Ramona Midkiff

Ehrhardt, S.C.—In an era when rural health care services often lag behind those available in big cities, Ehrhardt Pharmacy is ahead of the times in innovation.

Ehrhardt owner and pharmacist Donna Avant, R.Ph. has been providing health care education and medication management free of charge to her customers and the surrounding communities for many years. She was recently named the 2021 Pharmacist of the Year by the South Carolina Pharmacy Association in appreciation for her exemplary leadership.

In 2020, Avant began offering telehealth so customers could connect virtually to their health care providers from the pharmacy. “Some of our customers have trouble arranging for transportation to their primary care physician, even if it’s just 20 miles away. This is especially problematic for those with chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension, who need consistent, periodic care. So, what happens is, people in rural areas like Ehrhardt often don’t get the care they need or take their medicines like they should,” said Avant. “Telehealth gives them the opportunity to connect to the primary care or specialist provider from the pharmacy and get the medicines they need all in one convenient location.”

Avant said that one customer came into the pharmacy with a very painful rash. “We called her doctor at Bamberg Family Practice for an urgent appointment, connected her to her doctor with telehealth, and used the general exam camera to show the doctor the rash. The customer was immediately diagnosed with shingles. She got the medicine she needed and was back home in short order,” said Avant.  It’s amazing the clarity of the images that can be provided with this equipment – sometimes even better than being in person.”

The pharmacy also recently began connecting customers to their behavioral health providers for regularly scheduled appointments through the South Carolina Department of Mental Health and its Orangeburg Area Mental Health Center.

Chelsea Hilliard, LMSW, of Orangeburg Area Mental Health Center’s Bamberg County Clinic said, “My patients’ experiences have been good. Telehealth is easy to use for the patient, and the sessions have gone very well. It is especially nice for both the patient and me to see each other and interact in person on the telehealth computer screens, even though we’re miles apart. I think it makes the patient feel more comfortable than just a telephone conversation.”

The telehealth equipment at Ehrhardt Pharmacy was purchased through a federal grant that was awarded to Palmetto Care Connections (PCC), a non-profit telehealth network that provides telehealth, broadband and technology services to rural health care providers throughout the state.

“PCC is proud of the partnership we have established with Ehrhardt Pharmacy. Donna Avant has truly been a champion in delivering telehealth and health education to her customers,” said PCC CEO Kathy Schwarting. Currently Ehrhardt Pharmacy is connected to providers at Bamberg Family Practice for primary care with plans to connect to providers at Low Country Health Care System in the near future.

“We are also very pleased that the South Carolina Department of Mental Health is providing telemental health services at Ehrhardt Pharmacy because there is such a need for easy access to those services. We look forward to continuing to expand primary care and specialty care telehealth services at other rural locations,” Schwarting.

For more information about telehealth at Ehrhardt Pharmacy contact the pharmacy staff at 803-267-2121.

Established in 2010, PCC is a non-profit organization that provides technology, broadband, and telehealth support services to health care providers in rural and underserved areas in S.C. PCC received the National Cooperative of Health Network Association’s 2021 Outstanding Health Network of the Year award.

PCC co-chairs the South Carolina Telehealth Alliance, along with the Medical University of South Carolina, serving as an advocate for rural providers and partnering with organizations to improve health care access and delivery for all South Carolinians.

Source:  The Richmond Observer

Written by McLeod Health

FLORENCE, S.C. — The McLeod Health Foundation has received two grants from The Duke Endowment totaling $1,225,000 to provide home-based primary care to patients in rural communities through nurse-facilitated telehealth as well as expand school-based telehealth programs in five rural counties in South Carolina.

These grants support the mission of McLeod Health, which is to improve the overall health and well-being of people living within South Carolina and eastern North Carolina by providing excellence in health care.

Home-Based Primary Care Through Nurse-Facilitated Telehealth 

The McLeod Health Foundation has received $525,000 from The Duke Endowment to provide home-based primary care to patients in rural communities through nurse-facilitated telehealth.

Chesterfield, Marlboro, Clarendon and Williamsburg County residents face significant barriers to accessing primary care. Seventy-five percent of people in the four-county area live in rural environments, while 25 percent  live in poverty. Many patients are forced to travel long distances, often without reliable transportation.

