DHEC praises South Carolina hospitals’ support of COVID-19 vaccination during National Hospital Week

As National Hospital Week is recognized across the country, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) asks all South Carolinians to give thanks to our state’s hospital workers who continue to be on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more than a year, the skilled staff and healthcare professionals at our state’s hospitals have worked tirelessly to care for patients and prevent the spread of the virus, and since December 2020, hospital workers have been an essential part of South Carolina’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan.

“On behalf of DHEC, I’d like to give a resounding thank-you to all of our state’s hospital workers, for the sacrifices they’ve made and continue to make as they perform live-saving work each day, whether it’s caring for patients or administering COVID-19 vaccines,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC Public Health Director. “Our healthcare workers and support staff have been burdened the most throughout this unprecedented public health crisis, and we’re all indebted to their service, compassionate care, and dedication to protecting the health and wellbeing of South Carolinians.”

National Hospital Week, which is observed from May 9-15, celebrates hospitals and the professionals who work in them. South Carolina currently has 94 licensed hospitals staffed with nurses, doctors, practitioners, and a variety of staff members who provide essential medical care and services to patients.

“This week we celebrate South Carolina’s amazing hospital community and all the brave healthcare workers who have led the battle against COVID-19, and continue to support the state’s crucial vaccination efforts,” said Thornton Kirby, South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) President and CEO. “South Carolina’s hospitals and health systems have provided leadership and hope when we needed it most, and there are true heroes walking the halls of these facilities every day.”

DHEC continues to work closely with the South Carolina Hospital Association as the nation and state enter the sixth month of COVID-19 vaccine rollout. To date, more than 3.1 million doses of lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to South Carolinians with thousands more doses being given every day.

“From testing sites and specimen collection to telehealth visits and patient care, our hospital workers have been through it all,” Traxler said. “Now, our hospitals are playing an integral part in getting as many South Carolinians vaccinated as possible, and our hospital workers are helping us put an end to this global pandemic once and for all.”

Click here to find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you or call DHEC’s Vaccine Information Line at 1-866-365-8110. Learn more about the South Carolina Hospital Association at www.scha.org.