171 Ashley Ave.
Charleston, SC 29425
843-792-1414
800-424-MUSC
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Center for Child Advocacy
Established in 2001, the Center for Child Advocacy provides a variety of government relations, advocacy,
Medicaid service development, and outreach services in support of MUSC Children's Hospital and the
South Carolina Children's Hospital Collaborative.
The Collaborative is a non-profit organization comprised of the four children's hospitals in South Carolina.
Children's hospitals have advocacy as one of their core missions. Often, advocacy takes the form of government
relations, a reflection of the dependent relationship between Medicaid and children's hospitals. In fact, the
National Association of Children's Hospitals. cites that "Medicaid accounts for nearly half of all inpatient
discharges and costs" nationwide, and, as a result, "...the ability of children's hospitals to exist and benefit
all children is intertwined with the long-term future of Medicaid." South Carolina is no exception, with nearly
50% of both inpatient and outpatient services being provided to Medicaid-eligible children.
In addition to government relations, the center manages various advocacy initiatives and outreach services. The Center's
primary initiative is MUSC Children's Care, a network of medical homes (primary care physicians) for Medicaid-eligible and
uninsured children in the tri-county area. Formed in 1998, MUSC Children's Care now provides bilingual care to over 6,200
children from the tri-county area.
From 2003 - 2005, the Center for Child Advocacy, held a contract with the state Medicaid agency, SC Department of
Health and Human Services, that allowed the Center to survey pediatric and family practices in the tri-county (Berkeley,
Charleston & Dorchester) to determine which practices currently accepted (new and current) Medicaid patients. A
provider directory was created, updated, and listed here. That provider directory has not been updated
since the funding ended in October of 2005. A more current state-wide listing is maintained through The Palmetto Project at
www.schealthcare.org.
Contact information for center personnel is noted below:
Charles P. Darby, Jr., M.D.
Executive Director of CCA
Professor Emeritus of MUSC Pediatrics
Founder of MUSC Children's Hospital
Phone: (843) 534-0033
darbyc@musc.edu
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Maggie Michael
Director of CCA
Phone: (843) 534-0035
michaelm@musc.edu
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Dena Hughes
Program Manager
Phone: (843) 534-0033
hughesd@musc.edu
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MAIL TO:
Center for Child Advocacy
310 Broad St., Suite 10
Charleston, SC 29401
Phone: (843) 534-0033
Fax: (843) 534-0039
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