South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control

We promote and protect the health of the public and the environment.

• Shortage Designations
• Provider Recruitment
• J-1 Waiver Program
• National Health Service Corps
• Resources & Web Links

Mission: Connecting Communities and Resources to Develop Accessible and Sustainable Health Care Systems in South Carolina.

The Primary Care Office (PCO) helps link medically underserved populations with primary health care providers. Primary care includes medical, dental and mental health services.

There are PCOs in every state. Funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the offices provide health care planning and technical assistance. PCOs always take the larger, regional health care delivery system into account when offering advice. They also encourage public/private partnerships.

South Carolina's PCO has one staff member, Director Mark Jordan. Contact him at (803) 898-0766 or at jordanma@dhec.sc.gov.

Questions we can help you with:

• Can we get funding to repay a provider's loan?
• How do we mobilize our community to work on health care access issues?
• What is the difference between state and federal loan repayment?
• Am I eligible to recruit a National Health Service Corps provider?
• What is the difference between a Community Health Center(CHC), a Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC)? How do I become one?
• Is my area designated as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA)?
• What is the difference between an HPSA and a Medically Underserved Area (MUA)?
• Am I eligible to hire a physician on a J-1 Visa?

The PCO offers technical assistance:

• It works with community leaders and health care delivery systems to plan community-based comprehensive primary care access to meet the needs of low-income populations.
• It conducts primary care capacity assessments
• It provides technical assistance regarding provider shortages.
• To make maximum use of federal resources, it assures that areas/populations in need of increased access are appropriately designated as MUAs, HPSAs, or Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs).
• It links communities with state and federal resources for primary care planning, grant consultation, and development.
• It links communities with recruitment and retention options for health care professionals
• It provides the names of contacts in the S.C. Office of Rural Health and the S. C. Primary Health Care Association
• It matches organizations with CHCs to discuss unmet community needs. Topics may include board composition, Uniform Data System reporting, CHC requirements, collaboration, or others.