• 1980 

Society Hill Family Health Clinic opens its doors with 5 employees and provided services to 24 patients. Patient care services began on September 8, 1980 at temporary offices in the Neighborhood Center on Hall Street. 

•1981 

Society Hill Family Health Clinic moved into a new building. An Open House was held in Society Hill with almost three hundred community residents attending and touring the new office. 

• 1982 

Local Society Hill area residents received the benefit of dental services made possible by a 

Society Hill Family Health Clinic lease arrangement with a local area dentist. Prior to this 

arrangement, there was not a dentist in town. 

•1983 

With the resignation of Dr. Andrew Horn, Dr. Gary Barker and the McLeod Regional MedicalCenter Family Practice Residency program provided rotating physician coverage. 

•1984 

Dr. Gary Barker began seeing patients full-time at Society Hill. This important arrangement provided Society Hill Family Health Clinic the continuity needed to keep these vital services open and available to Society Hill residents. 

• 1985 

Bishopville, Clio and McColl sites became part of Society Hill Family Health Clinic. CareSouth Carolina is fortunate to have on staff and on its Board of Directors individuals who were part of the Lee Medical Practice early development.

•1986

Society Hill Family Health Clinic began doing business as Pee Dee Community Health Services.

The name change reflected the growth of the organization.

•1987

McColl office elected to discontinue its associtation with CareSouth Carolina.

•1988

CareSouth Carolina received the first of many on going specialperinatal services funding. The initial perinatal grant was a“demonstration” grant which was one of only twenty in thenation.

•1989

CareSouth Carolina received national recognition on CBSEvening News, ABC Today Show, Time Magazine and NPR forits success with perinatal care in the Pee Dee region of SouthCarolina.

•1990

Due to the devasation of Hurricane Hugo and the already bursting at the seams Society Hillfacility, Senator Fritz Hollings was successful in having an approximate $500,000 set aside andcongressionally “earmarked” for a new building in Society Hill.

•1991

After conseiderable discussion with the South Carolina State Commission on Aging, CareSouthCarolina began services as the Pee Dee Regional Area Agency on Aging. As the AAA, CareSouthCarolina is the headquarters for the planning, coordination, monitoring, delivery and evaluation ofservices to the elderly in the Pee Dee Region (Florence, Marion, Dillon, Marlboro, Chesterfield andDarlington counties). CareSouth Carolina is the only Community Health Center in the nation withthis

designation as an Area Agency on Aging. This unique position has provided us with many opportunities to plan and develop creative and innovative projects directed toward this important population group.

•1992

CareSouth Carolina received Special Infant

Reduction funding and kicked off its perinatal campaign,“Doing It Right!” - a one stop concept designed to bringtogether a coordinated program of comprehensiveperinatal services.

•1993

After years of planning and discussion, CareSouth Carolina opened its Hartsville satellite office.This was a crucial and important step toward linking the services from Society Hill and Bishopville.

Developed so as to be in close proximity to Carolina Pines for obstetric hospitalization purposes, the office served as a major Darlington County perinatal provider.

•1994

Family Care of Cheraw merged with Pee Dee Communtiy Health Services. To this day, Dr. StephenSmith still practices in the Society Hill office.

•1995

CareSouth Carolina received Rural Health Outreach funding for Project SIDE effects. The programwas directed toward reducing the effects of polypharmacy in the elderly.

•1996

The organization underwent a name change from Pee DeeCommunity Health Services to CareSouth Carolina, a namethat fit its true mission to its patients, employees andcommunities it serves. The corporate office moved fromSociety Hill to the Cargill building in downtown Hartsville.

The organization was one of the first to invest in

Hartsville’s nationally recognized downtown revitalization efforts. Later that year, CareSouth Carolina celebrated the ground breaking for its aptly named Rosa Lee Gerald Center in Society Hill. The late Rosa Lee Gerald was a longtime board member of CareSouth Carolina and was one of the key leaders in bringing medical services to the Society Hill community.

•1997

CareSouth Carolina opened the doors of a new $1.4million state-of-the art medical facility. The event marked amilestone in the organization’s commitment to the people ofthat community.

•1998

CareSouth Carolina joined the joint BPHC/IHI collaborativeprocess and has been at the leading edge of population-based medicine. This PDSA improvement process jumpstarted the organization’s performance improvement program and the resulting PECSYS registry database has become the foundation of much of the organization’s

improvement efforts since.

•1999

CareSouth Carolina adopted the Care Model. The model is a cultural shift in theway care is delivered: it is patient-focused instead of clinician focused.

•2000

CareSouth Carolina joined only 15 ambulatory carefacilities in South Carolina to receive accreditation bythe Joint Commission on Accreditation of HealthcareOrganizations.

