In 1997, the Medical University of South Carolina launched a bold new campaign referred to as the Healthy South Carolina Initiative. Under this broad banner, 28 separate projects were funded to address particular health concerns with an emphasis on vulnerable populations. Each of the component efforts is intended to improve the health and well being of the community. Although a wide range of approaches is utilized, all projects feature an orientation towards building new partnerships and working across traditional disciplinary boundaries. By sharing experiences across activities, the teams hope to learn from one another and enhance the overall success of the effort.

The Healthy South Carolina Initiative also serves as a valuable resource for educating health professionals. Students from all six Medical University colleges are involved in the projects, acquiring knowledge that cannot be gained in a classroom or hospital setting. Not only do students learn about the health concerns of their community; they also gain insight into their responsibilities with regard to public service and the value of a team approach to problem solving.

Ultimately, the success of an effort as expansive as the Healthy South Carolina Initiative can only be assessed through a rigorous process of evaluation. Each project has defined objectives and measurable outcomes that will be monitored on a regular basis. At the same time, it is anticipated that the benefits of this Initiative will go beyond the specific goals of the 28 component projects. By enriching the skills of faculty and students, learning more about the populations that we serve, fostering collaborative ventures, and improving the lives of our communities, we hope to demonstrate that the Healthy South Carolina Initiative will have a lasting and profound impact on the Medical University.

All 28 projects of the Healthy South Carolina Initiative (HSCI) have completed the three years of their funded activities in partnerships with the community and 22 out of 28 have been sustained. Below is a summary of the annual reports submitted by the principal investigators to the HSCI Advisory Board, focusing on the numbers of individuals served or educated through these projects thus far.

Fifteen projects focus on children (7 are school_based) and have served child and adolescent patients. Nine projects have provided health care services to adult patients.

Students and residents from the 5 clinically based colleges within the Medical University have participated in HSCI projects. College of Dental Medicine students have participated in 8 projects, and by the end of this academic year, all dental students will have been involved in a related course or in one of the three HSCI projects in that college, "Mobile Dental Van," "Dental Outreach to the Underserved," and "Dental Services for Special Needs Patients."

Seven projects have involved over 200 students from the College of Health Professions, including "Adaptive Aquatics," "Rural Geriatric Care Coordinators," "Healthy Aging Project: Subsidized Housing," and "Rural Health Administrative Internship."

More than 300 students, residents, and fellows from the College of Medicine have participated in 9 projects, including "Integrated Health Care for Women and Children," "Enterprise/MUSC Neighborhood Health Program," "School_based Clinics," "Health Effects of Rape Victimization," and "Cervical Cancer Project."

Over 500 students from the College of Nursing have been involved in 8 projects, including "Enterprise/MUSC Neighborhood Health Program," "Think First for Kids!" "Healthy Aging Project: Subsidized Housing," "School_based Clinics," and "Cervical Cancer Project." About 40 students and faculty from the College of Pharmacy have been involved in "Enterprise/MUSC Neighborhood Health Program" and "Healthy Aging Project: Subsidized Housing."

Over 300 students from the College of Charleston, South Carolina State University, Voorhees College, Clemson University, and Charleston Southern University have participated in 7 projects, including "Partners in Wellness: HBCUs," "Adaptive Aquatics," "Enterprise/MUSC Neighborhood Health Program," and "Think First for Kids!"

Collaborations with elementary, middle, and secondary schools have touched 8,411 students and 542 teachers. The variety of these collaborations is exemplified by the aims of four of the projects: "Healthy Challenges: Problem_Based Learning," which shows teachers new techniques for imparting biology and health lessons; "Healthy Children Through Healthy Schools," which attempts to reduce violence and drugs in schools; "Think First for Kids!" which teaches children and adults about safety equipment and accident prevention when bicycling or skating; and "DADS Program," which provides volunteer African American and white adult male role models for third and fourth grades in schools with high suspension rates.

The "FAP Registry" has identified and counseled over 400 persons with family members who are at risk of carrying the Adenomatous Polyposis Coli gene. The "Neural Tube Defect Program" has provided intensive education to over 50 families in which children have neural tube defects. Likewise, parents of over 250 children with special medical needs have been taught about dental care for their children through "Dental Services for Special Needs Patients."

Estimates of the numbers of persons reached through the public education efforts of the 28 projects exceed 250,000. One project, "AME Church Cancer Control," has the potential to reach 170,000 persons through conference presentations, church meetings, and church member-to-church member interactions.

Three of the projects, "Sickle Cell Disease in South Carolina," "Health Effects of Rape Victimization," and "Dental Services for Special Needs Patients" have provided continuing education for almost 1,000 health professionals.

Numbers of persons involved in the projects do not tell the whole story. The Medical University celebrates all the achievements of the 28 Healthy South Carolina Initiative projects in partnering with the community to improve education, research, and service. Their efforts will be sustained through a variety of mechanisms, including integration of project activities into existing services, changes in public policy, changes in health practices of community residents, future career choices of school children, extended funding for program continuation and expansion, and changes in the people who have participated in the Initiative, both from MUSC and the community.

The Healthy South Carolina Initiative was recognized for community service in 2001 by the South Carolina Hospital Association (Vanguard Award) and Association of American Medical Colleges (Community Service Award).