COLUMBIA, S.C. — CareSouth Carolina is proud to announce that its CEO, Ann Lewis, has been elected as the Chairperson of the South Carolina Primary Health Care Association (SCPHCA). This appointment reflects not only Lewis’s dedication to healthcare leadership but also her commitment to the community-based care model.

The South Carolina Primary Health Care Association serves as the unifying organization for Community Health Centers (CHCs) in the state. Established in 1964, CHCs are integral components of the healthcare landscape, providing comprehensive, high-quality, and patient-focused services in a culturally appropriate manner.
These community-based, non-profit organizations play a crucial role in improving the health status of their communities, offering primary care, prevention, education, and case management. Lewis played a vital role in helping establish the organization.
As the newly elected Chairperson of SCPHCA, Ann Lewis will contribute to the association’s mission of providing a unified and supportive infrastructure that facilitates access to community-based primary, behavioral, and other healthcare services across South Carolina.
“I am honored to fill this position again,” Lewis said. “This time of transition, as we welcome a new CEO and say our goodbyes to our long-time CEO, Lathran Woodard, will be filled with both opportunities and challenges. But I have every confidence that the SCPHCA will be a strong leader in whatever the future holds!”
Ann Lewis’s extensive commitment to community service is evident through her involvement in various organizations, including the Greater Pee Dee Champion Community, the Hartsville Rotary Club, Coker College Board of Visitors, Darlington County Communities in Schools, and many more. She has served as the CEO of CareSouth Carolina for over 40 years, contributing to the organization’s mission as a medical home where people can experience healing and caring relationships.
Lewis’s accolades include being the founding president of the South Carolina Rural Health Association and a former president of the South Carolina Primary Health Care Association. She received the 2012 John Gilbert Award from the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and The Champion Award from the South Carolina Primary Healthcare Association in 2017, recognizing her longstanding excellence, leadership, and commitment to community health.
CareSouth Carolina has been a cornerstone in providing medical home services for over 40 years, embodying a commitment to healing and caring relationships regardless of personal circumstances.
CareSouth Carolina is a private, non-profit community health center delivering patient-centered health and life services in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina. CareSouth Carolina operates centers in Bennettsville, Bishopville, Cheraw, Chesterfield, Dillon, Hartsville, Lake View, Latta, McColl and Society Hill.
Services provided by CareSouth Carolina include family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, women’s services, OB/GYN, HIV/AIDS primary care, infectious disease primary care, IV therapy, substance abuse prevention, dental, chiropractic services, pharmacy, senior support services, family support services, clinical counseling, laboratory, ultrasound, X-Ray, agricultural worker health services, and veterans choice provider.