Telehealth Awards

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Each year, Palmetto Care Connections presents the South Carolina Telehealth Awards during the Annual Telehealth Summit of South Carolina. Please see the list below of all the awards presented.

Telehealth National Champion Award

The National Telehealth Champion Award recognizes an individual champion in the areas of clinical care, education, policy or IT support. The purpose of this award is to recognize individuals who have overcome significant barriers or developed revolutionary processes that benefit communities on a national level.

State Telehealth Legislative Champion Award
The State Telehealth Legislative Champion Award recognizes a legislator as a champion who has assisted in breaking significant barriers or supported revolutionary processes, including telehealth, that benefit communities on a statewide level.

Rick Foster Primary Care Telehealth Champion Award
The Rick Foster Primary Care Telehealth Champion Award recognizes an individual champion in the area of primary care. The purpose of this award is to recognize individuals who have overcome significant barriers or developed revolutionary processes that benefit the communities they serve in South Carolina.

Technology Champion Award
The Technology Champion Award recognizes an individual champion in the field of technology who has overcome significant challenges at the local, state, and/or national level.

Telehealth State Champion Award
The Telehealth State Champion Award recognizes an individual champion in the areas of clinical care, education, policy, or IT support. The purpose of this award is to recognize individuals who have overcome significant barriers or developed revolutionary processes that benefit the communities they serve in South Carolina.

Telehealth Program of Excellence Award
The Telehealth Program of Excellence Award recognizes a mature program (academic or community-based) that demonstrates significant outcomes in clinical intervention, improved access, and community engagement.

Telehealth Pioneer Award
The Telehealth Pioneer Award recognizes an individual champion in the areas of clinical care, education, or policy who implemented telehealth within a practice, health center, school-based, or administrative setting.

Telehealth Innovator Award
The Telehealth Innovator recognizes an individual champion in the areas of clinical care, education, IT support, or policy who is excelling in the adoption and innovation of telehealth within a practice, health center, school-based, or administrative setting.

Telehealth Trailblazer Award
The Telehealth Trailblazer Award recognizes an individual or organization that is leading the way in utilizing telehealth to improve access to care.

Congratulations to the 2025 Award Recipients:

2025 National Telehealth Champion Award: The Honorable Lindsey Graham, United States Senator

2025 State Telehealth Champion: The Honorable Henry McMaster, South Carolina Governor

2025 State Telehealth Legislative Champion: The Honorable Mark M. Smith, South Carolina State Representative

2025 Rick Foster Primary Care Telehealth Champion: Timothy Hensley, MD, MPS, FAAP and C. Stuart Simko, MD, Prisma Health

2025 Telehealth Innovator: Lauren Johnson, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, McLeod Health

2025 Trailblazer: Kaitlin Hughes, BS, RMA, CareSouth Carolina, Inc.

2025 Telehealth Pioneer: Presented in memory of Michael Haschker

2025 Telehealth Program of Excellence: MUSC Health Department of Emergency Medicine’s Telehealth Division

Poster Award Winners:

Programmatic Winner: The Trinity of Correctional Telehealth Primary, Specialty, and Urgent Care

Scientific Winner: From Wait to Wellness: How MUSC Telehealth is Reshaping Emergency Department Care

People’s Choice Winner: The Trinity of Correctional Telehealth Primary, Specialty, and Urgent Care

2025 National Telehealth Champion
The Honorable Lindsey Graham, United States Senator

Click here to view video

2025 State Telehealth Champion
The Honorable Henry McMaster South Carolina Governor

Pictured L to R: Kathy Schwarting, MHA, Danette McAlhaney, MD, Ann Lewis, MHA, Governor Henry McMaster, Meera Narasimhan, MD, DLFAPA, and James McElligott, MD, MSCR

Click here to view video

2025 State Legislative Telehealth Champion
The Honorable Mark Smith
South Carolina State Representative

Pictured L to R: Kathy Schwarting, MHA, Danette McAlhaney, MD, Ann Lewis, MHA, Rep. Mark Smith, Meera Narasimhan, MD, DLFAPA, and James McElligott, MD, MSCR

Click here to view video

2025 Rick Foster Primary Care Telehealth Champion
Timothy Hensley, MD, MPS, FAAP and
C. Stuart Simko, MD
Prisma Health

Pictured L to R: Kathy Schwarting, MHA, Danette McAlhaney, MD, Ann Lewis, MHA, Timothy Hensley, MD,MPS, FAAP, C. Stuart Simko, MD, Meera Narasimhan, MD, DLFAPA, and James McElligott, MD, MSCR

