Outreach Programs

AME/MUSC Website

The 609 AME Churches in South Carolina have partnered with MUSC to create a website for their 476,000 members. About half of the churches have internet access and the other churches have identified parishioners with internet access that will make the internet available to their fellow parishioners. The web site, "Health-e-AME" contains a cookbook, fact sheets on chronic conditions, chat rooms, a resource directory of local health services, and a children/adolescent program. The cookbook has recipes provided by parishioners that are converted into lower fat recipes by a MUSC dietitian. All new recipes are tested by a taste panel and must be approved before they are added to the cookbook. The fact sheets are used by Health Commissions in each church to reduce health risks of parishioners. Chat rooms are led by health professionals on a variety of health topics. Click here for the website. For information contact Marilyn Laken at lakenm@musc.edu


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Caring for the Future: A model of maternity and infant care for rural immigrant populations

Caring for the Future: A model of maternity and infant care for rural immigrant populations, offers integrated health care delivery for low income women and children residing on James Island, Johns Island and Wadmalaw Islands. The program has been funded by a three year Duke Endowment grant.

The Duke grant funds a practice model that evolved from the Healthy South Carolina grant, Integrated Health Care Services for Women and Children. The Healthy South Carolina grant focused on an inner city population. In the Duke grant a nurse-midwife/family physician collaborative practice model provides risk appropriate care that is cost-effective and well suited for rural communities.

The MUSC Nurse-Midwifery/Family Medicine Collaborative Practice will work with Our Lady of Mercy Outreach Services and Sea Island Medical Center to provide maternity care and ongoing primary care to low-income mothers and infant residing on the Johns and Wadmalaw Islands and the adjacent mainland areas. The addition of gynecological services such as colposcopy at Sea Island Medical Center will provide low-income women increased access to care and contribute to reducing health disparities in the target population.

The Wellness House is the clinical site supported by Our Lady of Mercy Outreach where a certified nurse-midwife provides maternity care to primarily unfunded women. There were over 500 visits recorded in 2000; ninety-five percent were made by Hispanic women. A partnership with Sea Island Medical Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center, will provide maternity care and facilitate ongoing primary care for the mothers and infants delivered by the MUSC Collaborative Practice.

For further information regarding this program you may contact Deborah Williamson, CNM, MSN, DHA (doctoral candidate) at wilmsnd@musc.edu.


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Charleston HALOS.org

HALOS (Helping And Lending Outreach Support) is a public/private partnership that provides much needed resources and services to abused and neglected victims served by the Charleston County Department of Social Services. A professional case manager is linked with a faith, civic, or business group, and together they work towards breaking the cycle of abuse and neglect. Click here to access website.
 
 
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Children's Heart Program of South Carolina

The Children's Heart Program of South Carolina offers comprehensive inpatient and outpatient cardiovascular care on the sixth floor of the MUSC Children's Hospital to children with congenital or acquired heart disease. Our goal is to provide coordinated cardiac care to all the children of South Carolina via a network of pediatric cardiologists and outreach clinics throughout the state. In addition to Division of Pediatric Cardiology at MUSC, pediatric cardiology practices are located in Columbia, Greenville and Florence. Outreach clinics are currently run by one of the four practices in Anderson, Beaufort, Greenwood, Hilton Head, Lancaster, Murrel's Inlet, Myrtle Beach, Spartanburg and Sumter. Together, the program provides local pediatric cardiology services to much of the state of South Carolina.

For information visit the web site at The Children's Heart Program of South Carolina

SC Map

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Community-Based Substance Abuse Research

The Clinical Neuroscience Division of the Department of Psychiatry at MUSC houses the Clinical Trials Network (CTN), a NIDA funded research center. The Division Director and principal investigator of the center is Dr. Kathleen Brady MD PhD. We are one of 17 regional research and training centers. Through this initiative, we have established collaborations with community treatment programs throughout the Southeast with the primary goal of closing the gap between research and treatment.   Clinical trials of empirically based substance abuse treatments are conducted in front-line treatment settings with the ultimate goal of enhancing communication/collaboration so that clinical practice is increasingly informed by scientific development. 

