Dr. Edward Simmer, MD, MPH, DFAPA, has always placed people at the heart of his work. With over three decades of experience in the Navy, he developed a leadership philosophy that shies away from top-down models where solutions are dictated without consultation.
True progress in healthcare is made when practitioners take the time to genuinely listen to their patients, he explained. By understanding their needs, only then can real solutions be created, fostering trust and effective treatment in the process.
“I’ve seen what it is like to not know where healthcare will come from,” he said, also noting that he is from a lower middle class working family- his mother was a school bus driver, and his father was a machinist.
“There will always be budget and political concerns for agencies, but if we put people first, we will get it right,” said Dr. Simmer.
After serving in impressive leadership roles at The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), Dr. Simmer was appointed the first Agency Director of the newly formed South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) by the S.C. Board of Health and Environmental Control. He assumed his duties as agency director, upon confirmation on Feb. 4, 2021. In this role, Dr. Simmer leads the cabinet agency and reports to Governor Henry McMaster.
Under Dr. Simmer’s leadership, improvements immediately began to take shape.
“We have a rare opportunity as a new agency to establish new paths,” said Dr. Simmer. “We are already expanding outreach and engagement by reaching out to agencies and asking, ‘What does your agency need?’”
When faith-based groups in West Columbia confirmed that they needed help meeting the needs of the underserved, Dr. Simmer and his team jumped in.
“We worked with the local healthcare system to create a health fair for men,” said Dr. Simmer. “There were several speakers, demos about how to make healthy food beyond the microwave and exercise opportunities. We offered health screenings too.”
In a similar partnership, the DPH is helping veteran organizations as well.
In the throes of hurricane season, Dr. Simmer shared another source of pride for the DPH.
“The notification and evacuation process are typically chaotic,” he said. “However, we’ve sent engineers and architects to each facility to determine what the building can handle – wind speed, flood risk, for example. Each facility receives a letter from me confirming its rating.”
“If a hurricane is less than what they are rated for, facilities are left out of the evacuation process. Now they have a little more certainty,” said Dr. Simmer.
The DPH has also streamlined healthcare licensing procedures by introducing consultation teams that work directly with facilities to facilitate improvement. Instead of merely identifying deficiencies and enforcing corrective measures, these teams engage with healthcare providers, listening to their needs and collaboratively identifying resources and solutions.
“In the past budget year, we asked for funding to expand the quality of our services and to enable DPH to be more collaborative,” said Dr. Simmer. “The state gave us several million dollars and 23 new positions. We are filling those positions, and we look forward to forging new partnerships and new paths as a result.”
An immediate benefit that Dr. Simmer and his team envision is expanding hours for inspections. “Currently our inspections happen Monday through Friday between nine and five,” said Dr. Simmer. “We hope to inspect in the evenings and weekends too, when many problems occur.”
The DPH also plans to put all healthcare facilities online so that inspection results can be seen by families who want to compare their options.
One of the biggest challenges that the DPH continues to navigate is rebuilding trust. “COVID 19 eroded some trust,” said Dr. Simmer. “I hopeful that listening to the people we serve and then helping them connect with resources that meet their needs will help.”
Collaboration and trust are needed to solve some of South Carolina’s biggest woes, which Dr. Simmer noted include, but are not limited to, the following:
- High infant mortality rates, which is double for African Americans
- Mortality rates among Black women, which are four times higher than mortality rates for White women
- Food insecurity- South Carolina has the highest rate in the nation
- Inadequate access to quality healthcare, especially in rural areas. Out of 46 counties surveyed, 14 don’t have an OB/GYN
“With help from the legislature, the DPH is buying a mobile care unit so it can be easier for moms to get the care they need,” said Dr. Simmer. “An OB, nurse and lactation consultant will be part of that mobile unit.”
The collaborative ethos that Dr. Simmers brings to the DPH marks the beginning of a new chapter in public health for South Carolina – a chapter that Dr. Simmer hopes makes the department more engaged and more transparent.
