BY HOLLY AUER, Of The Post and Courier Staff

Gov. Mark Sanford touted increased spending on prevention to combat the state's health care ills during a visit to the Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina on Thursday.

South Carolina ranks 10th in the nation for its per-person public health-care spending, yet remains among the five least healthy states in the nation. Most of the state's health-care spending is clustered late in a patient's disease stage, when they need costly care that often can't guarantee a cure.

Funneling dollars into preventive care, Sanford said, would minimize the number of people who become ill and, ultimately, save taxpayers money.

"Many of those dollars would go further if spent a little earlier in the process," he said. "If we take precautions early, they can pay real dividends over time."

The state House of Representatives has granted at least partial funding to two of Sanford's health-spending initiatives in the 2005-06 budget: prevention partnership grants and funding for breast and cervical cancer screenings. A third item, asking for $1 million for the Hollings Cancer Center to help its administrators in their quest to obtain a National Cancer Institute designation, was not approved, but Sanford said he is hopeful it will fare better in the Senate.

Among other things, an NCI designation would allow MUSC to compete for more federal research grants. The clinical trials those funds support are a key way to not only break new scientific ground but also to fund cancer treatment for the uninsured.

The governor also stressed personal efforts, especially exercise, as a way to combat many of the diseases that plague the Palmetto State, like diabetes and colon cancer.

"Even if it's not running the Cooper River bridge, just gardening in your backyard," is helpful, he said. "Ultimately, good health begins with individual choices."

Dr. Raymond S. Greenberg, MUSC's president, highlighted the effectiveness of partnerships with schools and AME churches in reaching out to neighborhoods and communities where preventative health care isn't readily available.

"A lot of these things go beyond the traditional health-care setting," he said. "We're reaching people with exercise programs and healthy eating in ways that just can't be communicated in the doctor's office."

This article was printed via the web on 3/18/2005 11:15:38 AM . This article appeared in The Post and Courier and updated online at Charleston.net on Friday, March 18, 2005.