Digital Economy Ecosystem program will bring technology training and innovation to rural communities

Courtney Kotowski

Courtney Kotowski joined the SC Office of Rural Health in 2023 as a program manager for the Community Health Transformation team. In this role, she supports community leaders and health care providers in their efforts related to community-based population health programs and the social determinants of health.

Courtney has a decade of experience in direct service non-profit work, spanning from a culinary job training program, to a bike repair organization, and most recently with FoodShare South Carolina. Her work in the state’s food system spurred an interest to support the leaders across the state who are cultivating health in their community through coalitions and grassroots efforts.

Courtney has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and political science from Illinois Wesleyan University. She is a mother to two and enjoys living in the Northeast part of Columbia.

Jordan Seeger, MMC

Contact: [email protected]

Jordan Seeger joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2024 and serves as the Communications Coordinator. In this role, she assists the Senior Director of Advocacy and Communications with the planning, developing, and executing the communication strategies for the South Carolina Office of Rural Health (SCORH).

Before joining the SCORH team, Jordan previously served as the Communications and Outreach Coordinator at the Congaree Land Trust where she developed strategic communications plans and content, helping to drive the organization’s mission to protect the land in central South Carolina.

Jordan holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing & brand communications from Clemson University and recently received a Master of Mass Communications from the University of South Carolina. In her free time, Jordan enjoys traveling to new places with her partner and their dog Luna, is an avid runner and loves to bake.

Hannah Wilks-Hogue, MPH

Contact: [email protected]

Hannah Wilks-Hogue joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2022 as a performance improvement specialist. In this role, she supports the community health transformation team by contributing to performance comparison and analysis, project reporting, development, implementation, and monitoring while building relationships and collaborating with a variety of groups and partners.

Hannah received her Master in Public Health degree from the University of South Carolina in 2021, after completing her bachelor’s degree in 2019.

Prior to joining SCORH, Hannah served as a project coordinator for a small business where she worked on process improvement. While in graduate school, she served as a full-time graduate assistant on the Arnold Childhood Obesity Initiative where she provided recruitment, data collection, data entry/auditing, and community support on multiple grant projects.

Elizabeth Burt, MBA

Contact: [email protected]

Elizabeth Burt joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2023 and serves as the Senior Director of Advocacy and Communications. In this role, she directs all public policy initiatives and advocacy strategies to drive the SCORH advocacy agenda to help improve the overall health and wellbeing of rural communities in our state. She also oversees the organization’s brand, communication strategies, and works with SCORH staff to promote our mission in the community and through media outreach.

Elizabeth formerly served as the Communications and Development Director at the Congaree Land Trust overseeing the communications and outreach strategy supporting land conservation in the midlands. Prior to that, she spent a decade at the South Carolina Hospital Association as Director of Federal and Member Advocacy, educating members of Congress and collaborating with state leaders on important health care policy issues. She also worked for several years in Washington, DC on trade and agriculture policy issues.

Elizabeth served many years on various committees with the Junior League of Columbia and on the board of directors of the South Carolina Health Information Exchange. She holds a degree in Public Relations from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Business Administration from Southern Wesleyan University. She is a native of Columbia, SC and is married to Travis Burt. They enjoy traveling, hiking, being out in nature and supporting their three children in ballet, cheer, and baseball. They also have two dogs, Bailey and Hank.

Aimee Bowen

Contact: [email protected]

Aimee Bowen joined SCORH in 2023 as the Behavioral Health Program Manager. In this position she works to eliminate barriers to mental healthcare and reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and substance use within rural communities. This work includes collaborations to address substance use disorder (SUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD). Aimee is a native of Columbia, SC and an Alumni of the University of SC where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. Previously, Aimee was the Business Development Director and Military Liaison for a Behavioral Health Hospital System. Her 15 years working with community leaders, health care providers and policy makers focused on enabling access to behavioral health care, advocating for stigma reduction and providing the community with resources to improve mental wellbeing. She has served as a Board Member for FAVOR SC and Mental Health America SC.

Aliyah Anderson

Contact: [email protected]

Aliyah Anderson is a Holistic Health Practitioner who has successfully completed her board certification through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She specializes in plant-based nutritional counseling and earned her certification in Holistic Nutrition from the fully accredited American Fitness Professionals Association. In addition to nutritional counseling, Aliyah is a Private Chef and owner of Enjoyable Life where the focus is providing honest, alternative care to help others achieve their health and wellness goals through natural, plant-based, and unprocessed nutrition. In the future, Aliyah will pursue additional certifications in Pediatric, Prenatal, and Postnatal nutrition.

Aliyah is especially passionate about the health of women and children. Because of this, she is expanding the scope of her practice through her new role as a Birth Doula with Family Solutions. Aliyah provides compassionate care to all clients she serves and can’t wait to support you on your birth journey.

Amanda Hiers

Contact: [email protected]

Amanda Hiers joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2021 and currently serves as a program manager for the Community Health Transformation team.

In this role, she leads network development and provides technical assistance resources for community leaders and healthcare providers related to community-based population health programs. She provides this support to community coalitions, AccessHealth Networks, Rural Health Networks and their partner organizations regarding sustainability and viability, continuous quality improvement and new program development.

Prior to joining SCORH, Amanda served as an Innovation and High Reliability Specialist for the South Carolina Hospital Association where she coordinated multiple projects centered on high reliability, community health, access to care, transitions of care, and behavioral health. She also has more than 12 years of experience from the clinical setting in process improvement, hospital safety and quality, health system navigation, and patient education and engagement.

A native of Barnwell County, Amanda is an advocate for improving health equity and reducing health disparities by addressing social determinants of health in South Carolina. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in human resource management from Southern Wesleyan University. Amanda also holds a Just Culture Algorithm Certification from Outcome Engenuity, an accountability model designed to help organizations achieve better outcomes and pursue sustainable and positive culture change through systems design and performance management.

Amanda earned her Results-Based Accountability Professional Certification, a framework that incorporates population and performance accountability to improve the effectiveness of programs and create measurable change, from Clear Impact Academy in 2022.

Carrington Butler

Contact: c[email protected]

Carrington Butler joined Family Solutions in 2023. She is a resident of Orangeburg County. Initially she started out as a client of Family Solutions and was granted a wonderful opportunity to be Family Solutions Family Resource Center Administrative Assistant. In this role she keeps the FRC operating effortlessly making sure all inquiries and needs are met, to provide such adequate services to the community.

Nabila Inak, MPH

Contact: [email protected]

Nabila Inak joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2024 as a Data Specialist. In this role, she works with internal teammates to coordinate the information collected on behalf of SCORH. This includes developing and maintaining data management platforms and driving the data collection, analysis, and reporting processes.

Prior to joining SCORH, Nabila received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Newberry College and a Master of Public Health in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior from the University of South Carolina. In 2019, she joined the Children’s Physical Activity Research Group and was involved with various NIH-funded projects that explored physical activity behaviors and associated factors in young children, in the context of childhood obesity prevention. Initially, she served as a Data Collector and eventually transitioned to Research Associate. She helped coordinate the data collection processes, collect and organize data, support investigators with manuscript development, and provide authorship and editorial input into grant applications.

Nabila is a native of New York City but has been living in South Carolina since graduation. She is an avid golfer and enjoys playing with her fiancé, who she met on the golf team at Newberry. She also enjoys reading, cooking, and traveling.

Sarah Craig, MHA, CRCA

Contact: [email protected]

Sarah M. Craig joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2015 and currently serves as the Director of the Health System Innovation team. In this role, she provides targeted support to rural hospitals, emergency medical service (EMS) systems, and primary care providers in South Carolina.

Sarah oversees the requirements of several funding sources related to this work, including the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (FLEX) funding, the federal Small Rural Hospital Improvement (SHIP) grant, and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine EMS leadership and tuition assistance grant.

Sarah received a Master’s of Healthcare Administration and a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from the University of South Carolina.

Vicki Ott

Contact: [email protected]

Vicki Ott joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2004 as a financial analyst. In this role, Vicki manages the office’s accounts payable, accounts receivable and account reconciliation. She also serves as the grants management specialist for several grants.

Prior to joining SCORH, Vicki worked as the financial assistant for the Windermere Golf Club, and as a financial analyst at the Policy Management Systems Corporation. Vicki received an associate’s degree in business management from Midlands Technical College.

Vicki lives in Lexington with her husband, Dean, who also has a career in rural health with Anderson County EMS and Midland Valley Fire. Vicki has two step-sons, Patrick and Hayden, and a daughter-in-law, Taylor. Patrick and Taylor are married and have a baby girl named Adaline. Her family also includes a shih-tzu named Winston.

Andrew Chandler, MPH

Contact: [email protected]

Andrew Chandler joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2015 and currently serves a dual role as the program manager for the Health Equity Initiative and program manager of Workforce Development. In this role, he works with SCORH staff and external partners to improve the health of rural communities, address persistent health disparities, and increase health equity for rural communities. Andrew also works with the Director of Workforce Development to attract and retain physicians, advanced practice providers, and other essential providers to rural and medically underserved communities. Additionally, he helps students and clinicians navigate resources that support retention in rural South Carolina. Andrew is also responsible for the oversight of SCORH’s facilities and information technology.

Andrew has served in various capacities for SCORH. He began as a program coordinator for the Center for Practice Transformation and assisted with the development and publication of SCORH’s Rural Health Action Plan in 2017. He also served as the program manager for the Blueprint for Health program where he provided technical assistance to rural communities to help build capacity by addressing the social determinants of health and creating a long-term vision of the community’s health.

Andrew received his Master of Public Health and bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina.

Andrew earned his Results-Based Accountability Professional Certification, a framework that incorporates population and performance accountability to improve the effectiveness of programs and create measurable change, from Clear Impact Academy in 2022.

He is an avid sportsman and a Gamecocks fan. Andrew and his wife, Calli, live in Lexington with their two children, Reece and Rowan, and their dog, Riggs.

Darlene Lynch

Contact: [email protected]

Darlene Lynch joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2017 as the director of the Community Health Transformation team, and was promoted to senior director in 2022. In this role, Darlene provides technical assistance and supports local partner coordination for the Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas program funded by The Duke Endowment. She also provides leadership in the office for other rural population health based efforts, including a focus on health equity and health disparities.

Darlene brings more than 30 years of technical assistance, coalition development, leadership development and collective impact experience to communities across South Carolina. She uses this extensive experience to help communities achieve even greater community-level results.

Prior to joining SCORH, Darlene worked for the American Heart Association as their senior manager of volunteer management. In this position, Darlene managed 59 volunteer executive committees and subcommittees and an estimated 1,500 volunteers across the Eastern United States to influence the quality and growth of the Emergency Cardiovascular Care Training Network. She also worked with government officials to develop chain-of-survival programs and initiatives that increased training and improved survivor outcomes.

Darlene serves on the board of directors for the Alliance for a Healthier South Carolina, the South Carolina Fitness Gram Advisory Council and the Healthy Palmetto Leadership Council. She is also a member of the American Public Health Association (APHA) Community Health Planning and Policy Development (CHPPD) and Public Health Education and Health Promotion (PHEHP) Sections and the South Carolina Public Health Association.