When Dr. Simmer is not leading the DPH, he enjoys the outdoors and birdwatching. He and his wife, Peggy, are history buffs, and they enjoy as visiting historical sites in South Carolina. They live in a 200-year-old home in Beaufort, and they love working on that as well.
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Edward Simmer, MD, MPH, DLFAPA
Prior to being named interim director, Dr. Edward Simmer was appointed as director of the South Carolina Department of Public Health and Environmental Control (DHEC); he led a team of 4,000 dedicated professionals in the areas of public health, healthcare quality, and environmental protection. He oversaw the state’s response to COVID-19 and Mpox, led the agency’s response to two hurricanes, and ensured the state’s health care facilities provided high quality, safe care. He led all the states nearly 100 health departments and worked to improve the health of the people of South Carolina and the environment in which they live.
Prior to serving as DHEC director, Simmer served over 30 years on active duty in the United States Navy. In his most recent assignment, he served as the first Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director for the TRICARE Health Plan at the Defense Health Agency in Falls Church, Virginia. In this role he was responsible for overseeing all clinical aspects of the civilian medical and dental care provided to the 9.5 million active-duty service members, military retirees, and their families worldwide. He also served as the first Officer-in-Charge of the Defense Health Agency Navy Element, creating the command from 27 formerly separate units and leading over 250 Sailors assigned to DHA worldwide.
A native of Ohio, Simmer received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Hiram College in 1986, his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Saint Louis University School of Medicine via the Navy Health Professions Scholarship Program in 1990, and his Master of Public Health degree from the Eastern Virginia Medical School/Old Dominion University Consortium in 2001. He is board certified in general and forensic psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. In addition, he is certified in administrative psychiatry by the American Psychiatric Association.
Upon completion of his psychiatry internship at Naval Hospital Portsmouth in 1991, Simmer reported for duty as the General Medical Officer aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise (CVN-65). He then returned to Naval Medical Center Portsmouth from 1993–1996 to complete his psychiatry residency training. After residency, he assumed duty as the division psychiatrist for the Second Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
In 1998, he returned to Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, where he served as the Department Head for Psychiatry and then was appointed as the Director for Quality Management for the medical center.
Simmer also served as the Head of the Navy Medicine East Special Psychiatric Rapid Intervention Team (SPRINT), one of the Navy’s mental health disaster response teams. In this role he led numerous responses to traumatic incidents, including Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina and the U.S.S. Cole (DDG-67) bombing. He has also been active in graduate medical education, serving as the Command Intern Coordinator at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth and subsequently as the Navy Specialty Leader for Interns.
In 2008, Simmer was selected as the first Senior Executive Director for Psychological Health at the Defense Centers of Excellence (DCoE) for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). In this role he was responsible for all psychological health efforts of DoD’s lead agency for psychological health and TBI.
In June 2010, Simmer assumed duties as Executive Officer (XO) of Naval Hospital Beaufort, South Carolina.
In 2012, he became the Commanding Officer (CO) of Naval Hospital Oak Harbor, Washington. As the CO, he successfully implemented a comprehensive restructuring of the hospital, while improving quality of care and patient satisfaction. Simmer has been married to his wife Peggy for over 34 years. He received the Defense Superior Service Medal (two awards) and numerous other personal, unit and campaign awards. He was also named one of Columbia Business Monthly’s 50 Most Influential people for 2021. He is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.
Source:
dph.sc.gov/about/about-us/agency-leadership/dr-edward-simmer-interim-agency-director
One Department Becomes Two
In July 2024, The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) officially split into two independent agencies- South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH)- the former health component of DHEC- and South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) – the environmental component of DHEC.
The split, guided by legislation, enabled both agencies to sharpen their focus on both health and environmental issues.
Contact Information:
South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH): The former health component of DHEC. The DPH’s website is dph.sc.gov and their phone number is (803) 898-3300.
South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES): The environmental component of DHEC. The SCDES’ website is des.sc.gov