•2001

CareSouth Carolina’s community development staff facilitatedcommunity engagement and developed a plan to addressthe problem of HIV/AIDS that had become a real problem inthe communities we served. As a result, CareSouth Carolinareceived Ryan White Title III Care Act funding and beganproviding primary care services to those with HIV/AIDS inChesterfield, Darlington, Lee and Marlboro Counties. CareInnovations combines high quality health care with otherservices that specifically address the needs of HIV/AIDSpatients. CareSouth Carolina was the recipient of the SouthCarolina Rural Health Care Association’s 2001 OutstandingRural Health Practice Award.

•2002

CareSouth Carolina opened an office in the communityof Lake View in Dillon County. Services include medical,behavioral health and other support services. As a resultof partnerships with Marlboro Park Hospital and the townof McColl, CareSouth Carolina opened the doors of a newmedical center in downtown McColl. CareSouth

Carolina was profiled for the National Coalition on HealthCare and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s“Accelerating Change Today (A.C.T) – For America’s Health” report on best practices in treating chronic diseases. Dr. Leon Hunt and his practice joined CareSouth Carolina in Bishopville.

•2003

CareSouth Carolina partnered with McLeod Health, theUSC School of Medicine and Marlboro Park Hospitaland acquired the McLeod Family Medical Center inBennettsville. CareSouth Carolina moved the Hartsvillefacility to a much larger site. The move expandedaccess to health services for residents of Hartsville andthe Darlington county community. The organizationbroke ground in Bishopville on a 6,600 square footaddition in Bishopville. CareSouth Carolina announcedthe formation of CareFirst Carolina, a private operatingfoundation designed to attract local, state and nationalprivate investment to improve access to health and lifecare services in the community served by CareSouthCarolina. CareSouth Carolina focused its efforts on integrating its population-based approach withinnovative evidence-based medicine to ensure that patients receive the care that they deserve.

•2004

CareSouth Carolina opened a pediatric site inBennettsville with two physicians on staff. CareSouthCarolina opened Hartsville Pediatrics, locatedin the same facility as the Hartsville Center. Theorganization was profiled in the Institute of HealthcareImprovement’s 2004 Progress Report for its successin providing equitable care across all races. CareSouthCarolina has been featured on qualityhealth.org andhas been quoted in a Wall Street Journal article on

the state of health care in America for its ability to provide cost-effective quality care for the most vulnerable of patients. First community health center in the nation to adopt and actively track a panel of equity measures to ensure that the high quality of care provided is fair and equitable to all. Initial measures adopted in June with the full panel in place and tracked monthly since January 2005. All outcome measures have been within ± 10% since May 2008. CareSouth Carolina pioneered the concept of patient loyalty and confidence in the delivery of patient-centered healthcare services. The organization began a program for recognizing and incentivizing the generation of PDSAs/test of change with an eye towards improvement. The “Innovator” program as it has been called, has been awarded more than 180 times and has been the catalyst for much of the improvement at CareSouth Carolina.

•2005

CareSouth Carolina opened a site at 500 W Boulevard in Chesterfield. The building is named the Perry Center inhonor of Doctors Jerry and William Perry. The brothers practiced together from 1954 until 1987 at 500 W Boulevard.

•2006

U.S. Representative John Spratt visited CareSouth Carolina in celebration of National Community Health CenterWeek. CareSouth Carolina received national recognition as one of the nation’s top six community health centers forimproving clinical depression outcomes. The organization achieved this recognition by integrating behavioral healthcounseling into a family practice setting.

•2007

CareSouth Carolina partnered with the Office of Minority Healthand the University of South Carolina began offering serviceson reducing health disparities of stroke and heart disease inthe African American community. The Stroke Mobile programfocuses on Darlington and Marlboro Counties. The organizationbegan the widespread adoption of reliability as a managementconcept after a number of successful tests in 2006 and early2007. The results were dramatic improvements in every criticalprocess that the organization has applied the concept to date.Improvements vary in intensity but all of the processes haveachieved reliability rating of 10-1 or higher with some as highas 10-3. This improvement has increased collections, improvedpatient safety, and made day-to-day operations much smoother. CareSouth Carolina became a national leader inthe development of the patient-centered medical home concept and began tracking as a system-wide measure ourability to meet our patient’s desire to see their primary care provider of choice. The organization met the nationalgoal for Depression patient outcomes (50% in control) in existing panel of patients.

•2008

CareSouth Carolina opened a new pharmacy at the Hartsville site. CSC Community Pharmacy is a community retailpharmacy that serves CareSouth Carolina patients as well as the general public. The pharmacy offers to CareSouthCarolina’s patients a significant discount pricing on prescription medication.

