South Carolina Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare Announces 2023 Rural Innovations Cooperative Agreement Awards

The South Carolina Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare (CRPH) is pleased to announce awards to six projects for the 2023 Rural Innovations Cooperative Agreement Program.

The CRPH oversees the competitive program, backing projects that tackle unmet needs and enhance rural health. Awarded projects focus on improving access to healthcare services; enhancing the health professions workforce; implementing services/programs that promote improved health outcomes for rural patients and residents; or integrating health care and community-based programs.

The Center is committed to supporting innovative research and integrated data systems to advance knowledge and inform best practices for improving rural health. As part of this commitment, qualitative, quantitative, or mix-methods research projects were encouraged, including work related to a thesis or dissertation project.

The awarded organizations are:

Greenwood Genetic Center (Expansion of eVisits to Ensure Statewide Access to Genetic Care for BabyNet Eligible Patients)

HopeHealth, Inc. (Postgraduate Residency Program in Community-Based Pharmacy)

Institute for Child Success (Expanding Access to Doulas to Improve Birth Outcomes for Rural Families)

Medical University of South Carolina - Department of Surgery (Piloting the Expansion of a Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program)

South Carolina Witness Project (Increasing Mental Health Awareness in Rural Communities) 

University of South Carolina - College of Social Work (Telemental Health Services Among Foster Children in Rural South Carolina)

“The Rural Innovations program allows the South Carolina Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare to support and test emerging solutions to expanding access to healthcare services and support healthy rural communities,” says CRPH Associate Director Michele Stanek. “The programs granted support this year are aligned with our focus on addressing the behavioral health needs of rural populations as well as contributing solutions to ensuring healthy babies and mothers in South Carolina. We are excited to work collaboratively with these programs over the next several years.”

To learn more about the Rural Innovations Program, visit our Rural Innovations Program page.