Last Friday we were notified that an employee who worked at a popular Hilton Head Island restaurant the evening of February 15 had tested positive for hepatitis A.
Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by a virus. People usually get sick within 15-50 days of exposure to the virus, so it’s important to get preventive treatment right away. This treatment consists of a vaccine, which must be given within 14 days of exposure to be effective.
Last week our state faced the second severe winter storm of the year. And, again, DHEC staff across the state acted quickly to help keep South Carolina residents safe during the storm.
Between Tuesday, February 11th and Monday, February 17th, DHEC worked with over 145 external partners to respond to the storm, opening 9 special medical needs shelters in Allendale, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Florence, Lexington, Marion, Orangeburg, and Williamsburg Counties. We deployed 179 dedicated nurses and administrative staff who worked 12 hour shifts to provide shelter to 45 people with special medical needs and their caregivers 24 hours a day.
Dan Drociuk and our Public Health Preparedness (PHP) team led our response efforts, coordinating over 370 DHEC employees across the state to respond quickly to the public’s needs and work with state and county EMDs, fellow state agencies, nursing homes, hospitals and others to help some of our state’s most vulnerable residents stay safe during the storm.
I’d like to say a special thank you to the following PHP, nursing, and administrative staff members who were deployed to respond to the storm: Continue reading
By Katie Philpott
Camp Burnt Gin is a program that helps kids with physical disabilities and special health care needs attend summer camp like other kids, and provides respite for parents and caregivers.
Every year, from June to August, children with disabilities or chronic illnesses come to Camp Burnt Gin in Wedgefield, SC, for a unique and fun summer camp tailored just for them in a medically-safe environment. The kids meet new friends, develop life skills and improve their self-confidence. Continue reading
By Jennifer Read
Our staff is helping raise awareness of the prevalence of heart disease in South Carolina on National Wear Red Day.
To view more of our Wear Red Day photos from across the state, visit our Facebook page.
Friday is National Wear Red Day, a day when people come together to bring awareness to America’s number one killer – heart disease.
More than 9,000 South Carolinians die from heart disease every year. Heart disease is the leading killer of African-American women in our state, and one of the top two causes of death for both men and women of all races in South Carolina.
You can help show your support for heart disease awareness by wearing a bit of red on Friday.
To learn how you can help prevent heart disease from striking you or someone you love, visit our Bureau of Community Health and Chronic Disease’s great online resources.
Together, we can help raise awareness of one of South Carolina’s biggest killers.
Live Healthy S.C. 