Information about the CTN and the community treatment programs can be found at http://ctnsc.musc.edu/
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Community Leadership Institute

Community Leadership Institute's focus is to develop a unique relationship between enviornmental protection, human health, enviornmental justice and economic development. Progress requires informed and active leaders. The goal of the Institute is to reinforce this priniciple. Community Leadership Workshops are held throughout South Carolina to train leaders to take charge of their community.

A critical factor in the success of community development programs is a well informed community. "Action" occurs when those with authority assume an informed and active leadership role. In the areas of health disparities, these leaders must know how to access and obtain the information necessary for makin good decisions and communicate that information to the citizenry. For further information regarding this program you may contact David Rivers at riversd@musc.edu.
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Community Outreach Program - Esperanza (COPE)

National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center (NCVC)
Medical University of South Carolina

The NCVC Community Outreach Program - Esperanza provides community-based assessment, referral, and treatment services to children and adolescents who have been victimized by crime (e.g., sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic violence) or have experienced other traumatic events such as natural disasters or serious accidents. Originally started as the NCVC Hispanic Outreach Program - Esperanza in 1998 to provide services to Hispanic children, it was expanded with an additional grant to serve (a) all children in rural areas, regardless of ethnicity; and (b) children in urban areas from ethnic minority groups.

Services are provided at the NCVC Clinic or in the child’s community (e.g., home, school, church). The COPE clinic serves Charleston, Dorchester, Berkeley Tri-County area, with a focus on predominantly rural areas (e.g., Johns Island, Wadmalaw Island) that have limited mental health and medical services available. Our community-based approach facilitates access for children and families to services that normally are not readily available to individuals in these communities. This is achieved through direct services (psychological assessment and treatment) and referrals for other services. In addition, presentations and brief training sessions are conducted for professionals at service agencies (e.g., Department of Mental Health, Lowcountry Children's Center, and schools) throughout the Tri-county Area to increase community awareness of the special needs of children who have been victimized. We also collaborate closely with the Village Early Intervention Project, Our Lady of Mercy Community Outreach, and other programs in the community. This project was funded by the Victims of Crime Act of the South Carolina Department of Public Safety. For more information, contact Dr. Michael de Arellano at dearelma@musc.edu .

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Community Parent Resource Center


The Parent Training and Resource Center (PTRC) provides an organized program of education, training and support meant to strengthen the role of parents and caretakers in obtaining appropriate educational services for their children with special needs in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester Counties. The Family Resource Center for Disabilities and Special Needs (Family Resource Center) was organized to promote opportunities for learning, inclusion, and empowerment for individuals with disabilities and special needs, their families and their communities. The majority of the members of the Board of Directors of this organization are parents of school-aged children with disabilities from the area served by the project. The remaining members are community professionals with specific interests and partnership between the Family Resource Center and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) an alliance exists that effectively addresses the need for information and support in a parent friendly model, supported by knowledgeable and dedicated professionals.

Supported by the Community Parent Resource Center, the Parent Training Center has been successful in assisting parents to:

  1. better understand the nature and needs of the disabling condition of their children,
  2. provide follow-up support for the educational programs of their children with disabilities,
  3. communicate more effectively with special and regular educators, administrators, and other relevant professionals,
  4. participate fully in the development of the individualized education program, including a full understanding of the procedural safeguards outline in Part B, Section 615 of IDEA, and
  5. obtain information about the range of options, programs, services, and resources available at the national, state and local levels to children with disabilities and their families.

The goals of Parent Training Center have successfully been accomplished through their partnership with The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). An easily accessible resource center and three community based satellite branches have been established. Annual disabilities conferences are hosted by the Parent Training and Resource Center is held in collaboration with the Advocacy Coalition for People with Disabilities and The Citadel. Training workshops, a “Parents’ Resource Manual for Special Education Services”, and a quarterly newsletter have been developed for ongoing communications to parents, families, educators, and community members. Further information on the activities of the Parent Training and Resource Center may be obtained at www.frcdsn.org.

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Diabetes Initiative of South Carolina
The purpose of the Diabetes Initiative of South Carolina is to develop and implement a comprehensive statewide plan of community outreach programs, health professional education, and diabetes surveillance. The goal is to provide the tools for management of the disease in order to reduce severe complications and cost burdens for South Carolinians who suffer from diabetes mellitus. The Initiative represents a unique melding of private, state, and federal resources and agencies toward this common goal. Nationally, South Carolina has a leading program which coordinates public efforts in the identification and management of this incurable chronic disease. Click here to access website.

