COLUMBIA, SC — The children of rural Williamsburg County don't have many pediatricians in town, but they do have one on TV because of a telemedicine program operated by MUSC. Now, state lawmakers want to expand telemedicine ? where doctors treat patients via video conference ? because they see it as a potential fix for some of South Carolina's health problems. Telemedicine, they say, offers the chance to give specialized medical care to poor residents in rural areas ? people who need it the most but don't have access to it. Last week, the S.C. House of Representatives approved a $22.7 billion budget, for the state's fiscal year that starts July 1, that includes $8 million to expand MUSC's telemedicine program.
