KERSHAW, S.C. — Counties across South Carolina are set to receive millions of dollars aimed at enhancing access to medical care, thanks to a grant program initiated by the State Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS).
Access to quality healthcare has long been a challenge for residents in rural communities across the state, often requiring significant travel distances to reach medical facilities.
According to Jeff Leiritz, director of communications and public relations at SCDHHS, South Carolina ranks 38th in the country in physicians per capita.
In response to these challenges, the department has allocated $48 million in one-time funding to bolster medical care access.
Leiritz emphasized that this grant funding will support improved healthcare infrastructure, including the establishment of new facilities, procurement of new equipment, and expansion of existing facilities, particularly in rural and medically underserved areas.
Among the 26 recipients of these grants is Plexus Health, located in Kershaw and Lancaster Counties.
CEO Stewart Barre announced that the organization will receive $1.5 million to increase imaging services such as MRIs, CT scans, and mammography.
“Having imaging without people having to show up later on in a disease process is going to give you an earlier diagnosis, A lower cost of treatment and a better outcome for the patient,” said Barre.
Plexus Health said it plans to collaborate with the state's 23 other federally qualified health centers to provide low-cost scans to individuals living outside of Kershaw and Lancaster Counties.
“We will serve a community much larger than our own footprint,” said Barre.
Other projects funded by the grant program include the establishment of the first after-hours urgent care center in Saluda County, as well as new primary care sites in Sumter, Orangeburg, and Richland Counties.
Leiritz said recipients must operate the facilities for a minimum of five years, ensuring sustained access to quality healthcare in these communities.
“We’re making sure that we're able to effectively treat people in the best location in the best setting for them,” said Leiritz.