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Diabetes Management

The College of Pharmacy is training pharmacists to counsel people with diabetes. The county locations of pharmacists who completed the course are found on the following map. For more information contact Dr. Deborah Carson carsonds@musc.edu.

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Enterprise Health Center

A partnership composed of representatives of MUSC and the Cities of Charleston and North Charleston was formed in 1996 to plan and implement a neighborhood health center at 2045 Comstock Avenue in North Charleston. This Center is designed to address the primary health care needs of residents of the Enterprise Community, along with focusing on prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of diabetes and hypertension. The Center houses examination rooms, a small pharmacy, a kitchen to teach healthy eating, and offices for health and social services. Our Dental and Cancer Vans will be scheduled on site to expand services in these two areas. Creation of the Center has been a long and challenging process, but the Center opened in November, 2001. For more information contact Dr. Carolyn Jenkins at jenkinsc@musc.edu .



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EXPORT


Project EXPORT Center is a partnership for excellence between South Carolina State University (SCSU) and MUSC. The partnership focuses on the metabolic syndrome, a cluster of disorders including hypertension, diabetes, lipid abnormalities and obesity, which have a strong impact on health disparities. In particular, the partnership aims to prevent the metabolic syndrome by targeting youth in an 18-county area adjacent to I-95. Research with students from SCSU and outreach efforts directed to teens in the catchment area are culturally appropriate and designed to further the goals of the Center.

The website can be found at www.musc.edu/export.

Dr. Marilyn Laken can answer any questions: lakenm@musc.edu.

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Family Medicine Rural Clerkship

The MUSC Family Medicine and Deans' Rural Primary Care Clerkships have merged to form the Family Medicine/Rural Clerkship.

Students will develop a strong understanding of the clinical issues and professional role of a primary care physician. In addition, the clerkship will train students in the population health perspective by teaching them how to apply the principles of community-oriented primary care and continuous quality improvement in the provision of health care services. Click here for more information.

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  Hands on Health-SC and Go Local-SC: Online Access to Health Resources & Services  

Hands on Health-SC and Go Local-SC are outreach projects of the MUSC Library. Hands on Health-SC (http://www.hohsc.org) is a consumer health Website designed for the people of South Carolina . Its purpose is to promote healthier citizens and healthier communities in South Carolina by providing a free, easy-to-use, content-rich source of good quality health information. The site is primarily a collection of links to health and wellness sites that have been evaluated by MUSC library staff. South Carolina ’s biggest health issues (diabetes, stroke, HIV/AIDS, cancer, family violence, suicide, and others) receive special treatment. Each issue is the focus of a complete article written in plain language, in a question and answer format that covers basic information about the disease or problem.

Go Local-SC (http://www.hohsc.org/golocal/) gives South Carolinians a way to find health services in their own or nearby communities from the Hands on Health-SC Website. Go Local-SC is also linked to the National Library of Medicine’s national consumer health Website, MedlinePlus.

The Hands on Health-SC Website has received accreditation by the international Health on the Net Foundation (HONcode). In 2004, the site received the NCLIS (National Commission on Libraries and Information Science) Blue Ribbon Consumer Health Information Recognition Award for Libraries and the CONBLS (Consortium of Southern Biomedical Libraries) Distinguished Library Award.

Partners in these outreach projects include the USC School of Medicine Library, the South Carolina State Library and its DISCUS network, and the public library systems and hospital libraries throughout the state. The Duke Endowment provided initial funding for Hands on Health-SC. The Sustainable Universities Initiative, National Network of Libraries of Medicine Southeast Atlantic Region, and Project EXPORT have provided additional funding for site development and promotion and training efforts.

