S.C. Department of Public Health

As part of our #FeatureFriday series to reintroduce ourselves to you as the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH), we are highlighting our EMS For Children (SC EMSC) program. Founded 30 years ago and housed under the Emergency Medical Services & Trauma Section, SC EMSC focuses on the special treatment needs of pediatric patients in the state’s EMS and hospital systems. Here are just a few of the recent important outreach projects that SC EMSC has facilitated: -Staff visited Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital to present the facility with their Comprehensive Level Peds Ready recognition, the highest level of this recognition. MUSC Children’s Hospital is now one of six Peds Ready Emergency Departments in South Carolina, with three additional departments recently surveyed: Lexington Medical Center, Prisma Health Baptist Easley, and MUSC Chester. Learn more about Peds Ready EDs here: https://lnkd.in/eE9g2VKF - Sable Land, SC EMSC Program Coordinator, delivered Infant TransWarmer Mattresses to 10 EMS agencies in SC. These are gel-filled, thermostable, disposable mattresses that provide up to two hours of warming when cold stress is a concern during the transport of infants. The EMS for Children program utilized funds from the supplies part of the budget to purchase 50 TransWarmers and give 5 to the 10 agencies. - EMS for Children Day is held each year on May 22 during EMS Week. Sable Land presented to a second-grade class at Seven Oaks Elementary School to educate the students on EMS and staying safe in an emergency. Fairfield County County EMS, one of South Carolina’s PedsReady agencies, held a Touch the Truck event with one of their ambulances for students at the school. The students wrote thank you notes and colored pictures to show their gratitude for EMS workers. -SC EMSC is also administering the Pediatric Trauma Across the Continuum of Care (PTACC) course to inpatient nurses in the Midlands and Pee Dee region. SC EMSC has held two courses and educated about 30 nurses and trained three instructors. They will continue to move this initiative to other regions of the state.  To learn more about the SC EMSC program, please visit https://lnkd.in/eQnKqKdR.

DPH is #hiring a Healthcare Quality Inspector/Investigator in Richland County, located within the Bureau of Community Care. This position is responsible for conducting inspections/surveys/investigations of healthcare facilities, service providers, and/or applicants and ensuring that the activities and services are in compliance with standards. Note: this position may require extensive travel and/or overnight stays. #jobs #SCCareers #publichealth To learn more and apply, visit: https://lnkd.in/e5aKpFrr 

Join our team! The Injury and Substance Abuse Section at DPH is hiring a Program Coordinator for our BOLD Program. The Program Coordinator will work with on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia prevention and education efforts across the state.

🚀 🌟 We're hiring for a variety of #Internships in Columbia, South Carolina. Gain hands on experience while making an impact on South Carolina's youngest learners and their families! Apply today or share this post with your network. #EarlyChildhoodEducation #Internship View our available internships here➡➡ https://lnkd.in/eGuaWHhQ

We're recognizing #NationalTattooDay by showcasing the important role DPH Healthcare Quality (HQ) inspectors play in regulating safe operations in our state’s tattoo facilities. HQ is responsible for making sure tattoo facilities adhere to the Regulation 61-111, Standards for Licensing Tattoo Facilities. Tattoo facilities receive inspections biannually, but before they are scheduled for routine inspections, they must pass an initial inspection to open their doors. In the recent initial inspection of JB Tattoo Arts Studio in Goose Creek, HQ inspector Ryan Blocker completed a walkthrough of the facility as well as a thorough inspection of the artist and owner’s certifications. A few of the crucial items that inspectors look at are sterilization protocol, functioning utilities and booth setup. The paperwork needed to open a tattoo facility includes consent forms for clients, facility policies and procedures and four training certifications including an apprenticeship. “On initial inspections, I always discuss the importance of reading and learning the regulation for long-term success,” Ryan said. “I take the time to educate them on the small things that are easily missed in the regulation because we don’t want to cite them, but we need them to operate safely.” Ryan has worked in HQ for two years as an inspector. He now serves as a training inspector and embraces the educational side of inspection as much as the regulatory side. “Inspecting tattoo facilities is a really unique experience,” Ryan said. “Working with artists and helping them maintain compliance so that they can continue their art is rewarding.” JB Tattoo Arts Studio received SC Department of Public Health approval to open on July 11, 2024. The artist and owner, originally from Brazil, has been tattooing for over nine years and expressed his gratitude for DPH’s service. There are currently 168 licensed tattoo facilities in South Carolina. To learn more about how DPH regulates tattoo facilities and other helpful information, visit https://lnkd.in/e5STbqMG #tattooday #EmployeeRecognition