Click here to view video

2025 Telehealth Innovator
Lauren Johnson, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC
McLeod Health

Pictured L to R: Kathy Schwarting, MHA, Danette McAlhaney, MD, Ann Lewis, MHA, Lauren Johnson, MSN, APRON, FNP-BC, Meera Narasimhan, MD, DLFAPA, and James McElligott, MD, MSCR

Click here to view video

2025 Telehealth Trailblazer
Kaitlin Hughes, BS, RMA
CareSouth Carolina Inc.

Pictured L to R: Kathy Schwarting, MHA, Danette McAlhaney, MD, Ann Lewis, MHA, Kaitlin Hughes, BS, RMA, Meera Narasimhan, MD, DLFAPA, and James McElligott, MD, MSCR

Click here to view video

2025 Telehealth Pioneer
Presented in memory of Michael Haschker

Pictured L to R: Kathy Schwarting, MHA, Danette McAlhaney, MD, Ann Lewis, Mrs. Andrea Haschker, Meera Narasimhan, MD, DLFAPA, and James McElligott, MD, MSCR

Click here to view video

2025 Telehealth Program of Excellence
MUSC Health Department of Emergency
Medicine’s Telehealth Division

Pictured L to R: Kathy Schwarting, MHA, Danette McAlhaney, MD, Ann Lewis, MHA, Jeanhyong Park, MD, FACEP, Marc Barman, MD, Meera Narasimhan, MD, DLFAPA, and James McElligott, MD, MSCR

Click here to view video

Poster Awards

2025 Scientific Poster Award

From Wait to Wellness: How MUSC Telehealth is Reshaping Emergency Department Care

Click here to view poster

2025 Programmatic Poster Award
and
2025 Voter’s Choice Poster Award

The Trinity of Correctional Telehealth: Primary, Specialty,
and Urgent Care

Click here to view poster

2024 Telehealth Award Winners

Congratulations to the 2024 Award Recipients:

2024 State Telehealth Champion: Patrick Cawley, MD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer, Medical University of South Carolina

2024 SC Telehealth Pioneer: Robert
Bank, MD, State Director, South Carolina Department of Mental Health

2024 Rick Foster Primary Care Telehealth Champion – Danette McAlhaney, MD, Owner ad Family Practitioner, Bamberg Family Practice

2024 SC Telehealth Programs of Excellence: Improved Care and Provision of Rural Access to Eliminate Health Disparities (iCARE)

2024 Trailblazer: Caitlin Moore, MS, APRN, FNP-C, Associate Director, Clinical Operations Clemson Rural Health

2024 State Telehealth Legislative Champion: The Honorable Sylleste H. Davis

2024 Telehealth Innovator: Dominic Gault, MD, Prisma Health

Telehealth Technology Champion: Matt Hiatt, MSITM, PMP, Chief Technology Officer, Palmetto Care Connections

Poster Award Winners:

Programmatic Winner:Project FAM: Discreet Food Insecurity Screening in a Rural Pediatric Clinic with Resource Sharing

Scientific Winner: Emergency Department Utilization by South Carolina Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

People’s Choice Winner: Community Paramedicine: How a Rural Primary Care Office and an EMS Agency are Working Toward Redefining Healthcare Delivery in South Carolina

2023 Telehealth Award Winners

Congratulations to the 2023 Award Recipients:

2023 State Telehealth Champion: Kathyrn King, MD

2023 SC Telehealth Pioneer: Divya Ahuja, MD

2023 Rick Foster Primary Care Telehealth Champion – Rick Foster, MD

2023 SC Telehealth Programs of Excellence: SC Department of Mental Health Community Telepsychiatry Program

2023 Digital Health Equity State Champion: Kathy Schwarting, MHA

2023 State Telehealth Legislative Champion: The Honorable Bill Herbkersman, Chairman

2023 Telehealth Innovator: Marc Bingham, MD

Poster Award Winners:

Programmatic Winner: Impact of Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) on 12 Month BP Outcomes: An Innovative Approach to Hypertension Management

Scientific Winner: Vape X: A Digital Vaping Cessation Intervention for Adolescents with Depression

People’s Choice Winner: Get by With a Little Help From: Telehealth Centralized Support

2022 Telehealth Awards

Congratulations to the 2022 Award Recipients:

2022 State Telehealth Champion: Meera Narasimhan, MD, DFAPA, Prisma Health (Midlands), and the University of South Carolina.