In addition, these areas suffer from some of the state’s poorest health outcomes. Rates of avoidable hospitalizations across the four counties are 29 percent higher than statewide rates. Of 8,349 patients across McLeod Family Medicine sites in Cheraw (Chesterfield County) and Manning (Clarendon County), 19 percent have diabetes and 58 percent have hypertension. Patients also face difficulty accessing care, as evidenced by the practices’ missed appointment rates. This in turn leads to downstream health problems.

Regular monitoring of hypertensive and diabetic patients is especially crucial. Yet, across the Cheraw and Manning Family Medicine practices, more than one in 10 diabetic patients do not receive adequate A1c  monitoring. Likewise, many hypertensive patients are not having their blood pressure monitored adequately — 37 percent have not received a documented blood pressure check within the last six months.

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Source: mHealth Intelligence

August 27, 2021 – The Federal Communications Commission has approved 62 projects for funding under the COVID-19 Telehealth Program.

The projects are the first to be approved in the second round of the program, which used up its $200 million budget in 2020 to provide assistance to 539 connected health projects across the country. At the end of last year, Congress added almost $250 million in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 to reboot the effort, alongside pledges from the FCC to make the program more transparent.

Among the new rules: The first round consists of one recipient from each state and territory and the District of Columbia.

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Source:  mHealthIntelligence

By Eric Wicklund on August 20, 2021

A survey conducted by Nemours Children’s Health and Amwell finds that parents flocked to telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, and many hope to continue using it, but there are still gaps in their understanding of the value of virtual care.

The pandemic has proven the value of telehealth to parents, according to a recent survey by Nemours Children’s Health. But it has also highlighted the need to continue emphasizing the value of virtual visits to overcome barriers to care and improve health and wellness.

A survey of more than 2,000 adults conducted earlier this year in conjunction with Amwell found that while 35 percent of parents used telehealth prior to the COVID-19 crisis (based on a 2017 survey), that percentage jumped to 77 percent during the pandemic. In addition, almost 80 percent have accessed pediatric telehealth services, compared to 35 percent before the pandemic.

Overall, the survey reports, more than 60 percent of parents want to continue using connected health services after the pandemic – including almost 30 percent of parents who hadn’t used any telehealth in the past.

“While one might expect that factors such as income or access to technology are barriers to telehealth, this survey underscores how telehealth proved to be a viable solution to expanding access and reducing disparities in providing timely care during COVID-19,” R. Lawrence Moss, MD, president and CEO of Nemours Children’s Health System, said in a press release. “Regulations that were eased during the pandemic need to become permanent to support telehealth access for the long-term. Telehealth can be part of building health equity among people experiencing social, economic and family challenges.”

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Source: Government Technology

A pilot project led by the South Carolina Department of Aging and Palmetto Care Connections aims to teach seniors the digital skills they need to combat social isolation and access telehealth services.

A project led by the South Carolina Department on Aging (SCDOA) and Palmetto Care Connections (PCC) is looking to reduce the digital divide among seniors by teaching them necessary skills for the digital age — like how to access digital tools, from emails to telehealth.

The COVID-19 pandemic has starkly underscored this technology gap. As more projects aim to teach young people about digital citizenship, older generations have not received the same attention.

“Social isolation has been around for a long time, but COVID brought it to the forefront,” explained Connie Munn, SCDOA’s agency director.

Funded by the Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and SCDOA through the CARES Act, the project will grant a total of 100 tablets to seniors across five counties: Allendale, Barnwell, Clarendon, Lower Richland and Williamsburg.

For the seniors to get the maximum value from the tablets, it was also important to offer them 12 months of free broadband service, explained SCDOA’s senior consultant for outreach and partnership building, Kay Hightower.

The collaborative effort involved many different entities but was led by SCDOA and PCC, explained Hightower. PCC’s CTO Matt Hiatt negotiated a deal on 12 months of Internet service from Verizon. Each county also involved different partners in the effort — from area aging agencies to churches.

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Source:  Beckers Hospital Review

By:  Hannah Mitchell

Greenville, S.C.-based Prisma Health and TytoCare are partnering to enable remote medical exams with a handheld exam kit provided to the patient.

Four things to know:

1. Providers will be able to diagnose and treat patients remotely during telehealth visits with TytoCare’s FDA-cleared exam kit, according to an Aug. 17 news release.

2. The kit allows patients to perform heart, ear, throat, lung, heart rate and temperature examinations on themselves. Physicians will be able to guide patients, including patients who are children, through the medical exams.

