CareSouth Carolina, SC-DHEC provide free COVID-19 testing in Society Hill

SOCIETY HILL, S.C. – CareSouth Carolina and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC-DHEC) partnered to provide free COVID-19 testing to hundreds of people on Tuesday at the St. David’s Academy building in Society Hill.

CareSouth Carolina, which serves more than 39,000 patients in five counties in the Pee Dee region, is working to provide access to testing and education for patients across its communities.

“Our goal is to provide and help support widespread testing,” Ann Lewis, CEO of CareSouth Carolina, said. “There are many unknown aspects of this novel coronavirus but we do know that by identifying those individuals who test positive but may have no symptoms, we can prevent their unknowing spread of the virus.”

The free drive-thru testing was available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to anyone who wanted to be tested, regardless of symptoms.

In addition, CareSouth Carolina has provided free drive-thru COVID-19 testing at several of its locations across the Pee Dee. Currently, the organization has tested more than 150 patients through its drive-thru testing.

CareSouth Carolina also implemented Telehealth, Telecommunication and TeleTherapy visits to help fight the spread of the virus. The organization is providing drive-up chronic care for those who have conditions- like high blood pressure- that can’t necessarily be measured through a Telehealth visit; drive-thru and curbside pharmacy; emergency meal distribution for the aged population through community partnerships; and is providing follow-up for those patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 through its Family Support Services staff.

Currently, CareSouth Carolina has tested 584 patients for COVID-19 with 75 testing positive. Of those 75 positive cases, two deaths have been confirmed.

CareSouth Carolina has seen more than 2,368 patients via Medical Telehealth and Telecommunication visits, has had more than 1,608 Behavioral Health TeleTherapy and Telecommunication visits and has also had 16 dental appointments through Tele-Dentistry and Telecommunication visits.

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.