SC DHEC gets overhaul, split into two agencies

On July 1, 2024, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control became two separate agencies: the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services and the South Carolina Department of Public Health.

 

Additionally, DHEC’s retail food program and milk and dairy lab moved to the South Carolina Department of Agriculture.

 

You can visit the agency-specific websites below for your needs, or visit the DHEC homepage to choose the correct agency website. The old DHEC website is still live, but is no longer updated.

 

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH

DPH’s mission is to protect, promote, and improve the health and well-being of everyone in South Carolina. 

 

DPH consists of two core divisions: Health Promotion and Services and Healthcare Quality. 

 

Health Promotion and Services promotes community health and well-being by protecting people from disease, illness, and injury as well as providing access to quality care. It includes all public health departments and programs in South Carolina, including community engagement and health collaboration.

 

Healthcare Quality enhances patient safety and the quality of care by leading efforts to make health care in South Carolina safer, more accessible, equitable, and of higher quality. This division includes community care and provider services, drug control, and medical and emergency support.

 

The new agency can be found online at dph.sc.gov. Its main phone number will be 803-898-3300.

 

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES 

SCDES is South Carolina’s new environmental protection agency. SCDES is comprised of five main environmental bureaus: Bureau of Air Quality, Bureau of Coastal Management, Bureau of Land and Waste Management, Bureau of Water (including DNR’s former hydrology and aquatic nuisance species), and Bureau of Regional Laboratory Services.

 

The new agency can be found at des.sc.gov.