The College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences (CBSHS) continues to transform lives statewide and beyond through its commitment to rural health care, research and outreach.
The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) celebrates National Rural Health Day (NRHD) on the third Thursday of November, annually, as an opportunity to highlight the important work of rural health care providers, scholars, community members and organizations nationwide.
“CBSHS is uniquely positioned to address rural health care through innovative, interdisciplinary research and program development,” said Leslie Hossfeld, CBSHS dean. “We recognized the statewide need for programs and resources to support the health and well-being of individuals living in rural communities, and researchers across the College are actively engaged in projects to improve the quality of life for rural communities across the state, nation and world.”
CBSHS programs include:
Clemson Rural Health
Protein Rx
This year, Clemson Rural Health (CRH) launched Protein Rx, a new program focused on addressing malnutrition in adults through protein prescriptions and nutrition education. Protein Rx is the first program of its kind in South Carolina to offer an accessible, protein-based treatment plan for malnourished patients after hospitalization. This unique, multidisciplinary health care approach combines medical and nutritional elements and utilizes food as medicine to improve the quality of life for individuals diagnosed with malnutrition and increase protein-specific food security among vulnerable populations in the Upstate.
Veggie Rx
Clemson Rural Health patients who demonstrate risk for diabetes or heart disease are enrolled in Veggie Rx, a produce prescription and nutrition education program led by Brooke Brittain, registered dietician and associate director of food and nutrition security for Clemson Rural Health, and Caitlin Moore, associate director of clinical operations for CRH. Participants receive 12 biweekly produce boxes and have access to monthly food demonstrations.
Since the program’s inception, 29% of participants have achieved clinically significant improvements to their A1c levels.
Fresh For Life
Abby Morningstar, registered dietician for Clemson Rural Health, leads Fresh for Life, a GusNIP-funded produce prescription program and clinical study in Abbeville, South Carolina.
Since May 2023, Fresh for Life has enrolled 224 patients with type 2 diabetes. The program provides eight boxes of locally sourced prescription produce, one-on-one medical nutrition therapy sessions and a monthly cooking class where Morningstar cooks recipes based on the contents of that week’s produce box.
Manage Together
Funded by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation in support of the Diabetes Free SC initiative, the Manage Together program offers produce prescriptions, diabetes self-management education, nutrition education, access to physical activity and remote patient monitoring for Clemson Rual Health patients living with and at-risk for diabetes in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
Last year, graduates of the Manage Together program experienced an average drop of 24.6 percent in their A1C levels – and the program’s most engaged patients experienced an average reduction of 9.58 mg/dL in blood glucose levels.
Ron Gimbel, director of Clemson Rural Health and professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences, and Caitlin Moore, associate director of clinical operations for CRH, lead the Orangeburg County program.
Center for Addiction and Mental Health Research
South Carolina Buprenorphine Treatment Initiation, Adherence and Retention Utilizing Mobile Health Units and Peer Support Specialists (STAMPS)
Researchers in the Center for Addiction and Mental Health Research have developed a modeling framework to identify and prioritize South Carolina communities at highest risk of opioid overdose and in greatest need of opioid use disorder treatment and prevention interventions. The STAMPS program uses mobile health clinics for medication delivery, distribution of fentanyl test strips and naloxone for overdose prevention and a peer support specialist intervention to increase program retention and patient success.
Center for Health Disparities
Go Mobile: Rural, Nurse-led Education and Workforce Development in Rural Communities
Funded by the United States Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and led by Kathleen Valentine, professor in the School of Nursing, the Go Mobile program promotes nurse education and expands nurse-led mobile health care in rural communities across South Carolina. The project is designed to prepare a skilled workforce of nurses through hands-on experience in mobile health units and rigorous training in rural health, professionalism, social determinants of health, innovative health care technologies, person-centered mental health care and organizational decision making.
South Carolina Public Health Preparedness Student Corps (SCPHPSC)
Led by Shirley Timmons, professor in the School of Nursing, the South Carolina Public Health Preparedness Student Corps was designed to train nursing students in disaster preparedness and emergency response. Over a two-year period, the project prepared a pipeline of 681 culturally competent nursing students for regional and global disaster preparedness and emergency response and provided opportunities for certification and training in the South Carolina Medical Reserve Corps, Federal Emergency Management Agency Incident Command and the American College of Surgeons Stop the Bleed program.
Department of Public Health Sciences
Healthy Options Program (HOP)
Sarah Griffin, professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences, co-leads a five-year, $3.8 million Healthy Options Program funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve access to healthy foods in ten counties across South Carolina.
HOP provides fruit and vegetable vouchers and fresh produce prescription programs. Additionally, team members work with local partners to improve community walkability, develop healthy weight programs for families and increase access to farm-to-early childhood education centers. This multi-level, community-based approach aims to improve obesity and diabetes outcomes for individuals and families in Allendale, Bamberg, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Marion, Hampton, Lee, Orangeburg and Marlboro counties.
The HOP team comprises Clemson University public health researchers and Clemson Extension Rural Health and Nutrition agents.
Health Extension for Diabetes (HED)
Health Extension for Diabetes is an education and support program delivered through the Clemson Cooperative Extension Service available in every county in South Carolina. Developed through a collaborative grant-funded effort between the Clemson Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson Extension and Prisma Health, HED is recognized by the American Diabetes Association as a practice-tested diabetes support program designed to assist individuals in managing diabetes and preventing or delaying complications.
Windsor Sherrill, Clemson vice president for health research and professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences, serves as co-principal investigator for the project.
College-led Initiatives
One Health
The Clemson University One Health initiative began in 2020 to facilitate and promote interdisciplinary collaborations in human, animal and environmental health. In collaboration with the CBSHS Center for Public Health Modeling and Response, One Health researchers from Colleges across the University are screening wastewater for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), specifically H5N1 strains, in cattle farms throughout South Carolina.
Additionally, CBSHS leads curriculum development for the initiative and grant development across the University.
Embedded Scholars Program
CBSHS has developed an Embedded Faculty Scholar Program in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Public Health (SCDPH). The program provides research support for SCDPH and offers CBSHS faculty members with invaluable field experience and research opportunities.
Erin Ash, associate professor in the Department of Communication, and Brian Witrick, assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences are the inaugural scholars.
Ash’s research expertise in reproductive health misinformation, the role of media in pregnancy prevention efforts and stigma communication supports SCDPH goals related to family planning and reproductive health.
Witrick’s research expertise in epidemiology, spatial analysis and health disparities aligns with both the College’s mission to build people and communities and the immediate and long-term priorities of SCDPH.
South Carolina Food Access Map
The College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Public Health and South Carolina Department of Environmental Services, developed the Food Access Map as a resource for individuals and communities across South Carolina. The map reinforces the shared commitment to health and well-being in rural areas by strengthening community networks and connecting individuals, families and service providers with food resources statewide.
The College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences (CBSHS) was established in July 2016. CBSHS is a 21st-century, land-grant college that combines work in nine disciplines – communication; nursing; parks, recreation and tourism management; political science; psychology; public health sciences; sociology, anthropology and criminal justice – to further its mission of “building people and communities” in South Carolina and beyond.
