New Chapter in Public Health Services: South Carolina’s Reorganization Efforts

In South Carolina, a new agency will take over public health services starting July 1st. This change comes after Governor Henry McMaster signed a bill into law last year to restructure state agencies. The new agency in charge of public health will work alongside another agency that focuses on environmental services.

Dr. Edward Simmer, the interim director of the Department of Public Health, assures that essential services like obtaining birth certificates and requesting immunization records will remain largely unchanged. The office’s phone number will remain the same, and visitors to DHEC’s website will be redirected to the new Department of Public Health page.

The reorganization presents an opportunity for health officials to improve their service delivery model in South Carolina, with a focus on increasing outreach and engagement efforts. Dr. Simmer emphasizes the importance of improving South Carolina’s overall health ranking, which currently places it 45th out of 50 states.

Although this change is significant, those who use health services in South Carolina can expect to receive the same level of care and service from familiar faces. Future reorganization efforts may be on the horizon as a bill to merge six state agencies into one was narrowly missed earlier this year, with plans to revisit the proposal in upcoming legislative sessions.