SC governor candidates agree on abortion, differ on gambling and Medicaid

COLUMBIA — In the only scheduled gubernatorial debate before the election, Democrat Jermaine Johnson and Republican Alan Wilson sparred Tuesday, Oct. 6, over questions about data centers, Medicaid expansion and a state hate crime. Perhaps more surprising is where they agreed. In a state where legislators debate abortion every...

Freestanding emergency rooms expand across South Carolina

Freestanding emergency departments are expanding from the Upstate to the Midlands, Charleston area and Grand Strand. South Carolina’s 2023 repeal of most certificate of need requirements helped remove barriers to new facilities. AnMed is developing a $105 million freestanding emergency department and medical complex in Central. Population growth and...

SC ranks second in measles cases as health officials urge vaccination

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - South Carolina ranks second in the nation for reported measles cases, with 670 known cases so far this year, according to the CDC. The agency shared that while Pennsylvania ranks first for the most cases, three states have already reported more than 500 cases. Health...

Senate candidate Andrews says Medicaid cuts 'will be devastating' to SC

U.S. Senate candidate Annie Andrews told a group of voters at an Oct. 6 campaign event in Greer that her top priority would be to protect the Medicaid program. Cuts to the federal healthcare program are looming as the Republican-backed 2025 budget legislation, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, takes full effect. “These cuts will be devastating to healthcare access in South Carolina,” said Andrews, a Democrat who faces Republican Sen. Darline Graham in the Nov. 3 election. According to the South Carolina Hospital Association , the loss of Medicaid dollars will be a significant blow to hospitals across the state, particularly in rural communities. Unless lawmakers make changes to the law, “hospitals will be forced to make difficult decisions and deep cuts to services to mitigate the impact of these cuts on patients,” the association said in a policy statement . In addition to support for Medicaid, Andrews, a pediatrician, said she favors a public, government-funded option for health coverage. She said Americans should have the right to pay for private insurance plans but that a public option is a “pragmatic” way to address rising healthcare costs. Graham has a different vision, according to her campaign spokesman, T.W.

Dr. Annie Andrews stopping in Allendale on statewide healthcare tour

ALLENDALE, S.C. (WJBF) – South Carolina Democratic Candidate, Dr. Annie Andrews, will be in Allendale Monday for her statewide healthcare tour. According to a news release, Dr. Andrews plans to unveil her plan to lower medical costs and fix the broken healthcare system in South Carolina. The “Patients and Prices Tour” begins with a meet […]

SC governor candidates agree on abortion, differ on gambling and Medicaid

COLUMBIA — In the only scheduled gubernatorial debate before the election, Democrat Jermaine Johnson and Republican Alan Wilson sparred Tuesday night over questions about data centers, Medicaid expansion, and a state hate crime. Perhaps more surprising is where they agreed. In a state where legislators debate abortion every session — sometimes several times a year — […]

Congresswoman Nancy Mace to attend groundbreaking for new Port Royal VA clinic

BEAUFORT, S.C. (WSAV) – Congresswoman Nancy Mace will be in Port Royal Tuesday morning to attend the groundbreaking of the new Beaufort VA Clinic. The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, local leaders and Lowcountry veterans will join Rep. Mace at 1844 Ribaut Road, Port Royal, SC 29935 for the ceremonial groundbreaking. The ceremony will […]

Groundbreaking for new Port Royal VA clinic

MUSC Pioneers Virtual Nursing in ED Arrival Workflow

To improve patient flow in the emergency department (ED), Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Health is pioneering the integration of virtual nurses into ED arrival workflow alongside its Virtual Provider in Triage (VPIT) program. The model allows nursing intake and emergency medicine provider evaluation to begin before a traditional treatment room is available.

Roper St. Francis Rolls Out 40-Foot Clinic on Wheels to Reach Rural Lowcountry

Roper St. Francis Healthcare has launched a nearly 40-foot clinic on wheels aimed squarely at Lowcountry residents who struggle to reach a hospital or doctor's office. The new vehicle, called Mobile Care for You, is outfitted with exam rooms, lab space and a wheelchair lift, and it is designed to roll into communities across seven South Carolina counties that have long faced gaps in routine healthcare access.

VA breaks ground on new Port Royal clinic for Beaufort-area veterans

PORT ROYAL, S.C. — Ground is officially broken at the site of Port Royal’s future VA outpatient clinic. The Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new community-based outpatient clinic serving veterans in the Beaufort County area. The clinic will offer primary...

Medical professional warns about new COVID strain

It's causing significant upper respiratory issues, congestion, coughing and lung inflammation, officials said.

New mobile healthcare unit brings medical care to Lowcountry communities

LADSON, S.C. (WCBD) — Roper St. Francis Healthcare is taking healthcare on the road with a new mobile unit designed to bring medical services directly to communities across the Lowcountry. The health system unveiled its new “Mobile Care for You” unit, a nearly 40-foot mobile medical facility equipped with two exam rooms, laboratory space and […]

Roper St. Francis launches mobile health care unit

LADSON, S.C. (WCSC) — Roper St. Francis Healthcare has launched a mobile care unit designed to bring medical care directly to communities that may have difficulty reaching a hospital or clinic. The nearly 40-foot Mobile Care for You unit includes two exam rooms, lab space, a waiting area and...

DPH encourages SC residents to get vaccinated as flu season begins

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD) – As flu season begins, the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is encouraging residents take steps to avoid illness, including getting an annual seasonal influenza vaccine. Flu season begins in October and extends through May, typically peaking between December and February, DPH says. DPH says the best protection against the […]

Clemson Rural Health Launches Diabetes Management Program in Midlands

Clemson Rural Health is delivering a new diabetes management program in Orangeburg, South Carolina, and surrounding counties through $600,000 in funding from the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation. Type 2 diabetes disproportionately affects adults in rural South Carolina, where food insecurity, limited health care access and barriers to care...

Foothills Care Center offers pregnancy counseling in abortion-restricted South Carolina

Foothills Care Center opened a new location in Clemson in 2024, and continues to live out its mission of supporting women facing unplanned pregnancy. The pregnancy center is located at 518 College Ave. Suite 170, and visits are by appointment only. Although the FCC has supported the Clemson community since...

Lawsuits: Neglect led to three patient deaths at S.C. rehab facility

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - More lawsuits have been filed against a North Charleston-area rehab facility claiming its staff’s lack of care led to at least three patient deaths. This comes as Riverside Health and Rehab continues to face scrutiny over its history of complaints about mismanagement and poor conditions.

Award-winning Beaufort-Jasper-Hampton area health care provider retires

An award-winning South Carolina Lowcountry health care provider is retiring after nearly five decades of serving patients in the Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton County areas. Beaufort-Jasper-Hampton Comprehensive Health Services announced last week that "After 48 wonderful years as a Physician Assistant, Harold “Buck” Harvey, PA-C, has made the decision to retire from a career he describes as one of the greatest honors of his life."