Almost 100 social workers from across South Carolina came together on June 12 for this year’s Lucia Murchison Public Health Social Work Conference, named for South Carolina's first Public Health Social Worker. Organizers held the conference at the Orangeburg County Conference Center, a new location for this year. This spacious venue gave social workers from a diverse group of organizations the opportunity to learn, build on their skills and network. This year’s planning committee built a well-rounded agenda around the theme of “Social Work: This is Our Lane.” This year’s presentations focused on ethical considerations for social work leaders, engaging people and community organizing in Public Health, understanding and combatting human trafficking in South Carolina and reducing stress and implementing self-care. Attendees earned five social work continuing education hours at this free event, which reached registration capacity in just over 24 hours after it was announced. Other new additions to the conference this year were two local organizations that set up exhibitor tables. Hope Health of Orangeburg and the Family Health Center of Orangeburg shared information on the vital services they offer in the community.

For this week's #FeatureFriday we're shining a light on DPH's Bureau of Communicable Disease Prevention and Control, and a recent recognition one of their staff members received from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for preventing foodborne illness.   In April, the CDC published an article highlighting the stellar work of Midlands DHEC FoodCORE (Foodborne Diseases Centers for Outbreak Response Enhancement) staff member Madison Dinkins Butler for stopping an Escherichia coli (STEC) outbreak.    “In this outbreak [which took place in April 2022], I interviewed two cases of STEC as I normally would on a daily basis,” Madison explained. “I quickly noted after interviewing the second case that they were both students at the same school, who had just been on a class trip to Costa Rica.”    “[She] swiftly took action to stop the outbreak and protect others from getting sick,” the CDC wrote.    “I reached out to DADE and notified them of this finding. I then reached out to the school nurse to get more information on the trip and to make sure there were no other illnesses at the school,” Madison said. “We followed this outbreak for 20 days, consistently checking in with the school nurse and providing guidance to the school on what to do if any other cases were to arise!”    Madison’s work stopped the outbreak in its tracks, preventing further spread and ensuring that South Carolinians stayed safe.    Read the CDC’s full write-up here: https://lnkd.in/dVDKGRiF. Well done, Madison! #publichealth #employeerecognition

The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is hiring an Active Communities Coordinator in Richland County. This position serves as the liaison to internal and external partners for the purpose of promoting active community environments, including parks/recreation, community planning, and active transportation statewide initiatives. To apply, please visit https://lnkd.in/eAkTP2hx. Find more jobs on our new careers page, dph.sc.gov/careers. 

Today, Department of Public Health employees celebrated Day One of the new agency with DPH t-shirts, welcome signs, food trucks, friendship bracelets and more! We are excited to build on DHEC's rich legacy and people-oriented culture at the Department of Public Health. Note: DPH staff is working with LinkedIn to change the name of this page to South Carolina Department of Public Health. Please be patient as we work through this transition.

As of July 1, 2024, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has been split into two new agencies. This is the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH), the former health component of DHEC. Our name may change, but our commitment to protecting, promoting and improving the health and well-being of everyone in South Carolina is stronger than ever. DPH will build on DHEC’s legacy, continuously innovating to achieve best practices that help improve our state’s overall health with the goal of becoming the healthiest state in our nation. Our goal for this new agency is to instill a people-first approach to all that we do. This includes working with our partners, communities, and others to help every South Carolinian have the access, resources, and information they need to make decisions that enhance their health and have access to the highest quality, safe health care. We are here for you. Website: dph.sc.gov | Phone: (803) 898-3300