Greenwood Genetics Center seeks $500,000 recurring and $1 million nonrecurring for genomic discovery and statewide services

The Greenwood Genetics Center asked the Healthcare Subcommittee for continued and expanded state support to maintain statewide genetic services, and to fund a genomic discovery effort to find diagnoses for patients who remain undiagnosed after standard testing.

Steve Skinner, president and CEO of the Greenwood Genetics Center, told the subcommittee the center provides clinical care, diagnostic testing and research across South Carolina and partners with state agencies and health systems. He asked for $500,000 in recurring funds to maintain and expand services as demand grows beyond the center’s current capacity and to cover care for underinsured patients.

Skinner also described a $1,000,000 nonrecurring request to expand the Genomic Discovery Program, an initiative that combines clinical evaluation, advanced genomic analysis and laboratory functional studies to resolve variants of uncertain significance and identify genetic diagnoses. “About 40 to 50 percent of patients that come to us with rare pediatric diseases still do not receive a definitive diagnosis,” Skinner said, explaining that the discovery program pairs clinicians, lab scientists and bioinformaticists to try to find answers that can point to treatments.

Skinner said the center serves patients from every county and has existing relationships with DDSN, the Department of Health and Environmental Control and major hospitals in the state. The committee thanked Skinner and asked clarifying questions about statewide coverage; Skinner said the center’s integrated clinical, diagnostic and research model is a distinguishing feature and that his organization has provided significant uncompensated care in the past.

No formal vote was recorded during the session.