Click here for the Hands on Health-SC website. For information contact Nancy McKeehan at mckeehan@musc.edu or Dr. Thomas Basler at basler@musc.edu

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Health-e-AME Physical-e-Fit: A collaboration between the 7th Episcopal District of the AME Church, MUSC, and USC

The partnership between these three institutions began with a pairing of the 7th Episcopal District of the AME Church and the Medical University of South Carolina. Representatives of the Church, headed by Reverend Allen W. Parrott, Director of Christian Education AMEC, along with faculty and staff from MUSC headed by Dr. Marilyn Laken, Director of Special Initiatives at MUSC identified the health needs of AME members and designed educational programs to meet those needs.

The Health-e-AME web site was formed and began a cookbook, fact sheets about health conditions, chat rooms on health-related topics, local health and education resources, and links to other sites on the web with information on health. The Health-e-AME Physical-e-Fit program introduced the University of South Carolina to the collaboration. Dr. Sara Wilcox, assistant professor and researcher in the area of physical activity interventions, helped to outline the Physical-e-Fit program. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded the Physical-e-Fit program for $1.26 million.

The Health-e-AME Physical -e-Fit program was designed with AME members in mind. The program has option that allow AME members of all ages and abilities to be more physically active. The primary goals of the program are to increase physical activity in AME members and improve member's health through structured physical activities.

Current Physical-e-Fit programs include:

  • Eight Steps to Fitness: an eight (8) week course teaching AME members the skills they need to lead healthier lifestyles.
  • Praise Aerobics: an aerobics program to gospel music, following a live instructor or video tape
  • Chair Aerobics: low intensity exercises in a chair, following a live instructor or video tape.
  • Walking programs: promotes members to become more physically active through walking.

For further information regarding the programs, you may contact Dr. Marilyn Laken of MUSC at lakenm@musc.edu or Dr. Sara Wilcox of USC at swilcox@sc.edu.

Click here for the Web site

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"Healthy Lives - Healthy Loves"

The purpose of this project, funded by the March of Dimes Community Grants, is to develop a model for delivering women's health services and improve maternal/infant care to low-income women at two established rural clinics in rural northern Charleston County and southern Georgetown County. This collaborative model of health care will provide accessible and culturally sensitive responses to the needs of women utilizing Certified Nurse Midwives as primary care providers. This project will utilize education, free pregnancy testing, and screening and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases as tools for encouraging women to seek appropriate health care.

By collaborating with other health professionals, community organizations, and social service agencies, our goal is to provide information and health care screening to a hard to reach population in a format that is accessible, available, and culturally sensitive. For women found to have a positive pregnancy test, important health information is given and earlier access to care is facilitated. For those with a negative pregnancy test, but who desire pregnancy, preconception counseling is provided and a folic acid supplement is prescribed. For women engaging in risky health behaviors, information is given to develop appropriate communication techniques with intimate partners, avoid unwanted pregnancies, as well as the consequences of sexually transmitted infections. The data generated from this project will provide needed information for planning and developing future health initiatives by state and local officials. For more information, contact Deborah Williamson, CNM, at wilmsnd@musc.edu.


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Hispanic Health Initiative

.The Hispanic Health Initiative is dedicated to the planning and coordination of educational programs and related research and service initiatives which expand the knowledge and skills of health care providers to deliver culturally sensitive and competent care to the Hispanic community in South Carolina and to reduce health disparities in this population. The Initiative promotes interdisciplinary and interagency state-wide collaboration as a strategy to develop resources to address multicultural issues facing health care professionals. The initiative also aims to improve access to quality health care for rural Hispanic women and their families. For more information about the program, contact Deborah Williamson at wilmsnd@musc.edu.

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Living with Risk

Three one-hour programs were produced by MUSC's Environmental Biosciences Program in conjunction with South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV).

The purpose of these programs is to provide information pertaining to the interaction of genetic and environmental health risks to television audiences across the United States. Ultimately, better community-level understanding of these complex risk issues may lead to the formulation and enactment of practical and effective public policy.

The first program, Living With Risk (1997), involved international case studies in goal-based risk assessment that could serve as models for community-based stakeholders to address environmental risk issues in their own communities.

The second program, Living With Risk II, produced in 2000, focused on informing the public of the findings of the Savannah River Region Health Information System (SRRHIS) Cancer Registry.

