nearly 35,000 MUSC members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, contract employees, affiliates and care team members who deliver groundbreaking education, research and patient care.
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