The South Carolina Institute of Medicine & Public Health is pleased to welcome Nathaniel J. (Nate) Patterson, DrPH, MHA as its new director. Dr. Patterson joins the Institute from the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SC DHHS), where he previously served as the Program Director for Health Services responsible for the development of Medicaid program policies, Managed Care Contracts, and the advancement of public-private stakeholder engagement and collaboration efforts linked to the Department’s Coordinated and Integrated Care programs. His career includes a variety of experiences including working closely with a variety of integrated and coordinated care initiatives for Medicare and Medicaid such as the Financial Alignment Demonstration (a.k.a. Healthy Connections Prime), Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans (MA-SNPs), the Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), Primary Care Case Management (PCCM) models for complex care populations, provider-specific arrangements and policies for acute, primary and various long-term care and behavioral health services as part of a managed care service delivery and/or payment model innovation. His involvement in local, state and national level initiatives provides a comprehensive perspective of the intersection of medicine and public health at all levels and an understanding of health and health care policy analyses, development, interpretation and translation in complex, real-world settings.

Dr. Patterson is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor for the Department of Health Services Policy and Management within the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health teaching graduate courses in health politics and strategic planning. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science (BS) in health promotion and physical education from the College of Charleston; a Master’s of Health Administration (MHA) and a Doctorate (DrPH) in public health (health services, policy and management) from the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina.

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Patterson to the Institute,” said executive director Kester Freeman. “His background and experience will provide an excellent fit as the Institute continues to grow and inform policy to improve health and health care.”

South Carolina Institute of Medicine & Public Health
The South Carolina Institute of Medicine & Public Health is an independent entity serving as an informed, neutral convener around the important health issues in our state. The Institute also serves as a provider of evidence-based information to inform health policy decisions. Learn more at www.imph.org.