Join the Docs Adopt Program!
What is Docs Adopt? Docs Adopt partners physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants with local schools to serve on the school wellness committee. This initiative offers physicians a structured opportunity to provide support, knowledge, and motivation to schools as they implement evidence-based strategies and promote a culture of wellness. No clinical responsibilities or services are rendered as part of this volunteer role. How Do I Adopt A School? The process is straightforward. Please complete this Volunteer Registration Form to initiate the enrollment process. Over 50 schools participate in the Docs Adopt Program. Currently, seven schools are accepting volunteers. If [...]
Docs Adopt
WHAT IS DOCS ADOPT? Docs Adopt partners physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants with local schools to serve on the school wellness committee. This offers physicians a structured opportunity to provide support, knowledge, and motivation to schools as they implement evidence-based strategies and promote a culture of wellness. There are no clinical responsibilities or services rendered as part of this volunteer role. Click Here to learn more.
SC mobile optometry bill signed into law
Congratulations to Mr. Henry Blackford, III and all the CCMS School Health Committee Members for being the driving force that enabled House Bill 4837 to be signed into SC law. Last December, the Charleston County Medical Society members of the School Health Committee, wrote a letter in support of the Vision To Learn program in Charleston County School District schools by bringing a mobile van with a South Carolina licensed optometrist to perform modified screening and full refraction on students from kindergarten through high school. [Read The Letter of Support] The letter was signed by the following: Janice [...]
CCSD 2021-2022 School Year
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CCSD Wellness Award presentation to Montessori Elementary
Pictured from left to right: Angela Wicke, Program Coordinator, MUSC Boeing Center for Children's Wellness Dr. Cleave Ham, President, CCMS Dr. Katharyn Ouzts, Co-Director CCMS, School Health Committee Dr. Jan Key, Co-Director, CCMS School Health Committee Ruth Sword, Montessori Elementary Wellness Leader
SCMA Annual Meeting Report 2022
Hot Topic presentation by Dr. Annie Andrews, “Children, Guns, and Safety” with 260 gun locks distributed to attendees (with contact information gathered for follow up) The resolution authored by Dr. Lara Wine Lee was approved with revisions. RESOLUTION NUMBER: C- 9 REDUCING UV EXPOSURE IN CHILDREN Authors: Charleston County Medical Society School Health Committee “RESOLVED; that the South Carolina Medical Association strongly encourages reducing barriers to adequate sun protection; RESOLVED; that the South Carolina Medical Association encourages schools and support legislation to allow students to access sunscreen at school without restriction and without requiring physician authorization; RESOLVED; that the [...]
Dr. Annie Andrews to Speak at College’s Bully Pulpit Series
The Bully Pulpit Series at the College of Charleston will host a town meeting with South Carolina 1st Congressional District Democratic candidate Dr. Annie Andrews on Wednesday, April 6, 2022. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 5 p.m. in room 101 of the Rita Liddy Hollings Science Center located at 58 Coming Street. Doors open for this event at 4:30 p.m. Please note that CofC has a clear bag policy for this event and only clear bags will be allowed in the building. Dr. Annie Andrews is an associate professor of pediatrics [...]
