GREENWOOD, S.C. – Carolina Health Centers, Inc. (CHC) is proud to announce that it has received two national recognitions from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for 2026: the Silver Health Center Quality Leader Badge and the Advancing Health Information Technology (Health IT) Badge.These awards recognize health centers that demonstrate exceptional performance in delivering high-quality patient care while strategically leveraging technology to improve health outcomes, patient access, and operational efficiency.The Silver Health Center Quality Leader Badge places Carolina Health Centers among a select group of federally qualified health centers recognized nationally for achieving strong clinical quality outcomes. The distinction reflects CHC's ongoing commitment to evidence-based care, quality improvement, and health equity throughout the communities it serves."Earning the Silver Quality Leader badge is a direct reflection of our staff's dedication to delivering equitable, top-tier care," said Zille Elahi, Director of Quality and Population Health. "By leveraging data-driven strategies and evidence-based workflows, our teams proactively improve community health outcomes. This relentless focus on quality ensures we provide exceptional care today while innovating to meet the future needs of the patients we serve."CHC was also recognized with the Advancing Health IT Badge, which honors health centers that effectively utilize health information technology to support quality improvement, care coordination, and enhanced patient engagement."Receiving the HRSA Advancing Health IT badge is a meaningful recognition of Carolina Health Centers' commitment to using technology to improve the care we provide," said Tim Anderson, Chief Information Officer. "Technology touches nearly every part of the patient experience today, from our electronic health record and patient-facing tools to improved clinical workflows, care coordination, and the use of data to support better decisions across our health centers."Anderson emphasized that continued investment in technology is essential to supporting CHC's mission. "Health information technology allows us to grow and innovate while helping our providers and staff work more efficiently, protect patient information, and remain focused on what matters most: providing high-quality care to the communities we serve."Together, these recognitions underscore Carolina Health Centers' commitment to advancing patient care through a combination of clinical excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.
GREENWOOD, S.C. – Carolina Health Centers (CHC) is proud to announce that the organization has successfully achieved Advanced Patient-Centered Medical Home (Advanced PCMH) recognition for Saluda Family Practice while maintaining National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) certification across all CHC clinical sites. This accomplishment reflects CHC’s ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality, coordinated, and patient-focused care to the communities it serves throughout the Lakelands region of South Carolina.According to NCQA, the Patient-Centered Medical Home model places patients at the center of their healthcare experience by fostering stronger relationships between patients and their care teams, emphasizing coordinated care, quality improvement, better health outcomes, and enhanced patient experiences. Practices that earn NCQA recognition demonstrate a commitment to continuous quality improvement and evidence-based care delivery.Achieving and maintaining NCQA PCMH recognition is a rigorous, year-round process that requires healthcare organizations to demonstrate excellence in key areas such as patient access, care coordination, population health management, quality measurement, performance improvement, and team-based care. Advanced PCMH recognition requires organizations to go even further by demonstrating sophisticated population health strategies, enhanced care management capabilities, data-driven quality initiatives, and measurable improvements in patient outcomes."At Carolina Health Centers, quality is not a one-time achievement. It is embedded into every patient interaction, every workflow, and every improvement initiative we undertake," said Derek Bannister, Director of Operations at Carolina Health Centers. "This recognition validates the extraordinary work of our providers, nurses, support staff, quality team, and leadership who are committed every day to ensuring our patients receive comprehensive, coordinated, and compassionate care."CHC's Quality Improvement program continuously evaluates clinical performance, patient outcomes, population health metrics, and operational processes to identify opportunities for improvement and ensure patients receive the highest standard of care. Recent quality initiatives have included enhanced care coordination, proactive outreach to patients with chronic conditions, expanded preventive health screenings, improved risk stratification processes, and strengthened quality measurement capabilities. These efforts support CHC's broader commitment to improving health outcomes while addressing the unique healthcare needs of rural communities throughout its service area.As part of