S.C. Rep. Terry Alexander of Florence has been selected to receive the James E. Clyburn Health Policy Leader in Public Health Award to be presented at the James Clyburn Health Disparities Lecture, “Turbulent Times: Navigating Towards Health Equity.”

The event will start at 10 a.m. on April 23 at the Columbia Convention Center, 1101 Lincoln St., Columbia.

Alexander is the District 59 representative, serving Florence and Darlington counties. Before his service in the S.C. legislature, he served on the Florence County Council. He is a lifelong youth advocate, health advocate and humanitarian and has served on several boards and agencies.

Alexander has served as a board of director for the Mercy Medicine Board in the Pee Dee area and the HopeHealth Inc. Community Health Center in Florence. He works with the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and is a Teen Pregnancy Workshop leader. He has served on the HIV-AIDS Task Force and serves presently on the S.C. House’s Study Committee on Opioid Abuse.

Alexander also is an alumnus of the Institute of Medicine and Public Health Policy Fellows Program and now serves on the Institute of Medicine and Public Health’s board. He is concerned with issues of health care, education, and justice.

He has served on the Pee Dee Chapter of the American Red Cross and has been instrumental in the mental health of individuals, as he served on the South Carolina Association of Guidance Counselors and is a motivational speaker for school districts to help youth think rationally and life-affirming.
Alexander has served as the subcommittee chair of the Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee. He is a member of the S.C. Legislative Black Caucus and has chaired the SCLBC Minority Health Summit for 2018, “Partnering for Health Equity,” and 2019, “Empowering Communities for Change.”

The James E. Clyburn Health Disparities Leadership Award recognizes the contributions made by individuals and community organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to improving and protecting the health of the community, particularly vulnerable populations with established health disparities.

Awards are presented to policymakers, researchers, health care professionals and community leaders committed to eliminating health disparities and achieving health equity. Awards are presented at the annual James E. Clyburn Health Disparities Lecture, which is sponsored by the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health, the USC Civil Rights Center, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and its community partners.

This article was originally published on SCnow.com.