Living With Risk III, produced in 2001, focused on the application of the human genome research and biomarkers to the assessment and medical surveillance of occupational and environmental health risks. In addition to explaining the scientific basis and potential benefits of such applications, the program addressed the moral and ethical considerations related to the use of these new technologies. For more information, contact David Rivers at riversd@musc.edu.

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Medical Outreach Clinics

Many areas of South Carolina lack medical sub specialists. In order to respond to this need, our physicians conduct clinics in 15 counties throughout South Carolina. Services at each site vary, but may include adult and pediatric cardiology, transplant and plastic surgery, pediatric nephrology, psychiatry, urology, rheumatology, and others. Patients are scheduled from local and nearby counties, thus insuring access to subspecialty care. Contact Chris Christopher for more information at christoc@musc.edu .
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Mobile Health Units

There are many mobile health units (health vans) operating in South Carolina. This map lists the various vans and identifies the areas of the state they cover.

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MUSC Gives Back

Each year several hundred MUSC students volunteer to provide service to health and social service agencies throughout the Lowcountry of South Carolina. They run a clinic at a homeless shelter, sponsor blood drives, assist in tooth extraction at a church-run dental clinic, collect toys for children, or assist with screening and providing health information at local health fairs. In the last school year, 555 students donated 5,669 hours of volunteer effort to over 100 agencies. The program is coordinated by Ms. Liz Sheridan. For information contact her at sheridan@musc.edu


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Parish Nurse Program at MUSC, College of Nursing

The College of Nursing's Parish Nurse Program is a part of the College's "Caring for the Community" initiative, which focuses on meeting health care needs of vulnerable, underserved individuals and families. The involvement of the Medical University of South Carolina in parish nursing began in 1997 with a 40 contact hour course offered to RN's as a basic preparation in parish nursing. The course continues to be offered two times a year, and complies with the nationally approved parish nurse curriculum set forth in June, 1998 and updated every 2 years, by the International Parish Nurse Resource Center (IPNRC), in St. Louis, Missouri. To date, more than 290 Registered Nurses have completed the basic course, representing nurses from 15 states, including Wisconsin, Ohio, Massachusetts, Texas, Kentucky and those states from the southeastern region of the United States.

An advanced web-based parish nursing course is also being developed for on-line education, as a follow-up for those nurses who have completed the basic preparation course. Experiential conferences/workshops of shorter duration are also being offered to better prepare Parish Nurses and congregations for their health ministries. These courses/workshops are projected to begin October, 2001. In addition, the faculty work with parish nurse programs from a variety of groups, such as Lutheran Homes of South Carolina, the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, and others, providing consultation and assistance when appropriate.

For more information please contact Dr. Ann D. Hollerbach hollerad@musc.edu


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Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health Program - Reach 2010

On June 14, 1997, President Clinton announced "One America in the 21st Century: The President's Initiative on Race". This initiative was formed in order to eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health by 2010 in six areas: infant mortality, deficits in breast and cervical cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and child/adult immunizations. As a result, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) directed funding to the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention. In September 1999, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded the Medical University of South Carolina to launch the "REACH 2010 Program: Charleston and Georgetown Diabetes Coalition."

REACH 2010 provides education about diabetes and its complications to the general public, persons with diabetes and their families, health professionals, and health systems. REACH 2010's mission is to reach out and help decrease the disparities related to diabetes in African Americans residing in Charleston and Georgetown Counties. The program's Community Action Plan (CAP) main foci are health systems change, coalition power, and community development. REACH 2010 provides diabetes education, nutritional education, exercise information and links to resources to help with diabetes care and supplies. The program offers services in neighborhoods, beauty/barber shops, churches, grocery stores, pharmacies, hospitals/clinics, primary care facilities, work sites, social groups, media, and other sites where African Americans come together. The program conducts focus groups, chart audits, and surveys to identify beliefs, concerns, and care of people with diabetes. It also maps our progress in reducing disparities related to diabetes.



