Newswise — The Duke Endowment announced the award of a three-year $21 million grant to Health Sciences South Carolina (HSSC) today at the South Carolina Statehouse. The grant is the largest award ever made by the 82-year-old private foundation's health care division. The historic multi-million dollar grant will support the establishment of the Center of Healthcare Quality and Clinical Effectiveness and will enable HSSC to fully develop and implement Centers of Economic Excellence Endowed Chairs programs.

In making the announcement, Duke Endowment Chairman Russell M. Robinson, II, cited the unique opportunity presented by HSSC, a statewide collaborative between South Carolina's three research universities and its four largest health systems, to bring about sweeping change through health sciences research as motivation for the grant.

"The Duke Endowment is pleased that this largest single grant ever made by our health care division will be to Health Sciences South Carolina," said Robinson. "It addresses clinical effectiveness, patient safety, and health care quality, increasingly important areas of focus for the health care industry as well as The Duke Endowment. The great work by HSSC on these issues, with the Endowment's new support, will ultimately make a positive difference in the health of all South Carolinians now, and for generations to come."

HSSC Chairman and Medical University of South Carolina President Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., accepted the award on behalf of the HSSC's five other partners: Jim Barker, president, Clemson University; Michael Riordan, president and CEO, Greenville Hospital System; Kester Freeman, CEO, Palmetto Health; Ingo Angermeier, president and CEO, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System; and Andrew Sorensen, president, University of South Carolina.

"We would like to express our gratitude for the confidence The Duke Endowment has placed in us," Greenberg said. "Our goal is to improve the safety, quality, and effectiveness of care delivered in our hospitals. We aren't aware of any other model in the country with such a coordinated statewide effort."

He continued, "Health Sciences South Carolina was established in response to the Centers of Economic Excellence Act passed by the South Carolina General Assembly in 2002, which provides incentives for investments in research and technology. The Duke Endowment grant is the largest single private commitment anticipated to be matched with Research Centers of Economic Excellence funding and indicates considerable private sector support for our endeavors. The Health Sciences South Carolina member institutions believe that this public-private investment will help propel South Carolina into a national leadership position in the health care arena."

Each year The Duke Endowment awards millions of dollars in grants to benefit the people of North and South Carolina in four categories: child care, education, rural churches and health care. Each grant must meet strict criteria and receive approval of the Endowment's board of trustees.

"The trustees were unanimous in the support of this grant," said William G. Anlyan, M.D., chairman of The Duke Endowment's health care division. "It confirms our support of the partner hospitals and universities and health care professionals who are working collaboratively and in cooperation on this extraordinary statewide endeavor. The Trustees applaud your commitment and vision of working together for the greater good to create a healthier South Carolina."

The issues of patient safety, clinical effectiveness, and health care quality are at the national forefront, and The Duke Endowment's $21 million grant targeted at advancing research in these areas has captured the attention of other health care organizations, including the Institute of Medicine.

Commenting on the award, Institute of Medicine President Harvey V. Fineberg, M.D., Ph.D., said, "This pacesetting gift from The Duke Endowment will help propel South Carolina into the forefront of research on patient safety, clinical effectiveness, and quality of health care. The gift is a tribute to the remarkable statewide collaboration among institutions involved in Health Sciences South Carolina and to a shared public-private commitment to improve healthcare quality and efficiency throughout the state. I salute the leaders of The Duke Endowment and in the State of South Carolina for an enterprise that can improve the lives of millions and become a model for the nation."

About Health Sciences South Carolina

Established in April 2004, Health Sciences South Carolina was founded with the vision of improving the health and economic wellbeing of South Carolina through a coordinated effort to advance health sciences research and education. The collaborative includes Greenville Hospital System, Medical University of South Carolina, Palmetto Health, the University of South Carolina, Clemson University and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System. It is an inclusive public-private partnership that seeks to bring together research universities, health systems and other partners committed to its vision. For more information, visit http://www.healthsciencessc.org.

About The Duke Endowment

Established in 1924 by industrialist and philanthropist James B. Duke, The Duke Endowment is one of the nation's largest private foundations. Its mission is to serve the people of North Carolina and South Carolina by supporting selected programs of higher education, health care, children's welfare, and spiritual life. For more information, visit http://www.dukeendowment.org.