Dr. Smith Receives SC Primary Health Care Provider of the Year Award

Dr. Stephen Smith has been awarded the 2006 Primary Health Care Provider of the Year Award by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Diabetes Prevention and Control Program.  The award recognizes an outstanding primary care provider in the field of diabetes for dedication and innovation in the daily practice of patient care.  

Nominees must have been actively engaged in clinical practice for at least three years, with attention to provision of patient-centered care based on the national diabetes recommended standards of care (clinical and self-management education). 

Dr. Smith has been practicing at CareSouth Carolina’s Rosa Lee Gerald Center in Society Hill for 11 years.  Over the past several years, he has made significant strides towards improving health outcomes for patients with diabetes.  He is leading the organization on numerous performance measures.  Outcomes for his panel of 195 disease patients, in most cases, approach or exceed national process and outcome goals. His competitive spirit as a medical provider has also challenged his peers to improve their process and outcome measures.  This has contributed to improved outcomes for the 2,711 patients currently in CareSouth Carolina’s diabetes registry. 

“We at CareSouth Carolina all know and love Dr. Smith,” says Ann Lewis, CEO at CareSouth Carolina.  “He’s lovable, but he can be competitive.  Sometimes, though, healthy competition can make all the difference in the world when it comes to improving patient outcomes.  He wants to do the very best, and, once again, he and his Care Team have surpassed expectations.  We truly appreciate his presence and his dedication to the patients and the mission of CareSouth Carolina.”

“It’s an honor to receive recognition for the work you do,” said Smith   “And, this is the kind of award that means something to me.   It’s really an equal tribute to the people that work with me here at CareSouth. We are making steady improvements in the outcomes of our patients – not only those with diabetes – and it’s really exciting to watch.”

CareSouth Carolina has been providing primary health care services in the rural Pee Dee region of South Carolina for over 25 years.  CareSouth Carolina is a private, non-profit community health center delivering patient-centered health and life care services.  Accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations, CareSouth Carolina operates centers in Bennettsville, Bishopville, Cheraw, Chesterfield, Hartsville, Lake View, McColl, and Society Hill.  Services provided by CareSouth Carolina include family practice, pediatrics, internal medicine, OB-GYN, geriatrics, social services, clinical counseling, care management, pharmaceutical assistance, laboratory and X-Ray.  As a result of its investment in the implementation of  care management services, health outcomes for CareSouth Carolina patients have improved dramatically, eliminating health disparities among racial, rural and poverty lines.