Clinical Leadership

Vanessa Diaz, M.D. MSCR, received her medical degree from the University of Miami (Florida) and completed residency in Savannah, Georgia. She joined our research division as a faculty member in 2004 after completing a two-year faculty development fellowship at MUSC that included obtaining her Master's of Science in Clinical Research.

Dr. Diaz serves as ICCE Chief for primacy care and is medical director for care coordination for primary care. Her research interests include Latino health, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and women's health issues. A native of Panama, Dr. Diaz is fluent in Spanish.

Dr. Arman Kilic is a professor of surgery in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, serves as ICCE Chief for cardiology, and is the surgical director of the Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Program at MUSC. He is board certified in both cardiothoracic surgery and general surgery.

Dr. Kilic graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He subsequently trained in general surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital where he served as administrative chief resident. He completed his fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. He has won several awards including the John L. Cameron Award for Technical Excellence in Surgery, the Frank Coulson Jr. Award for Clinical Excellence, and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons President's Award.

Dr. Kilic has published over 250 manuscripts and is the editor of several major textbooks. He has served in multiple leadership positions for national societies and is on the editorial board of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery, the Journal of Cardiac Surgery, PLOS ONE, and the Journal of Thoracic Disease. He is a regularly invited faculty lecturer at national and international meetings. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Cardiology. He is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the American Heart Association, the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association, and the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. He has mentored numerous medical students and surgical trainees and has received grant funding from the National Institutes of Health and the Thoracic Surgery Foundation.

Dr. Kilic's clinical practice encompasses the entire spectrum of heart surgery for adults, including coronary artery bypass surgery, valve repair or replacement, heart transplantation, and ventricular assist devices. He has particular expertise in high-risk operations, advanced coronary surgery techniques including off-pump and multi-arterial coronary bypass surgery, surgery for heart failure, and minimally invasive procedures.

As an epileptologist, Dr. Edwards is a member of the South Carolina Neurological Association, the American Epilepsy Society, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society. He has served on the scientific committee of several organizations, including the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, and has been a board member and examiner for the American Board of Clinical Neurophysiology and for ABRET. He recently served as president of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society. Dr. Edwards has won numerous awards for teaching, research and patient advocacy.

Steven I. Hanish, M.D., FACS is a professor in the Department of Surgery and the Division Chief of Transplant Surgery for MUSC. He also serves as ICCE Chief of Transplant Surgery for MUSC Health. Dr. Hanish specializes in complex surgeries of the liver and bile duct as well as Living Donor Liver Transplant.

Dr. Hanish earned his medical degree at the Indiana University School of Medicine. He completed a residency in general surgery at Duke University School of Medicine and received advanced training in transplant surgery through a fellowship at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics. He performed additional training at Asan Medical Center in Seoul, South Korea, learning the techniques of performing living-donor liver transplantation.

Certified by the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Hanish was recruited to the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 2013, where, as the director of hepatobiliary surgery, he helped Maryland's liver transplant program become the third largest in the United States. He joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2018 and initiated their Living Donor Liver Program. HIs time at UTSW showed programmatic growth with some of the best outcomes in liver transplantation as well as one of the shortest lengths of stays following transplant.

His clinical focus is on expanding the availability of liver transplant - from both living and deceased donors - to patients who weren't previously eligible for transplant due to their age, obesity, tumor size, or insufficient sobriety time.

A specialist in the full spectrum of hepatobiliary surgery, Dr. Hanish is also highly experienced in repairing injuries to the bile duct, such as those that can occur during gall bladder surgery, as well as complex liver surgery.

His research endeavors focus on liver failure and liver transplant. In addition, he serves on the editorial board of Transplantation Reviews and is an ad hoc reviewer for Journal of Surgical Research, Journal of Surgical Oncology, and Liver Transplantation.

Brenda Hoffman, M.D. is a professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Medical University of South Carolina. She also serves as Chief of Digestive Health for the MUSC Health Integrated Center of Clinical Excellence (ICCE). 

Dr. Hoffman received her M.D. degree from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in 1983 and completed her gastroenterology fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina in 1989. She is board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology. Dr. Hoffman is a member of several organizations, including the American Gastroenterological Association, American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, American College of Gastroenterology, American College of Physicians, American Endosonography Club, Charleston Medical Society, Southern Medical Association, and the South Carolina Gastroenterology Association.

Dr. Hoffman has received numerous honors, including the Faculty Excellence Award, Top 20 Female Physicians -- Southern Woman to Woman, Who's Who/Physicians of the Southeast, American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Audio/Visual Award, America's Top Doctors, and Best Doctors.

Dr. Hoffman's clinical interests are endoscopic ultrasound, endoscopic submucosal dissection, endoscopic mucosal resection, ablative therapy for Barrett's esophagus, capsule endoscopy, laser therapy and therapeutic endoscopy. Her clinical research interests are in endoscopic intervention and prevention and control.

