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Leadership institute addresses Southern rural issues  MUSC's Department of Library Science and Informatics and a team of program partners sponsored and produced a leadership institute addressing environmental health and quality-of-life issues in rural South Carolina. The Blackville Community Leaders Institute attracted more than 100 speakers and participants to the Barnwell County town of Blackville, July 30-31.  Attendees shared information and resources on the unique relationship between human health, environmental protection, environmental justice and economic development in rural communities. Program partners included the Medical University, the Town of Blackville, South Carolina State University, Savannah State University, the Westinghouse Savannah River Company, the City of Charleston and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4. “The diverse nature of the partnership reflects the wide range of resources that must be brought to the table to address health concerns and issues in rural communities,” said David Rivers, director of the library’s Public Information and Community Outreach Section. “In many instances, the issues facing these communities have been misunderstood, or have not been addressed due to a lack of resources. Informed leaders are better able to design and implement policies that will lead to a healthier environment and improved quality of life for all citizens.” Institute presenters included C. Earl Hunter, commissioner of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control; Robert Pedde, president of the Westinghouse Savannah River Company; David Kenner, the mayor of Blackville; and representatives of corporations, civic groups, and state and federal agencies.  Kenner stressed the need for Blackville’s leaders to change perceptions about environmental issues, the lack of medical care and other problems rural towns struggle to address daily.  “I want to empower the community,” he said.  The empowerment process includes vigorous communication between Blackville’s residents and the corporate entities that do business in and around the town. “This session is a good path forward for making sure there is open communication,” Pedde said.  “It’s a good opportunity for us to exercise our responsibilities as a corporate citizen of Blackville and other communities.” South Carolina Representative Lonnie Hosey (District 91, Allendale and Barnwell Counties) attended the institute and recognized the need to find new ways to address rural health issues. “I would recommend that rural communities across the state consider similar programs,” he said. “This is a good approach to the issues faced by many of our state’s citizens.” The Medical University’s relationship with the Town of Blackville dates to 1994, when MUSC’s Environmental Hazards Assessment Program (EHAP) and residents of Blackville first partnered to identify and address residents’ environmental health concerns. That two-year effort yielded town meetings, a widely circulated videotape, educational projects and a communitywide clean-up and beautification effort. In 1999, residents of Blackville participated in a televised dialogue on cancer risk in the Savannah River Region. “Over the years, the Medical University and Blackville have forged a solid partnership on environmental health issues,” Rivers said. “We hope that partnership continues for many years to come, and expands to include residents of many of our state’s small, rural towns.”   Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.