•2009

CareSouth Carolina was awarded the Community Health Centerof Year by South Carolina Primary Health Care Association.CareSouth Carolina was lauded on the national stage for qualityhealth care. Out of more than 1,900 community health centersin the nation, CareSouth Carolina was one of only three asked topresent its story at a national conference focused on showcasingthose that have achieved and sustained improved healthoutcomes for patients. CareSouth Carolina patients are healthierthan most people in most places and the care being provided bythe organization is more cost effective. For example, according toa study conducted by the SC Office of Research and Statistics, adiabetic receiving care at CareSouth Carolina only cost the system$343 compared with an average of $1,591 a year at a comparableprovider in South Carolina.

•2010

Ann Lewis was awarded the 2010 Margaret J. Weston award by the South Carolina Primary Health Care Association.The Margaret J. Weston Award is presented to the an individual who has exhibited persistence in overcomingbarriers and obstacles to ensure quality health care services are provided to those most in need. Beginning in 2011,dental services will be offered to school age children through our Dental Mobile Unit.

•2011

Surgeon General of the Air Force Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Charles B. Green brought a team to Hartsville to hear presentations byCareSouth management staff, ask questions and tour the facility. Included in the team was Ray S. Jeter, Colonel, USAF,DC Chief, Air Force Medical Services Innovations; Lt. Col. Mickey T. Goodridge, Traveling Executive Officer, AF SurgeonGeneral ; and was escorted from Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter by Ahmed Calvo, M.D., MPH, senior medical officer atthe Health Resource Service Administration’s Office of Health Information Technology and Quality.

•2012

CareSouth Carolina was presented with the 2012 Community Health Care Leadership Award for its steadfastcommitment to the health of the medically underserved populations in South Carolina by the South Carolina PrimaryHealthcare Association. In addition, Ann Lewis was recognized by the South Carolina Primary Health Care Associationat its 2012 Annual Conference for her extraordinary leadership, commitment, and dedication to the vision and missionof community health centers. Finally, the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) has presentedAnn Lewis, CEO of CareSouth Carolina, with the 2012 John Gilbert Award. The award, which recognizes longstandingexcellence and leadership in community health, was presented to Ms. Lewis at the 43rd annual NACHC CommunityHealth Institute in Orlando Florida,

•2013

Following a rigorous nationwide review process, CareSouth Carolina was selected as an exemplary model of workforceinnovation for a new project: The Primary Care Team: Learning from Effective Ambulatory Practices (The LEAP Project).The LEAP Project is a joint initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and MacColl Center for Health CareInnovation at Group Health Research Institute.

•2014

CareSouth Carolina was one of only four primary care practices being highlighted in the Behavioral Health IntegrationImplementation Guide. The implementation guide is a suite of materials to help primary care practices integratebehavioral health.

•2015

CareSouth Carolina rolled out their ROADS Mobile Unit with a Ribbon Cutting ceremony on.

The ROADS (Rural Outreach Access Delivering Services) team will be following the success of the current Miles ToSmile Dental Program that has been extremely successful in the school setting. CSC was named an accredited diabeteseducation program by the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE), a National Accredited Organization(NAO), certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This will allow the people with Diabetes in andaround Darlington County increased access to high quality diabetes education services.

•2016

CareSouth Carolina announces that its Cheraw office is moving to a larger location, at 715 South Doctors DriveSuite E. CareSouth Carolina hosts a ribbon cutting for its newest CSC Community Pharmacy, located in Bishopville.The organization was recertified as a Primary Care Medical Home (PCMH). SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancyawarded CareSouth Carolina with its Champion for Teen Pregnancy Prevention Award for the setting up a teen-friendlyenvironment and providing teen services.

•2017

CareSouth Carolina and the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control break ground on a newjoint state-of-the-art facility in Dillon. In addition, CareSouth Carolina also breaks ground on the McColl Health &Wellness Center. In Cheraw, CareSouth Carolina begins seeing patients at a larger office (715 South Doctors DriveSuite E).

•2018

The Joint Commission Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation highlights CareSouth Carolina in its “Spotlight onSuccess.” In addition, CareSouth Carolin announces its new CSC Community Pharmacy, set to open in 2019.CareSouthCarolina was recognized with a 2018 Quality Improvement Award by Health Resources and Services Administration(HRSA) for being a Health Center Quality Leader. CareSouth reaches NACHC Advocacy Center for Excellence BronzeStatus, becoming just the third CHC in South Carolina to achieve this illustrious distinction. CareSouth Carolina andCare Innovations was also No. 1 in the state for viral suppression. In addition, CareSouth Carolina breaks ground on anew Chesterfield facility, which will open in 2021.

