Telehealth Support Group Receives National Healthcare Award from Health Industry Leaders
Healthcare Leadership Council Honors Palmetto Care Connections with the Redefining American Healthcare Award
BAMBERG, SC – The Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC) honored Palmetto Care Connections with its Redefining American Healthcare Award at a ceremony in Bamberg on Wednesday, February 15th.
Palmetto Care Connections (PCC) is a non-profit organization that provides telehealth support services to healthcare providers in rural and underserved areas of South Carolina. It’s mission is to assist providers in keeping healthcare local by connecting the community to quality services through broadband, technology, and telehealth. PCC leads the South Carolina broadband consortium to ensure providers receive broadband savings through the Federal Communication Commission’s Healthcare Connect Fund program, and also co-chairs the South Carolina Telehealth Alliance.
Kathy Schwarting, PCC Chief Executive Officer, accepted the award, saying, “PCC is truly humbled and honored to accept this amazing award. How fortunate we are to be recognized for doing work that we love and are very passionate about. We believe that a person’s zip code should not define the quality of his/her life and our efforts to improve healthcare access for all citizens is indicative of this belief. We thank the Healthcare Leadership Council for taking an interest in our work and serving as an advocate for rural/underserved communities across this great nation.”
“On behalf of the Board of Directors for PCC, I want to congratulate the team on their hard work and dedication to improving healthcare access in our rural/underserved communities in South Carolina. I strongly believe in the three C’s of healthcare – Convene, Connect and Catalyze and this team embodies this belief in their everyday work efforts. PCC impresses us everyday with their ability to bring individuals and organizations together for a common cause, build lasting relationships with all types of partners and finally to literally redefine healthcare and rural while bringing about much needed change” said Dr. Rick Foster, Chairman of PCC’s Board of Directors.
“Telehealth provides a plethora of benefits to those who have access to virtual services. PCC observed that its surrounding rural community lacked that access and utilized relationship-building, expertise and creativity to formulate a range of solutions to match the needs of its underserved neighbors,” stated Michael Freeman, executive vice president at HLC. “By providing devices, training, and technical support to patients, and connecting providers to federal broadband subsidies, this non-profit has become a driving force in closing the existing telehealth gaps and improving healthcare outcomes.”
Representative Jim Clyburn (D-SC-06) congratulated PCC, stating: “I am proud of Palmetto Care Connections for its important work in rural South Carolina, and congratulate them for receiving the Redefining American Healthcare award. As a long-time advocate for broadband expansion, I’m impressed and thankful for Palmetto Care Connection’s efforts to connect my fellow South Carolinians to new opportunities through internet and telehealth access. I know Kathy Schwarting and the Palmetto Care Connections staff will continue their hard work, and look forward to what they will achieve next.”
Digital literacy program graduate, Tracey Missoh, provided a testimonial in which she said “PCC’s Digital Literacy Program truly changed my life. Participating in this program has given me the confidence and courage to go back to school, fight for my dreams and become involved once again in healthcare. I hope they can expand this program to every corner of South Carolina as it can truly change lives.”
The Healthcare Leadership Council created the Redefining American Healthcare Award to recognize best practices and programs in communities and organizations across the nation that optimize care for vulnerable patients. Award recipients are organizations developing and activating cost-effective, measurable community programs promoting a patient-centered approach to care that considers outside social factors to achieve the best outcomes.
For Immediate Release: February 28, 2023
Contact: Kelly Fernandez, (202) 449-3452
