At Parkridge OB/GYN, we bring together some of the most caring, established and experienced women’s health care physicians to serve Columbia, Irmo, Lexington and the greater Midlands region of South Carolina. We are here to provide you with quality, compassionate medical care, as well as an exceptional overall patient experience, throughout every stage of your life.
We offer a complete range of gynecology and obstetric care, from your first exam through pregnancy, menopause and beyond. We know caring is as important as a precise clinical diagnosis, and are dedicated to meeting your unique health needs throughout your life journey.
e Cooperative Health Center was founded with the purpose of addressing the primary health care needs in the Eau Claire community, which was Columbia, South Carolina’s largest underserved collection of low-income neighborhoods.
In 1981, with a population of 35,000 and its sole practicing physician at retirement age, Eau Claire needed serious help. Initially, Dr. Stuart Hamilton launched Eau Claire Pediatrics, which quickly grew into a three-physician practice. With a local poverty rate of 25%, the practice was quite busy but could not cover its costs. A decision was made to scrap the standard private practice model, re-emerge as a non-profit, and seek grant support.
In 1993, the practice expanded to include adult primary care and became certified as a Federally Qualified Health Center “look-alike” that qualified it for enhanced Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements to help cover the costs of caring for the uninsured. In 1997, OB/GYN services were added, and in 2000, the Cooperative received its first competitive federal grant.
Dental services and behavioral health services were added in 2002, followed by pharmacy services in 2004. Seasonal workers, homeless healthcare, and HIV/AIDs care programs were added in 2012.
The Cooperative was awarded a national healthcare innovation grant to pilot a home-based care program. The Cooperative has published peer-reviewed original research in conjunction with the Medical University of South Carolina and precepts nursing and medical students from multiple institutions.
The Cooperative has now grown into a four-county, multiple-outlet, 50-provider primary care group serving families of all income levels. It is South Carolina’s largest and most cost-effective community health center system, with an annual patient base exceeding 58,000 individuals.
A sliding fee scale is available for families in economic distress and no one is denied care due to an inability to pay. The Cooperative remains true to its mission of service in the spirit of the Good Samaritan.
About Us
Sandhills Pediatrics traces our roots to the first pediatrician in the Southeast, Dr. William S. Weston, who began practicing in the early 1900′s. We were founded in 1975 by Dr. S. Nelson Weston and Dr. Charles A. James with the merger of their successful practices. Dr. Nelson Weston is the grandson of Dr. William S. Weston and also practiced with his father, Dr. William S. Weston, Jr. Dr. James founded his original practice in 1960. Our founders have since retired but we continue to carry their long and distinguished history of comprehensive pediatric care into the future.
Currently we have nineteen pediatricians, all of whom are certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, to serve the needs of your children and adolescents. We have expanded to five convenient locations to better serve the entire Midlands region. We are committed to provide the highest quality comprehensive and caring pediatric care available anywhere to children and adolescents from birth through the college years.
Locations in; Downtown Columbia, Northeast Columbia, Irmo, Lexington and West Columbia
