Annie Sistrunk used to drive two hours each way to see her endocrinologist. Through Clemson Rural Health (CRH) and the Manage Together diabetes education program, she is now accessing comprehensive diabetes care in her own community and has subsequently reduced her A1c by half.
Manage Together is a Diabetes Free S.C.* women’s health initiative available at the Clemson Health Clinic at Orangeburg. Participants have access to diabetes education, cooking demonstrations, one-on-one sessions with a registered dietitian, remote patient monitoring, a Health Plex gym membership and six months of free produce boxes to support their health care goals.
Sistrunk is one example of the women who have received life-changing care from Clemson Rural Health’s multidisciplinary team. So far, 411 women have joined the program. Collectively, they have experienced an almost 25% average drop in their A1c. By improving these measures, the women are reducing their risk for heart disease, kidney disease and amputation from uncontrolled diabetes. More importantly, these changes will make a positive difference in their long-term health, allowing them to play with their grandchildren, remain independent and give back to their communities.
To build upon the program’s success over the last year, Clemson Rural Health is announcing a new collaboration with MUSC physician and endocrinologist, Harsha Karanchi. Dr. Karanchi joined the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in 2018 as an assistant professor and clinician educator. He is board-certified in internal medicine, endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism. His experiences working in Shreveport, Louisiana, and Charleston, South Carolina, have given him a passion for closing the health gaps that exist in rural communities.
With nine years of experience in specialized diabetes management, he learned about Clemson Rural Health and the Manage Together program through his work with MUSC’s Diabetes Free S.C. program, Women Against Diabetes through Empowerment (WADE). After learning about the vision of Clemson Rural Health and its comprehensive work in the community, he wanted to join the team and support efforts to elevate the program’s success.
“Patients place a lot of trust in their primary care providers, so I want to empower those providers however I can, wherever the need is greatest,” Karanchi shared. “I am excited to be a part of the wonderful work happening in Orangeburg County through Manage Together.”
Dr. Karanchi will provide mentorship and support to the frontline primary care providers at the Clemson Health Clinic at Orangeburg and help facilitate research collaborations between Clemson Rural Health and MUSC.
“Clemson Rural Health is thrilled to work closely with Dr. Karanchi on this project,” said Caitlin Moore, associate director for clinic operation. “His weekly consultations with our medical team will be invaluable as we seek to provide the highest quality of care for our patients.”
You can learn more about how Clemson Rural Health is transforming health outcomes in Orangeburg County and the rest of South Carolina in its recently published 2024 Impact Report.
About Clemson Rural Health
Clemson Rural Health is the organizing framework for Clemson’s health service delivery and prevention efforts statewide – with locations including the Clemson Health Clinic at Walhalla, Clemson Health Clinic at Orangeburg, Joseph F. Sullivan Center, Clemson Rural Health Support Office at Abbeville, and a fleet of Clemson Rural Health mobile health units. Our vision is to transform health outcomes in rural and underserved communities through reducing premature mortality, decreasing preventable hospitalizations, and improving overall quality of life in the regions we serve.
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. For more information, visit ClemsonRuralHealth.org.
*Manage Together is funded by the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, to support the goals of Diabetes Free S.C.
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