The 2023 Telehealth Program of Excellence award was presented to the South Carolina Department of Mental Health Community Tele-Psychiatry program during the 11th Annual Telehealth Summit of South Carolina held this month in Greenville. The award recognizes a mature program (academic or community-based) that demonstrated considerable outcomes in the areas of clinical intervention, improved access, and community engagement.
The South Carolina Department of Mental Health Community Tele-Psychiatry program has improved access to mental health services in all counties in the state since its inception. It provides more than 71,000 clinical services annually to almost 30,000 patients in 60 mental health clinics throughout the state according to former Mental Health State Director John Magill. He credits the success to the program’s leadership including Margaret Meriwether, Dr. Robert Bank, and Dr. Brenda Ratliff.
“The South Carolina Department of Mental Health Community Tele-psychiatry program has paved the way for many telehealth programs in our state,” said Dr. Meera Narasimhan, Meera Narasimhan, Professor and Chair for the Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science at Prisma Health. “It truly has addressed an unmet need and is a value added service to a great state.”