Visiting rural, lots of us

The SCRHRC staff went all out for National Rural Health Day (November 15, 2012) –  all the way out to Edgefield, SC to join the South Carolina Office of Rural Health and assorted others in celebrating at Edgefield County Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital in a definitely rural community. [ http://www.edgefieldadvertiser.com/2012/11/national-rural-health-day-celebrated-at-ech/ ] Visits  to actual rural communities and actual health care providers  inspire us to keep doing what we do.

After the ceremonies, we participated in the cultural activities that Dr. Amy Martin organized for us.  First, a visit to the historic Edgefield Pottery. [http://www.sciway.net/south-carolina/edgefield-district-pottery.html]  (Thanks to Dr. Naveed Sadiq for the group photo.)

Pots and other once simply utilitarian devises produced by the slave laborers in Edgefield are now worth thousands, and occasionally hundreds of thousands, to collectors.  One slave, Dave, is individually known because he was literate and signed much of his work.  He is imagined on the mural next to the pottery.  And the docent for the Edgefield County Historical Society, himself a working pottery, gave us a demonstration at the end of the tour. The demo, complete with history lesson, was captured on film by Dr. Sadiq:  demo film

One last note:  in addition to a critical access hospital, Edgefield houses the national headquarters for the National Wild Turkey Foundation, leading to turkey art throughout the main square.