Of the medical societies listed on South Carolina Medical Association’s (SCMA) official webpage, only one has the word “alliance” in its title.
That appears to be quite intentional.
The Florence County Medical Society & Alliance (FCSMA) is modest in terms of its size and history. But according to its current president, Dr. Vinod Jona, FCSMA is gaining momentum due to its spirit of collaboration.
Even Dr. Jona, a pulmonologist and critical care physician, was drawn into a leadership role in FCMSA by a member of the Alliance. That member happens to be his wife, Sue Jona, who has served as the FCSMA treasurer for over 15 years and the South Carolina Medical Association Alliance treasurer from 2022-23.
A former chief of staff at the McLeod Regional Medical Center, Dr. Jona and his colleagues in Florence quickly realized that with the shortage of doctors in the state, retention was critical for the county of approximately 140,000 residents. The Alliance organizes charitable events for local schools and other volunteering opportunities, provides networking and social opportunities for physicians, spouses, and their children, and maintains a database of the 130-plus physician-members of the medical society.
There is no better evidence of the mission of FCSMA than its kick-off event of the year, a New Physicians’ Welcome each fall. The three regional hospitals – McLeod, The Medical University of South Carolina Hospital, and HopeHealth at Francis Marion University – donate over $11,000 to support the event, which Dr. Jona lauds for its positive impact.
“I would say it is hugely positive as the hospitals have seen the benefit of physician retention,” said Dr. Jona, who has earned a variety of patient care awards, including multiple Castle Connolly Regional Top Doctor awards and McLeod Healthcare Hero and Pillars of Professionalism accolades. “They have seen just how good a program this is for our local community.”
In addition, a Continuing Medical Education (CME) event is offered every spring to all the members of the society. This event generally offers 2.0 CME credits, and will generally help meet any additional special requirements by the South Carolina Medical Board.
FCMSA plans to play an active role in the South Carolina Medical Association Annual Meeting, which will be held in April 2026 in Charleston. Hot topics will include medical marijuana guidelines, the role of allied health providers (nurse practitioners and physicians’ assistants) in healthcare, and physician burnout. Physician burnout is one topic that Dr. Jona feels does not get enough attention at the local, state, or national level.
“Physician burnout is a broad term that encompasses many challenges, and while it’s a frequent topic of conversation within our hospitals, it remains an ongoing discussion as we strive for more concrete support systems,” he said.
Additionally, Dr. Rodney K. Alan, an orthopedic surgeon, represents Florence County physicians, along with those in Cheraw, