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FLORENCE COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY & ALLIANCE
We join together with other county medical societies and specialty societies to strengthen the South Carolina Medical Association (SCMA), which is the voice of healthcare in our state.
2025-2026 Legislative Priorities - SCMA
Advocacy - SCMA
Policy and Legislative Committee
Let us know of your interest! Current members include Howard Farrell and Joseph Hoyle. Article III of our Bylaws list three purposes for the committee:
1) Monitor policy development at the national, state, and local levels that is of importance to the public health and profession of medicine, and notify the Executive Committee of advocacy opportunities for members of this Society.
2) Promote meaningful interactions among regional state legislators and this Society throughout the year, and especially during the annual policy forum.
3) Support any member desiring to write a resolution for the SCMA annual meeting, and recommend a position on such resolution(s) to the Executive Committee.
SCMA Policy Process
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A Town Hall is an open forum for SCMA members to discuss and propose policy changes for healthcare in South Carolina.
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There an in-person Town Hall at the Annual Meeting, and, to increase engagement and flexibility, SCMA offers Virtual Town Halls each year. The next one is Thursday, October 15th (click this link for more information).
Other Leadership from our District
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Dr. Allison Foster, SCMA Legislative Delegate Committee
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Dr. Rodney Alan, SCMA Trustee
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Dr. John Ropp, Trustee of the SCMA Political Action Committee (SCMedPAC) www.scmedical.org/advocacy/sc-medpac/
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Dr. Gabe Simpson, SCMA Bioethics Committee
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There are many other ways to get involved at the state level, including standing committees such as Bioethics and Continue Medical Education. Committees - SCMA (scmedical.org)
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Volunteer for the SCMA's Doctor of the Day Program at the South Carolina State House
2020 SCMA District Five Survey Report by Dr. Hoyle
Although membership in the SCMA has continued to decline, especially in the last ten years, the number of physicians in South Carolina has increased relative to the population. 1 These trends are troubling, especially as the lack of support from other physicians is linked to physician burnout, which is – at it’s core emotional exhaustion, and has a strong bidirectional dose-response relationship with medical errors. Burnout is also a leading reason for physicians to leave a health care organization, resulting in the need for recruitment and training of a new physician.
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Please click on this link to view the full report.