Office of Public Relations
About Us
OUR MISSION
As representatives of South Carolina’s only comprehensive academic medical center, the staff members of the MUSC Office of Public Relations work to convey how our faculty, staff, clinicians, students and scientists are changing what’s possible in health care, every day. We take seriously our charge to build awareness of MUSC, and how our institution serves all South Carolinians through education, research and patient care. We take even more seriously how we bring that information to various communities; whether through mass media, publications, videos, or social media, the professionals in our office are committed to protecting integrity and the public trust through transparent, accurate, timely and ethical communication.
Meet the team
Dr. Sarah King serves as the director of the Office of Public Relations and has been with MUSC for more than 16 years. Dr. King has earned bachelor’s degrees from the College of Charleston and the University of Georgia and a doctorate in public health administration from MUSC. She is a nationally known advocate for children's issues and is frequently engaged to share her public relations and health communication expertise at large. She has taught ethics in the College of Medicine to medical students and served as the steward for influential health campaigns in countries around the world. Contact Info: |  |
 | Jeff Watkins handles special projects, such as commencement and faculty convocation, and is editor of the MUSC Annual Report. Jeff attended North Carolina State University and graduated with honors from the College of Charleston with a bachelor’s in English. He has more than 10 years’ experience in print and broadcast journalism, having worked for newspapers in North and South Carolina, and serving as managing editor for a South Carolina television station. He has been with MUSC for more than 26 years. Contact Info: | |
Heather Woolwine serves as the media relations director for MUSC, spearheading the media relations division of the Office of Public Relations. She has honors bachelor's degrees in communication and psychology, and a master's degree in communication from the College of Charleston. She has been with MUSC for 10 years and participates in strategic communication planning for the university and the medical center. Heather serves as a spokesperson for MUSC and actively manages the reputation and image of the enterprise through mass and social media relations. Contact Info: |  | |
 | Tony Ciuffo is a media relations coordinator who earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of South Carolina. Tony spent nearly 20 years as director of media relations for College of Charleston athletics, also serving as the school’s radio play-by-play announcer, garnering him the S.C. Sportscaster of the Year in 2003 and 2009. He joined MUSC in 2010 to facilitate news stories and provide information at the request of the media. Contact Info: | |
Sarah Bates joined the PR staff in 2011 after more than 15 years in print journalism. She brings valuable knowledge in photojournalism, video, and media relations to the team. Sarah completed her photojournalism degree at Ohio University, and worked at the Medina Gazette (Medina, OH), The Anderson Independent-Mail (Anderson, SC) and The Post and Courier in Charleston, SC. Contact Info: |  | |
 | Dawn Brazell is the integrated communications manager and joined the MUSC staff in 2010. She handles health and science writing, design work and coordination of the MUSC PR multimedia website. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and has worked as a journalist and freelance writer for more than 20 years. While at The Post and Courier newspaper, she won writing awards for health coverage. Contact Info: | |
Kim Draughn serves as the editor of the MUSC campus newspaper, The Catalyst. Kim has designed and edited The Catalyst for more than 16 years, ensuring that internal and external audiences are well-informed on the ways that MUSC clinicians, researchers, faculty, staff and students are changing what’s possible in health care. Contact Info: |  | |
 | Cindy Abole works as a writer and associate editor of The Catalyst newspaper at MUSC. She also manages the office’s internship program for undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students and volunteers. Cindy earned a bachelor of art degree in journalism and public relations from The University of South Carolina. She worked in the news industry and conducted public affairs work, media relations and educational support on a national level with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama before joining MUSC in 1998. Contact Info: | |
Ashley Barker is a public information specialist who joined MUSC’s Public Relations team in October 2012. Her primary duties are editing, page designing and writing for The Catalyst, so she’s always looking for stories on campus. Prior to moving to Charleston, Ashley worked at a Wilmington, N.C. television news station producing web content for 14 community sites. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2010. During college, she designed pages for the local daily newspaper and covered high school and college sports. Contact Info: |  | |
 | Sharlene Atkins manages the office and budget for the Office of Public Relations, also serving as executive assistant to the director, Dr. King. She has an extensive background in human resources, office management and accounting. She oversees the Broadcast Message system, a campuswide daily email communication system, as well as assists with external and internal public relations duties. Contact Info: | |