Darlene earned her Results-Based Accountability professional certification, a framework that incorporates population and performance accountability to improve the effectiveness of programs and create measurable change, Clear Impact Academy in 2021.

#PowerofRural Spotlight: Community Paramedics program benefits patients and providers alike

Excerpt from article by Prisma Health

Anson Hawkins was a paramedic for nearly 30 years. He loved the job, but after all that time working with so many people who didn’t seem to be taking care of themselves, who came to the ER with the same treatable issues repeatedly, who seemed to be non-compliant and uninterested in change, he was burned out.

“When I came in from the street, I had care fatigue,” he said. “I didn’t understand why people would call 911 with non-life-threatening things. My eyes weren’t opened to what people really go through, just trying to navigate the health system and get proper care, to how many barriers are blocking them.”

After a year on the Community Paramedics team in the Upstate, he said, “I see it through another lens. I now appreciate people where they are.”

Community Paramedics works primarily with patients who are uninsured or underinsured, who tend to use the emergency room for non-emergent troubles because they don’t have the connection to care they need. The paramedics explain basic health care processes, educate patients on their disease or illness, link them to insurance options and primary care providers, and get them on the right path to continued care.

“There are so many social needs that don’t get met,” Anson said. “They may not have transportation or family to help take care of them. Food is more important than medicine when you’re hungry, so they spend what they have on a meal with nothing left for medications. As we knock down barriers and build a path to success, you can see you’ve made a difference – by the care and compassion you’re giving but also by a change in them. They feel empowered to be in control of their own health, ask questions because they’re educated about what’s going on. They know how to have a better outcome; they know how to improve the quality of their lives.”

The difference is that “we are dealing with every piece of the person – mental, emotional, physical, social,” he said. “I met a 90-year-old woman who has to decide each day whether to eat or take her insulin. As a paramedic, my job was to fix the acute problem, fix the emergency. With Community Paramedics, we’re getting to the bottom of what is in the way of you taking your medicine. We’re finding the human cause, the real barriers.”

Dalton Shull celebrated his 30th anniversary with EMS in January. He worked for a county 911 service for over 27 years and then joined Prisma Health’s Critical Care Transport team, and now is the newest member of the Community Paramedics team.

“While I always enjoyed transport, I often found it difficult to not know the long-term outcome of our patients,” he said. “I have a love of caring for the elderly and medically fragile and for trying to improve their quality of life. When I saw the interactions of the Community Paramedics in the Upstate and learned of the successes of the program, I was very excited at the opportunity to serve.”

Community paramedicine is a combination of clinical medical skills and social work, he said, “with a big dose of a passion for longer-term care.” He explained: “You need to be clinically competent to understand the short- and long-term effects of multiple disease processes, but also able to look at how living conditions affect both the physical and mental health of the patients and understand what resources we can call on to meet their needs.”

The Community Paramedics team is in a unique position to see if patients are able and willing to manage their own care. “This opportunity benefits the hospital by reducing preventable readmissions, which allows us to free up the ERs, the inpatient beds and the ambulance service,” he said.

“This is an opportunity to do more than put someone on a stretcher and move them to a hospital,” Dalton said.

“We are able to learn why they aren’t taking their medicine. They may want to be in the hospital because at least they’ll get a meal. If we can provide education and find other resources for them for a more permanent situation, why wouldn’t we?”

Anson agreed, adding, “The relationships and the trust you build with patients and practitioners, when … they see the positive impact on the patient, brings a measurable amount of joy. On the ambulance side, I never got to see the full circle. Now we see A1Cs change, blood pressure coming down, quality of life improving; now they have insurance. THAT is what feeds me. It’s a gratifying feeling, doing more than I ever did to impact people’s health.”

Ken Whitten, director of EMS administration for Prisma Health, said that making the switch to the Community Paramedics team can be beneficial to the wellbeing of the providers themselves, as well as the patients they serve.

“What I really like about this is that – while we focus on patient experience – this is a story about provider experiences,” he said. “This shows the power of these programs and the impact they make on providers. That is why I love it so much!”

Paola A. Gutiérrez, MHA

Contact: [email protected]

Paola Gutiérrez joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2018, and currently serves as the Director of External Engagement.

Prior to joining SCORH, she was the multicultural program developer for Clemson Cooperative Extension’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. She also served as the PASOs director of programs and training at the Arnold School of Public Health.

Paola serves on boards such as SC Community Loan Fund New Markets Tax Credit Advisory Board, Lions Vision Services (board member and committee member), 4-H, the State Commission on Respite, and Mental Health Champions-Greenville. She also serves on the American Public Health Association (APHA) Health Informatics Information Technology (HIIT) section.

She received her bachelor’s degree in French literature and German studies from the University of South Carolina and her Master’s in Healthcare Administration from American Intercontinental University. She is a native of Greenville, SC, with a background from Medellín, Colombia.

Britton Herbert, MHA, CRCA, CRHCP

Contact: [email protected]

Britton Herbert joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2017 and currently serves as a program manager for our Health System Innovation team. In this role, he provides targeted support to emergency medical service (EMS) agencies and rural hospitals across South Carolina to ensure the quality and sustainability of these emergency healthcare organizations.

Prior to joining SCORH, Britton worked in multiple healthcare systems. He has experience in internal auditing, documentation control, quality initiatives, and process improvement.

Britton received a Master of Healthcare Administration degree from the University of South Carolina. He is a certified revenue cycle associate (CRCA) and a certified rural health clinic professional (CRHCP). He serves on the SC EMS Advisory Council and SC Trauma Advisory Council.

Annette Jensen

Contact: [email protected]

Annette Jensen joined the Family Solutions staff in 2020 as a nurse home visitor with the Nurse Family Partnership program. She has worked in women’s health for 38 years. Prior to joining Family Solutions, she worked for 32 years at the Regional Medical Center as a clinical unit leader in labor and delivery. Annette is certified as an inpatient obstetric nurse and a sexual assault nurse examiner.

She is also certified as a lactation consultant (CLC).

Barbara Busby

Barbara Busby joined the Family Solutions staff in 2015 as a nurse home visitor for the Nurse-Family Partnership program and currently serves as the nurse manager for the program. In this role, she provides support to the nursing staff and provides education and support to pregnant women, children, and their families.

Barbara brings a variety of nursing experience to Family Solutions. Prior to joining Family Solutions, she worked as a nurse consultant for the Department of Health and Human Services’ community long-term care program. As a nurse consultant, she connected families with services and support to improve their quality of life. She also worked at Family Health Centers, Inc. on OB/GYN. She has worked in several areas at the Regional Medical Center in Orangeburg, including Her Place, the rehabilitative unit, progressive care unit, and medical-surgical units.

Barbara received a Master of Science in Nursing degree from Capella University with a concentration in nursing education and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from South Carolina State University. She is also certified as a lactation consultant (CLC).

Shannon Chambers, CPC, CRCA

Contact: [email protected]

Shannon Chambers joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2011, and currently serves as the senior director of provider solutions. In this role, Shannon assists private physician offices who desire to convert to Rural Health Clinic (RHC) status. She provides technical assistance to RHCs in compliance activities, billing and coding, EHR implementation, and practice management.

Prior to joining SCORH, Shannon worked in multiple physician practices. She has experience in family practice, internal medicine, orthopedics, urology, pediatrics, and many other specialties.

Shannon is a certified professional coder (CPC) with the American Academy of Professional Coders, an AHIMA-approved ICD 10 CM/PCS trainer, a certified revenue cycle associate (CRCA), and a notary public. She also serves as the vice president for the National Association of Rural Health Clinics board.

SOUTH CAROLINA'S 2022 PIONEER AWARD

#PowerofRural Spotlight: South Carolina’s 2022 Pioneer Award

Dr. Oscar Lovelace was given SCORH’s Pioneer Award at our annual conference in October. The Pioneer Award is given each year to a provider who, during a lengthy career, has contributed significantly to the delivery of primary health care in a rural environment. Dr. Lovelace, a family medicine physician in Prosperity, was honored for serving his community for more than three decades.

SOUTH CAROLINA'S 2022 AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

#PowerofRural Spotlight: South Carolina’s 2022 Award of Excellence

Dee Robinson, deputy director of the Tri-County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, won SCORH’s Award of Excellence at our conference in October. This is not an award that is presented every year. It is reserved for those individuals whose efforts have made a truly outstanding and notable contribution to health, health care, or a health care delivery system in rural South Carolina. Robinson was nominated for her persistent work to bring behavioral health to the forefront of our healthcare conversations, and to build partnerships that create a behavioral health safety net for the residents of Orangeburg, Calhoun, Bamberg and Barnwell counties.

2022 RURAL HEALTH PROVIDER OF THE YEAR

#PowerofRural Spotlight: South Carolina’s 2022 Provider of the Year

Allendale County Hospital won SCORH’s Rural Health Provider of the Year award at our Annual Rural Health Conference in October. This award is presented to a provider of rural health services where the health status of a rural community was significantly enhanced. Allendale County Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital and one of the only remaining independent hospitals in the state.

2022 POWER OF RURAL AWARD

#PowerofRural Spotlight: South Carolina’s 2022 Power of Rural Award

The Rural Resource Coalition received SCORH’s Power of Rural Award at our annual conference in October. This award is presented to a community-based project, program or initiative that has embodied the spirit of the “Power of Rural” by demonstrating positive attributes of rural South Carolina, including those that are outside of the health care services sector. The Rural Resource Coalition was nominated for shining a light on the needs of Black and Brown farmers in the state, and building inclusive and cross-sector partnerships to support them.

2022 OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY HEALTH PROJECT OR INITIATIVE

#PowerofRural Spotlight: 2022 Outstanding Community Health Project or Initiative Award

Tidelands Community Care Network received SCORH’s Outstanding Community Health Project or Initiative Award at our annual conference in October. This award recognizes an outstanding educational program or direct service that has positively impacted a community’s health services. TCCN was nominated for its positive impact on community health in Georgetown and surrounding communities. The network is a public-private partnership created by Tidelands Health that serves many of the community’s most vulnerable citizens with complex conditions and needs, providing access to care, specialty services and care management.

South Carolina's Rural Practitioner of the Year

#PowerofRural Spotlight: South Carolina’s Rural Practitioner of the Year

Dr. Trey Moore, a family medicine physician at Abbeville Area Medical Center, received SCORH’s Rural Practitioner of the Year Award at our annual conference last month. This award is presented to a rural primary health care practitioner whose service and community commitment has resulted in significant improvement of primary health care services. Dr. Moore’s coworkers nominated him for this award for his forethought and diligence in confronting the COVID-19 pandemic before it even appeared in South Carolina. By creating a “Fast Track” clinic to identify and treat COVID patients, his work is credited with saving many lives.

SC's Community Star is a mover and a shaker in Heath Springs

#PowerofRural Spotlight: SC’s Community Star is a mover and a shaker in Heath Springs

Zora Denson grew up with a father who was a textile worker at Springs Mill by day and a gardener in the evenings. She ate fresh foods, but didn’t know much about nutrition.

“I didn’t know sugar was a problem. I didn’t know salt was a problem,” she said. “Life has proven that without your health, you can’t do anything.”

