- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:, Dec. 3, 2024 COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is joining others across the globe in observing International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPWD) on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Each year, IDPWD aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights, and well-being of persons with disabilities. There are various disability…, said Kimberly Tissot, Able SC CEO, . “They are truly committed to ensuring their programs are inclusive of people with disabilities.” Currently, DPH and Able SC are partnering through the Centers for Disease Control Foundation (CDCF) Stretch program, which was launched in 2024 to establish a meaningful collaboration between the agencies. The objective of this grant is to identify and address health disparities affecting…, said Gwendolyn Thompson, Healthcare Quality Deputy Director, . "The inspections and investigations that our team complete are crucial to educating facilities on regulatory requirements and ensuring safe services that meet our communities' needs." In addition to the adult population, 23% of children in South Carolina have disability-related health care needs, according to the Health Resources Service Administration, National Maternal and Children Health…, said Malerie Hartsell, DPH’s Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs section director, . “Every child deserves the opportunity to live the happiest and healthiest life possible, and we aim to address the needs of children here in South Carolina to afford them that opportunity.” DPH’s various collaborative efforts exemplify how the partnerships foster both immediate programmatic impact and long-term systemic change in public health practices. For more partner agencies and…
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:, Dec. 10, 2024 COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is joining the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) in reminding residents to take active precautions to stay safe as temperatures drop and bring potentially dangerous conditions. While South Carolina winters are typically mild, severe winter weather can still occur, potentially bringing snow,…, said, Kim Stenson, Director of the South Carolina Emergency Management Division. “, Preparation today can make all the difference when hazardous winter weather strikes.” The South Carolina Emergency Management Department (SCEMD) offers a Winter Weather Guide to help residents prepare for hazardous winter weather. As recent storms have shown, extended power outages can cause significant and potentially life-threatening conditions that could be made far more dangerous when…, said Dr. Edward Simmer, interim DPH director, . “This can be especially true for our vulnerable populations, like newborns, the elderly and those with chronic health conditions. We encourage all South Carolinians to take steps to prevent potential injury, including dressing for colder conditions, taking additional measures to avoid falls , and being extra cautious while driving.” Use of space heaters and fireplaces during the winter months…
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:, May 27, 2025 COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health joins the South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, through its Office of Substance Use Services (OSUS), in recognizing a predicted decline in drug overdose deaths in the United States and South Carolina in 2024. This encouraging trend is based on new provisional data from the Centers…, 33% decline, from 2023. Nationally, the data predict 80,391 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2024. The provisional data reflects a national, decrease of nearly 27%, from the 110,037 deaths estimated in 2023. Predicted provisional counts represent estimates of the number of deaths adjusted for incomplete reporting. DPH recently reported South Carolina’s first decline in overdose deaths in 10 years in 2023, with a 6.1% decrease from the 2,296 drug overdose deaths in 2022. “Partners across our state have worked tirelessly to prevent overdoses and tackle…, said Interim DPH Director Dr. Edward Simmer, . “While we welcome the success these efforts have made in reducing the number of overdose deaths in our state, we also recognize that one overdose death is too many, and there is still much more progress to be made.” Nationally, including South Carolina, the synthetic opioid fentanyl continues to be largely responsible for a vast number of overdose deaths. Fentanyl was involved in 1,550 of the…, said OSUS Interim Director Sara Goldsby, . “OSUS, DPH, and many partners across the state have been working hand in hand to increase access to the opioid-antidote medication naloxone, which has been instrumental in providing a second chance to South Carolinians who experience an opioid overdose.” In addition to efforts to increase access to harm reduction supplies, expanding linkage to care through warm handoff programs and peer…
