Palmetto State Extra: Your Health and You

*DHEC Partners With SC Community Leaders To Eliminate Health Disparities*

COLUMBIA, SC – In conjunction with National Public Health Week (NPHW) – April 4-10, 2022 – the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced it will expand its own work as well as partnerships with community members and organizations to eliminate health disparities in our state to give all South Carolinians an opportunity to attain optimal health outcomes.

“While we have come a long way in our work toward our vision of South Carolina as a state where healthy people – people of all races and ethnicities, ages and genders, and across all parts of our great state – live in healthy communities, there are still significant disparities in health outcomes across our state,” said DHEC Director Edward Simmer, MD, MPH, DFAPA. “I am convinced that by working together with our many outstanding partners and involving community members themselves we can eliminate the disparities present in our state today and provide a healthier future for all South Carolinians.”

To read what community leaders across the state of South Carolina are saying, click here.

The agency’s announcement comes as the state prepares to move from COVID-19 as a pandemic to an endemic.

“Long-standing health disparities were highlighted in South Carolina and across the United States by COVID-19’s devastating and disproportionate impact on many in our communities,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC Public Health Director. “Also emphasized was the strength of our people to come together and take swift actions to address inequities and protect one another. It is incumbent on all of us not to lose sight of this momentum and continue the hard work to resolve inequities that limit our state’s health outcomes whether they are related to race, ethnic group, gender, socioeconomic status, or any other factor.”

Early in the pandemic local and national data show that African Americans and other minority populations were not only disproportionately impacted by this disease, but also had lower rates of vaccination against COVID-19. Specifically, in March 2021, the Black and Hispanic populations had lower vaccination rates when compared to the White population (7% and 11% lower, respectively).

Recognizing the seriousness of this issue, DHEC, working with external partners like the NAACP, AME Church, Latinx media outlets, and many other faith-based and community service organizations, focused on resolving this disparity. The intent of this work was to enhance local efforts by working with local partners who know and are trusted by their communities and can help public health officials identify where people are and get the vaccine out as quickly and equitably as possible while maximizing the current supply of doses, which were initially limited. The result of these efforts are African Americans and Hispanics are now more likely to be vaccinated than other groups in South Carolina.

While COVID-19 exposed health disparities in a manner unlike any crisis before it, it also stimulated increased use of community-based partnerships as powerful tools to bolster South Carolina’s pandemic response. Those same tools can help eliminate long-standing health disparities that have negatively affected people based on race, ethnicity, gender, disabilities, income, and more.

“Many of the disparities impacting health outcomes in South Carolina and across the nation have developed over a long period of time as a result of discriminatory policies and practices,” said Dr. Linda Bell, South Carolina State Epidemiologist. “Eliminating these disparities will take time but will bring meaningful change in the health of South Carolinians. We must not allow the difficulty of the challenge dissuade us from the doing the work needed to make this change.”

Today, a growing body of research shows that social determinants of health—such as access to quality preventive health care and sick care, education, social connectedness, healthy food, housing, wealth, and employment—play a key role in health inequities. This includes communities of color, rural settings, and households with low socioeconomic status, among others. As a result, people within these populations are placed at greater risk for not only poor health outcomes, but poor outcomes in life.

Addressing the social determinants remains a vital part of health and healthcare. DHEC continues its work to address the social determinants of health and advance health equity in partnership with community leaders, organizations, and community members across the state.

“We didn’t get here overnight,” Simmer said, “and we will not solve these issues in a day. Given the gravity of this issue, DHEC fully understands that we have much more work to do, and we are committed to doing so.”

The agency encourages everyone to learn more and join local efforts to eliminate the disparities in their communities and support a healthier future for every South Carolinian.

*D&C: What You Need To Know*

D&C – Dilation and Curettage – stands as one of the most common procedures that Gynecologists perform. For that reason alone, it’s best to know more about the procedure.

“D&C enables us to collect tissue from the inside of the uterus for diagnosing or treating numerous conditions,” says McLeod Gynecologist Dr. Chris McCauley. “We can perform the procedure in the hospital or in the office under general or local anesthetic. Dilation describes a widening of a woman’s cervix to allow instruments to enter uterus. Curettage describes the act of removing or scraping tissue from the walls of the uterus.”
WHY A D&C?

Diagnosis

In many cases, the Gynecologist will attempt an endometrial biopsy, an in-office procedure, to obtain a tissue sample. D&C may also be preceded by or in combination with another procedure called hysteroscopy to look inside and capture images of the uterus.

Removal of uterine tissue enables lab analysis to eliminate possible causes of heavy bleeding. D&C is often used to rule out conditions, such as uterine cancer.

The removed tissue is often examined microscopically by a pathologist to confirm the presence of polyps, look for pre-cancerous cells in the uterus lining or determine the presence of uterine cancer.

Treatment

A D&C is one of the fastest ways to stop active bleeding in the uterus. This includes:

Heavy bleeding during a menstrual period

Bleeding between periods

Irregular periods

Abnormal bleeding in a woman on hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

Bleeding after menopause.

D&C might also be recommended for taking out an embedded IUD birth control device, removing endometrial polyps and fibroids or treating a thickening of the uterus wall.

