SC Institute of Medicine & Public Health

The IMPH team stepped out of the office and into the wild this week with a visit to Riverbanks Zoo & Garden. Taking time to pause, recharge, and connect with one another helps us return to our work with fresh energy and renewed purpose.

Yesterday, IMPH convened the second meeting of the Foundations for Success Taskforce. Following remarks from Chair Michael Leach, members heard from Dr. Heather Smith Googe on the current policy and practice landscape concerning exclusionary discipline practices, engaged in a panel discussion on strategies to reduce exclusionary discipline in early learning, and continued developing recommendations. Thank you to our taskforce members and presenters—we look forward to continuing this important work together.

March is National Social Worker Month. Social workers serve in a variety of roles supporting people across our state. Read here about how we can better support social workers serving behavioral health patients: imph.org/increasing-acc… #NationalSocialWorkMonth

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, which reminds us that early detection is key to treating these cancers. Read this data brief from 2021 to learn about lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers in South Carolina among African American men and what can be done to address differences in outcomes: imph.org/wp-content/upl… @CancerFreeSC #ColorectalCancerAwarenessMonth

Earlier this week, IMPH Executive Director Maya Pack spoke with SC Public Radio about South Carolina's efforts to boost the mental health workforce: imph.org/report-finds-s…

GA Spotlight: Please join us in welcoming another graduate research assistant for the Spring 2026 semester: Lucy Mwenda. Lucy is pursuing a Master of Public Health in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department at the University of South Carolina. Lucy will be supporting our Research & Policy Manager, Taryn Farrell, on the Foundations for Success Taskforce. Welcome, Lucy!

Amy Weaver, IMPH Roadmap Policy Director, presented yesterday at Together SC's summit alongside partners on the South Carolina Food Insecurity Risk Map, an innovative planning tool designed to help communities better understand and address food insecurity across the state: foodismedicinesc.org/map. The map was developed through a partnership between Openfields, Food is Medicine South Carolina, and Furman University’s Institute for the Advancement of Community Health. It visualizes local-level food insecurity risk alongside relevant demographic, health outcome, and community resource data. #TogetherSC

Last week, IMPH Research & Policy Manager Taryn Farrell had the opportunity to present to the Scholars in Health and Alzheimer's Research Engagement (SHARE) Program alongside partners at the South Carolina Department on Aging and the South Carolina Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association on aging related community-engaged work in our state. Engaged in various projects to advance Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias through community engagement, health communication, and implementation science research, the SHARE scholars came prepared to ask a number of insightful questions around fostering successful community partnerships. We are so grateful for our partners!

Department of Education, the South Carolina Department of Social Services, Head Start, Family Connection, and South Carolina Partnerships for Inclusion about state and federal policy activities impacting young children and their families in South Carolina.

IMPH Research & Policy Manager Taryn Farrell recently participated on a panel at the South Carolina Council for Exceptional Children Annual Conference where she presented on the Foundations for Success Taskforce and spoke alongside representatives from the South Carolina

IMPH Roadmap Policy Director Amy Weaver recently took the stage at the @UofSC Nutrition Symposium, highlighting how the SC Roadmap’s policy informing goals can drive healthier, more resilient communities across our state.

engaged in a panel discussion regarding early care and education, and began developing recommendations. Thank you to our taskforce members, presenters, and panelists for making this first meeting a success. We look forward to continuing this important work together!

Last Thursday, IMPH convened the inaugural meeting of the Foundations for Success Taskforce. Following opening remarks from Taskforce Chair Michael Leach, members heard from the @EducationSC on the current landscape of early childhood education,

Applicants should send a resume, cover letter, and social media/public relations writing sample(s) to IMPH Senior Director of Operations, Yair Centeno at yair@imph.org. For more information visit our website: imph.org/careers/projec…

IMPH is hiring a Project and Communications Coordinator to help drive our strategic communications and support health policy initiatives. This role is a chance to blend creativity, collaboration, and mission‑driven work to advance evidence‑based health policy.

Experts from across the state will work collaboratively to develop an action plan to reduce suspensions and expulsions among the state’s earliest learners; students enrolled in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. For more information visit: imph.org/taskforces/fou…

IMPH is convening the Foundations for Success Taskforce, a statewide action planning process led by Taskforce Chair and former South Carolina Department of Social Services Director Michael Leach, MMFT.

IMPH is excited to share that Dr. Stephen J. Cutler has joined the IMPH Board of Directors. Dr. Cutler currently serves as the VP for Economic Development for USC and as the Dean of the USC College of Pharmacy. Welcome, Dr. Cutler!

the AFPHS 6C’s Framework, and facilitate a group discussion on AFPHS action planning in South Carolina. We had the pleasure of hearing updates from our partners about the incredible work happening in the aging and long-term care space across the state.

Last week we convened the Age Friendly Public Health Systems (AFPHS) Advisory Committee where IMPH Research & Policy Manager, Taryn Farrell, had the opportunity to share updates from our national AFPHS cohort, present findings from our gap analysis guided by