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:, Jun. 12, 2025 COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) reminds South Carolinians to take extra precautions to help prevent skin cancer while enjoying the outdoors this summer and beyond. Every time you go outside your skin is exposed to damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays. This exposure increases your risk of getting skin cancer. Skin cancer can affect people at any age,…, said Dr. Vinita Leedom, Director of DPH’s Cancer Section, . “It is important to practice sun safety and to avoid tanning beds to lower your risk.” The most common types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Melanoma, the third most common type of skin cancer, is the deadliest because it can spread quickly to other parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, lungs, liver and brain. In 2023 in South Carolina, 1,639 people…, said Hallie Heffner, DPH’s Cancer Prevention Coordinator, . “Making sun protection part of your family’s daily routine is one way to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. As a mom to a toddler, I always make sure we carry a sun hat and sunscreen with us during the warmer months!”, DPH encourages everyone to practice the following sun-safety steps to help prevent skin cancer: , For both children and adults, apply a water-resistant broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. Remember to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours, or after swimming or sweating. Seek shade between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If your shadow appears shorter than you, seek shade. You can check the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s UV Index every day to see how strong UV rays are a particular…, Follow these easy steps every six months to detect new spots or growths and monitor changes in existing moles or discolorations: , Examine your body front and back in the mirror, then look at the right and left sides with your arms raised. Bend your elbows and look carefully at forearms, back of upper underarms and palms. Look at the backs of your legs and feet, the spaces between your toes and on the soles of your feet. Examine the back of your neck and scalp with a hand mirror or have your partner examine those areas. Part…
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:, Sept. 4, 2025 COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed that two skunks and a bat have tested positive for rabies in separate incidents. In Aiken County, a skunk that tested positive for rabies was found near Covert Drive and Parque Lane in Aiken, S.C. No people are known to have been exposed at this time. One dog was exposed and will be quarantined as…, said Terri McCollister, Rabies Program manager, . “People don’t always realize they or a pet have been bitten since bat teeth are tiny and bites are easy to overlook.” Because of this, you should always assume a person or pet has potentially been bitten when: They wake up to find a bat in a room; A bat is found where children, pets, or persons with impaired mental capacity (intoxicated or mentally disabled) have been left unattended; or They…, McCollister said, . You cannot tell if a bat, or any other animal, has rabies by simply looking at it. Rabies must be confirmed in a laboratory. Unusual behavior in bats that might indicate the animal has rabies includes daytime activity, inability to fly, and being found in places they are not usually seen, like in your home or on your lawn. An exposure is defined as direct contact (such as through broken skin or…
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:, Sept. 17, 2025 COLUMBIA, S.C. — In observance of Child Passenger Safety Week (Sept. 22-27), the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is emphasizing the critical importance of proper car seat use and hosting a series of educational events. Every year, thousands of children across the country are severely injured or killed in car crashes. Many of these tragedies can be prevented with…, said Emily Barb, Health Educator for the DPH Child Passenger Program, . During Child Passenger Safety Week, DPH will host educational events across the state to promote the proper use of car safety seats for children. At the car seat check events, certified CPS technicians will be available to help parents and caregivers ensure their car seat is properly installed and used correctly for the child’s age, height and weight. Each year, DPH CPS technicians and partner…, Barb explained, . “The extra time and care it takes to ensure your car seat is installed and used properly could be the difference between life and death.” If a child safety seat is used correctly, it can reduce the risk of a fatal injury by 71% among infants and 54% among toddlers. Booster seats reduce the risk of nonfatal injuries by 45% among 4- to 8-year-old children when compared to the seat belt alone,…, Barb said, . “Whether it’s a rear-facing car seat, a booster seat, or a forward-facing car seat installed with a tether, a CPS technician can put parents’ minds at ease by discussing correct car seat selection and showing them how to properly install that car seat in their vehicle. It is important to ensure that caregivers like babysitters and other family members also know how to properly use car seats.”…
