Clemson’s Sullivan Center, South Carolina DHEC providing COVID-19 mobile testing clinics in May, June

Clemson University’s Joseph F. Sullivan Center will provide COVID-19 mobile testing clinics in Oconee, Pickens and Chester counties in May and June as part of a partnership with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) to increase access to testing.

With the help of DHEC volunteers, Joseph F. Sullivan Center family nurse practitioners and registered nurses will conduct the tests, with results expected in 3-5 working days. Operated by Clemson’s College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, the Sullivan Center is an interdisciplinary health center serving University employees and rural communities across South Carolina.

No doctor’s orders or symptoms will be required to take the tests, which will be free and administered in a drive-through format. Patients will be asked to fill out paperwork with their contact information and basic information on symptoms that they may be experiencing.

Clinic dates, locations and times are as follows:

• Wednesday, May 27: Salem First Baptist Church (151 Crestwood Drive, Salem, SC 29676), 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• Friday, May 29: Fair Oak Youth Center (150 School House Road, Westminster, SC 29693), 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, June 2: Griffin Ebenezer Baptist Church (450 Garvin St., Pickens, SC 29671), 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, June 3: Chester Community Testing Site (139 Cadz St., Chester, SC 29706), 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (Sullivan Center providers are assisting the Medical University of South Carolina with this screening event.)
• Tuesday, June 9: Pickens Middle School (140 Torch Lane, Pickens, SC 29671), 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Friday, June 12: Dacusville Community Center (2671 Earls Bridge Road/Highway 186E, Easley, SC 29640), 9 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Tuesday, June 16: The Dream Center (111 Hillcrest Drive, Easley, SC 29640), 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Wednesday, June 17: Liberty High School (124 Red Devil Drive, Liberty, SC 29657), 9 p.m.-3 p.m.

The clinics are part of an effort by DHEC to partner with community organizations to enhance South Carolina’s testing capacity and increase access to testing in communities across the state, especially in rural and underserved areas where residents may have limited access to healthcare. The South Carolina Office of Rural Health has also been a key partner in helping connect the Sullivan Center with rural sites for testing.

Beyond supporting health and wellness for Clemson employees, the Joseph F. Sullivan Center provides outreach to underserved communities throughout the state through the use of mobile health clinics, including the world’s first solar-powered mobile health clinic that was added to its fleet in 2016. The center has also been engaged in other initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic, including offering free non-COVID-19 virtual clinic visits to Clemson employees, alumni and families as well as residents of Oconee County to help alleviate financial and social distancing concerns about securing medical care. The Sullivan Center is an affiliate of the Clemson-MUSC Healthy Me – Healthy SC Alliance aimed at improving health outcomes in rural South Carolina.

For more information about the COVID-19 mobile testing clinics, contact Caitlin Moore, Sullivan Center outreach and wellness director, at (864) 656-3076.