Now that she knows the importance of a healthy lifestyle, she wants to share that knowledge with her whole community.

Denson has been named South Carolina’s 2022 Community Star by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH). NOSORH names a community star from each state as a way to celebrate National Rural Health Day each year.

Denson was nominated by Karen Nichols, executive director of the Upper Midlands Rural Health Network. Nichols calls Denson a “community champion,” a “connector,” a “go-getter” and a “humble servant to her community.”

Denson calls herself a “homegrown transplant” – she was born in Heath Springs, but lived in Detroit for 40 years of her adult life, where she was a teacher and worked in community development. She was widowed in 2012 and moved back to Heath Springs in 2018.

“I did not have a clue as to what I was going to do,” she said.

She started by attending a town council meeting. She was disappointed in the poor turnout from local residents and spoke to the mayor after the meeting. She offered to reach out to local churches, businesses and schools to encourage attendance.

She invited the student council from the local elementary school. The students came dressed in their best, and were recognized by town council members.

Next, Denson arranged for a business spotlight at each meeting that drew local employees and loyal customers.

Once she had improved the civic engagements of the community, she turned her sights to improving the health of the community. First up was a community health fair in 2019. She solicited a sponsorship from Healthy Blue and enlisted 50 vendors to offer everything from massages to eye exams.

She also organized a daily walking activity for residents to exercise and socialize, and in 2020 she spearheaded a group to take the FAN (Faith, Activity & Nutrition) course through the University of South Carolina, which enlists the faith community to encourage healthier lifestyle habits among their congregations. The FAN group in Heath Springs now includes 50 churches that meet one Saturday a month to walk, do chair aerobics, prepare healthy snacks and enjoy music together.

“I love when people feel the spark or get the juice,” she said.

Her volunteer work led to a staff position as the director of community relations for the Town of Heath Springs. That allowed her to coordinate with the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) for drive-through testing and vaccine locations during the pandemic. And because Heath Springs is in a food desert, she reached out to Food Lion to help provide food boxes and bottled water distribution stations.

More recently, when Dollar General opened in the town – providing the only grocery store within 10 miles – she approached the regional manager in the parking lot one day to press him to add fresh produce to the store.

“If you don’t say anything, nothing will be done,” she said. “In small-town America, we can effect change because we are smaller. We’re small enough to be familiar. We’re small enough to be able to pull in these entities.

“The power is in making sure we don’t lose it.”

The Power of Rural at Work: Digital Economy Ecosystems

#PowerofRural Spotlight: Digital Economy Ecosystems

Across South Carolina, there is a growing network of “digital economy ecosystems” that are transforming rural communities into thriving centers of tech jobs and innovation.

A digital economy ecosystem features technical education, job training, and community planning to foster technology-based entrepreneurship and remote work opportunities in these rural communities.

“A successful digital economy ecosystem increases digital literacy, creates quality jobs and builds wealth in the local community,” said Paola Gutierrez, the SC Office of Rural Health’s lead strategist for this project. “We see this happening in five communities already – Williamsburg, Barnwell, Orangeburg, Newberry and Greenwood counties — and we have a vision for a network that connects every corner of the state.”

In each community, the project begins with training sessions that provide an overview of broadband technology and its applications to rural community leaders. Community stakeholders then work with the SC Rural Innovation Network (SCRIN) to develop a rural innovation roadmap that reflects the communities’ assets, competitive advantages and goals for a digital economy. The roadmap may include education, job training and leadership training in partnership with local libraries, public school systems, technical colleges, and four-year universities.

“A DEE is an interconnected system of people, programs, and structures working together to make it possible for technology-based entrepreneurs, businesses, and workers to thrive,” said Kim Bowman, founder and CEO of SCRIN. “Every community kickstarts DEE revitalization from a different starting point, but we’ve seen how the process can encourage community buy-in, attract investors, and build momentum for a new way of life.”

Barnwell and Williamsburg counties were the first two communities to embark on a two-year DEE planning and implementation project in 2020, with funding secured by the SC Office of Rural Health (SCORH) through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The DEE process has resulted in new co-working spaces, summer tech institutes for middle and high school students, a program for schools to showcase STEM programs to the business and manufacturing communities, a downtown farmer’s market, new courses in drone technology and website design at Williamsburg Technical College, and expanded telehealth availability.

Additionally, Barnwell recently partnered with USC Salkehatchie to secure USDA funding to develop the Propel Business Lab, a 12-week business accelerator with 20-person cohorts in Barnwell and Allendale Counties. The program will culminate in a pitch competition with startup funding for participants. And Williamsburg’s DEE and the Digital Lane are developing an agribusiness program to introduce agricultural technology and tools, land management, access to new markets, and farm-to-table opportunities.

With a second round of USDA funding in 2021, Orangeburg was selected to embark on the DEE process, and recently completed its roadmap. A third funding award from USDA this month allows Newberry and Greenwood counties to begin the process.

“South Carolina’s growing network of DEE communities has the potential to close the rural-urban divide by creating a workforce with modern skills and a talent pipeline to follow,” Bowman said.

She said these shifts toward innovation and digital workforce development will entice people to remain in or return to their rural hometowns, where they will enjoy work/life amenities like co-working spaces, innovation centers, vibrant Main Streets, and entrepreneurial support.

Through this evolution, she sees the power of rural at work, changing the image of rural communities.

“To me, the power of rural is a mindset, a belief that our rural communities can transform their energies, abilities, and outcomes by building thriving digital economies,” Bowman said. “By working together to achieve this much-needed shift, we open more doors to more possibilities and improve every citizen’s health, happiness, and well-being along the way.”

ShaKayla Johnson

Contact: [email protected]

ShaKayla Johnson joined the SC Office of Rural Health as a perinatal social worker on the Family Solutions staff in 2022. In this role, she supports and advocates for pregnant women and babies through education and resources. Prior to joining the Family Solutions staff, ShaKayla worked for four years as a family support case manager for the SC Department of Social Services. She worked closely with foster families in both Lexington and Richland County.

ShaKayla received a bachelor’s degree in social work from South Carolina State University in 2014 and a MSW from the University of South Carolina in 2016.

Chelsea Steward

Contact: [email protected]

Chelsea Steward joined the SC Office of Rural Health as a certified community health worker on the Family Solutions staff in 2022. In this role, she provides case management and follow-up services to prenatal and postpartum women, specializing in diabetes. Prior to joining the Family Solutions staff, Chelsea was a community educator at CASA Family Systems, where she focused on violence prevention programs for children and young adults.

Chelsea received a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in psychology from Voorhees University, and a master’s degree in criminal justice from Claflin University. She enjoys spending her free time with family and friends.

RURAL ART COMPETITION WINNERS

#PowerofRural Spotlight: Rural Art Competition Winners

Throughout the Power of Rural spotlight series, we’ve asked our subjects what “the power of rural” means to them. The answers have varied greatly, but mostly have been about intangible qualities – the sense of pride, the spirit of unity, the comfort of traditions, the perseverance in the face of challenges.

But, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. So we turn our spotlight this week to the artists of the Palmetto State who strive to capture “the power of rural” in their artwork. The SC Office of Rural Health hosts an annual rural art contest. This year’s first-, second- and third-place winners captured the beauty, history and ordinary splendor of rural South Carolina.

Upstate photographer Jamie Baxley won first place for “The Road Less Traveled.” The panel of judges noted that it was “masterfully composed and captures many facets of rural South Carolina.”

“As a photographer, I often find myself winding down a backroad in a rural community in search of picturesque landscapes,” Baxley said. “These close-knit communities tend to have less traffic and an abundance of undeveloped land and farms which allow me to capture the essence of small-town life.”

The second-place award went to “Horse-drawn Funeral Hearse in Lone Star, South Carolina (Circa 1880),” a photograph by James Bradford, MD. Bradford is a former board chair at the SC Office of Rural Health, and donated his cash prize back to our programs.

Bradford was traveling the backroads from Columbia to Charleston on Highway 267 in January when he came upon this scene just outside of Lone Star and captured it with his camera.

“The gentlemen were awaiting the funeral home hearse from Vance, SC, to transfer the coffin to their hearse for transportation to the gravesite for the final burial,” he said.

The judges praised Bradford for capturing “a unique moment in history. We selected this because of the unique statement it makes about the present day as we cope with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in our rural communities. The paved road informs us that this is a contemporary image capturing a somber moment in a country setting. Very compelling.”

The third-place award was given to Pat Konicki for her painting “Forgotten.” The judges praised Pat’s “technical mastery of the painting and composition. The motif speaks to a uniquely rural combination of elements (country home in the background, weathered shed and run-down farm truck). Very finely executed.”

Konicki works in watercolor and colored pencil to offer a unique, detailed study of often-forgotten treasures found in the rural areas of North and South Carolina. Her challenge, she says, is to see beyond the distraction of the decayed, abandoned or dismissed and capture its splendor. Some of her subjects are quite ordinary, others less so.

“Rural living is rooted in history as a means of self-sufficiency. That attachment to the landscape provides a feeling of belonging and sense of purpose,” she said. “It is vital to ensure the preservation of the physical and cultural assets of rural communities. My objective is to express and enhance the beauty of that history, regardless of the condition.”

Baxley said that the “power of rural” is a sense of community pride and a slower pace of life that are easy to overlook.

“The residents in these rural communities are some of the absolute friendliest people who are willing to share their personal stories and experiences with you,” she said. “Sense of community pride, to me, is the most powerful aspect of living and visiting rural communities. I strive to capture moments in my photographs that evoke an emotional response from the viewer and … challenge them to take a drive down a backroad and see the intriguing communities that they have been passing by.”

Ashley Hamm, MPH, CHES

Contact: [email protected]

Ashley Hamm joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2022 as a practice transformation specialist. In this role, she provides facilitation support to clinics served by SCORH’s Center for Practice Transformation.

Prior to joining SCORH, Ashley served as an emergency response worker for the CDC Foundation and served as a quality improvement coordinator with the SC Department of Health & Environmental Control. She also serves an adjunct instructor of undergraduate public health courses through the University of South Carolina Beaufort.

Ashley received her Master in Public Health degree from the University of South Carolina. She also earned two bachelor’s degrees from the University of South Carolina, in English and in public health. Ashley received her credential as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) in 2016.

PRESERVING THE HEART OF A COMMUNITY

#PowerofRural Spotlight: Preserving the Heart of a Community

Rory Dowling has been fascinated by the old Mt. Zion Institute campus for most of his life. He heard his late grandparents and other relatives reminisce about their years spent inside the classrooms. And he watched them and other residents of Winnsboro organize to preserve the historic buildings after the school closed in 1991.

“I’ve followed this building’s course since I’ve been coming for Thanksgiving dinner,” said Dowling, who is now principal at 1st & Main Development, a Durham, NC-based real estate development and consulting firm focused on enriching communities through downtown revitalization.

According to the SC Department of Archives and History, the school was built in 1937 by the Public Works Administration and designed by prominent Columbia architect James B. Urquhart. The property also includes a wood frame Victorian house built in the 1880s that served as a teacherage, and a brick one-story cafeteria, built between 1950 and 1955.

