Announcement begins year-long transition process and national search ahead of June 2027 retirement.
Charleston, S.C. (June 29, 2026) – The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) announced today that David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, will retire in June of 2027, after what will be 13 successful years as MUSC’s seventh president.
Since 2014, Cole has led MUSC through rapid transformation and strategic growth. The organization now delivers care in all 46 counties across South Carolina. Working across the enterprise, and with leaders across the state and beyond, Cole has been a trailblazer for healthcare, research and education.
“It is impossible to overstate the impact of Dr. Cole’s leadership on MUSC. His bold vision and unwavering dedication have left an indelible mark on students, faculty, researchers and staff,” said Charles W. Schulze, CPA, Chairman of the MUSC and MUHA Board of Trustees.
During his term, MUSC expanded statewide and global partnerships, rural care and telehealth connectivity, and secured record research funding. Cole, along with enterprise leaders and key stakeholders, secured support for the construction and opening of Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and Pearl Tourville Women’s Pavilion, as well as the Jean and Hugh K. Leatherman Behavioral Care Pavilion in Florence.
For 11 years running, U.S. News & World Report has ranked MUSC as the “Best Hospital” in South Carolina.
Cole, who joined MUSC in 1994, will remain part of MUSC’s family as a professor and surgical oncologist, providing the MUSC community with invaluable experience and delivering lifesaving expertise to patients.
“MUSC is, without doubt, a jewel in South Carolina’s crown,” Cole said. “To have had the opportunity to lead and serve this remarkable institution has been one of the great privileges of my life. MUSC stands today as one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, a testament to what can be achieved when people are united in service to patients, students, families, communities and one another.
“I am deeply thankful to the many people who supported me, but I am especially grateful to my wife, Kathy, whose steadfast support, generosity of spirit and tireless commitment to myself and the MUSC community have meant more than I can adequately express,” Cole said.
The MUSC Board of Trustees will begin an extensive nationwide search for Cole’s successor, led by former Board chairman and sitting trustee James Lemon, D.M.D. The search process is expected to conclude next spring.
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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 more than 1,060 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 healthcare 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 healthcare 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 more than 36,200 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.