DHEC director visits Carolina Pines
Left to right: Dr. Mark Stellingworth, cardiologist; Dr. Leroy Robinson, OB/GYN; Dr. Edward Simmer, director of DHEC; state Sen. Gerald Malloy; Dr. Brian Sponseller, CMO, primary care physician; Bill Little, CEO of Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
On Feb. 12, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s new director, Dr. Edward Simmer, and Hartsville Sen. Gerald Malloy, visited Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center to meet with hospital and medical staff leaders to discuss COVID-19 vaccine distribution and DHEC’s vision moving forward in rural communities. Simmer stated that DHEC has a strong desire to allocate more vaccines in rural areas and asked to partner with Carolina Pines to help get these vaccines administered to underserved parts of Hartsville and the surrounding Pee Dee area. The Carolina Pines Leadership Team expressed that the hospital has a vested interest in serving our community and vaccinating as many individuals as possible for as long as vaccines are being allocated to the facility. Simmer stated, “Rural hospitals like Carolina Pines are invaluable. We are very grateful for Carolina Pines and we look forward to continuing working with their team to help the people of the Pee Dee stay healthy.” DHEC and Carolina Pines will begin working together to identify areas to host future mass vaccination events where DHEC will provide vaccines to meet the demand of those wishing to be vaccinated and that qualify under DHEC guidelines.