[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12190]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO GEORGETOWN COUNTY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 9, 2005

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and commend 
Georgetown County, SC, and its efforts to make healthcare services 
accessible to its rural population.
  Several years ago, Georgetown County conceived the idea of turning a 
former schoolhouse--purchased for just $1--into an affordable and 
accessible healthcare facility for residents who previously had to 
travel more than a half-hour to reach needed wellness resources. This 
center is critical, since more than 15 percent of citizens in the area 
do not have transportation, 56 percent live below 200 percent of the 
poverty level, and the community is not served by public transit.
  I am extremely pleaded to announce the completion of the Choppee 
Regional Resource Center, a medical ``One Stop Shop,'' providing the 
first step towards an integrated, holistic healthcare delivery system 
for some of South Carolina's most underserved residents. Residents now 
have access to medical care, drug and alcohol counseling, mental health 
services, children's and seniors' services, and adult education 
opportunities.
  This center is important to me because it brings together key players 
from across the State to make a difference in the individual lives of 
those who too often are not reached by broader efforts. It is these 
underserved people who each of us is sent here to help in any and every 
way we can.
  Georgetown County continues to develop the Choppee facilities and is 
now implementing a second phase of the project: the creation of a 
Family Wellness Center. Together, these resources will provide 
comprehensive healthcare, vocational, and support services to benefit 
the county's rural residents.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me as I commend the Georgetown County 
Council, the administrator, School District, and all those individuals 
and groups who have been so personally involved in making this center a 
reality. Without your help, the citizens of Choppee would still be 
forced to travel great distances, at great expense and effort for the 
day-to-day services they need to live healthy, productive lives.

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