The USC School of Medicine, in partnership with the local community and a local family medicine practice, established its second Rural Primary Care Education Center in the town of Kershaw in southern Lancaster County in 1998. The Education Center is now affiliated with Sentinel Health Partners and the Kershaw County Medical Center. At Sentinel’s Kershaw medical center, students in their third year family medicine clerkship can train with two board-certified family medicine physicians.  Dr. James Timmons, Jr. has been practicing family medicine in Kershaw since the mid 1970’s.  Dr. Jon Hegler joined Dr. Timmons in 2001.  He is a graduate of the USC School of Medicine and grew up in Kershaw, SC.

The Town of Kershaw, through its partnership with the School of Medicine, obtained foundation funds to purchase and renovate the building adjacent to the medical center. The Education Director at this Kershaw Community Health Education Center coordinates medical student training as well as a variety of community health programs that have been developed in partnership with community stake holders.   Students who train at the Kershaw medical center live in a leased, furnished home in Kershaw.  This enables students to more fully experience life in a rural community. Contact the Education Director, Terrance Strater, RN, MPH, at 212 E. Marion Street, Kershaw, SC; 803-475-4402, tstrater@kchec.org, for further information.