its 2026 quality initiatives, CHC successfully completed the submission of evidence required for NCQA PCMH certification for multiple sites and completed Advanced PCMH certification review activities, demonstrating the organization's dedication to continuous improvement and practice transformation.For patients, NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home recognition means they can expect:· Better coordination between providers, specialists, hospitals, and community resources· Increased focus on preventive care and chronic disease management· Greater access to care and patient engagement opportunities· Enhanced use of data and technology to support clinical decision-making· A healthcare team that works collaboratively to address the whole person, not just individual medical conditions· Ongoing measurement and improvement of quality, safety, and patient experience"While all our facilities received PCMH certification, SFP was the only practice that applied for and received the Advanced PCMH. To qualify, a facility needs to already meet regular PCMH requirements. It then needs to scale up those workflows to be able to manage total cost of care, clinical quality outcomes, and enhanced care coordination through data interoperability," said Zille Elahi, Director of Quality & Population Health at Carolina Health Centers. "SFP was able to demonstrate that it dedicated resources to actively coordinate care for our highest-risk patients, address complex social determinants of health, and execute rapid interventions to keep our community healthy. It also means that SFP leveraged advanced population health analytics (incorporating payer data and care transitions data from other providers) allowing for dynamic risk stratification and proactive care management."This achievement reinforces Carolina Health Centers' mission of improving the health and well-being of the communities it serves while continuing to advance innovative care models that place patients at the center of everything it does.
This month, Carolina Health Centers held our very first Recovery Month Celebration event on 9/12. This event included live music, food vendors, games, art, as well as community and state resources. Our community gathered together to celebrate, remember, and spread awareness on how recovery is possible.Steven Gause, our Greenwood County Peer Support Specialist, said, “I was blown away to see so many people from different walks of life and recovery come together in the same space. It was a true celebration of the spirit of recovery and Greenwood definitely showed out! I can attest how difficult it is to escape substance use. Anyone who can break those chains deserves to be celebrated. Recovery is simply a process of progress, growth, and improvement, but to me it means everything. I know that my life without my recovery does not exist. As a community, we cannot do it alone. We will always need a solid foundation. We can't keep what we have without giving it away but also remember that you can't transmit something that you haven't got.” We are very proud of our Peer Support Specialists and our entire Behavioral Health Department who continue to show that recovery is possible through their services and actions.
Carolina Health Centers supports Greenwood Abbeville Coalition throughout the year in many events. Two of these events are the Candlelight Vigil that takes place in both Greenwood and Abbeville. Members of our staff showed up and shared their testimonies at these vigils, specifically Greenwood’s. Alyssa Birch, Behavioral Health Coordinator, states, “I am the Vice Chair for Greenwood Abbeville Coalition (GAC) who hosts the candlelight vigils every year. GAC's mission is to have a drug-free community and is open for any member of the community to join. I have been to both Abbeville and Greenwood vigils over the years and have to say, it is always a combination of touching and gut-wrenching. We come together to remember those we love who have passed away due to overdose and bring hope to those who face addiction. We had 13 overdose deaths in Greenwood since the 2025 vigil, and 7 in Abbeville.” Steven Gause shared his testimony and says, “It is always difficult to talk about the ones that we have lost from the epidemic of overdose. Overdose is real, and 13 chairs were set up in remembrance that can attest to that. On the other hand, it is always reassuring to be able to look around and see the faces of so many examples that recovery is alive and well.”Infectious Disease Outreach Navigator, Madelynne Barker, states, “The vigils left me speechless with gratitude. Seeing the community come together in memory of those we’ve lost to overdose was beautiful. It helps let people who may be struggling to know they deserve safety, compassion and another chance! The best way to fight overdose is to show up for people while they are still here!” Recovery is possible and we are here for those facing addictions and recovery. As Alyssa said, “I want anyone who reads this to know that in the face of hopelessness, we are here for you. We see you, we want to help you, and we will continue to strive for a mission of a drug-free community despite any challenges we face.”
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