REACH 2010 formed the Charleston/Georgetown REACH Diabetes Coalition which is a broad-based, community-driven coalition focused on improving health for more than 11,000 African Americans living with diabetes in Charleston and Georgetown Counties in South Carolina. REACH 2010's central coordinating organization is the Diabetes Initiative of South Carolina, which is located at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). The program is also instrumental in forming collaborations with its partners: MUSC, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Charleston's Enterprise Community, Waccamaw Economic Opportunity Council, Georgetown County Diabetes CORE (Community Outreach Resource and Education) Group, Tri-County Black Nurses Association, Charleston County Library, Health Departments, Commun-I-Care, and Carolina Medical Review. The Charleston Diabetes Coalition meets every second Tuesday of the month in Charleston County Library at 68 Calhoun Street at 5:30 p.m. The Georgetown County Diabetes CORE (Community Outreach Resource and Education) Group is the Georgetown Coalition that meets every third Wednesday of the month at the Georgetown Library located on Cleland Street at 6:00 p.m. Health care professionals and community residents come together to address diabetes concerns and education. The Coalition is also used as a forum for speakers to address diabetes complications and preventive measures.

REACH 2010 is comprised of health care professionals, organizations, and interested individuals who are dedicated to improving diabetes management and reducing disparities for African Americans with diabetes. Soon, REACH 2010 will implement support groups throughout Charleston and Georgetown areas. If you wish to find out more information about the REACH 2010 Program, please call 843-792-5872 (Charleston) or 843-546-6161/843-527-1301 (Georgetown). Click here to access their website.

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Reach Out and Read - Charleston

Charleston (ROAR-C) is an innovative clinic-based literacy program modeled after the national Reach Out and Read (ROAR) program developed at Boston Medical Center and supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics. It was implemented in two pediatric clinics at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in October 1999 and is a collaborative effort among the MUSC College of Nursing, the MUSC College of Medicine - Department of Pediatrics, the Children's Hospital Child Life Department, MUSC Volunteer Services, and the Trident Literacy Association. The program recognizes that literacy is a part of overall health and that the ability to read is integral to personal health and well being.

ROAR-C targets low-income families during their scheduled well-child visits. There are three key components to the program: 1) new, developmentally and culturally appropriate books are given to children 2 weeks to 5 years of age by physicians and nurse practitioners during well-child visits; 2) anticipatory guidance is provided to parents about literacy activities for children; and 3) volunteers read to children, and thus, model reading aloud for parents in the waiting room. Children who participate from early infancy will receive 12 books by their 5th birthday. Parents receive bookmarks with age-specific literacy information and a prescription to read to their child each day. If parents are identified as having low literacy, they are referred to the Trident Literacy Association. For more information about this program, contact Melanie Wakefield wakefiel@musc.edu.


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School-based Health Clinic

The MUSC College of Nursing (CON) has staffed school-based health centers (SBHCs) since 1995. Staffed by nurse practitioners and certified nursing assistants, these centers provide preventive and acute care to children who are enrolled. CON students bring added value in the form of designing and implementing educational programs and providing direct service. Beginning with a joint effort with the Department of Pediatrics at Burke High School, the network has grown to include Blaney Elementary School, Schroder Middle School and Baptist Hill High School in Hollywood, SC and Burns Elementary School and North Charleston High School in North Charleston, SC. Additionally, Mary Ford and North Charleston Elementary Schools are staffed one day each month to provide physical examinations to children.

The 2006 school year program includes new grant funding through HRSA Division of Nursing, YES Campaign funds, and other sources of support. The CON has teamed with the Department of Family Medicine, Division of Developmental Pediatrics, Department of Psychiatry, and the Dietetic Intern Program to expand services. The focus is on addressing health conditions that interfere with learning. While routine physical examinations are performed and all acute care conditions are treated, there is special emphasis on preventing acute asthma and addressing mental health problems (ADHD, depression, aggressive disorders, and needs of children in special education). Onsite and telemental health/telenutrition programs are planned. Burns Elementary and North Charleston High will also have a mini-employee health program for school staff who are enrolled in BC/BS or MUSC medical care. A comprehensive evaluation is underway to assess the impact of providing services to children and staff, with an emphasis on reducing absence/suspensions and failing a grade and improving PACT scores. Contact Dr. Marilyn Laken for more information at lakenm@musc.edu or call 843-792-2136.

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Stroke Initiative of South Carolina

This project will refine a strategic action plan with major input from the Stroke Belt Community Action Team that is implemented through an Enabling Ring of community leaders, groups, agencies and clinics with shared goals and values to achieve the following aims and objectives.

