Town of Latta Transfers Historic Latimer Building to CareSouth Carolina, Expanding Access to Care

LATTA, S.C. — The Town of Latta has officially presented the key to the historic Latimer School building, located at 122 Latimer Street, to CareSouth Carolina, marking a major step forward in expanding healthcare access for the community.

CareSouth Carolina has been operating out of the Latimer building since 2015, initially utilizing only a portion of the facility. 

With the official transfer of ownership now complete, the organization will be able to fully occupy the space—allowing for significant upgrades, expanded services, and the ability to nearly double its patient capacity in the Latta area.

“We are deeply honored by the Town of Latta’s generous donation of the historic Latimer School,” said Ann Lewis, Chief Executive Officer of CareSouth Carolina. “Our organization first began providing services in Latta in 2015, initially occupying one half of the building as a lessee. This donation represents an important milestone for us. It will allow us to invest in much-needed repairs and improvements to preserve the building’s legacy while enhancing its functionality. We are especially excited about the opportunities this creates for future growth and expanded services to better serve the community.”

CareSouth Carolina plans to make necessary renovations and improvements while preserving the structure’s historical significance. The expanded footprint will allow for the addition of new services and improved patient flow.

“We’re excited about the partnership with CareSouth Carolina to bring more services to our communities and surrounding areas,” said Marcus McGirt, Mayor of Latta. “We’re thrilled to pass over a part of history to CareSouth Carolina so that they can redefine and redesign our history into something modern that can be for all of our people. We’re thankful for Ann [Lewis] and Joe [Bittle] and grateful that this is going with the Town of Latta.”

The Latimer building has long been a meaningful part of Latta’s history, and this new chapter ensures that it will continue to serve the community in a new and impactful way. By transitioning the building, both the Town of Latta and CareSouth Carolina are working together to ensure that residents have greater access to essential medical services close to home.

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