CareSouth Carolina Actively Monitoring COVID-19

CareSouth Carolina is actively monitoring the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) and is taking measures to ensure the safest experience possible for our communities, patients and staff members.

CareSouth Carolina has been in regular contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as SCDHEC, to ensure the best practices are in place for patient care, safety and staff education. The organization has formed a COVID-19 Strategic Team and has posted signs within its facilities to assist in identifying those who may be affected.

“We’ve done our homework,” said Chief Medical Director Dr. Stephen L. Smith. “We are in frequent contact with the CDC and have the best interest of the public in mind. As of right now, the likelihood of you getting this virus are slim compared to the likelihood of you getting the flu.”

Moving forward, people should still take several precautionary measures including:

• Washing your hands frequently
• Staying at home when you’re sick
• If you are sick and have to go out in public, wear a mask
• Avoid close contact with those who are sick
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily

All of these are considered the best practices to protect yourself and others from contracting the illness, according to the CDC.

If someone does meet the criteria for concern and has traveled to an area of active concern such as Washington, California or certain foreign countries, SCDHEC will approve, pay for the test, and contact the tested patient later that day with their results. Should it be positive, DHEC will provide complete education for the patient on the next steps.

At this point, CareSouth Carolina hasn’t had a patient who met the criteria to be qualified for testing in any of its 14 medical centers across the Pee Dee region.

“We’re going to continue to monitor the situation,” Dr. Smith said. “There’s no reason to panic and we’ll continue to share information and updates as they are provided through the CDC and DHEC.”

CareSouth Carolina is a private, non-profit community health center delivering patient-centered health and life services in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina. CareSouth Carolina operates centers in Bennettsville, Bishopville, Cheraw, Chesterfield, Dillon, Hartsville, Lake View, Latta, McColl and Society Hill.

Services provided by CareSouth Carolina include family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, women services, OB/GYN, HIV/AIDS primary care, dental, chiropractic services, pharmacy, geriatrics, social services, clinical counseling, laboratory, 4D ultrasound, X-Ray, migrant services and veterans choice provider.