Specific Aims: 1. Reduce the incidence of fatal and nonfatal stroke by at least 15% among African Americans in Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, and Orangeburg Counties of South Carolina (S.C.) by 2008. 2. Decrease hospital admissions for hypertension by 50% among African Americans. The main strategy for reducing fatal and non-fatal stroke and hospitalizations for hypertension is achieving the Healthy Peaople 2010 goal of controlling blood pressure (BP) to <140/90 mmHg in 50% of all African American hypertensives. Reduction in strokes will be facilitated by achieving the four core objectives.

Core Objectives: 1. Education on hypertension and stroke. Provide educational programs on hypertension and stroke through schools, churches, worksites, community health forums and other venues. 2. Early detection and referral for hypertension and stroke. 3. Promote healthy lifestyles patterns. 4. Enhance BP control to 70% of treated patients. Further information regarding the Stroke Initiative of South Carolina may be obtained from Dr. Brent M. Egan, MD at eganbm@musc.edu.

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The Hypertension Initiative of South Carolina

The Hypertension Initiative of South Carolina is facilitating the transition of South Carolina from a leader in cardiovascular disease to a model of cardiovascular health. The aim of the Hypertension Initiative is to reduce cardiovascular and end-stage renal disease by improving blood pressure control rates in South Carolina from 25% to 50% over the next 5 years.

Participants include approximately 450 providers in over 200 medical practices. The Initiative has data on over 22,000 individuals with hypertension. Educational programs focusing on hypertension and its related comorbidities have been developed to train and develop 100 ASH (American Society of Hypertension) Clinical Hypertension Specialists throughout the state of South Carolina. Experts in Hypertension Educational Seminars are held 4 – 6 times a year, utilizing nationally recognized faculty to present evidenced-based medicine.

Currently there are 23 Hypertension Specialists in South Carolina that provide education on high blood pressure and its related comorbidities to their medical colleagues, receive referrals of patients with treatment-resistant hypertension, and track hypertension, diabetes, and cholesterol rates through the Hypertension Initiative’s data monitoring and feedback program. Further information regarding The Hypertension Initiative of South Carolina may be obtained from Dr. Brent M. Egan, MD at eganbm@musc.edu. To access their website Click here .

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The Survivors of Homicide Support Group Services

The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office Victims’ Assistance Program and the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center has organized a program for family survivors of homicide to give and receive support in a safe and confidential setting. Several support groups and an psychoeducational group are offered in the community. Groups are structured to help each participant gain a better understanding of loss and grief, and to help pomote change and growth in their lives. A yearly vigil during the holiday season is held to remember loved ones. In addition, assistance with transportation to crime-related appointments, completing SOVA applications, and crisis intervention are available. Please call our main clinic to inquire about group times and locations.

Program Director: Alyssa Rheingold, Ph.D. (843) 792-8209

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ThinkFirst

This program is an award-winning public education effort.  The S.C. Low Country Think First Program covers Charleston, Dorchestor and Berkeley counties primarily.  The program covers all ages.  Our primary emphasis is on two educational programs geared toward teenagers and young adults, and children in grades K-3.  These programs are the Think First for Teens and Think First for Kids.   This Chapter was appointed in 1999 as the SC state chapter.  Our role as state chapter is to help create, train and collaborate with new and existing chapters thoughout South Carolina. For more information muntzpob@musc.edu.

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Web-Based Education

"Web-Based Training in Assistive Technology for Regular and Special Educators" is a project funded through the South Carolina Developmental Disabilities Council. It is an interactive course that includes a series of training modules, complete with accompanying video and audio clips. Teachers are exposed to a variety of available technologies, including mobility options for the non-ambulatory, communication technologies for students unable to use speech as a primary means of communication, and computer access technologies for writing, drawing, and leisure time activities. The course was piloted in the Fall of 2001 in school districts located in the counties of Charleston, Dorchester, Berkeley, Barnwell and Dillon. Participants make two visits to the MUSC campus as part of this initiative. One is an orientation session designed to provide technical assistance in accessing the course via the web. The second provides participants with an opportunity for hands-on exploration of the technologies they are exposed to throughout the course. Click here for more information.

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