March Parent Workshop – Tough Conversations, March 17, 2022
The CCMS School Health Committee and the Charleston County School District are excited to announce the March Parent Workshop 5:.30-6:30 PM - Vaping Marijuana: What Every Parent Needs to Know Renee Richardson, BS, CPSPSarah Halse, CSPSThe Charleston Center 6.30-7:30 PM - Myth Busting Cannabidiol (CBD) Health Claims Dr. Anna Kirkland, Medical University of SC, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesSponsored By:The Charleston County School District ADAPT programThe Charleston CenterMUSC Youth CollaborativeMUSC Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences For More Information contact Linda Ballinger at linda_ballinger@charleston.k12.sc.us
February Parent Workshop – Tough Conversations, February 17, 2022
The CCMS School Health Committee and the Charleston County School District are excited to announce the February Parent Workshop 5:.30-6:30 PM - Talking About Mental Health: Anxiety and ADHD Samantha McKenzie, LMSW and Taylor Phills, MA EdS Illumil 6.30-7:30 PM - Teen Substance Use What You Want to Know Renee Richardson, BS, CPSP Sarah Halse, CSPS The Charleston Center Sponsored By: The Charleston County School District ADAPT program Illumii The Charleston Center For More Information contact Linda Ballinger at linda_ballinger@charleston.k12.sc.us
January Parent Workshop – Tough Conversations, January 20, 2022
The CCMS School Health Committee and the Charleston County School District are excited to announce the January Parent Workshop Topics to be Discussed: 6.00 PM - Vape Talk for Parents Presented by: Megan Austin: - Smokefree SC. Communicattons Coordinator MPH candidate and Dr. Lochrane Grant, Retired Pediatrician For More Information contact Linda Ballinger at linda_ballinger@charleston.k12.sc.us
A Letter From the Front Lines of Quarantining With Kids
Read the Article
South Carolina Physicians for the Protection of Children in Schools
Sign the Petition
Listen to your doctor — mask up until all kids are protected
Read the Article Post and Courier Op-Ed (PDF)
Janice D. Key School Health Visionary Award
Ellen Nitz, CCSD Director of Nursing, won the 2021 Janice D. Key School Health Visionary from the SC School-Based Health Center Collaborative CONGRATULATIONS!
Grand prize winner – James Island Elementary School (JIES)
Read the Article
Media Release – School Health Committee News!
Read the Press Release
Parent Workshop – Tough Conversations – Session 7
The CCMS School Health Committee and the Charleston County School District are excited to announce Parent Workshop - Session 7 Topics to be Discussed: Stress and African American Children & Adolescents Approaching Anxiety in Youth Tough Conversations For More Information contact Linda Ballinger at linda_ballinger@charleston.k12.sc.us
SCMA Firearm Safety Resolution
Congratulations to Dr. Annie Andrews, Dr. Jan Key, and the entire CCMS School Health Committee! Their resolution regarding firearm safe storage counseling, which was sponsored by CCMS and submitted to the SCMA House of Delegates at the 2021 SCMA Annual Meeting, was adopted by the SCMA delegates on April 25. This resolution encourages practicing physicians in South Carolina to use patient encounters as an opportunity to discuss firearm safety and safe storage practices and supports efforts to inform the public about safe storage of firearms.
Message from the School Health Committee
The Vaccines for Children program (VFC) provides federally purchased vaccines to approximately 50% of children in the United States, including children who are enrolled in Medicaid or who are uninsured or underinsured. CCSD is able to provide vaccines to students through VFC (thanks to Dr. Key), so that they can be up to date and eligible to attend school each year. The VFC was created in 1993, though, so it needs some updating. There’s a new federal bill called The Strengthening Vaccines for Children Program Act of 2021 (just introduced in the House as H.R. 2347, about to be introduced in the Senate) [...]
Parent Workshop – Tough Conversations – Session 6
The CCMS School Health Committee and the Charleston County School District are excited to announce Parent Workshop - Session 6 Topics to be Discussed: Medication Misuse in Teens Recognizing Depression in Adolescence Tough Conversations For More Information contact Linda Ballinger at linda_ballinger@charleston.k12.sc.us
Statewide Virtual Be SMART Presentation
Dr. Annie Andrews, CCMS School Health Committee Member, to volunteer at statewide BeSMART Presentation on April 13th at 8pm Be SMART is a national AAP-aligned program that aims to reduce pediatric firearm injuries and deaths through adult-directed education on responsible firearm storage. You will learn how you can incorporate the Be SMART program into your practice or how to share this life-saving information with your neighbors. RSVP Here
Parent workshop – Session 5 – Rescheduled
The CCMS School Health Committee and the Charleston County School District are excited to announce Parent Workshop - Session 5 Teen Anxiety and Youth Vaping will be Discussed Tough Conversations For More Information contact Linda Ballinger at linda_ballinger@charleston.k12.sc.us
Commentary: Take it from pediatricians, open-carry gun law will endanger SC children
Dr. Betsy Oddo is a Pediatric Hospital Medicine fellow and a member of the CCMS School Health Committee. Read the Article
Parent workshop – Session 4
The CCMS School Health Committee and the Charleston County School District are excited to announce Parent Workshop - Session Four Tough Conversations For More Information contact Linda Ballinger at linda_ballinger@charleston.k12.sc.us
Gun locks soon to be distributed to Charleston County School District nurses
Dr. Annie Andrews, CCMS, School Health Committee Member, in the News View Story
Parent workshop – Session 3
The CCMS School Health Committee and the Charleston County School District are excited to announce Parent Workshop - Session Three Tough Conversations For More Information contact Linda Ballinger at linda_ballinger@charleston.k12.sc.us
Parent workshop – Session 2
The CCMS School Health Committee and the Charleston County School District are excited to announce Parent Workshop - Session Two Tough Conversations For More Information contact Linda Ballinger at linda_ballinger@charleston.k12.sc.us
Speaker’s Bureau
The CCMS School Health Committee in conjunction with the Charleston County School District has developed a Speaker's Bureau. This is designed to allow physicians to virtually speak to parents and students about any health-related issue. The subject matter varies widely from gun safety to sun exposure. Please contact Dr. Janice Key or Dana Holladay if you are interested in speaking to the community through this unique program. Or feel free to fill out the Substance Abuse/Mental Health Survey and we will contact you.