When the town began to talk of demolition in 2017, Dowling and Fairfield County Administrator Jason Taylor worked on a plan to preserve and renovate the building using a combination of federal, state and historic tax credits available for this type of historic revitalization work. Despite some political tensions in the community and competing ideas for the property, plans were ultimately developed to renovate the building and use it as a new county government complex.

The property was listed in the National Register in September 2019, and construction began in February 2020. Today, more than 100 county employees and sheriff’s deputies are moving into office spaces that were once classrooms. Wooden floors, tall windows and wide hallways have been preserved.

The school auditorium now serves as council chambers, with the stage serving as a dais for council members, and rows of original wooden seats carefully restored for audience members.

The original gymnasium still features all-brick walls, steel tresses, a gleaming hardwood floor, tall windows and an original (albeit nonfunctioning) scoreboard. The space is ready for county recreation programs such as basketball leagues, volleyball leagues and fitness classes.

The one-story cafeteria building has been renovated into space for the county’s early childhood program. Just in front of the building, a Martin Luther King, Jr., statue and fountain are being installed, and there is space for a playground beside the building.

The old teacherage has been carefully restored and will serve as a cultural and heritage museum with a focus on African American history.

On a recent visit to the building, which was getting some final touches as county employees continued to move in, Dowling reflected on the project, which combined his professional interest in historic preservation and a family connection to the community. Check out this video to hear his thoughts on the “power of rural” at work in this project.

SC AG + ART TOUR

#PowerofRural Spotlight: Ag + Art Tour

Every weekend in May and June, Will Culler watches people spend their weekends on farms across South Carolina. They come to see how local farms operate and teach their kids where their food comes from. They watch artisans at work and listen to live music. They enjoy craft beer and shop for fresh flowers and produce.

Culler is the executive director of the South Carolina Ag + Art Tour, an annual self-guided tour of local farms and markets across the state. He said the event helps celebrate the contributions of South Carolina’s rural communities, and preserve their beauty and history.

“In South Carolina, the rural lifestyle is really what we’re all about,” Culler said. “Most people don’t realize the rural areas drive so much of our state. The social, the economic, the environmental – they’re all interconnected, and you need all three to work.”

The South Carolina Ag + Art Tour was born in 2012, when both the York County Arts Council was planning an arts tour, and the Clemson Extension office wanted to launch an agriculture tour. They joined forces to create the first Ag + Art Tour in York County. Over the past 10 years, the event has grown to include as many as 15 counties across the state, and has welcomed more than 45,000 visitors, making it the largest free farm and art tour in the nation.

Culler said that agri-tourism is the fastest-growing sector of tourism, and sites that celebrate the heritage and history of rural communities are a driving force behind that growth. Some of the farms included in the tour are centennial farms that have been operated by the same family for more than a century. One farm is a bicentennial farm, operated by the same family for more than 200 years.

Culler would like to see the tour continue expanding in the coming years to touch more counties and include more farms, markets and artisans.

“I hope we can keep talking about rural areas in 20 years as we grow,” he said. “The power of rural is reconnecting. It’s social and economic growth. It’s connecting with the environment. It’s sharing your experiences.”

****

This year’s South Carolina Ag + Art Tour includes 120 sites in 10 counties over six weekends in May and June. Remaining dates and counties include:

June 4-5: Charleston, Kershaw and eastern York counties

June 11-12: Lexington, Newberry, Richland and western York counties

June 18-19: Fairfield County

June 25-26: Chester County

Visit agandarttour.com for a list of participating farms and markets in each county.

Photo courtesy of SC Ag+ Art Tour

Graham Adams, PhD

Contact: [email protected]

Dr. Graham Adams serves as the CEO of the South Carolina Office of Rural Health, a statewide non-profit organization striving to improve access to care, quality of life and health outcomes in rural and under-served communities. Since joining SCORH in 1995 and his appointment as CEO in 2002, Dr. Adams continues to provide technical assistance regarding strategic planning, grant development, funding opportunities, infrastructure development and resource allocation.

He holds adjunct faculty positions at several universities, as well as serving on the board of trustees for numerous national and statewide organizations. Dr. Adams has had the opportunity to provide congressional testimony on several occasions in addition to receiving secretarial appointments to national advisory committees for both the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Veterans Health Administration.

Dr. Adams received a doctorate degree in health administration and Masters of Public Health degree from the University of South Carolina, and a bachelor of science in psychology from Frostburg State University in Maryland. In 2022, Adams received the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor.

CAROLINA CUP

#PowerofRural Spotlight: Carolina Cup

On April 2, the Carolina Cup Races, presented by Mullikin Law, will not only be the 87th running of this steeplechase horse race, but it will turn the eyes of the world toward the quaint town of Camden and the rural beauty of Kershaw County.

The annual event draws 30,000 brightly attired fans, as well as horses and their jockeys and owners, from across the world to the Springdale Race Course.

“We’re putting Camden on the map internationally,” said Toby Edwards, executive director of the 2022 Carolina Cup Races. “Camden has built itself a brand name that has worldwide presence.”

But Edwards said that the event also is a beloved part of the community culture. Local residents and non-profit organizations provide volunteer power. Local and state law enforcement agencies work the event. Local shops, restaurants, hotels and air strips open their arms to visitors for the weekend.

“I couldn’t run the event without the community,” Edwards said. “I do think of it as an event run by the community, for the community.”

This tradition was established and cemented by Marion duPont Scott, who acquired the Springdale Race Course and adjacent acreage in 1953 from Mrs. Ambrose Clark of Aiken. Mrs. Scott has been hailed by many as “The First Lady of American Steeplechasing.” When she died in 1983, she gifted the Springdale race course and adjacent properties to the State of South Carolina. It is managed by the Carolina Crown Racing Association.

Edwards credits Scott for her forward thinking in preserving the property’s natural beauty from eventual development, and for establishing a way for the event to uplift the community. Any proceeds from the event are donated to the Health Resource District of Kershaw County to provide additional health services for the uninsured and underinsured citizens of Kershaw County.

“She wanted to make sure there were funds for people who couldn’t cover their costs,” Edwards said.

For Edwards, the “power of rural” lies in both the beautiful setting of the Springdale Race Course and the time-honored tradition of the Carolina Cup.

“We have very little permanent infrastructure,” he said. “WE create the day, and hope we’ve created an atmosphere where people can come out with family and friends to enjoy the great outdoors with a cocktail in their hand.”

Photo Credit- Carolina Cup/ William Quarles

TIDELANDS HEALTH

#PowerofRural Spotlight: Tidelands Health is bolstered by community support during COVID-19 pandemic

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, the leadership team at Tidelands Health approached it “with our normal disaster preparedness mindset,” said Chief Operating Officer Gayle Resetar.

Of course, this pandemic turned out to be anything bur “normal,” as cases spikes and subsided, messaging from national leadership changed, hospital staff was enlisted for the public health work of testing and vaccinating, and pandemic response changed every aspect of life as we know it over the past two years.

The one thing that remained constant at Tidelands Health, though, was a commitment to being transparent with the communities of Georgetown and Horry counties, and sharing a consistent message both inside and outside their walls.

As the healthcare system shared information with their community and asked them to make sacrifices when it came to visiting loved ones or following COVID protocols, they were pleasantly surprised by the positive mindset they saw in return.

“The response wasn’t ‘This is terribly unfair and I can’t believe you’re doing this.’ The response was ‘How can we make the best of this?’” Resetar said. “The community really began to rally around the idea that we’re doing the best we can with the information we have today.”

Over the course of the past two years, there have been cookies delivered to nurses. There was a group of volunteers who made masks from donated new t-shirts when it seemed N95 and surgical masks might be in short supply. There were businesses that put signs in their windows and kids who drew in sidewalk chalk to say “Thank You To Our Helpers.” There were parking lot prayer vigils. There were families who waited with balloons and signs watching a hospital room window for news of a birth, rather than fighting the limited visitation policies.

“Rather than creating panic in the community, it became a story of ‘we want to be part of the solution,’” Resetar said. “It helped the staff so much to see they were being supported in the community.”

When it came time to organize testing and vaccine sites, and to share information with the community, the Tidelands staff became ambassadors for those efforts. In a small community, the healthcare system is often one of the largest employers, so healthcare workers are an important part of the education efforts, as they are a trusted source of information among friends and neighbors.

“It has to relate to how connected we are in the community,” Resetar said. “Even our leadership staff, we live here. We’re in the neighborhood.”

And while large urban areas might have seven or eight hospitals to choose from, in small communities, there is only one. To Resetar, the “power of rural” lies in the privilege and responsibility of being that singular trusted source for healthcare and information for your neighbors.

“Our sense of how we feel personally responsible for our community is part of that rural mindset,” she said. “We feel a responsibility to take care of our community.”

Photo provided by Tidelands Health

DR. NEAL SHEALY

#PowerofRural Spotlight: Dr. Neal Shealy

Dr. Neal Shealy spent 42 years as a rural physician before he retired on Jan. 31. And while he has traveled extensively on international medical mission trips, he wouldn’t have spent his career anywhere else.

“Medical school is not an easy road to go down,” said Shealy, who got his medical degree at the Medical University of South Carolina in 1979. “If I put that time and effort and sweat into it, I wanted to use those tools in a community that needed it. It never appealed to me to go to an urban area where you may be duplicating services and competing for patients.”

Shealy began his career at a rural practice in Crossnore, NC. But the Leesville native returned to South Carolina in 1991 to help open the Harrison Peeples Health Care Center in Varnville and serve as its Medical Director. Shealy and Harold “Buck” Harvey, a physician assistant at the practice, received the Pioneer Award from the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2017 for more than seven combined decades of dedicated work in Hampton County.

Over the course of his career, Shealy also introduced hundreds of medical students – perhaps more than a thousand – to the life of a rural practitioner. During rotations at Harrison Peeples (now owned by Beaufort Memorial), he would take them hunting and fishing, boasting of the slower pace in a small town.

“We like to expose students to the quality of life in a rural community,” he said. “You can practice good medicine – you don’t learn it and forget it. And you get to know your patients in the office and in the community.”

He showed them that rural doctors provide a full spectrum of medical service, from childbirth to end-of-life care, but they don’t work in isolation. They can find the support of specialists through telehealth, visiting clinics and partnerships with other providers. He made sure they learned about loan repayment programs available to medical professionals who work in underserved areas.

Shealy said the “power of rural” is demonstrated through the continuity of care he is able to provide, and a collaborative spirit within the office.

“You earn some credibility. You walk with your patients through issues or crises. You can have discussions and people listen,” Shealy said. “The teamwork concept is also important. In more urban areas and the med school setting, there’s a pecking order, a hierarchy. We tried not to have that in our office.”

Photo provided by Michael Dewitt/The Hampton County Guardian

DIGITAL INCLUSION FOR SENIORS

#PowerofRural Spotlight: Digital Inclusion for Seniors

During the pandemic, many seniors in rural areas were isolated from their loved ones more than usual, and struggled more than ever to access healthcare in a safe, convenient way.

Palmetto Care Connections, Rural LISC and the SC Department on Aging stepped in to close the digital divide and help those seniors connect to both their doctors and their families.

