Elected officials, state epidemiologist speak on South Carolina’s path forward from pandemic July 16

July 10, 2020

STATEWIDE SOUTH CAROLINA – July 9, 2020 – Three of South Carolina’s leading elected officials will be joined by State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell July 16 at 10 a.m. for a free webinar discussion about South Carolina’s path forward as the Palmetto State and America seek to weather the storm of COVID-19. Their comments will focus on avenues to help South Carolina escape the grip of the pandemic and rebound from its health, social and economic impact.

Entitled “Voices of Leadership: Charting South Carolina’s Path Forward”, the program will feature South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette; state Representative Murrell Smith, the chair of the House Ways & Means Committee; state Senator Thomas Alexander, chair of the Labor, Commerce & Industry Committee; and Dr. Linda Bell, State Epidemiologist of South Carolina. The group discussion will be moderated by Sam Konduros, CEO of SCBIO, the state’s life sciences economic development organization.

The group will discuss such topics as:

  • How South Carolina is currently faring in relation to COVID, highlighted progress to date and key data that will shape future direction of response to the pandemic in our state – and how DHEC is preparing accordingly
  • From an economic and budget standpoint, what is the outlook for the state’s economy, and what projections and impacts should South Carolinians be aware of and prepared for
  • While challenging in many respects, COVID-19 presents economic development opportunities for growth and expansion of life sciences across South Carolina as we recover from COVID. How can South Carolina maximize those opportunities?
  • How accelerateSC’s initiatives to provide direction and leadership in reopening the state are faring, and how understanding of national and global insights is helping to refine strategies going forward

Participation in the webinar is free to all interested parties. Those wishing to participate can register while space remains at https://www.scbio.org/events/scbio-webinar-state-leaders-chart-scs-pathway-forward.

The 60-minute program will provide attendees with new insights on the pandemic’s impact in South Carolina to date, implications for returning to normalcy in the coming months, and strategies to secure and enhance the state’s future. The panelists will candidly address the path forward as South Carolina seeks a return to normalcy while still navigating a virus with no clear endpoint.

“Our goal is to bring the diverse viewpoints of these top officials in our state’s government and health arenas to speak to industry, education and the life sciences community. This forum will assess where we are, and how we can make a difference for our state to reduce COVID-19’s impact in the weeks to come,” said SCBIO CEO Sam Konduros.

 

SCBIO is South Carolina’s investor-driven public/private economic development organization exclusively focused on building, advancing, and growing the life sciences industry in the state. The industry has an $11.4 billion annual economic impact in the Palmetto State, with more than 600 firms directly involved and 43,000 professionals employed directly or indirectly in the research, development and commercialization of innovative healthcare, medical device, industrial, environmental and agricultural biotech and products. The state-wide nonprofit has offices in Greenville, Columbia, and Charleston, and represents companies in the advanced medicines, medical devices, equipment, diagnostics, IT, and healthcare outcome industries. As the official state affiliate of BIO, PhRMA and AdvaMed, SCBIO members include hundreds of academic institutions, biotech companies, medtech companies, entrepreneurial organizations, service providers, thought leaders, economic development organizations and related groups.

For additional information on SCBIO, visit www.SCBIO.org.