Lee Leddy, M.D.serves as Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedics & Physical Medicine and is Chief of the Musculoskeletal Integrated Center of Clinical Excellence (ICCE).

He received a bachelor’s degree in biological science from Emory University while also lettering on the varsity basketball team. He then received a medical degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine. Dr. Leddy returned to Emory University to complete his internship and residency in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He joined MUSC in 2009, after completing a fellowship in orthopaedic oncology at Emory University, where he helped establish the sarcoma program.

Dr. Leddy is currently the leader of the Sarcoma Disease Focus Team at Hollings Cancer Center and serves as the residency program director for the Department of Orthopaedics. He is actively involved in both clinical and basic science research and collaborates with members of the Sarcoma Immunotherapy Lab. As a member of the MUSC Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dr. Leddy focuses on providing excellent care to patients with benign and malignant bone and soft tissue tumors and metastatic bone cancer, providing fracture care, and performing primary and revision hip and knee replacements.

As a physician providing cancer care daily to people who come to Charleston from across the state, Jason Newman, M.D., believes deeply in the importance of the strategic growth of cancer programs at Hollings Cancer Center. The expansion of clinical care, research and clinical trials makes innovative treatments more accessible to more patients and helps Hollings reach populations in rural and underserved areas. As the network grows, regional teams will be able to deliver care to patients locally with specialized treatment available in Charleston. In his role as the Oncology Integrated Center of Clinical Excellence (ICCE) chief, Newman oversees the clinical activities and performance of Hollings and executes strategies for program development and growth.

Charles Reitman, M.D. is a professor and Vice Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedics and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and serves as ICCE chief of Specialty Surgery and Spine at MUSC.

Dr. Reitman attended physical therapy school at the University of California San Francisco and was in private practice in Sacramento, CA, for 12 years. He then attended medical school at Baylor College of Medicine in the Texas Medical Center, where he also completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery and fellowship training in spine surgery. Upon completing residency and fellowship training, Dr. Reitman accepted a faculty position at Baylor and remained in Houston. There, he quickly assumed the director of residency education role, a position he held throughout his tenure at Baylor.

Among several leadership roles, in 2003, Dr. Reitman became chief of orthopaedic surgery at the trauma center, Ben Taub Hospital, and served as the department's interim chairman for two years. He was the initial Faculty Teacher of the Year recipient in 2004 and received that honor five times in 11 years before his departure. He was recruited to Charleston in 2015 and is currently a professor and vice chairman of the Department of Orthopaedics at MUSC and co-director of the MUSC Spine Center. He has clinical expertise across a broad range of complex spinal disorders from the head to the pelvis, including conditions resulting from degenerative disease, deformity including scoliosis and kyphosis, spine tumors, spine infections, spine fractures, and spinal cord injury, and also problems related to complications from injury as well as previous surgery.

Dr. Reitman has extensive experience in program development and mentoring. Dr. Reitman is a past president of the Houston Orthopaedic Society and is a member of numerous national and international societies. He has been a speaker on every continent except Antarctica. He has been particularly active in the North American Spine Society, where he has been a director of the Administration, Research, and Education councils for the Board of Directors and also helped launch the international educational platform.

Dr. Reitman has over 100 peer-reviewed publications and is Deputy Editor for Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research and The Spine Journal. His top professional priority is the continued development of a nationally recognized multidisciplinary spine center that provides high-value and quality care efficiently and conveniently for our patients throughout South Carolina.

Dr. Bob Rowe is the associate dean for clinical affairs for the MUSC College of Health Professions and the chief of MUSC Health Therapeutic and Rehabilitative Services Integrated Center for Clinical Excellence (ICCE).

Dr. Rowe is the founder of the Brooks Institute of Higher Learning (Brooks IHL) within the Brooks Health System, located in Jacksonville, FL, and has served in multiple leadership roles at Brooks IHL over the past 18 years, including executive director of Brooks IHL. One of the primary achievements in this role was the implementation of 10 residency and fellowship programs, which, over the 18-year period, served as an example of best practice in residency/fellowship programs, and also assisted in the development of multiple residency/fellowship programs around the country.

Dr. Rowe received his Doctor of Physical Therapy at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) in 1985 and completed his Master of Health Science in Physical Therapy in 1994 at LSUHSC. He completed an Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship through the Ola Grimsby Institute (OGI) in 1999 and subsequently earned his Doctor of Manual Therapy degree through OGI in 2001. In May 2007, Dr. Rowe completed his t-DPT through MGH IHP. Dr. Rowe was recognized as a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists (AAOMPT) in 2001.

Dr. Rowe is a nationally recognized speaker in the areas of musculoskeletal patient management, professional advocacy, residency/fellowship value and development, and professional issues/leadership. He served as the president of the AAOMPT for six years (2009-2014). Dr. Rowe served on the APTA Board of Directors as a director from 2015 to 2021 and began a three-year term as president of the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy in 2022.

