CareSouth Carolina's Ann Lewis serves as keynote speaker at SCPHCA retreat

CareSouth Carolina CEO Ann Lewis took center stage at the 2025 SEA Retreat, delivering an inspiring keynote session titled Beyond the Silo: Cultivating a Positive Workplace. 

The event, which brought together community health professionals from across the state, focused on fostering collaboration and strengthening workplace culture within Community Health Centers (CHCs).

Reflecting on the experience, Lewis shared, “I was so honored to be asked to speak at the SCPHCA SEA Retreat. This gathering of frontline workers from Community Health Centers across the state represents the very backbone of the CHC mission to serve the underserved. Honestly, I was a bit nervous! Being asked to speak on ‘Breaking Down Silos’ was a challenge because, as an executive, we are often the biggest silo.”

During her speech, Lewis took attendees on a journey back to the early days of CareSouth Carolina, when the organization was founded in 1980 with just five staff members. She emphasized that in those early days, silos simply didn’t exist—everyone stepped in to support one another.

“That was the core of my message: being a family—caring, sharing, and working together—is the magic sauce for breaking down silos. And when we do that, we improve health and well-being for those we serve.”

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 medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, women's services, OB/GYN, HIV/AIDS primary care, infectious disease primary care, IV therapy, substance abuse prevention, dental, chiropractic services, pharmacy, senior support services, family support services, clinical counseling, laboratory, ultrasound, X-Ray, agricultural worker health services, podiatry, and veterans choice provider.