Mission
The Upper Midlands Rural Health Network’s (UMRHN) mission is to improve health in Chester, Fairfield, and Lancaster counties through a collaboration of a diverse group focused on access to care, health promotion, and education.
About Us
UMRHN is a three-county network of health, human service, and educational providers located in Chester, Fairfield, and Lancaster counties in north central South Carolina. Established in 2004, UMRHN is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving access to health care and securing healthcare safety nets. The network meets monthly and is actively involved in several community projects.
Purpose of Rural Health Networks
- Help smaller rural health care providers align resources and strategies
- Achieve economies of scale and efficiency
- Address challenges more effectively as a group than as single providers
There are approximately 500 rural health networks in the United States. UMRHN is one of three rural health networks in South Carolina. To learn about our current initiatives, accomplishments, and partners, please visit our Programs page or contact us at 803-377-8026.
Some highlights of UMRHN’s work
Below are some select projects UMRH has been a part of. For more details on these and all of our work, please visit the Programs page.Increasing Preceptorship Opportunities for Nurse Practitioner Students
UMRHN endeavors to increase the number of clinical preceptorships for Nurse Practitioner (NP) students. NPs face multiple disadvantages when trying to secure their required clinical hours. A grant from Power: ED will fund a project to open new preceptorships in the short-term, and a case study will be developed to encourage others to offer preceptorships for the long-term benefit of the healthcare workforce.
Local Community Health Improvement Plans (CHIP)
UMRHN was proud to be part of Live Healthy South Carolina’s Community Health Improvement Planning process from 2018-2021. Click here for the Lancaster CHIP or click here for the Chester CHIP or click here for the Fairfield CHIP.
SmokeFree SC State Plan 2021-2026
Smokefree SC, a partnership between the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Division of Tobacco Prevention and Control, invited UMRHN to serve on a statewide committee to update the five-year plan. A final version of that plan can be downloaded here.
Getting Further Faster
UMRHN worked with the Lancaster County Health & Wellness Commission to document its achievement of becoming the first county in South Carolina to be tobacco-free in public spaces. Check out the final video here and be sure to look for some familiar faces!
CEUs for school nurses and social workers
Our annual school health workshop is held every October. Further details are posted on our events page. In addition, our partner agency, Mid-Carolina AHEC, offers training opportunities year-round! To view their course calendar, visit Mid-Carolina AHEC or visit AHEC U for online courses.