About Us

The South Carolina HIV/AIDS Council (SCHAC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that serves anyone regardless of race, gender, socio-economic status, or sexual orientation. The agency was founded in 1994 as the African American HIV/AIDS Council to address HIV prevention and early intervention service gaps in South Carolina. In 2004, the name was changed to the South Carolina HIV/AIDS Council. Since the beginning of the epidemic, South Carolina has continuously and consistently ranked in the top ten (10) among all states in the rate of HI/AIDS until 2015 where South Carolina now ranks 13th.


It is a core belief of the South Carolina HIV/AIDS Council that, when it comes to matters of sexual health, secrecy and shame put lives at risk. For over twenty years, SCHAC has sought to combat stigma and reduce the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases in South Carolina through prevention, education, and advocacy. By engaging community leaders in necessary conversation, and meeting the needs of the most vulnerable—with free and rapid testing services, psychological counseling programs, and access to lifesaving medication—SCHAC extends quality healthcare to those at risk and neutralizes the atmosphere of judgment that still pervades public discussions around HIV. SCHAC and its initiatives are supported in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, and the South Carolina Department of Public Health, and other public and private investors who support the prevention and intervention efforts of an agency that seeks to stay at the forefront of innovation and advocacy. SCHAC Services include:

  • Free and Confidential In-House and Mobile Unit Outreach HIV/STI Detection
  • Healthy Relationship: Intervention for HIV Positives
  • Many Men-Many Voices: Same Gender Loving Men
  • Safety Counts: HIV Prevention for Clients in Active Addiction
  • Wright Wellness STI Treatment Center
  • Project PrEPlan: PrEP Education, Outreach, and Mobilization
  • Be-Tested-Be Treated-Be Cured HCV FOCUS Project
  • HIV Positive Peer Navigation and Linkage to Care
  • Medical Case Management, Treatment Referrals, Transportation, HIV Positive Support Groups
  • Alcohol and Other Drug Behavior Assessment and Referral Services
  • Evening Hour Treatment Program for STD's
  • CERTIFIED AFFORDABLE CARE ACT INSURANCE NAVIGATION


The South Carolina HIV/AIDS Council created the first alternative testing prevention-counseling site in the state and has screened over 12,000 citizens within the Midlands since 2001. Through a contact with SCDHEC, SCHAC served as a technical assistance provider for five high incidence counties where community syphilis screening was initiated.


We remain unique from other AIDS Service Organizations throughout the state and local metropolitan statistical area (MSA) for our exclusive ownership of the first and only HIV/STI mobile testing unit and the Wright Wellness Center which opened in March 2014 as the only non-profit, community based evening/weekend STI treatment clinic in the Columbia MSA.

Staff

SOUTH CAROLINA HIV/AIDS COUNCIL STAFF

Dr. Bambi W. Gaddist, DrPH
Executive Director
dr.gaddist@schivaidscouncil.org

Dr. Jacob P. White, MD
Deputy Director

dr.white@schivaidscouncil.org

Cynthia Howell 
Director of Finance
chowell@schivaidscouncil.org

Beverly James
Human Resources Liaison | Bookkeeper
bjames@schivaidscouncil.org

Sandra Wise
Director of Marketing/Development

swise@schivaidscouncil.org

Vivian Armstead
Project Coordinator 
varmstead@schivaidscouncil.org

Chestley Price
Sr. Community Health Specialist
cprice@schivaidscouncil.org

Rhonda Thomas
Lead Medical Case Manager

rthomas@schivaidscouncil.org

Kiahleah Sumpter
Linkage to Care Coordinator
ksumpter@schivaidscouncil.org

Jamie Troutman, ABD
Data Manager
nmgutshini@schivaidscouncil.org

Dr. Jacob P. White – MD
Deputy Director

dr.white@schivaidscouncil.org

Cynthia Howell 
Director of Finance
chowell@schivaidscouncil.org

Isaac Frederick
ACA | Benefits Navigator
ifrederick@schivaidscouncil.org

Shernell Sells
Sr. Community Health Specialist

ssells@schivaidscouncil.org

V. Amber Hasben
Office Manager
ahasben@schivaidscouncil.org

Francis "Lamont" Adams
Sr. Community Health Specialist
fadams@schivaidscouncil.org

Conrad Brooks
Community Health Specialist

cbrooks@schivaidscouncil.org

Deloris Nickelson
Community Health Specialist
dnickelson@schivaidscouncil.org

Earnest Brown
Peer Navigator

ebrown@schivaidscouncil.org

Courtney Hightower
Community Health Specialist

chightower@schivaidscouncil.org

Nikki Harp
FOCUS Project Coordinator
nharp@schivaidscouncil.org

Tawana Folston
Specialized Case Manager
tfolston@schivaidscouncil.org

Herbert Davis
Outreach Specialist

hdavis@schivaidscouncil.org

Ryan Murray
Peer Adherence Coach
rmurray@schivaidscouncil.org

Tiesha Ogwin
Community Health Specialist/Medical Assistant
togwin@schivaidscouncil.org

Board of Directors

Kenric Ware – Board Chair
Asst. Professor of Pharmacy Practice, South University

Kbware@southuniversity.edu 404.983.7720 | mobile

Dr. Tanya Smith Brice – Vice Chair
Dean of the School of Health Human Services, Benedict College

tanyasmithbrice@gmail.com 254.652.7976 | mobile

Gerald McNair – Treasurer
Community Activist, SC HIV Planning Council

Gmcnair30@yahoo.com 

803.553.3477 | mobile

Lemuel Watson – Secretary
Community Activist, SC HIV Planning Council

Executive Director – Center for
Innovation in Higher Education

watsonlw@mailbox.sc.edu

864.356.4471 | mobile

803.777.5205 | office

Paula Watson – Past Board Chair
Consultant
Prvinson59@gmail.com

803.409.8752 | mobile

Raia Hirsch – Member
Attorney at Law, Raia Jane Hirsch

raia@rjhirschlaw.com
803.929.0770 | mobile

Dr. Ronnie Hopkins – Member
Dean of the Freshman Institute
Benedict College

Rhopkinsphd@yahoo.com 

803.260.5956 | mobile

Frances Ashe-Goins, RN, MPH, FAAN – Member
Private Consultant
Adjunct Professor USC School of Public Health College of Nursing

franashe@aol.com

703.801.2420 | mobile

Clare Folio Morris – Member
Owner, Clare Morris Agency
clare@claremorrisagency.com 803.413.6808 | mobile