Carolinas Pandemic Preparedness

convened 2021-2022

There is a clear need within the Carolinas to develop a consensus on recommendations for responding to future pandemics in a more coordinated and timely fashion. The degree of devastation wrought by these pandemics will be determined by factors like a strong health and public health infrastructure, a well-prepared workforce, strong disaster response infrastructure, a robust social services safety net and adequate access to personal protective equipment, medicine and vaccines.

The Carolinas Pandemic Preparedness Taskforce was guided by a focus on equity, a cross-sector approach to health and well-being, and attention to the needs of vulnerable populations and historically marginalized communities. For more information compiled by IMPH regarding COVID-19 response, visit our COVID-19 Resources page.

Timeline

Steering Committee Meetings: March 2021 – April 2022

Taskforce meetings: July 2021 – April 2022

Final Report: August 2022

Monthly Meeting Materials

July 2021
August 2021
September 2021
October 2021
November 2021
January 2022
February 2022

MISSION & ACTION

The Carolinas Pandemic Preparedness Taskforce was launched in June 2021 in partnership with the North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) to provide recommendations for a resilient response to future disease outbreaks. The taskforce is chaired by University of South Carolina Interim President Dr. Harris Pastides and North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Machelle Baker Sanders.

Guiding Principles:

Consensus means that, even though the decision may not be the first choice of everyone, everyone can live with and will support the decision. Consensus does not mean unanimous agreement.
Inclusivity: Effective collaboration requires transparency and inclusiveness, equality among all participants and active participation from all partners.
Impact: Effective collaboration requires acknowledging capacity and scaling interventions to realistic goals.
Strategic Alignment: Effective collaboration requires all participants to disclose when our own interests are in conflict with those of the task force.
Respect: Effective collaboration requires mutual trust and respect for organizational boundaries, continuity in communication and interaction and a distinction between policy analysis and political commentary.

Taskforce Meeting Dates:

July 19, 2021
August 18, 2021
September 20, 2021
October 18, 2021
November 15, 2021
January 24, 2022
February 28, 2022
March 21, 2022
April 25, 2022

Steering Committee

Taskforce members, led by steering committee representatives from both states, will work and learn collaboratively to develop evidence-based recommendations to support future state and local planning efforts.

To learn more about our taskforce team, view the Carolinas Pandemic Preparedness Taskforce Member List.

Members of the Steering Committee

South Carolina

Graham Adams, PhD

Chief Executive Officer, South Carolina Office of Rural Health

Abdoulaye Diedhiou, PhD

Director, Division of Acute Disease Epidemiology, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control

Angel Bourdon

Innovation Manager, South Carolina Hospital Association

Melanie Matney, MHA

Chief Operating Officer, South Carolina Hospital Association

Danielle Bowen Scheurer, MD, MSRC, SFHM

Chief Quality Officer, Medical University of South Carolina

Kathia Valverde

Community Health Worker, PASOS

North Carolina

Cardra Burns, DBA, MPA, CLC

Deputy Secretary, Operational Excellence, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services

Tatyana Kelly

Vice President, Planning/Strategy & Member Services, North Carolina Healthcare Association

Polly Welsh, RN – BC, MPH

Executive Vice President, North Carolina Healthcare Facilities Association

Ellen Essick, PhD

Section Chief, NC Healthy Schools, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

Lillian Koontz, MPA

Health Director, Davidson County

Kelly Fuller

President, NC Chamber Foundation

Will Ray, MPH

Chief of Staff, Emergency Management, North Carolina Department of Public Safety

In August 2017, the work of the ILC was folded into the SC Behavioral Health Coalition (BHC) and their leadership team. IMPH continues to support the BHC and participates on the Executive Leadership Team, the Core Leadership Team and each committee of the BHC.

IMPH Publications

August 17, 2022

Press Release: IMPH Releases Report and Recommendations Developed by S.C. Experts Examining Lessons Learned from COVID-19

Report includes actionable recommendations to inform contagious disease outbreak planning READ THE FULL REPORT READ THE ONE-PAGER COLUMBIA, ...

April 7, 2021

Press Release: IMPH Releases Fourth Report on the Impact of COVID-19 Policy Actions

Read the Full Report South and North Carolina Institutes of Medicine release fourth brief addressing pandemic policy changes affecting Carol ...

February 17, 2021

Update: IMPH and NCIOM Release COVID-19 and the Carolinas 3.0

View the Issue Brief Released in partnership with the North Carolina Institute of Medicine, joint brief addresses policy changes affecting C ...

January 27, 2021

Press Release: IMPH and DHEC Release COVID-19 2020 Summary Report

Read the Full Report Report explores the impact of the coronavirus on South Carolina since March 2020 COLUMBIA, S.C. (Jan. 27, 2021) — The S ...

December 15, 2020

Press Release: SC IMPH Releases COVID-19 Health Disparities Report + One-Pager

IMPH released a report today exploring the intersection of racism, race/ethnicity, determinants of health and health outcomes, and how these ...

July 16, 2020

Press Release: Newly Released DHEC Death Count Data Shows Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 on Black Residents in All Regions of South Carolina

Read the Full Report IMPH and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) released a data brief today examining ...

May 20, 2020

COVID-19 and the Carolinas: State Responses and Federal Legislation to Address the Crisis - Part II