| | December 20168UTLOOK Healthcare Tech Life on the coast of South Carolina is, in many ways, idyllic. The scenery here is the stuff vacation postcards are made of­white sand beaches, rolling Atlantic waves and palm trees swaying in the sun. There's a reason more than 14 million people visit Myrtle Beach and the surrounding area each year. This is truly one of America's most beautiful places.Those of us who are fortunate enough to live here year-round know we are blessed. But we also know there are significant challenges that rest just below our community's scenic surface. As a physician and Senior Vice President and CIO of Tidelands Health, our region's largest health care system, I am particularly focused on the health and socioeconomic issues facing our communities.More than 26 percent of Horry County (home to Myrtle Beach) residents are uninsured­the second-highest percentage of uninsured residents in the state. The percentage of uninsured in neighboring Georgetown and Williamsburg counties is 22 and 23 percent, respectively. In addition, the city of Georgetown was recently named the poorest town in South Carolina, with a poverty rate of nearly 22 percent. The region also faces startlingly high rates of obesity, diabetes and other chronic health conditions. Our not-for-profit health system operates three hospitals and nearly 50 outpatient locations serving our communities, so we are on the front lines of these socioeconomic battles. To better address these challenges and to fulfill our mission to those we serve, we are pursuing the development of what I call `smart communities'­communities where health care providers, government, education, private businesses and individuals work collaboratively IN MY OPINIONBy Dr. Todd Rowland, SVP & CIO, Tidelands HealthDeveloping Smart Communities to Solve Health and Socioeconomic Issues
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