Clemson Rural Health announces new collaboration with Abbeville Area Medical Center

Clemson Rural Health (CRH) – the organizing framework for statewide health service delivery and prevention eff­orts within the Clemson University College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences – and Abbeville Area Medical Center (AAMC) have entered an innovative and collaborative partnership to enhance patient access to high quality health care and improve health outcomes for Abbeville County residents. The two entities have worked closely since 2016 to increase access to cancer, hepatitis C and chronic disease screenings and treatment through Clemson Rural Health’s mobile health team.

The new partnership will enhance Clemson Rural Health’s ability to support the vital work already occurring at AAMC and increase the reach of CRH’s fixed and mobile health services as they work to fulfill Clemson University’s land grant mission.

The commitment and passion of AAMC staff to know and serve their community attracted us to this collaboration, said Ron Gimbel, Clemson professor and director of Clemson Rural Health. We are confident this partnership will offer Abbeville County residents new opportunities to improve their overall health and well-being.

Abby Morningstar, Clemson Rural Health registered dietician, and Amanda Morgan, director of community health, wellness and outreach at Abbeville Area Medical Center, will work together on-site to support nutrition and health outreach in the community. Morningstar will coordinate Fresh for Life, a federally funded produce prescription and educational program intended for individuals living with type 2 diabetes, and collaborate with AAMC providers to support chronic disease management in the surrounding rural and underserved communities.

AAMC is proud to partner with Clemson Rural Health and deliver the Fresh for Life program to our patients, said Morgan. The community health, wellness and outreach department works closely with our primary care physicians to monitor and educate diabetic patients on proper nutrition and eating habits – and we look forward to making lasting improvements in the health of our community through this partnership.

Leslie Hossfeld, dean of the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, said the partnership between Clemson Rural Health and Abbeville Area Medical Center is an important step in advancing the College’s health mission and addressing critical needs in South Carolina.

As a College, we are working to improve health outcomes and increase access to resources and care for the people and communities of South Carolina, said Hossfeld. The collaboration between CRH and AAMC is a catalyst for change in the quality of care for rural and underserved communities across the state.

Clemson Rural Health is a part of the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, a 21st-century land-grant college joining together a unique combination of schools and departments: Communication, Nursing, Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, Political Science, Psychology, Public Health Sciences and Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice. These areas have distinctive characteristics and missions – all joined together by a common thread of service to people and communities.

Abbeville Area Medical Center has been meeting the region’s health care needs since 1919. The hospital offers a full range of services including a 24-hour emergency department, an inpatient and outpatient surgery center, radiology services including MRI, diabetes education, wound care center, laboratory, physical, speech and occupational therapy, swing bed inpatient rehabilitation, infusion and specialty injection services, inpatient medical detox, behavioral health, hospice services and home health care.  The medical staff includes board-certified primary care physicians and surgeons as well as a specialist in pain management.  For more information about Abbeville Area Medical Center, please call the Marketing Department at 864-366-3364 or visit AbbevilleAreaMC.com.