Developing Affordable Health Care in Rural South Carolina

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Posted by Stephanie Bittiker, USDA Rural Public Information Officer in Rural Areas

Sep 16, 2021

Access to quality health care is often a problem for low-income patients who live in rural communities. Fortunately, there are medical institutions such as Sandhills Medical Foundation, Inc. in Lugoff, SC that operate on a sliding scale of tariffs, which means that all of their patients, regardless of their income level, can get away with it. provide quality health care. However, it also increased their patient numbers over time, and it wasn’t long before they realized that their Lugoff office was running out of space.

Daniel Roberts, COO of the Sandhills Medical Foundation, sought funding to help expand the facility so it can meet growing demand. He contacted the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Community Facilities Program, which helps fund the development or improvement of essential public services and facilities in rural communities in America. .

Funding for the Sandhills Medical Foundation was approved and on June 1, 2021, groundbreaking for a 13,000 square foot extension began. When complete, USDA’s $ 3 million rural development investment will almost double the size of the facility, ultimately allowing Sandhills to expand its services and ensure low-income patients have access to quality health care.

“The expansion of the offices will allow us to provide space for more [medical staff]Roberts said. “We can provide better health care in a more modern setting and this will allow us to expand the service options we offer to our patients. “

Services to be offered at the expanded facility include primary care, behavioral health, on-site pharmacy and laboratory services. The Sandhills Medical Foundation will also continue to provide health services such as patient education, flu shots, blood pressure tests, diabetes and more.

The USDA has funds available through the US bailout for other projects like the Sandhills Medical Foundation. To find out more, visit: www.rd.usda.gov/erhc

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