2022 SC Innovator Award: Brandon Welch, PhD, Doxy Me

2022 SC Telehealth Pioneer: Connie Guille, MD, Medical University of South Carolina

2022 SC Telehealth Programs of Excellence: Prisma Health School-based Telehealth Program

2022 SC Telehealth Programs of Excellence: CareSouth Carolina, Inc., School-based Telehealth Program

Poster Award Winners:

Scientific Winner: Telehealth Etiquette and Equity Education to Address the Needs of Patients, Providers, and Communities. Medical University of South Carolina.

People’s Choice Winner: No Drama, Caitlin Kickham, MS, APRN, FNP-C and Hailey Britt, Clemson Rural Health.

Watch our 2022 Telehealth and Poster Award Winners.

2021 Telehealth Awards

Congratulations to the 2021 Award Recipients:

2021 National Telehealth Champion: United States Senator Tim Scott

2021 State Telehealth Champion: Kent Jones, MD and Cady Williams, MD, Ferlauto Center for Complex Pediatric Care

2021 SC Telehealth Pioneer: Michael Lyons, MD, Greenwood Genetic Center

2021 SC Innovator Award: The Navigation Center, Charleston

2021 SC Telehealth Programs of Excellence: Southeast Viral Interactive Case Conference, University of South Carolina and Project ECHO Opioid Use Disorder, Medical University of South Carolina

Poster Award Winners:

Scientific Winner: “The Financial Performance of Rural Hospitals,” Authors: Dunc Williams Jr, PhD.; Mary Dooley, PhD; Jada Johnson, MS; Sarah A. Sterling, MD; Alexandra Castillo, MPH

Programmatic Winner: “Telehealth Technologies, Data, and Process Improvement to Drive Innovation,” Authors: Evelyn Terrell, OTD, MHSA; Jason Stiles, MBA, PhD, LSSBB; Saima Aftab, MD, FACHE, FAAP; Elizabeth Sotolongo, MHSA; Laura Cerpa; Fahd Lahrech, MS

People’s Choice Winner: “Microsoft Teams for Clinical Telehealth Collaboration,” Authors: Ryan R. Lau, MS, REEG/EPT, CNIM, CLTM, FASET; Jessica Dustman, MS, RN; Denzil Coleman, MS; Laura Langston, MHA

2020 Telehealth Award Winners

Congratulations to the 2020 Award Recipients:

2020 National Telehealth Champion: Congressman James E. Clyburn, U.S. House of Representatives

2020 State Telehealth Champion: James McElligott, M.D., M.S.C.R., Medical Director, Center for Telehealth, Medical University of South Carolina

2020 SC Telehealth Pioneer: Brenda M. Ratliff, M.D., Psychiatrist, S.C. Department of Mental Health

2020 SC Telehealth Advocate: Rick Foster, M.D., former Executive Director of the Alliance for a Healthier S.C.

2020 SC Innovator Award: McLeod Telehealth Team, McLeod Health

2020 SC Telehealth Program of Excellence: The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Tele-ICU and ICU Innovations Program

Poster Award Winners:

Scientific Winner: “Comparison of Diagnostic Yield for Telegenetics versus In-Person Genetics Evaluations,” Author: Michael Lyons, Greenwood Genetic Center

Programmatic Winner: “Telenutrition Decreases Barriers to Surgery for Adolescents with Severe Obesity,” Authors: Molly Mills, R.D.N., L.D.; Sarah B. Hales, Ph.D.; Nina Crowley, Ph.D., R.D.N., L.D.; James McElligott, M.D.; Aaron Lesher, M.D., M.S.C.R. Medical University of South Carolina

People’s Choice Winner “Serving Up Wellness Telehealth Education in S.C. Schools,” Author: Kimberly South, Prisma Health.

2019 Telehealth Awards

2019 SC Telehealth Program of Excellence:
The MUSC Health School Based
Telehealth Program
Kathryn King, MD, Elana Wells, MPH, CHES
and Kelli Garber, MSN, APRN, PPCNP-BC

2019 SC Telehealth Champion
John H. Magill, MSW
Retired Director of the
South Carolina Department
of Mental Health

2019 SC Telehealth Pioneer Award
David R. Garr, MD
former SC AHEC Executive Director
Accepting on his behalf
Anna Lefebvre, MSW, CPHQ
SC AHEC Executive Director