2021 Fall Newsletter
View the articles published by/about our fellow members in the media.
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“We’re turning the water blue in Florence for early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC),” exclaimed gastroenterologist Dr. Deepak Chowdhary, when he learned that the Luther F. Carter Center for Health Sciences, in partnership with the USC School of Medicine – Florence, had agreed to his request. “This type of cancer can be prevented and people need to know that 45 is the new 50,” Medical School Dean and radiologist Dr. Alan Sechtin added. Dr. Chowdhary goes further to say, “There are many reasons to be screened with colonoscopy at age 45, such as if one of more of your second or third degree relatives had CRC. If a first degree relative has had CRC at any age, then it’s best to have a colonoscopy at age 40, or 10 years before the earliest diagnosis of CRC, whichever is younger. Other disease such as Inflammatory bowel disease and family history of certain polyps also need screening before age 45.” Beginning today, Thursday March 17th, and continuing through the end of March, the fountain beside the statue of legendary Florence family physician and community activist Dr. Roswell Nathaniel Beck, Sr. “It’s fitting that Dr. Beck guards the fountain, as health disparity reduction is part of his legacy, and broader use of clinical preventive services – such as colonoscopy – can do this,” explained family physician Dr. Joseph Hoyle. According to the 2022 report from the President’s Cancer Panel, “Cancer screening can save lives and reduce the burden of cancer. However, gaps in cancer screening mean too many in the United States are unnecessarily enduring aggressive treatment or dying from cancers that could have been prevented or detected at earlier, more easily treated stages. This includes disproportionate numbers of socially and economically disadvantaged populations and many at elevated risk for cancer due to inherited mutations in cancer susceptibility genes.” Colorectal cancer screening tests may be covered by your health insurance policy without a deductible or co-pay. Even without health insurance, many South Carolinians are eligible for screening through the Colorectal Cancer Prevention Network. Physicians such as Dr. Sechtin and Hoyle will be in attendance at the annual continuing medical education forum on Friday afternoon, March 18th, at the Luther F. Carter Center for Health Sciences.
For more information, or for additional contact, you may use
• Florence County Medical Society
• SCDHEC
Help 4 Kids Florence is a nonprofit organization that feeds elementary school age children in need in Florence County. They provide meals for children on the weekends during the school-year.
Florence county medical alliance members volunteer at the Florence Help 4 Kids once a month and this year along with the medical society (photo) donated $5,000 to them.
Fore more information about the Help 4 Kids, please click this link.
Photo: Dr. Palmer Kirkpatrick from the Medical Society, Sue Jona and Ron Jaggers from the Medical Alliance giving the $5,000 check to Help 4 Kids.
An article by Andrew Morris-Singer and Brian Souza
Today, on the west side of the Atlantic, the U.S. health care system is facing its own Dunkirk moment. Covid-19 has left health care workers exhausted, traumatized, and increasingly disengaged. Like the British military, American health care faces an existential threat. Without a swift and bold rescue operation, the ranks of America’s health care workers will quickly dwindle, diminishing the ability to provide care in both outpatient and hospital settings. The nation’s citizens will suffer.
To read the full article, please click on this link.
The Florence County Medical Society Alliance held the 2021 SCMAA President's brunch in honor of the South Carolina Medical Association Alliance president Bobby Chowdary on May 18th at Ron Jagger's home. A beautiful flower bouquet was sent by Sandra Morris who attended the event through a video call. The very lively and energetic President Chowdary informed the attendees of her journey to the SCMAA president's position and her future goals that are set for the next year. Thank you, Bobby, for accepting the role of the President of the SCMAA. You will truly be remembered for your accomplishments and your charisma.
Please click this link to view the pictures from the event.
Alyssa Lee has won Florence County Medical Society's inaugural $2000 cash award to be presented at the FMU Carter Center next week. Alyssa has one more year of study at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Florence Regional Campus and has grown fond of Florence through her training this past year. In her essay chosen by the Society's executive committee, Alyssa wrote,"I have loved my clinical experiences both in the clinic and in the hospitals in the Florence region. Particularly, I have found that the culture and team dynamics in Florence are something that I enjoy witnessing and being a part of." Daniel Hyler, MD, the Society's newly elected president, stated, "I anticipate that students like Alyssa will want to return to Florence for a career in medicine because of the depth of talent, innovation, and empathy that characterizes our medical community.
Our local medical society is led by dedicated physicians from several specialties and is endorsed and partially sponsored by three of our major health institutions: HopeHealth, McLeod Health, and MUSC - Florence Medical Center." Joseph Hoyle, MD, Society secretary and trustee to the South Carolina Medical Association explains, “We want to emphasize the value students bring to each of us as practicing physicians, to our patients, and to our local medical community.” Dr. Hoyle, along with Alan Sechtin, MD, dean of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Florence Regional Campus, will present the award to Alyssa at 8:30am on Wednesday, June 9th. Students at the Florence Campus can choose any specialty for advanced residency training. At this time, only family medicine has this training in Florence but all types of specialists make Florence their home, benefitting Florence and the Pee Dee.
The timing of the award comes as students are finalizing their specialty choice and will need to travel for interviews. However, the goal is engage students and give them a better understanding of the Society and its benefits. According to Dr. Hyler’s wife Debbie, “Often the spousal support and culture of the city are deciding factors for a physician's choice of long-term practice. Certainly these factors are important for retaining physicians once they do come here. The Alliance works with the Society to provide opportunities to meet and get to know each other, as well as promote the health of our community through many service opportunities.” Alyssa, along with her husband Robert, will also be honored at the New Physician Welcome on September 16th, which is open to all physicians regardless of membership status. The Society welcomes members who live or work in or near Florence County, and has four official functions each year. Medical students can join for free.
Also, you may contact Dr. Joseph Hoyle, at jhoylemd@yahoo.com
The School Foundation has teamed up with Bright by Text to send free activities, games, and resources right to your cell phone. Messages are targeted to your child's age and include information on child development, language and early literacy, health and safety, behavioral tips, and more.
This program, already offered in other communities around the nation, offers parents and caregivers expert tips and resources for children up to the age of eight. Interactions a child has with adult caregivers at this stage of their life sets the foundation for future learning, behavior, and health. Bright by Text shares fun and easy activity ideas, positive parenting tips and resources, and information about the child's physical development.
For more information click on this link or visit The School Foundation website.
Dr. John C. Ropp III, MD, has been elected the 2021-22 president of the South Carolina Medical Association. Ropp is a family medicine physician in Hartsville.
Bobbie Chowdhary is the newly installed president of the South Carolina Medical Association Alliance for 2021-22. She previously served as president of the Florence County Medical Society Alliance from 2017 to 2019. She currently serves on boards for the McLeod Health Foundation, The School Foundation and the Florence Regional Art Alliance.
Please click on this link to read the full article.
There’s something gratifying about volunteering. Whenever we volunteer we often get more out of it than we give. Many studies have shown that volunteering helps people who donate their time feel more socially connected, thus warding off loneliness and depression. Volunteering has positive implications that go beyond mental health. Evidence of volunteerism’s physical effects can be found in a study by Dr. Sneed and Dr. Cohen from Carnegie Mellon University. Adults over age 50 who volunteered on a regular basis were less likely to develop high blood pressure than non-volunteers.
The Florence County Medical Society Alliance supports medical families and our community through health education, advocacy, and volunteerism.
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