•2019

CareSouth Carolina opens the doors of its newest facility inMcColl in June. The McColl Health & Wellness Center has a totalof 28,992 square feet and provides the same comprehensivehealth care services for the entire family. In addition, CareSouthCarolina cuts the ribbon for its Bishopville PEBA office, whichprovided services for public employees around the state.CareSouth Carolina also expands with a dedicated PediatricDentist office in Bishopville. CareSouth Carolina also announcesthe intention of expanding its administrative offices. During aCSC Board Meeting, a resolution was presented and agreementsigned to allow CareSouth Carolina to move into the vacant St.David’s Academy building. CareSouth Carolina also celebrates theopening of a new CSC Community Pharmacy in Society Hill. In thesame timeframe, CareSouth Carolina celebrates with a mortgageburning at its Rosa Lee Gerald Center in Society Hill.

•2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic begins, CareSouth Carolina quicklyputs an action plan in place to help administer COVID-19testing around the community. Partnering with SC-DHEC, theorganization holds multiple weekly testing events at locationsthroughout its five-county service area. In total, CareSouthCarolina administered more than 71,000 tests. As CareSouthCarolina deals with the pandemic, the organization ramps upTelehealth services, which allow patients for both medical andbehavioral services to still have access to care. In December,CareSouth Carolina was chosen as one of just 20 national pilotsites for the NACHC ‘Leading Change’ project. In the midst of theCOVID-19 pandemic, CareSouth Carolina celebrates its 40-year-anniversary serving in the community. CareSouth Carolina alsomourned the loss of Charles Love Jr. The generosity, compassionand love that Charles had for the Pee Dee, Marlboro county andhis beloved McColl will be a far-reaching legacy. For CareSouthCarolina, the beautiful building he gifted, as President of theLove Family Foundation, to us in McColl will stand as a lastingmemorial to that love. CareSouth Carolina’s new HartsvilleCommunity Pharmacy opens.

•2021

CareSouth Carolina was named the recipient of the 2021Community Health Center of the Year Award by the South CarolinaPrimary Healthcare Association (SCPHCA). CareSouth Carolinaopens its newest state-of-the-art facility, which also includes aCSC Community Pharmacy at 204 Perry Wiley Way. CareSouthCarolina celebrates the milestone of more than 30,000 COVID-19vaccines administered. In total, the organization administeredmore than 40,705 vaccines. As the pandemic continues, CareSouthCarolina’s Hartsville Suite B team– led by Jennifer Lynch, FNP-C–begins to administer life-saving Monoclonal Antibody Treatment.People traveled from all over the state and other states to receive this treatment at the Hartsville office. In total, theteam administered more than 12,000 treatments. CareSouth Carolina’s community outreach team was named the‘Community Health Worker Group of the Year’ by the South Carolina Community Health Worker Association, and TheSouth Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) named CareSouth Carolina as the recipientof the agency’s Community Hero award for going above and beyond to bring lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines to ruralcommunities. In addition, CSC announced the closing of the CSC Hunt’s Family Practice office at 106 Hospital Square inBishopville. After 59 years of service in Lee County, Dr. Leon Hunt officially retired.

•2022

CareSouth Carolina and the South Carolina Department of Healthand Environmental Control (DHEC) hold a ribbon-cutting ceremonyto celebrate their new combined location located at 1016 Old LattaHwy. The new, 18,640 square-foot facility replaces the previousDHEC County Health Department and CareSouth Carolina locations.

Longtime CareSouth Carolina provider Tim Brown is tragically killed, but his legacy lives on through The Tim Brown Memorial Scholarship, which is started in 2022. CareSouth Carolina also breaks ground on its all-new Cheraw facility, and the organization cuts the ribbon on its all-new Hartsville Pharmacy. CareSouth Carolina hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at the organization’s first Community Resource Center and Food Bank, as well. 

•2023

CareSouth Carolina CEO Ann Lewis was re-elected as the Chairperson for the SCPHCA. In addition, CareSouth Carolinalaunched its Community Health Fair, an event tailored to address the needs of the community, beginning in Dillon.CareSouth Carolina opened its full-service CSC Community Pharmacy in its new state-of-the-art Dillon facility. InHartsville, CareSouth Carolina– helmed by Jennifer Lynch, FNP-C, opens CareFusion, a world-class IV Therapy Program.The Tim Brown Memorial Scholarship raises more than $15,000 in its first year.

•2024

On February 26th, CareSouth Carolina opened a state-of-the-art facilityin Cheraw. This new facility allows for the organization to quadruple itsspace and allow much-needed access to service in the Cheraw area. Inaddition, Dr. Douglas Cunningham joins CareSouth Carolina’s team tooffer Podiatry services in the facility. CareSouth Carolina was honored asthe recipient of the Healthcare Innovation Award at the Foundation ForCommunity Impact and Health Equity Inaugural Impact Awards Gala. Theorganization also provided more than $149.5 million in economic impactto the community.