CareSouth Carolina’s Kelli Cross named SCPHCA ‘Champion of Practice Transformation’

CareSouth Carolina’s Kelli Cross was named the Champion of Practice Transformation at the South Carolina Primary Health Care Association’s 26^th annual Clinical Network Retreat, which was held virtually.

Cross, who has been with CareSouth Carolina for more than three years, took over the newly-created position of Population Health Manager last year and has since worked to provide healthier outcomes to patients throughout the Pee Dee region.

“I was shocked,” Cross said when learning she had been nominated for the award. “I want to give credit to my team. We have a diverse background as we have all come from different professions and that helps us come together with well-rounded ideas and plans.”

During her time in the role, Cross has partnered with CareSouth Carolina’s mobile care team to set up summer appointments for adolescent wellness visits, pap smears and chlamydia screenings. She has worked with the marketing team to create informational and instructional post cards for patients that would be personalized for their medical conditions and she has partnered with the office teams to do PDSAs around diabetic retinal eye exams. During CareSouth Carolina’s community events, Cross executed creative plans to encourage high-risk patients to attend and get back into care.

In addition, Cross has made open-line connections with insurance organizations- including Medicaid- to ensure CareSouth Carolina is providing the best quality healthcare possible to its patients and the community.

“The best summary of the reasons why I believe that Kelli Cross should be honored as the Champion of Practice Transformation can be found in my five favorite words to hear from ‘I’ve got a crazy idea,’” said CareSouth Carolina Associate Medical Director Dr. Jeniqua Duncan. “For someone to truly champion transformation, they have to be comfortable working beyond limits that are placed on them and collaborative enough for those to see them as an ally who will protect them during the storm of change. Kelli Cross exhibits these qualities and more.”

The South Carolina Primary Health Care Association (SCPHCA) is the unifying organization for Community Health Centers (CHCs) in South Carolina. Established in 1979 and representing 23 CHCs across the state (to include the SC Agriculture Worker Program), the SCPHCA has been working to increase the availability of quality health care to low-income, uninsured, isolated, vulnerable, and special need populations.

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.