AFTER THE PROCEDURE

The D&C is usually very safe. However, as with a procedure there are some risks, which your Gynecologist will explain.

For several days after the procedure, a woman may experience some vaginal bleeding, back pain or pelvic cramps. The cramps and back pain can be treated with over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen.

ACTION YOU CAN TAKE

Don’t suffer needlessly from unexplained vaginal bleeding. See your Gynecologist to determine the cause and discuss treatment options to correct your problem.

Find an OB/GYN Near you.

Sources include: McLeod Health, American Society for Reproductive Medicine, American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, American College of Cardiology, National Institutes of Health

*CareSouth Carolina Administers Aduhelm IV Infusion*

CareSouth Carolina recently performed its first Aduhelm IV infusion at the Hartsville Suite B office, a therapy that could prove to be a game-changer in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Aduhelm is a brand-name prescription medication that’s used to treat Alzheimer’s Disease. It’s FDA-approved for adults with early stages of the disease who have mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia.

Jennifer Lynch, FNP-C, provides family care and IV infusions at CareSouth Carolina’s Hartsville Suite B office. She said the medication could be a game-changer in the world of health care.

“There has not been a medication that treats Alzheimer’s Disease at all for the past two decades,” Lynch said. “This is a wonderful breakthrough in medicine that can help treat a person with mild sympoms and even possibly reverse onset Alzheimer’s Disease.”

A person with mild cognitive impairment has trouble with memory, learning, concentrating, or decision making. But they’re still able to function on their own. A person with mild dementia has cognitive impairment that makes it difficult to function on their own. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. It’s a long-term disease that gets worse over time.

The cause of Alzheimer’s disease isn’t fully understood. But certain changes are known to develop in the brains of people with this disease. These changes stop the nerve cells in the brain from working correctly.

One key change is a buildup of a protein called beta-amyloid in the brain. This protein forms deposits called plaques that block communication between the nerve cells in the brain. Aduhelm helps the immune system break down these plaques.

Patients can qualify for Aduhelm IV infusion treatment after performing a Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) with their primary care provider. From there, they can meet with a neurologist and, if the disease is still in the early stages, they can be referred for an Aduhelm IV treatment. CareSouth Carolina’s primary care providers can perform these MMSEs at their offices.

For more information on this treatment, please talk with your primary care provider.

CareSouth Carolina is a private, non-profit community health center delivering patient-centered health and life services in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina. CareSouth Carolina operates centers in Bennettsville, Bishopville, Cheraw, Chesterfield, Dillon, Hartsville, Lake View, Latta, McColl and Society Hill. Services provided by CareSouth Carolina include family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, women services, OB/GYN, HIV/AIDS primary care, dental, chiropractic services, pharmacy, geriatrics, social services, clinical counseling, laboratory, 4D ultrasound, X-Ray, migrant services and veterans choice provider.

*DHEC Offers No-cost Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Testing April 12 For National STD Awareness Week*
COLUMBIA, S.C. – To promote public health and recognize April 10-16, 2022, as National STD Awareness Week, many South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) clinics are participating in a day of no-cost sexually transmitted disease (STD) screening for South Carolinians.

From 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, residents can visit a DHEC health department to be tested for hepatitis C, HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis at no cost. Appointments are encouraged and may be scheduled by calling DHEC’s Care Line at 1-855-472-3432.

“STDs are preventable, and an important step in prevention is getting tested. Identifying STDs through testing and then treating them prevents further spread of infection,” said Ali Mansaray, director of DHEC's STD, HIV, and Viral Hepatitis Division. “With the number of certain types of STDs rising annually in South Carolina and across the nation, we can’t do enough to educate each other about the importance of STD safety, including prevention and treatment, which is what National STD Awareness Week is all about.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of STD cases nationally has increased since 2014, with more than 2.5 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis reported in 2019 alone. This upward trend in STD numbers leads to an increase in other challenges, including infertility and babies born with syphilis. South Carolina has experienced similar trends, as well.

DHEC’s Division of STD/HIV and Viral Hepatitis is committed to increasing awareness, screening, and education in affected populations.

“Through continued support with community partners and public outreach efforts, our program is committed to providing the resources that make a difference in preventing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases,” Mansaray said. “STD testing is a critical first step in that process.”

For more information about STDs and sites that will provide no-cost testing, call DHEC at 1-855-472-3432 or visit www.scdhec.gov/stdhiv.

*Cases Of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Increased During Year One Of The COVID-19 Pandemic*

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released their 2020 Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Surveillance Report which looks at STD infection rates in the United States during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CDC data shows that reported cases of STDs drastically dropped during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 nationally. However, by the end of that year, reported cases of gonorrhea, syphilis, and congenital syphilis surpassed their 2019 levels, indicating continued surges in STDs. Concurrently, local health departments across the country were forced to limit or shutter services and divert staff time and resources to respond to the pandemic exacerbating an already difficult situation, according the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) representing the country’s nearly 3,000 local health departments. Without those shutdowns/limitations to services, the numbers from 2020 could be even higher.

STDs by the Numbers

At the end of 2020, reported cases of gonorrhea and primary and secondary syphilis cases were up 10% and 7% respectively, compared to 2019 cases. The highest reported increase was in congenital syphilis cases, up nearly 15% over 2019, and 235% in just five years (2016-2020).