COLUMBIA, S.C. (October 30, 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 fourth and final session of its 2025 Regional Health Policy Fellows Program on October 29 to educate policymakers and other decision-makers about relevant public health issues.
The October session, “Pathways to Address Opioid Overdose: Exploring State Policy and Regional Solutions,” was held in Greenville and focused on the current state of overdose statistics and solutions in the Upstate. During the event, attendees heard from Jodi Manz, MSW, director of the South Carolina Center of Excellence in Addiction, and other Upstate leaders working to address opioid use disorders and overdose deaths.
Policymakers heard from a panel of experts who discussed what makes behavioral health in the Upstate unique. The discussions highlighted the region’s progress in reducing opioid overdoses, explored state and local policy opportunities to continue this progress, and highlighted innovative, evidence-based strategies currently being implemented across Upstate counties with potential for replication.
The panel featured:
- Marc Burrows, executive director, Challenges Inc
- Alain Litwan, M.D., chief scientific officer, Prisma Health
- Jessica Seel, MPH, director of behavioral health initiatives & workforce development, South Carolina Office of Rural Health
“While South Carolinians still struggle with addiction, the Upstate is one of the regions of our state producing exciting innovations in prevention and treatment,” says Maya Pack, MS, MPA, executive director at IMPH. “It is critical that we learn what initiatives are working well and scale those programs across the state when possible. South Carolinians deserve the best resources and care.”
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.
To learn more about IMPH and its Health Policy Fellows Program, visit https://imph.org/.
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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