Our Accomplishments

Rural health providers face unique challenges, including the management of chronic diseases like diabetes, asthma and hypertension. As a part of its Rural Healthcare Quality Initiative, Health Sciences South Carolina (HSSC) is researching ways to ease those challenges and improve health for South Carolina’s rural populations. HSSC has awarded a grant to Kevin Bennett, MD, of the USC School of Medicine Columbia, and the Lakelands Rural Health Network to study how select chronic conditions are managed. Using a health information exchange of patient records, this grant will help researchers determine whether participation in a health information exchange improves quality indicators and clinician perceptions of electronic record sharing. The Lakelands Rural Health Network, an integrated network of hospitals, physician practices and other providers in Abbeville, Laurens, Greenwood, McCormick, Edgefield, and Saluda counties, will serve as a living lab for Bennett’s research, which is funded by The Duke Endowment. The findings of the HSSC-supported research could impact how other communities across South Carolina use health information exchanges in the future.