South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health
2015 has been an exciting year for IMPH, and the success of our work is due in large part to the support and engagement of our valued partners. The strength of this collaboration enables us to realize our mission to collectively inform policy to improve health and health care in South Carolina. Our key activities and accomplishments from the past year include:
- IMPH hosted another successful series of our Health Policy Fellows Program with 27 legislators participating, and we will be formally recognizing their achievements in January.
- TheBehavioral Health Task force released its recommendations in “Hope for Tomorrow: The Collective Approach for Transforming South Carolina’s Behavioral Health Systems.” The report shares a bold vision for behavioral health in South Carolina based on two focal points: the need for crisis stabilization services available at all hours and the need for an improved, more accessible system of chronic care management.
- The Long-Term Care Task force released its recommendations in “Creating Direction: A Guide for Improving Long-Term Care in South Carolina.” The taskforce envisioned a quality, cost-effective system that would meet the diverse needs of individuals at any age while promoting independence with choice and dignity.
- Implementation Leadership Councils have been established by IMPH to prioritize the recommendations for behavioral health and long-term care and keep focused attention on the issues. IMPH will release annual reports of progress toward implementation in both topical areas.
- The SCale Down Initiative continues to make remarkable progress with active engagement from nearly 100 stakeholders to implement the State Obesity Action Plan. Through this collaborative work, SCale Down is gaining momentum and is making strides in addressing obesity in our state through policy, systems and environ-mental changes.
- IMPH welcomed Dr. David Cole, Dr. Helga Rippen and Mr. Joel Smith as new members of our Board of Directors, and we recognized the service of Ambassador David Wilkins as a founding member of our Board.
- IMPH also welcomed two new staff members – Karen Fradua as program manager for the SCale Down Initiative and Tim Rogers as manager of legislative services.
The staff and leadership of IMPH anticipate another impactful year in 2016 with a celebration of the Health Policy Fellows Program participants, continued engagement with our Fellows alumni, updates on progress made on the recommendations from the Behavioral Health and Long-Term Care Task forces and continued progress on the collaborative work to advance obesity prevention through the SCale Down Initiative.We look forward to continued work with our valued partners in 2016 as a part of these and other events and initiatives.
Copyright © 2015 South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health; 1301 Gervais Street, Suite 300, Columbia, SC 29201; www.imph.org