Over the past year, 100 seniors living in Allendale, Barnwell, Clarendon, Lower Richland and Williamsburg received free tablets, free or discounted internet access, and digital literacy lessons. Digital navigators taught the seniors how to operate the tablet, research health information on the internet, identify cyber scams, and make telehealth calls.

“While PCC’s focus has traditionally been on serving rural healthcare providers with telehealth, broadband and technology resources, we have learned that patients need help in connecting to their health care providers,” said Kathy Schwarting, PCC’s Chief Executive Officer. “Residents of rural areas not only need internet access, they need access that is affordable and they need a device and knowledge to connect to resources for a better quality of life.”

As a result of the pilot program, the number of seniors with internet access doubled, and the participants who used telehealth increased from 13 percent to 100 percent. The program also helped the seniors use technology to connect with family and friends during the pandemic when many of them were even more isolated than usual. They learned how to create and use an email account, video chat with family and friends, and use apps to play games and make social connections.

Because the program was so successful, PCC has been able to leverage additional funding to expand the program and make it more inclusive. Now known as Palmetto Care Connections’ Palmetto Connect Digital Inclusion Solutions, the program includes the following initiatives:

– Digital Inclusion for Seniors

– Community Development Digital Inclusion: hands-on digital training to assist rural residents in developing digital life skills, assisting school-aged loved ones with virtual education, and searching and applying for jobs.

– Digital Refurbishment: will utilize high school and technical students to upgrade and refurbish used digital devices that can be redeployed to residents of rural and underserved communities who can benefit from these refurbished devices.

“What we have learned from the pilot project is that seniors living in rural areas are thirsty for digital knowledge. Especially in these pandemic times, seniors want to stay connected to family and friends, their doctors and the outside world. Digital training and internet access give them that opportunity,” Schwarting said.

“The enthusiasm of the seniors who completed the training was contagious! It has inspired us to want to spread this program throughout the state. That’s the power of rural – helping people improve their lives and being inspired by their gratitude.”

*Photo provided by Palmetto Care Connections

NFT MUSEUM | NEWBERRY COUNTY, SC

#PowerofRural Spotlight:

The air is electric in Newberry. Artists have come together in this community to create one of the world’s first non-fungible token (NFT) museums.

The NFT Museum recently opened in downtown Newberry at 1110 Harrington St. It is the vision of multi-media artist Robert Matheson, a transplant to Newberry who is a driving force behind efforts to brand Newberry as an art town. The mission of the museum is to provide a physical and virtual space for NFT art creation, collaboration and exhibition in an effort to help artists benefit from the emerging digital economy.

An NFT is unique digital asset that can be bought and sold. While NFTs can be used for many types of digital transactions and contracts, artists can use it to protect their intellectual property. NFTs provide incorruptible proof of creation and ownership, even after an NFT has been sold to someone else.

“With traditional digital art, someone could just right click and save, and claim it’s theirs,” Matheson said.

It happens all the time on social media, as people post content they’ve created, and it gets shared without credit.

“Many of us (traditional artists) are also digital artists – we just don’t call it that. We’re so used to giving it away and not taking ownership of our intellectual property.”

Matheson began doing digital art projections in downtown Newberry about a year ago, around the same time that NFTs were capturing the interest of the world. Despite high-profile stories of NFT artwork selling for millions of dollars, Matheson discovered that it could be affordable and accessible to anyone. So he began hosting monthly meetings for artists to learn about cryptocurrency, learn how to mint NFTs and share their digital art projects. The concept of the museum grew from there.

“There’s a lot of innovative, participatory work going on,” he said. “There’s a whole ecosystem of artists doing really creative work.”

In December, the museum hosted a pop-up event in downtown Newberry, in which 11 artists projected their digital poetry, mixed-media, photography, music, and multimedia artwork throughout downtown and within the museum. Check out this video of the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFn3Bsalb0Q

The museum is now open by appointment, and future exhibits are in the planning stages.

To Matheson’s knowledge, the only other NFT museum in existence is the newly opened Seattle NFT Museum. To him, Newberry is the perfect location for such an endeavor. With the recent addition of fiber optic cable, remote workers have been drawn to the quaint community and its reputation as a “gig economy.” And Newberry natives have benefited from the boost to the economy, and a burgeoning arts and culture scene.

“We felt we could make a difference here,” Matheson said. “We try to improve the health and wellbeing of people through the arts, and there’s a financial component to that as well.”

Through NFTs, people are improving their digital and financial literacy, and artists are exploring new ways of creating and sharing their work.

“The message from the digital art and crypto (currency) world is, ‘Just try it,’” he said.

Photo provided by Robert Matheson.

Markus Smith, MHA

Contact: [email protected]

Markus Smith joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2017, and currently serves as Program Manager of Community Health Transformation with SCORH’s Community Support team.

In this role, he provides technical assistance to rural communities across the state who are participating in the Blueprint for Health program. The Blueprint for Health program helps to build capacity at the community level by addressing the social determinants of health and creating a long-term vision of the community’s health.

Markus received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Allen University and a Master in Healthcare Administration degree from Capella University. Prior to working at SCORH, Markus served as a program manager at the Babcock Center, assisting individuals with traumatic brain injuries and intellectual disabilities in vocational rehabilitation.

Congaree National Park

#PowerofRural Spotlight Series

There may be no better place to soak up the beauty and natural history of rural South Carolina than in the state’s only national park – Congaree National Park. Located near Hopkins in rural Richland County, Congaree National Park boasts the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States. The Congaree and Wateree Rivers run through the park, giving it a rich biodiversity.

Visitors can gaze up to see bald cypress trees, tupelo trees, giant old-growth oaks and massive loblolly pines, or peer down at the creeks and swamps to spot fish, amphibians, mammals, reptiles, birds, and insects – most notably mosquitos, which warrant their own warning system in the visitors’ center.

South Carolina’s mild climate offers year-round opportunities for hiking the flat trails and boardwalks, camping at two front-country campgrounds or in the backcountry, or kayaking and fishing along the creeks and rivers.

The park has drawn its largest crowds in recent years during the synchronous firefly display. There are only three species of fireflies in the world that flash in synchronicity, and only a handful of places in the world where you can catch the display. This unique display occurs for about two weeks between mid-May and mid-June when the fireflies search for a mate.

While the display was known to locals for years, it has only been in the past five years (with the help of social media) that it has drawn increasingly large crowds to the park. The park now uses a lottery and ticketing system to maintain the dark and quiet atmosphere best suited to the firefly extravaganza.

For more information about Congaree National Park, visit https://www.nps.gov/cong/index.htm.

Middleton's Village To Village Foundation

#PowerofRural Spotlight

When he was a child, Eliot Middleton played on a youth soccer team that went undefeated for seven years. The team wasn’t a powerhouse with plenty of depth and all the training resources they needed.

“We were always the underdog,” he said. “We always had just enough players. We never had subs.”

But Middleton credits those youth coaches with instilling in him the importance of perseverance and teamwork.

“With small numbers, you can still do great things,” Middleton said.

As an adult, Middleton is still doing things he considers small, but that have a huge impact on his community.

He organized a food drive in 2019, where 250 food boxes were given away. There were many people still in line when the food ran out, and Middleton noticed that those at the end of the line were on foot.

“The people who walked lost out because they had no car,” he said.

Middleton had experience as a mechanic, and he was also running a mobile food truck at the time. So, he posted on Facebook and offered to swap barbecue for a donated car that he could fix. He received a car in January 2020, and began working on it in his backyard.

In April of that year, just as the COVID-19 pandemic started, he opened Middleton & Maker Village BBQ restaurant in Awendaw.

“When I would have a good week at the restaurant, I would set aside a couple hundred dollars for tires,” he said.

By the end of the summer in 2020, the car was repaired, and he was able to donate it to a neighbor in need. Word of this good deed quickly spread, and Middleton was honored with WCIV | ABC News 4’s Jefferson Award in October 2020. It’s an award given by the station to someone who is “multiplying good” in their community. More local and national media attention followed, and so did the donations (both cars and cash) and requests for help.

Middleton and his sister established the Middleton’s Village To Village Foundation to help manage the donations and the requests. At one point, they had 800 cars offered to them, and 500 requests for help. With only a 2002 Toyota Sequoia with a homemade trailer and one other mechanic helping him, Middleton was not able to collect all the cars offered – some of which were in distant states. But to date, the foundation has repaired and given away 64 cars, including a 12 Days of Christmas giving bonanza.

He is now looking for a larger space where he can store and work on multiple cars so that he can help more people, more quickly.

For Middleton, whose family has been in the Awendaw and McClellanville area for generations, it’s important to keep his focus on his rural hometown and build a family legacy.

“When people hear about rural areas, I think they think we’re uneducated, or under-educated, and poor,” he said. “That’s just not the case. You have people with good educations who have helped their family obtain land and build wealth.

“I think that rural areas show a sense of community, a sense of family, and always wanting to help someone in need.”

Photos courtesy of Middleton’s Village To Village Foundation

The Swamp Log Artisans Gallery

#PowerofRural Spotlight:

In the heart of downtown Bishopville, The Swamp Log Artisans Gallery showcases the work of more than 60 local artists and artisans. The gallery includes textiles, furniture, jewelry, photography, painting, pottery, baskets, pyrography, and more.

While the quality and diversity of the artists represented is impressive in its own right, the real intrigue to this shop lies below the surface – literally.

The centerpiece of the shop is the items made from “old growth sinker logs.” During the lumber boom from 1875-1925, timber was cut from virgin growth forests in South Carolina and transported on rafts along the rivers. Cypress and pine logs that sank during transport still sit at the bottom of swamps and rivers across the state, where they have absorbed rich nutrients and minerals for more than a century.

Alec Blalock, a SCUBA guide, retired from offering charter excursions in search of fossils and artifacts, and began recovering these sinker logs instead. Once recovered, the logs are sawn into lumber for woodworkers to craft into bowl, trays, tables, canoes – even wooden bowties. The logs he recovers produce lumber with a deep, rich patina, so the items created by the artisans are not only beautiful, but hold a small piece of the story of South Carolina’s history and economy.

According to the gallery’s website, in 2016, Blalock was invited to partner with the Greater Bishopville Inc. (GBI) initiative to open an artisans’ center in downtown. He has been the owner of The Swamp Log ever since.

On his 72nd birthday in 2019, the S.C. House of Representatives issued a resolution recognizing Blalock’s ongoing work to personally recover sinker logs, and establishing The Swamp Log as a place to showcase South Carolina’s wide-ranging artistic talent. In 2020, he was featured in an SCETV story that highlighted the work of recovering the logs, and the revitalization of downtown Bishopville with the help of the gallery.

The Swamp Log Artisans Gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at 229 N. Main St. in Bishopville.

(Photos courtesy of The Swamp Log and swamplogartisans.com)

Gretsch Drums

#PowerofRural Spotlight Series

Next time you’re at a concert, take a look at the drum set and see if you spot the Gretsch logo. If so, that drum set was made in Ridgeland, SC.