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:, Jan. 23, 2025 COLUMBIA, S.C. — National Maternal Health Awareness Day is Thursday, Jan. 23, and the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is emphasizing the need to understand and address the causes of maternal deaths, most of which are preventable. South Carolina ranks 8th highest for maternal mortality in the United States. In 2020 , South Carolina saw a 16.3% decrease in the…, said Danielle Wingo, DPH Bureau of Maternal and Child Health Director, . “However, there is an urgent need to enhance our prevention efforts considering South Carolina's ranking in the nation and the disparities in maternal outcomes.” According to the 2024 South Carolina Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Review Committee (SCMMMRC) Legislative Brief , more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths were preventable. The leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths from 2018…
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:, Aug. 21, 2025 COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed that a bobcat, fox, two raccoons, and a skunk have tested positive for rabies in separate incidents. In Aiken County, the bobcat that tested positive for rabies was found near Indian Mound Drive and Short Street in Beech Island, S.C. One goat and one pig were exposed and the investigation is ongoing. In…, said Terri McCollister, DPH’s Rabies Program manager, . In 2025, the bobcat is the first animal to test positive for rabies in Aiken County, the fox is the second animal to test positive for rabies in Berkeley County, the Laurens County raccoon is the third animal to test positive for rabies in that county, the skunk is the fifth animal to test positive for rabies in York County, and the Pickens County raccoon is the third animal in that county to…
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:, Aug. 29, 2025 COLUMBIA, S.C. – In advance of International Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31, the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) joins the South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, through its Office of Substance Use Services (OSUS), in remembering the lives lost to overdoses and emphasizing the importance of community efforts to address the…, said Dr. Edward Simmer, DPH interim director., “While we celebrate these advances, our work is not complete. Overdoses are preventable, and we will continue our efforts to address substance use disorder and prevent further overdoses.” Nationally, including South Carolina, the synthetic opioid fentanyl continues to be largely responsible for a vast number of overdose deaths. Fentanyl was involved in 1,550 of the state’s overdose deaths in 2023…, DPH AND OSUS recommend the following tips to South Carolinians to prevent overdose deaths:, Be Aware: Understand the risks associated with fentanyl and other illicit drugs. Always assume that drugs purchased illicitly could be contaminated with fentanyl. Know the Signs: Learn about the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose. Carry Naloxone (e.g., Narcan): Naloxone is a medication designed to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. Knowing how to use Naloxone could save a life. Reach Out:…, said Michelle Nienhius, Manager of Prevention and Intervention Services for OSUS, . “By expanding education, strengthening community support, and ensuring access to care, we can save lives and stop overdoses before they happen. People can and do recover from substance use disorders, going on to lead healthy lives, which is why it is so vital that we provide them with the opportunity to survive an overdose.” For people living with substance use disorders, addressing the…
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:, Nov. 20, 2025 COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is celebrating the Great American Smokeout (GASO) Nov. 20 by amplifying awareness about the impact of smoking on diabetes. It is also directing South Carolinians to free tobacco quit support from the SC Tobacco Quitline . Nicotine, which is found in all tobacco products, including oral or smokeless products such…, said Kristian Myers, DPH’s Diabetes and Heart Disease Management Section director, . “We now have strong scientific evidence showing that nicotine in cigarettes and vapes doesn’t just worsen diabetes—it can actually trigger type 2 diabetes, even in people with no family history or other risk factors. Quitting tobacco can be one of the most powerful steps toward protecting your health and preventing diabetes and its devastating complications." If diagnosed with any type of…, said Katy Wynne, SC Tobacco Quitline manager, . “With a statewide successful quit rate of over 40%, the Quitline has helped many participants better manage their diabetes and improve their overall health by quitting tobacco. By calling the SC Tobacco Quitline, you are taking an important step toward controlling your diabetes and becoming healthier in many ways.” To increase your chances of quitting successfully, consider these tips: Set a…, Every try counts!, For more information on the impact of tobacco use on diabetes, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Smoking and Diabetes webpage . Visit DPH’S tobacco cessation webpage to find free quit support options. ###