Our Board of Trustees

James A. Battle graduated from The Citadel with a bachelor’s degree and received his master’s degree in business administration from the University of South Carolina. In 2009, he received a doctorate of humanities from Francis Marion University. He is a co-owner of several businesses in Nichols and Mullins. He served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam as a First Lieutenant. He was president of the South Carolina Aquaculture Association from 1994-1997; chairman of the Marion County Hospital District from 1995-1996; chairman of the Center for Marine and Wetland Studies at Coastal Carolina University; and was appointed to the Francis Marion University Business School Advisory Board in the 1980s. Mr. Battle served eight terms in the SC House of Representatives from 1997-2012. In 2002 and 2008, he received the NFIB/SC Guardian of Small Business. He was also named Legislator of the Year by the Career and Technology Education Administration Division of the SC Association of School Administrators. In 2011, he was appointed to the Executive Committee of the North Eastern Strategic Alliance, which is an economic development alliance for the Pee Dee Region of South Carolina.

Dr. Patrick Cawley is chief executive officer of MUSC Health and vice president for health affairs at the Medical University of South Carolina. In this role, he oversees all clinical matters as they relate to MUSC Health, the Medical University Hospital Authority and University Medical Associates. Previously, he served as chief medical officer of MUSC Medical Center. In that role, he was responsible for the quality and safety of all patient care programs and had direct oversight of clinical service lines. He has led MUSC’s improvement transformation in quality and patient safety, which was recognized in 2007 and 2012 with the Rising Star by the University Health System Consortium. Dr. Cawley is a certified physician executive through the American College of Physician Executives and a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is a fellow in the Liberty Fellowship Program and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. He has been named one of America’s Best Doctors. He has received the Master of Hospital Medicine from the Society of Hospital Medicine. Dr. Cawley is a past president of the Society of Hospital Medicine. He is actively involved in leadership roles in the American Hospital Association, the South Carolina Hospital Association, America’s Essential Hospitals, Vizient and Initiant. Dr. Cawley earned his medical degree from Georgetown University before completing an internal medicine residency at Duke University. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He is board certified in internal medicine with focused recognition in hospital medicine. 

Dr. Richard Christian received his undergraduate degree from Wofford College and his medical degree from the MUSC College of Medicine. He recently retired after serving more than 33 years as an orthopedic surgeon in Greenwood. The primary focus of his practice was reconstructive surgery, including total knee and hip replacement. Dr. Christian is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Dr. Christian is past director of the South Carolina Joint Center at Self Regional Healthcare.

Dr. Paul Davis graduated from Wofford College with a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1994. He earned his doctoral degree from the MUSC College of Dental Medicine in 1999, where he also finished an advanced education in general dentistry residency. After practicing in Mount Pleasant for six years, Dr. Davis and his family moved to Florence where he has practiced since 2006. He is a member of the Florence Dental Society and past president of the Pee Dee District Dental Association. He has served on the board of governors of the South Carolina Dental Association and has been a member of the South Carolina delegation to the American Dental Association. At a local education level, Dr. Davis served on the board of trustees for both All Saints' Episcopal Day School and Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School and was on the Dental Advisory Board for Florence-Darlington Technical College. Currently, he serves on the South Carolina Golf Association board of directors. He is a member and former elder of First Presbyterian Church in Florence.

Local businessman Francis “Jeepy” Ford Jr. worked for 40 years at Parrish Motor Company, a new and used car and truck dealership, where he ended his career as president and dealer. He served as chairman of the First Federal Bank Advisory Board, vice chairman of the Georgetown County Economic Alliance and treasurer of the Prince George Church Preservation Trust. He serves on the board of the South Carolina Maritime Museum. Mr. Ford previously served on the Prince George Episcopal Church Vestry and was a member of the Georgetown Rotary Club for 37 years. He has been active in the Georgetown chapter of Ducks Unlimited, the Boy Scouts, the Salvation Army, the United Way, the American Red Cross and the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce.  He completed his education at The Citadel. 

Dr. Eugene Hong, a primary care sports medicine physician, serves as chief physician executive for MUSC Physicians and MUSC Health. He is board certified in both sports medicine and family medicine. Dr. Hong received his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine and a master’s degree in public health from Boston University of Public Health. He completed his residency at Thomas Jefferson University and fellowships at the University of Massachusetts and Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Hong is a leading authority on concussions, cardiac issues in athletes, overuse injuries and sports-injury prevention and has worked for decades as a team physician. He came to MUSC from Drexel University in Philadelphia, where he was an endowed chair and professor in the Department of Family, Community and Preventive Medicine. He also served as chief of the division of primary care sports medicine, chair of the Drexel University Physician Board and associate dean for primary care and community health. Dr. Hong is the chief medical officer for Clemson University Athletics.

Saj Joy, MD, MBA, MS, CPE, FAAPL, is chief executive officer of the MUSC Health Charleston Division. He leads the executive leadership team and the more than 13,000 care team members serving patients at MUSC Health hospitals and associated facilities in the Charleston Tri-County area as well as MUSC Health-Orangeburg. He also sits on the health system's executive council (Team SC) and provides guidance and advice on health care system strategies. Prior to his role at MUSC Health, Dr. Joy most recently served as chief physician executive and system CMO at Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. Dr. Joy is a maternal fetal medicine specialist and serves as a clinical professor at MUSC. He completed medical school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, residency at the University of Florida Health Sciences Center Jacksonville and fellowship training at the Ohio State University. Dr. Joy has held faculty appointments at Wake Forest University and Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. He is board certified in both general OB-GYN and maternal fetal medicine and he serves on several boards, including the American Association of Physician Leadership, Duke University School of Nursing, Jackson & Coker and more.

Daniel “Dan” Scheffing is a retired professional forester who enjoyed a successful career in the forest industry and consulting. Mr. Scheffing serves on the forest advisory board for White Oak Forestry Inc. He also serves as a member of the Society of American Foresters and the Association of Consulting Foresters. Mr. Scheffing is a board member emeritus of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation and serves on the steering committee of the Black Scenic River Advisory Council. Mr. Scheffing earned his bachelor’s degree in forest management from the University of Missouri.

Charles W. Schulze is a graduate of Georgia Military Academy and earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Georgia. He received his master's degree in accounting from the University of South Carolina. He is a past distinguished lecturer at the University of Georgia. From 1968 to 1972, he served in the United States Air Force. For three years of his four years of service, he was stationed in the Far East and Southeast Asia. His eight decorations for honorable service include four Outstanding Unit awards with "V" device for Valor, the Vietnam Service Medal with four campaign stars for service in Vietnam and Thailand and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm for Valor. Mr. Schulze is a retired shareholder in a regional accounting and consulting firm. He currently practices in the financial forensics area as an investigator and expert witness. He is also a licensed private investigator in the state of South Carolina. He is a former president of the South Carolina Association of CPAs and a former member and chairman of the South Carolina Board of Accountancy. He is chairman of the Medical University of South Carolina board of trustees and is a member of the finance and audit committee for both Shriners International and the 22 hospitals of the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Matt Severance serves as chief system development and affiliations officer for MUSC Health. Additionally, he oversees MUSC Health’s community hospital divisions and its telehealth services. Prior to joining MUSC Health, Severance served as chief operating officer for Roper St. Francis Healthcare and as the chief executive officer for Roper Hospital. Severance’s career in hospital administration dates back to 1990 and has included executive leadership roles in both South Carolina and New York. He has been active in the South Carolina Hospital Association and served as chairman in 2016. Severance earned his undergraduate degree at Wake Forest University and master’s degrees in business administration and health care administration at the University of Florida.