A favorite of jazz and rock musicians, Gretsch has been crafting drums in rural Jasper County since 1985, although the company traces its roots to Brooklyn, NY. Friedrich “Fritz” Gretsch immigrated there from Germany in 1872 at the age of 16, and got a job making banjos and drums. Nine years later, he founded the Fred Gretsch Company, a small musical instrument shop. In 1895, his 15-year-old son Fred Gretsch, Sr., took over the business after Fritz died of cholera.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the company grew a reputation for their innovations, such as using the die-cast hoops that framed banjos in the construction of drums, as well. The company collaborated with jazz and swing musicians of the 1930s to further refine their designs, and many of those musicians worked on the Gretsch staff after World War II, when Fred’s sons, Fred Jr. and Bill, ran the company.

Bill’s son, also named Fred, joined the company in 1965, but the family sold the business to the Baldwin Piano Company in 1967, which relocated to Arkansas in 1969 amid machine worker union strikes.

In 1984, the younger Fred bought the company back and opened a drum manufacturing facility in Ridgeland, SC, where the family still runs the business. Fred’s wife Dinah serves as CFO and Executive Vice President of the Gretsch Company, according to their website. She also oversees the family’s educational and philanthropic endeavors, including the Gretsch Foundation and the Mrs. G’s Music Foundation. Their daughter Lena works for the company as well, and another generation of the Gretsch family is behind her.

Georgia Southern University established the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music in February 2021, thanks to a financial pledge from Fred and Dinah Gretsch, along with their collection of historic drums, guitars, and company archives.

From the family roots in rural South Carolina, the Gretsch name is knows around the world. Gretsch devotees include Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones, Steve Ferrone of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Mark Schulman (drummer for !Pink), Zac Brown Band drummer Chris Fryar, and Vinnie Colaiuta (drummer for Joni Mitchell, Sting and others).

Source: gretsch.com, gretschdrums.com

#PowerofRural Spotlight Series

Next time you’re at a concert, take a look at the drum set and see if you spot the Gretsch logo. If so, that drum set was made in Ridgeland, SC.

A favorite of jazz and rock musicians, Gretsch has been crafting drums in rural Jasper County since 1985, although the company traces its roots to Brooklyn, NY. Friedrich “Fritz” Gretsch immigrated there from Germany in 1872 at the age of 16, and got a job making banjos and drums. Nine years later, he founded the Fred Gretsch Company, a small musical instrument shop. In 1895, his 15-year-old son Fred Gretsch, Sr., took over the business after Fritz died of cholera.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the company grew a reputation for their innovations, such as using the die-cast hoops that framed banjos in the construction of drums, as well. The company collaborated with jazz and swing musicians of the 1930s to further refine their designs, and many of those musicians worked on the Gretsch staff after World War II, when Fred’s sons, Fred Jr. and Bill, ran the company.

Bill’s son, also named Fred, joined the company in 1965, but the family sold the business to the Baldwin Piano Company in 1967, which relocated to Arkansas in 1969 amid machine worker union strikes.

In 1984, the younger Fred bought the company back and opened a drum manufacturing facility in Ridgeland, SC, where the family still runs the business. Fred’s wife Dinah serves as CFO and Executive Vice President of the Gretsch Company, according to their website. She also oversees the family’s educational and philanthropic endeavors, including the Gretsch Foundation and the Mrs. G’s Music Foundation. Their daughter Lena works for the company as well, and another generation of the Gretsch family is behind her.

Georgia Southern University established the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music in February 2021, thanks to a financial pledge from Fred and Dinah Gretsch, along with their collection of historic drums, guitars, and company archives.

From the family roots in rural South Carolina, the Gretsch name is knows around the world. Gretsch devotees include Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones, Steve Ferrone of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Mark Schulman (drummer for !Pink), Zac Brown Band drummer Chris Fryar, and Vinnie Colaiuta (drummer for Joni Mitchell, Sting and others).

Source: gretsch.com, gretschdrums.com

Stephanie Gibbs

Contact: [email protected]

Stephanie Gibbs joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in December 2007 as a financial analyst and human resources manager. In August 2014, she was promoted to director of finance and human resources- and in July 2021, she was promoted to Chief Financial Officer. In this role, she provides planning, review and reporting for numerous funding sources to ensure all accounting and financial goals are met. Stephanie also guides and manages the overall provision of human resources services, policies, and programs for the office.

She received an associate’s degree in accounting from Midlands Technical College and holds several human resources certifications. She has 25+ years of experience in accounting and human resources with most of that time spent with non-profit organizations.

Stephanie resides in Lexington with her husband and son. Stephanie and her husband have been married for 20+ years and own a sports turf management company, and enjoy traveling with their son who is an avid baseball player.

Jennifer Johnson, CPC, CRHCP, CRCA

Contact: [email protected]

Jennifer Johnson joined the SC Office of Rural Health in 2021 as Rural Health Clinic Specialist. In this role, she supports rural providers as they implement operational improvement, regulatory compliance, and technology-based solutions that will help improve patient outcomes, office efficiency and satisfaction for the patient and the healthcare team.

Jennifer graduated from University of South Carolina – Aiken in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management. She is also a Certified Professional Coder, Certified Rural Health Care Professional, Rural Health Care Billing and Coding Specialist, and Certified Revenue Cycle Associate. She is also certified in Rural and Community Health and Evaluation and Management Auditing. And she serves on the education committee of the National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC).

Prior to joining the SCORH staff, Jennifer was a practice manager for a rural health clinic within Edgefield County Hospital’s system from 2008 until October of 2020.  Most recently, she worked as a rural healthcare compliance manager for Self Regional Healthcare. 

Jennifer and her husband Brent have 5 children – Gage, Caroline, Elizabeth Kate, and twins Ella and Beckett.  They live in New Holland, S.C. where they enjoy spending time on the family beef cattle farm.

Karie Fersner, MSN, APRN, WHNP-BC

Contact: [email protected]

Karie Fersner joined the Family Solutions staff in 2021 as a nurse practitioner. In this role, she provides education and support to women in the community.

Her nursing experience includes more than 11 years in women’s healthcare, including three-and-a-half years of postpartum/gynecologic nursing, eight years in antepartum and labor and delivery, and over 3 years as a nurse educator and nurse leader at the Regional Medical Center in Women’s Services. She was also a clinical adjunct nurse instructor at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College for more than four years.

Karie received a bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2009 and master’s degree in nursing education in 2015 from Charleston Southern University. In 2020, she received a master’s of science in nursing from the University of Cincinnati. She is also an NCC-certified Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner licensed in South Carolina.

She is married and has a son. In her spare time, Karie enjoys spinning, reading, and making memories with her family. They love to travel, go out to eat, and experience new things.

Talina Strange

Contact: [email protected]

Talina Strange joined the Family Solutions staff in 2018 as an outreach coordinator. She has since broadened her role as a community health worker. In this role, she provides education on prenatal and postpartum care to mothers, and parenting skills and child development to families. Talina is also responsible for assisting with community events, engaging with future program participants, and sharing community resources. Talina is currently furthering her education from Claflin University, where she is seeking a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in sociology.

Covid- 19 Vaccine Information

– Vaccine information from DHEC

– DHEC FAQ Page

– SCHA Webpage for Vaccine Resources

Otiti Uwagbai-Wright

Otiti Uwagbai-Wright serves as the Office Manager for Family Solutions. A native of Georgetown, SC, she has learned the fundamentals of life through trial and error. After working several years as a certified nursing assistant, Otiti decided to enroll (with encouragement from her parents) at Denmark Technical College. After graduating with an Associate Degree in Science, she continued to further her education by matriculating at South Carolina State University. She obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry.

Ladovia Washington

Ladovia Washington joined the Family Solutions staff in 2013 and currently serves as their Social Work Manager and Lead Social Worker. In this role, she provides intensive counseling, coordination, and management of complex cases. She is also a community outreach liaison and Certified Family Planning Worker.

As a former participant of Family Solution’s Low Country Healthy Start program, Ladovia is well-versed in the program and what it has to offer. She also has experience working with adolescent, prison, and adult populations.

Ladovia received her Master of Social Work degree from the University of South Carolina and her Bachelor of Social Work from South Carolina State University. She is currently a PhD candidate at Ashford University pursuing her doctorate degree in philosophy and human services.

Romaine Stephens, CLC

Romaine Stephens joined the Family Solutions staff in 2010. Romaine currently serves as the Community Engagement Specialist with Family Solutions.

In April 2011, she received certification as a lactation consultant, allowing her to provide breastfeeding education and help mothers develop positive attitudes toward breastfeeding by reducing stigma surrounding this practice.

Romaine is also a reproductive health specialist for Family Solutions. In this role, she educates and connects women and men to reproductive and contraceptive care at partnering health care locations.

Romaine received her masters degree in human resource management and a Bachelor of Arts degree from South Carolina State University.

Tracy Golden, CCE

Tracy Golden joined the Family Solutions staff in 2003 and currently serves as their Senior Program Manager. She’s also a Certified Childbirth Educator and a Certified Community Health Worker. Tracy’s responsibilities include planning and teaching childbirth classes to the participants in all five counties served by Family Solutions, and supervising community health workers. .

Prior to joining Family Solutions, Tracy was an Information Systems Engineer for BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. Tracy is a member of the SC Breastfeeding Coalition, Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association, SC Community Health Workers Association, and the SC Perinatal Association. Tracy also serves as Bamberg County First Steps Board Chairman and SC Community Health Workers Association Executive Board member.

Lamikka Purvis Samuel

Lamikka Purvis Samuel currently serves as the Director of Family Solutions.

Prior to her work at the SC Office of Rural Health, Lamikka worked at one of South Carolina’s major hospital systems providing case management for adult patients with cardiovascular conditions, and also in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit helping families of premature, low birth weight, and/or critically ill babies to cope with unexpected and sometimes devastating birth outcomes.

Since becoming a professional social worker in 2003, Lamikka has facilitated grief/loss support groups, conducted community focus groups and educational sessions, provided individual and family counseling, served as a pregnancy prevention advocate in public schools, and provided mentorship and supervision to social workers in the field. She currently serves on board for the SC Perinatal Association.

Lamikka received a Master of Social Work degree from the University of South Carolina. She is also licensed by the state of SC to practice social work, is certified as a Community Health Worker, and is a certified ACE Master Trainer.

Andrea Mitchell, MPH

Contact: [email protected]

Andrea Mitchell joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2018 as a program manager for clinical services and initiatives. In her current role as program manager for the Community Health Transformation program, she now provides technical assistance and support to AccessHealth networks across the state to provide quality care for uninsured and under-insured patients in South Carolina.

Andrea is from Columbia, SC. and received her bachelor of science in biology from Claflin University. She received her Master of Public Health degree along with a Certificate of Graduate Study in Health Communication from the University of South Carolina. She has worked with many federal and state-level programs to implement health promotion and prevention initiatives in rural South Carolina. She also has an extensive background in community health development and reducing cancer health disparities.

Rural Health Care - National resources

– RHC COVID test reporting: Step-by-step guide

– CDC guidance for healthcare professionals

– Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

– National Rural Health Association

– National Association of Rural Health Clinics

– Society of Critical Care Medicine

–American Hospital Association rural case studies

– RHC COVID Testing Process Step by Step October 2020

Behavioral Health Resources

-Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

-SC DHEC

-SC Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services

-SC Department of Mental Health

–SC Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence

-SC Behavioral Health Services Association

– SC HOPES mental health and addictions support line

Jessica Seel, MPH

Contact: [email protected]

Jessica Seel joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2018 as the workforce program manager. She currently serves as Director of Behavioral Health Initiatives & Workforce Development.

