CHARLESTON, S.C. (Aug. 14, 2026) – The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and Medical University Hospital Authority (MUHA) Board of Trustees re-elected Charles W. Schulze, CPA, as chairman and elected Richard M. Christian, Jr., M.D., as vice chairman during its Aug. 14 board meeting.
Schulze was first elected to the MUSC Board of Trustees in 2002, as the lay representative from the 3rd Congressional District. A U.S. Air Force veteran and retired accounting and consulting executive, he is a former president of the South Carolina Association of CPAs, former chairman of the South Carolina Board of Accountancy and a member of the inaugural class of the South Carolina Military Veterans Hall of Fame.
Christian was originally elected to the MUSC Board of Trustees in 2017 as the medical profession representative from the 3rd Congressional District. A graduate of the MUSC College of Medicine, he recently retired after more than 33 years as an orthopedic surgeon with expertise in reconstructive surgery and joint replacement. He is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and former director of the South Carolina Joint Center at Self Regional Healthcare.
Together, Schulze and Christian bring decades of leadership experience in business, healthcare and public service to the governance of South Carolina's only comprehensive academic health system.
In other business, the board unanimously approved the university and health system budgets for fiscal year 2027, totaling $10.1 billion in operating expenses.
The MUSC and MUHA Board of Trustees serve as separate bodies to govern the university and hospital, normally meeting for two days, six times a year. For more information about the Board of Trustees, visit its website.
Media contact: Faith Arenth, media relations manager, 854-253-0646, mediarelations@musc.edu.
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About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, the Medical University of South Carolina (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 3,490 students in six colleges and trains more than 1,175 residents and fellows across its health system. MUSC leads the state in research funding from the National Institutes of Health, including National Institute of General Medical Sciences COBRE awards. For information on our academic programs, visit musc.edu.
As the health care system of the MUSC, 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 2026, for the 12th 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 $10.1 billion. The more than 37,130 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.