MUSC pediatric doctors report recent uptick in firearm injuries in children
By, Rachel Ellis Watch the Video
Opportunity to Help Our Local Schools
We have been given the opportunity to work with Dr. Elise Emrath, Pediatric Intensivist at MUSC, on creating wellness-focused videos that will be shared with the Charleston County School District. CCSD has offered to videotape and post them on their website as well. If you are interested, please contact Dr. Emrath at emrath@musc.edu.
Dr. Seuss Week
When Doctors get involved in their communities, it can inspire a love of learning. Doctors Richard Gross, Marcelo Hochman, and Bill Simpson recently helped North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary students celebrate Dr. Seuss week. Thank you Renee' Rountree, MUSC Youth Collaborative Community Outreach Coordinator, and Donetta White-Gamble, MA, CDF, Career Specialist, CCSD, for allowing us to be a part of this event.
Recipient of the School Health Service Award
The South Carolina School Nurse Association is pleased to announce Dr. Janice Key as the 2019-2020 Recipient of the School Health Service Award. Her lifelong dedication to school wellness and healthy lifestyles has provided proven positive outcomes for many of our students and families throughout the state. We thank you for all your support of school nurses and are honored to have you as our CCSD Medical Consultant. Congratulations Dr Key!
CCMS presents the Rising Star Award
Dr. Hochman, President of CCMS, presented the Rising Star Award to Meeting Street at Burns Elementary on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, at the Wellness Achievement Ceremony.
CCMS Docs Adopt ~ Rising Star Award
The CCMS School Health Committee works with MUSC Children’s Hospital Boeing Center for Children’s Wellness to promote wellness. Many Charleston County Schools participate in the Docs Adopt School Health Initiative© and have a doctor serve on their wellness committee. Recently CCMS President Todd Schlesinger presented the CCMS Rising Star Award to the school that should the most improvement in the wellness scores. DocsAdopt Rising Star Award (pdf)
Better student health can help reduce education shortcomings
Congratulations to our CCMS member, Janice D. Key and the medical director for DHEC, Katherine J. Richardson's piece in Post & Courier. It’s such a positive story about CCMS’s efforts, and suggest an important, enduring role for our organization. Post & Courier article clip: BY JANICE D. KEY and KATHERINE RICHARDSON Kudos to Todd Garrett, a Charleston County School Board member who in his March 6 commentary addressed the fact that too many of our students are falling behind. Despite investing a tremendous amount of money and energy in different academic programs, not enough of our students are achieving grade level [...]
CCMS Docs Adopt Initiative Wins National Award
MUSC’s Dr. Janice Key, right, of the Boeing Center for Children’s Wellness, receives the Wellness Frontiers Award from Debbie Witchey, executive vice president of the Healthcare Leadership Council, Feb. 18 Click to Read the Story Courtesy of The Catalyst. By J. Ryne Danielson
A Game of Healing – Youth Movement in Charleston Schools
Dave Spurlock, director of physical education and health for the Charleston County School District demonstrates a balancing ladder in a 'Brain Room' at Stiles Point Elementary. 'You could say it’s chaos,' Spurlock said, 'but there’s really no chaos about it.' On October 20, 2015, The Washington Post published a story on the Youth Movement in Charleston Schools and featured CCMS School Health Committee member, Dave Spurlock, the coordinator of health, wellness and physical education for the Charleston County School District In these Charleston, SC schools, children are seen and heard and always active - Click the link to read the article [...]
