Archive for category: Ribbon Cuttings

Pee Dee Healthy Start was one of 15 federally funded demonstration sites created in 1991. It was administered through the United Way of South Carolina. At that time, the organization served six counties in the Pee Dee, which did not include Florence.

In 1997, Healthy Start transitioned from the United Way to Pee Dee Healthy Start Inc. and was granted 501-C3 status.

Pee Dee Healthy Start now serves seven counties — Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Marion, Marlboro and Williamsburg — and provides assistance in several areas to help strengthen families.

It provides health education, fatherhood involvement, mentoring and support, child development counseling and other services.

Madie Robinson, executive director and chief executive, said one of the primary goals is to strengthen the African-American family unit by improving the effectiveness of adult relationships through its Relationship and Education Program.

The Dannon Project offers opportunities for individuals who have been in conflict with the law to transform their lives, she said. It provides training, job development skills, GED preparation and certifications for certain jobs. This program is geared toward adults between the ages of 18-24. Its purpose is to help educate, train and reintroduce them to the workforce.

The re-entry program helps people become whole, Robinson said. It helps them get a job, she said. She said these are people who need a “help up, not a handout.”

“That is where I see our relationship with the chamber,” Robinson said.

Robinson said that when the organization started it established a relationship with the businesses in the area.

“We had an economic development specialist,” she said.

She said women’s issues were discussed with businesses, especially those relating to pregnancy.

Decreasing the incidence of infant mortality is still one of the main purposes of Pee Dee Healthy Start Inc. Through health education, the organization hopes to increase the knowledge and awareness related to infant mortality and poor birth outcomes, Robinson said.

Chairman of the board Billy Williams said the people that Pee Dee Healthy Start Inc. helps need a lot of help.

Williams said space is an issue at the Pine Street location. He said his dream is to find more space within the next five years to operate.

Robinson said they are always looking for non-federal donations.

Pee Dee Healthy Start Inc. is at 314 W. Pine St. in Florence.

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Dr. Stuart Sandler, Medical Director of McLeod Health Occupational Health Services, greeted guests to the Business After Hours event. He said McLeod Occupational Health provides “treatment, services and health care to area businesses and industries at several locations throughout the 18 counties McLeod Health serves.”

“The locations include McLeod Occupational Health Cheraw, McLeod Occupational Health Sumter, McLeod Occupational Health Commerce Park located off I-95 and this new location at McLeod Regional Medical Center.”

Sandler said the new location allows them to offer a full range of occupational medicine services. They include DOT-certified exams, physicals, primary care services, treatment for work-related injury and illnesses, on-site X-ray and EKG services, labs, firefighter physicals, and employee health services for McLeod Health staff.

Occupational Health moved from across the McLeod campus where it had been for nearly 30 years. Occupational Health kept outgrowing its space.

Oct. 14 was the first day at the new location.

Nurse Kim McCracken, business relations manager, said occupational health is all about medical health for people who work. It is on-the-job health care and covers things like immunizations, she said.

There are two full-time physicians, Sandler and Dr. Valarian Bruce. Dr. Peter Hyman is associate vice president. Shelly Morris is the director of occupational employee health.

Sandler said he has been with McLeod Health Occupational Health for about two years but has worked in the field for 25 years.

“We take care of the working family,” he said. “Anything that happens at work.”

He said a lot of times people who come to them don’t have a primary doctor.

“This is really a step up for us,” Sandler said.

Hyman said the new site has allowed them to expand their services.

“We are very happy to have this new location,” he said.

Sandler said they have 26 employees in the new building and about 55-60 overall, and 15 on-site locations in industries throughout the McLeod coverage area.

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Jennings said she taught at the school last year and has been a guest instructor. She has been teaching dance since high school. She has taught in Hartsville, Bennettsville, Florence and Camden.

Originally from Virginia, Jennings is a graduate of Coker College, where she studied dance. She now teaches dance at Coker University.

Jennings is certified through the American Ballet Theatre in their national training curriculum to teach ballet. She most recently became certified by Acrobatic Arts to teach Acro dance. In addition, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip hop are taught at the studio by her 25-member staff, which includes assistant teachers.

Jennings said she had added adult Yoga classes this year.

In her brochure, Jennings says School of Dance Arts provides conservative costuming, music choices and choreography for students.

She said their slogan is “Where excellence in dance begins.”

Jennings said she will be starting several new classes in January. Sign up will begin soon.

The dance studio, located at 1001 S. Cashua Drive in Florence, is open Monday through Thursday in the evenings.

For more information, visit: www.florenceschoolofdancearts.com or call 843-665-0606.

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“We bring primary care to you,” he told those gathered Thursday morning for the grand opening of his office. A ribbon cutting was hosted by the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce to announce his membership in the chamber. Chamber ambassadors, his staff, friends and family joined in the ribbon cutting.

Edwards said he makes house calls as far away as Conway, Johnsonville, Darlington and Hartsville.

“The number of patients we are seeing is increasing every day,” he said. “This is a better way to primary care.”

Edwards said patients receive the best of care in the comfort of their own homes. He said his practice has up-to-date technology available so patients can access their medical records online.

For about six years prior, Edwards said, he worked in the hospital emergency room setting and saw firsthand a need for doctors who make house calls.

Board certified, Edwards specializes in internal medicine.

Home services include flu shots, vaccines, diagnostic testing — ultrasounds, X-rays and lab work.

In-office appointments are also available.

Edwards said his way of doing medicine is embraced by the homebound, mobility insecure, those who shouldn’t be around sick people and people who don’t want to spend a half a day in the doctor’s office.

Charlotte Hanna, PA, and Tammy Huckabee, nurse practitioner, work with Edwards. There five people on the staff, but Edwards said more doctors will be joining him soon.

Born and raised in Dillon, he earned his undergraduate degree from Francis Marion University and his medical degree from West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine.

His wife, Christena, and children, Madison, Paisley and Chase, joined him for the cutting of the ribbon.

Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Other times are available by appointment.

To make an appointment or for more information, call 843-619-2280 or visit www.myhousecalldoctor.com.

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“We can help with anything CBD related,” Page said. “We are a passion-driven CBD company.”

He said he has been using and researching CBD since 2016.

“We are here to help others,” he said.

Page said he offers a half to a dozen selected brands.

“We are trying to cover all the bases,” he said.

CBD is one of the cannabinoids found in hemp.

There are many uses for CBD, Page said. He said some of the ways it may help include Alzheimer’s, obesity, diabetes, motion sickness, stress, sleep disorders, epilepsy/seizures, migraines and a host of other ailments.

Treating pain due to inflammation, depression, and anxiety is the most common use for CBD, Page said.

“It works to relax the central nervous system,” he said.

Page said he invites everyone to come by and learn more about CBD. He suggests that people visit more than one CBD store and then come by to see him.

“We’d love to be the last stop,” he said.

Hours are Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Page said he is always there.

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