FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Oct. 9, 2025
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health, in partnership with the Alliance for a Healthier South Carolina and multi-sector partners from across the state, is proud to announce the publication of the 2025–2030 South Carolina State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP). Developed through the Live Healthy South Carolina collaborative, the SHIP reflects the collective efforts of state agencies, public health entities, healthcare providers, community-based organizations and other cross-sector stakeholders working to improve health outcomes across the state.
Live Healthy South Carolina brings together organizations and leaders to assess population health, identify data-driven priorities and recommend best practices for implementation at both the state and local levels. The SHIP serves as a five-year roadmap for health improvement, translating population-level health data into actionable strategies that advance the well-being of all South Carolinians.
“The South Carolina State Health Improvement Plan serves as a roadmap to a healthier future for our state,” said Dr. Karla Buru, DPH deputy director of Health Strategy and External Affairs & chief of staff. “The plan not only outlines objectives we hope to achieve as a state but also provides our communities with strategies and steps to reach those goals. We are hopeful that the plan will be a critical tool in our mission to protect, promote, and improve the health and well-being of everyone in South Carolina.”
The plan emphasizes innovative, evidence-informed strategies and a results-based approach, with a focus on the following priority areas:
These areas provide a blueprint for meaningful, measurable progress. The successful implementation of the SHIP relies on multi-sector partnerships, ongoing collaboration and a shared commitment to turning the plan into action.
"The SHIP gives us a clear direction, but it’s collaboration that will carry us forward,” said Monty Robertson, Alliance for a Healthier South Carolina executive director. “By joining forces across every sector and community, we can turn shared vision into real, measurable improvements for our state."
Partners across public health, state and local agencies, private organizations, health care entities, and community groups are encouraged to use the SHIP as a guide to align efforts, share expertise, and implement strategies that improve health outcomes across South Carolina.
“Behavioral health issues and many other conditions affect emotional, psychological, and social well-being across all stages of life,” said Sara Goldsby, director of the Office of Substance Use Services within the South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. “This plan represents the kind of leadership that centers on collaboration. From the development of priorities to work on strategies, the SHIP is about a shared commitment – across sectors – to supporting the health of South Carolinians.”
The full plan is available online at dph.sc.gov/SHIP.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Oct. 17, 2025
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is adding three new confirmed cases of measles in Spartanburg County since Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases in South Carolina this year to 19 and the total number of cases in the current outbreak to 15.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Oct. 17, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Oct. 16, 2025
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Medical University of South Carolina’s (MUSC) James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine are partnering to add a dental hygienist to the DPH Lee County Health Department. This addition aims to help meet the oral health needs of children in the community.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Oct. 16, 2025
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed that a skunk found near Willford Road and Highway 187 S. in Anderson, S.C., has tested positive for rabies. No people are known to have been exposed at this time. Two dogs were exposed and will be quarantined as required in the South Carolina Rabies Control Act.