In her role as Director of Behavioral Health Initiatives, Jessica leads SCORH’s efforts to eliminate barriers to mental healthcare and
reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and substance use within rural communities. This work includes suicide prevention programs, and collaborations to address substance use disorder (SUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD). Jessica is the program lead for the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP), a statewide consortium of partners to integrate behavioral healthcare, primary care, and the treatment of infectious diseases associated with SUD/OUD.

In her role as Director of Workforce Support, Jessica works to attract and retain physicians, advanced practice providers, and other essential providers to rural and medically underserved communities. She also connects students and clinicians to state and national programs that support long-term rural retention.

A Columbia native, Jessica received a bachelor’s degree in social work from Columbia College and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of South Carolina. Prior to joining SCORH, she worked in the healthcare field in various capacities including marketing, management and community education.

Jessica serves on the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) Physician Assistant Advisory Council, the board of directors for the Rural Recruitment and Retention Network, and the board of directors for Carolinas Association of Physician Services. She enjoys running, exercising, spending time on Lake Murray and cheering for the Gamecocks.

Financial Relief - Individuals

-SC Thrive

-SC Thrive emergency rental assistance

Michele Stanek, MHS

Contact: [email protected]

Michele Stanek joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2014 as the director of the Center for Practice Transformation. In this role, Michele provides support to Rural Health Clinics and other rural practices in practice improvement and medical home development. Michele also works with providers and staff to support practices as they build their capacity for practice transformation.

In addition to working with SCORH, Michele has a faculty appointment in the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. In this role, she manages the I-3 Practice Improvement Collaborative and directs the department’s quality improvement program.

Prior to her current roles, Michele served in several health policy and governmental relations roles at Johns Hopkins Medicine. She was responsible for developing and directing advocacy efforts on state and federal health policy and financing issues for the medical school and health system.

Michele received a Master of Health Sciences degree in health policy and management and a certificate in healthcare finance from The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College.

Sara H. Myers

Sara H. Myers joined the Family Solutions staff in 2007 as a client navigator. In this role, she provides home visiting services to pregnant women and their families living in the rural counties of Allendale and Hampton. Sara helps her clients find employment, further their education, and secure child care for their children. She also distributes Pack-and-Plays to clients and colleagues. Sara holds a CNA certification.

Tiyonia Fields

Tiyonia Fields joined the Family Solutions staff in 2014 as a perinatal social worker for Family Solutions. In this role, she provides education and support to prenatal and postpartum women in Orangeburg and Calhoun counties to help decrease infant mortality among African American women. Tiyonia leads the Maternal Mortality Initiative that provides services to clients who are medically high risk due to obesity coupled with hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or anemia.

Tiyonia obtained a Bachelor of Social Work degree from South Carolina State University in 2014 and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of South Carolina in 2019.

Virginia Berry White, LMSW

Contact: [email protected]

Virginia Berry White joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 1998, and serves as the Director of Family Solutions. In this role, Virginia leads all strategies and objectives related to Family Solutions, including the federally funded Healthy Start grant. Under Virginia’s leadership, the Healthy Start program received the Outstanding Community Health Project Award from the SC Rural Health Association.

Prior to joining SCORH, Virginia served as a Maternal Child Health Coordinator for the Resource Mothers Program with the Department of Health and Environmental Control. She managed a team of indigenous community workers and provided psychosocial assessments to pregnant teens. During this time, she received the District Social Worker of the Year Award.

In more than two decades in the maternal and child health field, Virginia has served on boards for the SC Perinatal Regional Association, the SC Perinatal Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the Orangeburg Health Improvement Council, and the March of Dimes Program Service Committee.

Virginia received a Bachelor of Social Work degree from South Carolina State University and a master’s degree in social work from the University of South Carolina. She is also licensed by the state of South Carolina to practice social work

Virginia is married and has three children and three grandchildren. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to Christian music and traveling with her family.

Virginia Berry White

Contact: [email protected]

Virginia Berry White joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 1998, and serves as the Director of Family Solutions. In this role, Virginia leads all strategies and objectives related to Family Solutions, including the federally funded Healthy Start grant. Under Virginia’s leadership, the Healthy Start program received the Outstanding Community Health Project Award from the SC Rural Health Association.

Prior to joining SCORH, Virginia served as a Maternal Child Health Coordinator for the Resource Mothers Program with the Department of Health and Environmental Control. She managed a team of indigenous community workers and provided psychosocial assessments to pregnant teens. During this time, she received the District Social Worker of the Year Award.

In more than two decades in the maternal and child health field, Virginia has served on boards for the SC Perinatal Regional Association, the SC Perinatal Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the Orangeburg Health Improvement Council, and the March of Dimes Program Service Committee.

Virginia received a Bachelor of Social Work degree from South Carolina State University and a master’s degree in social work from the University of South Carolina. She is also licensed by the state of South Carolina to practice social work

Virginia is married and has three children and three grandchildren. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to Christian music and traveling with her family.

Carla Geter

Carla Geter is a Certified Community Health Worker for Family Solutions in Bamberg County and portions of Orangeburg County. In this role, she is responsible for educating women and families during the perinatal phase as well as encouraging healthy interaction with and development of babies.

Carla earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Voorhees College.

Christina Morais

Christina Morais joined the Family Solutions staff in 2016 as a client navigator. In this role, she provides education on prenatal and postpartum care to mothers, and assists with childbirth classes. She also provides education on parenting skills and child development and keeps clients up to date with community resources and activities.

Brittany Fogle

Brittany Fogle joined the Family Solutions staff in 2015 as a perinatal social worker, after serving as a bachelor- and master-level social work intern for the program. As a perinatal social worker, Brittany aims to reduce infant mortality by providing counseling services, education and support to pregnant women and infants. She is also a certified Community Health Worker.

Brittany is a native of Orangeburg, and a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where she received her Master of Social Work degree. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in social work through Capella University. She spends her free time with her son, Bryson.

Sabina (Lizzie) Hannibal

Sabina (Lizzie) Hannibal joined the Family Solutions staff in 2017 as a home visitor for the Nurse-Family Partnership program. In this role, she visits mothers and babies in their homes to provide program support. Additionally, she provides information regarding pregnancy, breastfeeding, and parenting to clients in order to facilitate informed choices and promote self-efficacy.

Prior to joining Family Solutions, Sabina was employed as a Certified Diabetes Educator at The Regional Medical Center. In this position, she served as the coordinator of an American Diabetes Association-certified diabetes self-management program. She provided individual and group education to hospitalized clients and community members with diabetes. She also worked in the Healthy Living Center where she counseled clients about weight loss and diabetes.

Food Access

–Eat Smart, Move More SC
–Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program
–Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) – (Food Stamps)
–Screening Patients for Food Insecurity and Linking them to Nutritious Food Resources During COVID-19

Lindsey Kilgo, MSW

Contact: [email protected]

Lindsey Kilgo joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2017 and currently serves as program manager for Behavioral Health Services. In this role, she seeks new ways to bring together community members and both traditional and non-traditional partners to address systemic barriers to quality health care and to think broadly about care in nontraditional ways.

Lindsey is also an adjunct professor with the College of Social Work at University of South Carolina. In this role, she has provided guidance to numerous social work students as they fulfill their field placement requirement.

Prior to coming to SCORH, Lindsey gained more than 15 years of experience in creating, implementing and managing a program that addressed the cyclical barriers to care and assisted uninsured individuals in connecting to services and support, which ultimately led to improved health outcomes.

She received a master’s degree in social work from the University of South Carolina and a bachelor’s of science degree, majoring in Social Work, from Western Carolina University.

Lindsey resides in Columbia with her husband and daughter.

Andrea Heyward, MPH

Contact: [email protected]

Andrea Heyward joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in February 2018, and currently serves as a Practice Transformation Consultant for the Center for Practice Transformation (C4PT). Prior to SCORH, she served as a Project Coordinator for the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy where she was primarily responsible for managing the Community Support for Young Parents program.  She has over a decade of experience working in the non-profit sector. As an experienced program manager, technical assistance provider and trainer she has worked with various youth-serving organizations to implement evidence-based programs focused on improving the health outcomes of adolescents and young adults.  Andrea received a Master of Health Science in Health Education and Health Communication from The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Arts in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina. She is also a Master Certified Health Education Specialist.  Andrea hails from “Beautiful Beaufort by the Sea”. She grew up on Coosaw Island, South Carolina and is proud to represent the beautiful people of the Gullah Geechie Nation. Growing up herself in a rural community she has a passion for working to improve the overall health and economic outcomes of rural communities across the state.

Brian Plane, MBA

Contact: [email protected]

Brian Plane joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2020 as a program coordinator. In this role, he assists clinics with implementing best practices related to contraceptive access.

Brian is from Columbia, SC, and received both his bachelor’s degree in sociology and Master of Business Administration from Winthrop University. He has more than 10 years of experience in all aspects of physician practice management, specializing in OB-GYN and cardiology.

Outside of work Brian enjoys coaching his sons in various sports and cooking with his fiancée Amanda.

Lindsay Williams, RHIT, CCA, PCMH-CCE

Contact: [email protected]

Lindsay Williams joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2010, and currently serves as a practice transformation consultant for the Center for Practice Transformation. In this role, she is responsible for facilitating chronic disease management and patient-centered medical home (PCMH) recognition for rural health clinics, private fee-for-service providers, and hospital systems.

Previously, she served SCORH as a billing specialist for four years. Prior to joining SCORH, she worked in medical records, billing, and as a referral coordinator for a rural primary care practice in Prosperity, SC.

Lindsay received an associate’s degree in health information management and a certificate in medical record coding from Midlands Technical College. She has been certified through the American Health Information Management Associates (AHIMA) as a Registered Health Information Management Technician (RHIT) and Certified Coding Associate (CCA). Lindsay also received her Patient-Centered Medical Home Content Expert Certification from NCQA in 2018.

LaShandal Pettaway-Brown, MHA, MBA, PCMH -CCE

Contact: [email protected]

LaShandal Pettaway-Brown joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2015 as a practice transformation consultant. In this role, she provides facilitation support to clinics supported by SCORH’s Center for Practice Transformation. She also coordinates assistance to rural providers in support of oral health integration.

Prior to joining SCORH, LaShandal served as a Quality Improvement Coordinator at The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence.

LaShandal received Master in Business Administration and Master in Healthcare Administration degrees from Webster University. She earned a Bachelor of Science with specialization in Healthcare Administration from Austin Peay State University. LaShandal also received her Patient-Centered Medical Home Content Expert Certification from NCQA in 2018.

