Tuesday, April 29, 2025
4/29/2025
Health Center Program - HEALTH CENTER PROGRAM: H80CS00654 SERVICE AREA ID NUMBER, CITY, AND STATE: ID #379; Hartsville, SC PATIENTS PROJECTED TO BE SERVED IN 2026: From 01/01/2026-12/31/2026, CareSouth Carolina, Inc. (CSC) projects serving at least 38,265 total unduplicated patients. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: Established in 1980 in Society Hill, SC, CSC provides primary, preventive, and integrated health care for medically underserved residents of Lee, Chesterfield, Marlboro, Dillon, and Darlington counties in the rural, northeastern Pee Dee region of South Carolina. The center is requesting Community Health Center (CHC) grant funds in this SAC application and has received Patient Centered Medical Home certification at multiple sites. As an existing FQHC with an established presence in the region, CSC is well-positioned to continue providing access to comprehensive primary and preventive health services for the low-income residents of the service area. In 2023, CSC served 38,265 patients with 154,868 medical visits, 7,064 dental visits, 11,999 mental health visits, 611 substance use disorder (SUD) visits, 1,758 vision services visits, and 82,908 enabling encounters (UDS). The center’s growth trend for the period 2021 to 2023 is 1.4%. NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED: Data from the service area reveal systemic, widespread health disparities and emphasize the need for comprehensive primary and preventive health services that are accessible to those with low incomes and the uninsured. Within the service area, 48.8% of individuals live with incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (American Community Survey, Census Bureau, 2018-2022). The population to provider ratio in the service area demonstrates a severe shortage of primary care, dental, and mental health providers, presenting a significant barrier to care, particularly for low-income residents. All five service area counties are designated health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) and medically underserved areas (MUAs) (Find Shortage Areas, HRSA, 2024). Of all service area residents, 11.9% are uninsured, and among those with incomes under 200% FPG, 14.5% are uninsured (Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, Census Bureau, 2022). Nearly a third of residents (30.3%) are enrolled in Medicaid, while 23.4% are enrolled in Medicare (ACS, Census Bureau, 2018-2022). PROPOSED SERVICES: CSC operates 18 service sites (incl. one women’s services specialty site, one pediatric specialty site, one pediatric/dental specialty site, and five mobile units) as well as three admin-only sites. CSC provides a full range of services directly or via referral, including general primary medical care, diagnostic lab and radiology, screenings, emergency coverage, voluntary family planning, immunizations, well-child services, gynecological care, prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care, preventive and additional dental, pharmacy, case management, eligibility assistance, health education, outreach, transportation, translation, mental health and SUD, optometry, nutrition, complementary and alternative medicine, additional enabling/supportive services, podiatry, psychiatry, and ophthalmology. Proposed staffing to support project implementation includes 9.68 FTE physicians, 36.5 FTE nurse practitioners, 55.25 FTE nurses, 59.8 FTE other medical staff, 27.6 FTE lab staff, 3.0 FTE x-ray staff, 2.8 FTE dentists, 2.0 FTE hygienists, 17.75 FTE other dental staff, 1.0 FTE psychologist, 19.35 FTE LCSWs, 4.0 FTE other mental health staff, 2.2 FTE SUD providers, 2.0 FTE other professional services staff, 69.45 FTE pharmacy staff, 8.0 FTE case managers, 1.0 FTE education specialists, 10.94 FTE outreach staff, 5.0 FTE transportation staff, 14.0 FTE CHWs, 3.0 FTE QI staff, and 4.0 FTE other programs staff. By 12/31/2026, CSC projects to serve at least 38,265 patients. POPULATION GROUPS TO BE SERVED: CSC prioritizes serving low-income individuals in the service area, including Medicaid recipients and the underinsured/uninsured.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).