Gun Violence – A Public Health Issue
Editorial Posted in the Post and Courier on November 8, 2015 Gun violence is a serious and growing public health issue in the United States of America. The current problem nationally: Every day in the United States there are 91 gun-related deaths on average or just under 16 per minute.... Click the link to read to entire article: Gun Violence - A Public Health Issue Authors: Robert T. Ball, MD (member of the CCMS Executive Committee and its Public Health Committee) and Richard C. Hagerty, MD (chairman of the board of Gun Sense SC and a CCMS member) The CCMS [...]
DocsAdopt : Our School wellness program, launched in Charleston five years ago, to expand to 12 or more districts
A school health program involving the simple combination of a checklist, school wellness committees and relatively small, year-end incentive awards that started in Charleston is spreading across South Carolina. Source: School wellness program, launched in Charleston five years ago, to expand to 12 or more districts - Post and Courier
Register Now for Race the Landing!
CCMS is proud to partner with Race the Landing! 2015 Thursday Night 5K Race & Kids Fun Run at Charleston Town Landing. Races for the Whole Family - Adults and Kids! CCMS and the School Health Committee have partnered with Race the Landing. If you are a member of CCMS or participate in any way with the Charleston County School District you can receive a discount on your registration fee for the races. Enter Promo Code "CCMS" to receive a 20% discount on the registration fee. 2015 Races Dates: May 7, May 14, June 4, June 11 and July 9 Details [...]
School Health Committee Wellness Achievement Ceremony
CCMS Members, if you have adopted a school come see if they win the wellness award! Free and open to the entire Charleston County School District and Charleston County Medical Society community: students, staff, parents, and community partners including all Docs Adopt participants and CCMS members! Tuesday, May 12, 2015 at West Ashley High School from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Move IT! Charleston County hopes to bridge gap between medicine and wellness – Post and Courier
A key component of Move IT! is to bridge the gap from rehabilitation to a lifestyle of wellness that is both affordable and easily accessible. Dr. Valerie Scott, a physician with Mount Pleasant Family Practice that is part of Roper St. Francis Physician Partners, has referred 50 of her patients to Move IT! and recently presented the program, along with PRC Executive Director Tom O’Rourke, to the Medical Society of South Carolina. via Move IT! Charleston County hopes to bridge gap between medicine and wellness - Post and Courier.
DHEC Health Advisory: Measles Clinical Assessment, Testing and Infection Control Guidance for Ambulatory Care Providers
Please find attached a DHEC Health Advisory that provides information on: Summary of a large multi-state measles outbreak Clinical assessment Measles testing Ambulatory Infection Control Recommendations Resources for Additional Information Measles Clinical Assessment Guide DHEC contact information for reportable diseases and reporting requirements. DHEC Advisory: Measles Clinical Assessment
CCMS School Health Committee and Docs Adopt Program
Dr. Kay Durst recognized for her work with Docs-Adopt and the Daniel Island School Dr. Kay Durst, MD She already had two boys, but Kay Durst was thoughtfully considering adopting. And though some would say she was perhaps overly ambitious to juggle a busy career as a family medicine physician with more kids, she would respond that it was because of her professional expertise that she would adopt a number of children. 1,300, to be exact. The Docs-Adopt program was launched in November 2010, when the Charleston County Medical Society and Charleston County School District partnered to pair [...]
Guard against flu
This year’s influenza season is proving to be a severe one. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC-P) recommends that everyone over six months of age receive an influenza vaccination each year. If you haven’t gotten yours, do it today. It is highly effective in either preventing flu or making the flu less severe. The vaccine cannot cause flu and usually produces no side effects or only a little soreness at the site of the injection. If you have already been vaccinated against flu, great — but remember to wash your hands regularly, cover coughs and sneezes with a [...]