Resources for the Elderly

-SC Department on Aging

-GetCareSC directory of senior services

Veteran Health Care

-U.S Department of Veterans Affairs

Employment

-SC Hospital Association

-SC Department of Employment & Workforce

– SC Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation

-National Health Service Corps

Financial Relief - Non-profits

-One SC Fund: COVID-19 Response

–Together SC

– Local chapters of United Way

Financial Relief - Small Businesses

-CARES Act overview

-Small Business Association Guidance

-Small Business Administration funding overview

–Small Business Administration Newsroom

–SC Dept of Commerce

-For more information and assistance, contact Mark Griffin at [email protected] or Britton Herbert at [email protected]

Rural Health Care - State Resources

– SC Hospital Association

–SC DHEC Resources for Healthcare Professionals

–Contact info for regional coalitions

– SC EMS Association

–SC COVID-19 Emergency Supply Collaborative

Legal advocacy

-SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center

New South Physician Recruitment

New South Physician Recruitment provides proven (>20 years experience) recruitment strategies for not-for-profit clients across the Southeast. Our regional approach and focus on a limited number of specialties and practice settings provides benefits for both clients and physicians, including perspective and depth of knowledge.

Zack King, MPH, CHES

Contact: [email protected]

Zack King joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2019 as a program manager with the Community Health Transformation team. In this role, he provides technical assistance and support to communities and coalitions across the state through the Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas initiative funded by The Duke Endowment. He also supports other community-focused population health efforts led by the office.

Prior to joining SCORH, Zack was the public health strategist for Catawba County (NC) Public Health and LiveWell Catawba (NC). Zack has a background in community health assessment, health improvement planning and development, and coalition building. His focus is in systems-oriented approaches that create opportunities for collective action toward advancing health equity, developing authentic community relationships, and building the capacity of local leaders and collaboratives.

Zack received his Master of Public Health degree from the University of Georgia and his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Carolina. He is originally from York County. He enjoys being outdoors, gardening, cooking, and fighting institutional racism.

Mark Griffin

Contact: [email protected]

Mark Griffin joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 1997 and currently serves as the chief operating officer. In this role, he assists in the development and administration of all of SCORH’s federal and state grant programs, contractual agreements, income generating services, and other services, including the Rural Health Revolving Loan Fund program. He acts as the information technologies and facilities manager for SCORH also.

Prior to joining SCORH, Mark served in the United States Navy for 20 years, before retiring in 1997. During this time, Mark served as the tugmaster and division officer for the port services unit assigned to Submarine Squadron 14, in La Maddalena, Italy, and as division officer for various ships and boat units throughout his naval career.

Mark received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of South Carolina.

Caroline Tevepaugh

Contact: [email protected]

Caroline Tevepaugh joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2010, and currently serves as the executive assistant. In this role, she works directly with the management team and assists them with their daily administrative needs. She also assists staff members with their daily activities and projects. Previously, Caroline served as the receptionist for SCORH.

Prior to joining SCORH, Caroline worked with elementary and preschool children. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in early childhood education from Presbyterian College. She has also taken classes at Midlands Technical College in administrative technology.

Caroline and her husband, Will, have two children, Sawyer and Mary Walker. She enjoys spending time with her family at sporting events and at the beach.

Chrissy Hutchinson

Contact: [email protected]

Chrissy Hutchinson joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2017 as the communications & marketing manager. In this role, she is responsible for SCORH’s creative communications efforts. These include promotion of the office’s annual events, content creation in both digital and print forms, maintaining and expanding social and web communications, and streamlining company branding strategies.

Chrissy graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2015 with a degree in visual communications. She has extensive experience in photography and videography, and also created media content on a freelance basis for various companies prior to joining SCORH.

Debbie Benton

Contact: [email protected]

Debbie Benton joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2013 as an administrative assistant. In this role, she facilitates internal and external communication, organizes the office calendar, and assists staff members with their daily activities and projects.

Prior to joining SCORH, Debbie worked in several different professions where she was a liaison between the public and staff, booked meetings, arranged appointments and much more. Debbie received a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Administration from the University of South Carolina.

She enjoys reading, gardening, going to the movies and spending time outdoors. Her adult sons and their families live in Greenville and Charleston, SC.

Ramona Cox

Ramona Cox serves as the Nurse Manager for the Nurse-Family Partnership Program at Family Solutions. In this role, she provides direct supervision to the nursing staff ensuring compliance with the Nurse-Family Partnership Program. She also provides support and guidance to the nursing staff through one-on-one meetings, staff meetings, and case conferences.

Ramona has been a Registered Nurse for 28 years and is a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Nursing. Ramona worked in Labor and Delivery/High-Risk Obstetrics for 13 years and on a Mother-Baby unit for 11 years. She has also served as a Lactation Consultant. Ramona has been with Nurse-Family Partnership since June of 2015, first as a Nurse Home Visitor until she became the Nurse Supervisor in 2017.

Selena Perry

Selena Perry serves as a Client Navigator for Family Solutions. In this role, she provides education and support through home visits to individuals and families in rural areas. She assists these families with improving their health, health status, and socio-economic status. She works with Perinatal Women and their families, health providers and community.

Prior to joining Family Solutions, Selena was an Early Steps to School Success Home Visitor for an organization called Save the Children. As an ESSS Home Visitor, she promoted literacy in the home by reading and doing activities with parents for children’s development. She also did community outreach.

Latasha King

Latasha King joined Family Solutions as a Client Navigator in November 2015. In this role, she provides case management and follow up services to prenatal and postpartum women. Latasha is a former client of Family Solutions and therefore has used the knowledge gained to teach women the steps to having a healthy pregnancy outcome.

Latasha has worked in the medical field for 5 years. Prior to joining Family Solutions, she was employed with The Medical University of South Carolina as a Patient Care Technician. In this position, she received the honor of Patient Care Technician of the Year.

Latasha received her Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Health Care Administration from the University of Phoenix.

Penny Cherry

Penny Cherry has been employed with Family Solutions for 12 years and currently works as a Perinatal Social Worker in the counties of Allendale and Hampton. She enjoys working with and changing the lives of the women she serves. She is also a Reproductive Health Specialist at Family Solutions, helping to navigate women through the process of obtaining contraception.

She is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work degree at Walden University.

Family Solutions of the Low Country (FSLC) provides multi-level intervention for case management services to pregnant, postpartum women and their infants for two postpartum years in the service areas of Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Hampton and Orangeburg counties. These services include risk screenings, group education sessions, one-on-one counseling and support, and available resources within the community. FSLC continuously addresses the needs of pregnant and postpartum women, providing counseling assistance and various services designed to help the woman have a positive birth outcome and prevent pregnancies for at least two postpartum years.

Locum Tenens Partners

Founded in 2015, Locum Tenens Partners (LTP) is built around a wealth of personal and professional experience. Their employees average 23 years experience in physician recruiting. They are elevating conscientious placement in an evolving healthcare landscape.

We are in an era when temporary solutions to healthcare staffing challenges can provide the necessary flexibility for both physicians and facilities. Locum Tenens Partners understand both sides of the staffing equation, and how to adjust for all the variables involved.

Visit their web site.

Melinda A. Merrell

Melinda A. Merrell serves as Senior Program Director for SCORH. In this role, she provides oversight and guidance for all programmatic activities of the office. In addition, Melinda works with rural communities and rural providers and staff to ascertain needs and facilitate solutions at the local and state level

Prior to joining SCORH in 2010, Melinda was the Director of the Northeastern Rural Health Network located in rural Chesterfield, Dillon, and Marlboro Counties, South Carolina.

Melinda is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Health Services Policy and Management from the University of South Carolina. She received Master of Public Health and Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

ZirMed

ZirMed provides cloud-based financial and clinical performance management solutions including claims and AR management, charge integrity, patient access and engagement, population risk management, and cost utilization. ZirMed offers a full range of solutions for every kind of healthcare organization including large hospitals and health systems, practice-level healthcare and medical services such as home health providers.

Visit their web site.

Unique Solutions

Unique Solutions Associates (USA), Inc. is a creative platform that enables key decision makers in healthcare and other industries to connect with USA’s panel of SolutionsProviders, or consultants. USA provides a number of healthcare-specific solutions to practices that help them achieve amazing results. Some of their services include medical supply cost reduction, telecommunications, LED lighting, and patient communication and bill consolidation.

Visit their web site.

HSA

HSA is a practice management consulting firm promoting access to care with clients across the United States. HSA began in the 1980s specifically for the purpose of promoting access to health care through delivering consulting services to communities, hospitals, and practices in rural and underserved communities. Their firm consists of professionals who have over forty years of individual experience in direct care delivery and management for rural practices. They work closely with the National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC), Rural Assistance Center (RAC), and various State Offices of Rural Health in order to stay up to date on all changes and regulations. Some of their consulting services include cost reporting, human resources management, rural health clinic certification, medical billing services, and financial management.

Visit their web site.

First Choice Cooperative

First Choice Cooperative (FCC) is a member-owned group purchasing organization providing a process in which all healthcare providers can reduce costs across the continuum of care. FCC seeks to reduce supply costs, while maintaining the highest level of quality for its providers. Any healthcare practice is able to join the Cooperative. The Cooperative has regular meetings where each member has the opportunity to identify products and services for which they can seek a proposal. The Cooperative votes on which vendor will provide their products and services at a discounted rate.

Visit their web site.

Azalea Health

The mission of Azalea Health is to improve patient care by providing the highest level of innovative technologies, solutions, and services to the healthcare community. They provide cloud-based healthcare management and medical billing solution connecting the clinical and financial sides of a practice and integrate easily with existing systems. Their EHR is Meaningful Use certified and their billing service, Azalea RCM, boasts a 98% accuracy rate, reducing the amount of denied claims and protecting the fiscal health of your practice. Azalea products have the flexibility to accommodate multiple specialties of any size practice, from a single physician to entire hospital system. Azalea provides pre-certification services, support and implementation services, and billing services to its clients throughout the southeast.

Visit their web site.

Yvonne E. Miller

Yvonne E. Miller is a Perinatal Social Worker with Family Solutions of the Low Country. Yvonne has worked at Family Solutions for over eight years and says that “Having the opportunity to watch the program participants improve their lifestyle behaviors and build on their self-esteem and self-worth to become productive members of their community is a great win for Family Solutions.”

Yvonne believes in empowering and strengthening the family through education, cultivating positive lifestyle behaviors, and increasing financial stability.

Yvonne holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Charleston Southern University; a Social Work degree from Limestone College; and a Master of Health Care Management degree from Troy University.

Windy L. Holliday

Windy L. Holliday currently serves as a Senior Perinatal Manager for Family Solutions of the Low Country. Windy has worked in the Maternal Child Health field and has also been employed at Family Solutions for ten years. Windy works to establish and maintain partnerships which benefit the program participants and their families in the Family Solutions service area. Monthly, Windy leads the program’s “Tomorrow Scholars” Leadership Initiative, helping young women to empower themselves and be productive in their community.

Prior to joining Family Solutions, Windy was employed for fifteen years at Dorn Veterans’ Medical Center. During Windy’s tenure at the Veterans’ Medical Center, she received several awards, including Employee of the Month, Exceptional Customer Service Award, and Special Service Award. Windy previously has been a part of the March of Dimes and Palmetto Healthy Start Heroes in the Field, SC Breastfeeding Coalition, Moving up Management Training Program, Narcotic Inspection Committee, and March of Dimes African Americans Steering Committee.

Windy received a Bachelor of Environmental Health and Science degree from Benedict College and a Master in Health Services Management degree from Webster University.

She is the proud wife of Mr. Marvin G. Holliday.