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Back Row: Paul Dukes, Yolanda Lloyd-Flemming, Mary Etta Washington, Thelma Kelly, Gloria Anderson, Muriel Henderson, Elizabeth Epps, Dorothy Higgins, Robena Young, Ella Ruth Ellison, Veronica Johnson, Betty Jacobs, David Belton
Middle Row: Sallie Cuff, Johnnie Wright, Renetta Davis, Opal Brown, Carrie Ellison, Blondell Brown, Naomi Wilson, Charlotte West, Queen Deveaux
Front: Jessie Sinkler, Linda McCants (not pictured Margaret Burnette)

BAMBERG, SC—Senior citizens aged 60 years and up from Richland County recently completed a four-session digital literacy learning program at Bible Way Church of Atlas Road in Columbia conducted by Palmetto Care Connections (PCC), a state-wide, non-profit telehealth organization.

The program was part of a pilot funded by the Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and the S.C. Department on Aging to help 100 seniors who live in rural communities with digital literacy training, a free digital tablet and free cellular service for 12 months.

Director of the Senior Ministry at Bible Way Church and Director of the Alzheimer’s Care Project at the Dream Center Sallie Cuff said, “When I look and see all these seniors, it’s really inspiring. It helps me to realize that without this program most of these people would not be able to connect to the outside, especially after COVID. I see a new life and an awakening. At least five of the participants are 80 years and older – one is 87 – I’m sure they never would have thought they could do what they’ve seen their grandchildren do with tablets. As seniors, we’re not dying – we’re thriving, especially when we’re given the chance to thrive. I am so grateful to Palmetto Care Connections and to Kay Hightower with the Office on Aging for including us.”

Senior citizens completed hands-on training using a digital tablet and learned skills such as how to send and receive photos and emails, connect with family and friends using video, search the internet for information, play mind-stimulating games and connect with their doctor for virtual telehealth appointments. PCC will provide ongoing technical support for the seniors who complete the program.

Class participant Gloria Anderson said, “This class was very informative. I learned about sending emails, taking pictures and how to find photos, change the settings, and how to use Google Classroom. And I learned about You Tube. I’m just fascinated with all this!”

Participant Muriel Henderson, a former teacher and guidance counselor said, “It’s good for brains to keep thinking and learning. It keeps you abreast of new technology and it’s also good because it helps you keep up with grandchildren. My granddaughter is four and she knows more than I do about my phone. We learned about contacting our medical providers so we can do some things from home. Many of us can use this to our advantage so we are not going to the doctor’s office all the time.”

Paul Dukes, Army Veteran and member of the Bible Way Church Senior Enrichment Ministry said, “The biggest thing is not to be afraid of the computer. It’s very easy, simple as one, two, three. You just have to trust the process. This class is very much needed. If you don’t learn technology, you will be left behind. Palmetto Care Connections is doing a great service for seniors in South Carolina and the rural areas.”

“The South Carolina Department on Aging works with a network of regional and local organizations to develop and manage services that help seniors remain independent in their homes and in their communities. SCDOA is pleased to be a part of the PCC Digital Inclusion pilot program focusing on seniors in rural areas in five South Carlina counties,” said Kay Hightower, SCDOA Senior Consultant, Outreach and Partnership Building.

“It is our hope that this pilot program will be a model for one approach to closing the digital divide in South Carolina,” said Kathy Schwarting, CEO of Palmetto Care Connections (PCC). “While PCC’s focus has traditionally been on serving rural health care providers with telehealth, broadband and technology resources, we have learned that patients need help in connecting to their health care providers. Residents of rural areas not only need internet access, they need access that is affordable and they need a device and knowledge to connect to resources for a better quality of life.”

Seniors from Clarendon and Williamsburg counties are slated to complete the digital literacy training next as part of the initial pilot program. PCC plans to expand the training for senior and underserved populations throughout the state.

Established in 2010, PCC is a non-profit organization that provides technology, broadband, and telehealth support services to health care providers in rural and underserved areas in S.C. PCC received the National Cooperative of Health Network Association’s 2021 Outstanding Health Network of the Year award.

PCC co-chairs the South Carolina Telehealth Alliance, along with the Medical University of South Carolina, serving as an advocate for rural providers and partnering with organizations to improve health care access and delivery for all South Carolinians.

Source:  WLTX

Funds part of USDA’s $167 investment nationwide to connect areas to high-speed internet