COLUMBIA, S.C. (August 28, 2025) – The South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health (IMPH), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to collectively inform policy to improve health and health care, held its second of four Regional Health Policy Fellows Program events to educate policymakers and other decision-makers about relevant public health issues.

The session, “Pivoting from Response to Preparedness: Supporting Vulnerable Populations through Disaster,” took place on August 27 in Monck’s Corner and focused on disaster preparedness and response, guiding policymakers on how communities can support older adults and those with disabilities in the Lowcountry. Legislators, policymakers and other attendees heard from experts about preparedness and response, accessibility and potential solutions that they can bring back to their communities.

Attendees received information from South Carolina’s Emergency Management Division’s Chief of Preparedness, Andrew Phillips, and a panel of experts on services and policy opportunities for the Lowcountry region to better accommodate the aging and disabled population during disasters. The panel included:

  • Marie Bevins, emergency support function 8 and external plans lead, South Carolina Department of Public Health Bureau of Emergency Preparedness and Response
  • Julia Barrett-Martinelli, executive director, AccessAbility.
  • Luke Estes, manager of mobile integrated health, South Carolina EMS Association Community Paramedicine/Mobile Integrated Healthcare Committee Chairman

“South Carolina’s Lowcountry is extremely susceptible to extreme weather events and related disasters, leaving the aging population and disability community in that area of the state disproportionately vulnerable. As our state continues to build new strategies to protect South Carolinians based on lessons learned, it is critical that coordinated efforts must support those at greatest risk of harm,” says Maya Pack, MS, MPA, executive director at IMPH. “Yesterday, we were happy to welcome policymakers from across the Lowcountry who came together to discuss different approaches to supporting our vulnerable communities during natural disasters.”

The remaining sessions include:

  • The PeeDee: Policymakers will learn about policies to bolster and support the health care workforce.
  • The Upstate: Policymakers will hear from experts about policies to mitigate the ongoing opioid crisis.

The Health Policy Fellows Program is a signature program of IMPH that advances the Institute’s mission to collectively inform policy and improve health and health care in South Carolina. IMPH developed a new version of the program for 2025, the Regional Health Policy Fellows Program, supported by the Commonwealth Fund, a national, private foundation based in New York City that supports independent research on health care issues and makes grants to improve health care practice and policy.

About IMPH

The South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health (IMPH) is an independent, nonprofit organization working to collectively inform policy to improve health and health care in South Carolina. IMPH provides nonpartisan, evidence-based information to guide policymakers in making impactful health policy decisions. Learn more at imph.org.

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