University of South Carolina unveils statewide neurology health network expansion

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The University of South Carolina this week marked the statewide expansion of the USC Brain Health Network at a ceremony in Sumter.

Launched in January, the USC Brain Health Network, in partnership with health systems, is establishing clinics across the state to screen people for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, according to a news release.

South Carolinians are at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias when compared to other states, the release stated. In fact, 122,000 South Carolinians aged 65 and over have Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias.

The rapidly growing population of people aged 65 and up is one reason, according to the release. The fact that South Carolina has the seventh highest stroke death rate in the country and that heart disease is the state’s leading cause of death are also contributing factors.

So far, the USC Brain Health Network has established clinics in partnership with Prisma Health to screen people for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in Sumter and Winnsboro, the release stated. USC Brain Health Network is currently only taking referrals from their partnered health system providers. It plans to open a clinic in Seneca in early summer, and other clinics soon, including in Orangeburg and Lexington counties.

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The USC Brain Health Network is establishing a statewide network of clinics, focusing on meeting the needs of patients and caregivers in rural and underserved areas of the state, according to the release. People who live in these areas typically don’t have access to specialized health care providers with expertise in brain health.

Opening clinics in these locations means that more people will have access to brain health screening. And in conjunction with their primary care provider, they will be able to follow the recommended patient care plan that the USC Brain Health Network staff provides to them.

“Establishing the USC Brain Health Network statewide is an opportunity to impact physical and mental health throughout the state by providing equitable care, addressing disparities and meeting the needs of the underserved,” said Julius Fridriksson, vice president for research at USC, in the release.

“Our goals — providing statewide access to services, supporting our patients and innovating in diagnostics and treatment — are all becoming a reality now as we expand our practices across the state.”

The USC Brain Health Network operates through USC Brain Health at the School of Medicine Columbia in conjunction with the USC Office of the Vice President for Research.

USC Brain Health will open the USC Brain Health Center in Columbia in early 2026, according to the release. It will serve as a hub for delivering exceptional cognitive care through clinical innovation and research. It will support patients and providers at USC Brain Health Network sites through advanced imaging and treatment options, extending access into underserved areas to historically underserved people.