Previously, Dr. Rowe served a four-year term on the APTA American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE) that began in July 2008 and continued to serve as a site reviewer for the Accreditation Services Committee, a subcomponent of the ABPTRFE, until June 2015. He served as chair of the Orthopaedic Section's Practice Committee from 2004 to 2010. He has served for 22 consecutive years as a delegate to the APTA House of Delegates for the Louisiana Chapter (2001-2004), the Orthopaedic Section (2004-2010), the Florida Chapter (2010-2015), the APTA Board (2015-2021), and AOPT (2022-2023). Dr. Rowe served on the APTA Manipulation Task Force from 2001 to 2015 and served on the APTA POPTS Task Force from 2004 to 2007. In 2009, Dr. Rowe completed five years of service as an appointed member to the APTA Advisory Panel on Practice and served as chair for the final year. Before serving as president of AAOMPT, he served as co-chair of the Standards Committee (2002-2006) and as vice president for a term (2006-2009). Dr. Rowe has served on the LPTA Board as vice president (2004-2006) and on the FPTA Board as Regional Director (2007-2010) and Speaker of the FPTA Assembly (2010-2014). He began service as a member of the APTA Awards Sub-committee for selection of the McMillan and Maley Lecture awards in 2013 and completed that service in 2015.

In 2023, Dr. Rowe was recognized by APTA with the distinguished honor of being a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA. Dr. Rowe is a recipient of the APTA Lucy Blair Distinguished Service Award (2011 - American Physical Therapy Association award); the Dave Warner Distinguished Service Award (2006 - Louisiana Physical Therapy Association); the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Award for Excellence in Research, Education, Patient Care, and Community Outreach (2004 - LSUHSC); the Arcadia University Charles Magistro Award (2017 – Arcadia University); and the AAOMPT John Mennell Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Rowe was recognized as a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academy of Practice (FNAP) in March 2024.

Mark Scheurer, M.D., MSC serves as Chief of Children's Hospital & Women's Health Integrated Center of Clinical Excellence (ICCE) for MUSC Health.

Dr. Scheurer has formally trained in internal medicine, pediatrics, pediatric cardiology, and pediatric cardiac intensive care to serve as a cardiologist and intensivist for children and adults with acquired and congenital heart disease. He enjoys engaging with families and patients during periods of critical illnesses so that the best decisions can be collaboratively reached.

Lalith K. Solai, M.D., is Vice Chair of Clinical Services for Geriatric Psychiatry at MUSC and serves as Chief of Mental Health Integrated Center of Clinical Excellence (ICCE) for MUSC Health. 

Dr. Solai is from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He served as the Professor of Psychiatry and the Chief of Geriatric Psychiatry. While there, he also served as Medical Director of Patient Safety at the UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH). In addition, he was the medical director of the Center for Interventional Psychiatry (CIP), overseeing care for patients with severe, difficult-to-treat depression and other debilitating psychiatric disorders. Under Dr. Solai's leadership, the CIP maintained a national reputation as a top provider of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), widely considered the gold-standard treatment for severe depression. Dr. Solai also substantially expanded the range of therapies provided by the CIP, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and ketamine.

As chief of geriatric psychiatry, Dr. Solai led WPH's Geriatric Psychiatry Services (the largest geriatric psychiatric psychiatry division in the country), including the Geriatric Psychiatry Inpatient Unit, the Long-Term Care program, the Bellefield Enhanced Support Team (BEST) program, the Benedum Geriatric Center and UPMC Senior Care-Shadyside. He also supervised clinical services to more than 15 local/regional long-term care centers. His passion for clinical services lies within mental health services for nursing home patients. He created and managed a 30-bed nursing home unit that serves only primary behavioral health patients.

Dr. Solai is a dedicated and accomplished educator who has taught extensively at all levels, particularly in resident and fellow training at WPH. He organized and ran the regional annual conference on Behavioral Health and Aging for more than ten years. He was the director of the geriatric psychiatry fellowship, a training program with a national reputation for clinical and educational excellence in late-life mental health.

Joshua Neal, M.D. is an Obesity Medicine physician at MUSC and an assistant professor for the College of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology. Dr. Neal also serves as Chief of Wellness & Human Performance Integrated Center of Clinical Excellence (ICCE) for MUSC Health. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before attending medical school at Albany Medical College. Dr. Neal completed his residency in Family Medicine at Eisenhower Army Medical Center and served four years abroad with the U.S. Army. Before joining MUSC, he was the regional medical director for Ascension St. Vincent's Bariatric Medical Weight Management Program. He has also worked in urgent and primary care.

Dr. Neal is board-certified in Family Medicine and Obesity Medicine. He has special interests in weight management and culinary medicine. His background in family medicine, urgent care, concierge medicine, and military medicine helps to inform a comprehensive approach to patient care. He understands that everyone has a unique relationship with food and weight. He works to support each patient in reaching their own goals while improving the determinants of metabolic health.
Read less