South Carolina Department of Public Health asks committee for recurring staff and program funding to speed inspections, expand maternal services and modernizeIT

The South Carolina Department of Public Health asked the Healthcare Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee on an unspecified date for a package of recurring and one‑time funds aimed at shortening inspection times, expanding maternal services and strengthening frontline public‑health programs.

Dr. Ed Simmer, director of the South Carolina Department of Public Health, told the committee the agency’s top recurring request is $4.6 million and 22 new full‑time positions to conduct comprehensive inspections, resolve complaints faster and add a “collaboration team” that would help facilities improve without adversarial enforcement. He said complaints against health facilities have risen 35% since 2020 and that, because of staffing limits, complaint resolution currently takes 50–77 days rather than the agency’s 30‑day goal.

The department also requested recurring and…