The USC Board of Trustees met on Feb. 20 at the Pastides Alumni Center and discussed an update on the USC brain health initiative and requests for 2027 budgets from the other USC campuses.
USC Brain Health Initiative update
USC began its journey into brain health when the university launched the Brain Health Initiative in 2023.
The USC Brain Health Network was the first step in this initiative and was created in January 2024. The network was started to specifically diagnose and treat Alzheimer’s and other related dementia conditions at a South Carolina community level, according to Sarah Kirby, USC’s associate vice president for clinical affairs .
“University of South Carolina Brain Health is a statewide program committed to improving access to cognitive care, particularly for individuals in underserved communities,” the University of South Carolina website said.
The network is part of the USC Columbia School of Medicine and is partnered with other health care providers such as HopeHealth, Lexington Health and Prisma Health.
“The network creates a place where we bring patients, caregivers, providers together. We engage, listen and connect communities and patients in need of resources, and we’re making a difference,” Kirby said. “We’re getting great feedback from all of our locations that things are going well. We’re making meaningful impact and change.”
The second part of this initiative is the Brain Health Center, which is set to open on March 18 and be the hub for the network, according to Kirby.
“The USC Brain Health Center will advance USC research and give patients the opportunity to take an active part in clinical innovation by opting to participate in research and clinical trials,” the USC website on the center said.
According to Kirby, the center will be a place where patients can receive specialized diagnostics, advanced imaging with two cutting-edge MRI scanners and IV therapy for their condition.
The center will also serve as an educational facility, providing South Carolinians with information on brain health diagnoses and illness prevention.
“Oftentimes we talk about what we do after diagnosis, but we also need to talk about education and prevention,” Kirby said. “We want the Brain Health Center to be a place where the community will come and attend a class and hear a guest speaker, or just have prevention.”
The final part of the USC Brain Health Initiative is the neurological and rehabilitation hospital, which will be the first standalone medical facility for brain and nervous system care in South Carolina, according to the USC website.
Kirby said the purpose of the hospital is to help those with the most complex neurological needs and to provide South Carolinians with medical support close to home.
“We will design a hospital and healthcare ecosystem that centers around the patient experience,” Kirby said. “We will work with other healthcare systems across the state of South Carolina to be a resource and a support for them in their local communities.”
According to Kirby, collaboration with other healthcare systems across South Carolina is key to the success of the Brain Health Initiative. One of these collaborations is with the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, which is the nation’s No. 1-ranked rehabilitation hospital.
“It is through collaboration and partnership that we elevate the healthcare delivery system for our state,” Kirby said. “We are simply better together.”
USC System budget requests
The chancellors of the other USC campuses presented the board of trustees with their budget requests for 2027.
All the requests dedicated a portion to tuition mitigation, as Aiken, Beaufort and Upstate have not increased their tuition in several years. Chancellor Craig Wilson of Palmetto College said keeping tuition low was vitally important to reducing barriers for entry.
The chancellors also made budgeting requests for various maintenance and deferred maintenance needs on their campuses.
Some specific requests include a $10 million welcome center project for USC Aiken and $47 million for a larger facility for events such as athletics and commencement ceremonies at USC Beaufort. There were also requests of $5 million for a track and field facility at USC Upstate and $51.1 million total for the needs of the four regional campuses of Palmetto College.
The next meeting of the board of trustees will be held on March 19 at the Pastides Alumni Center.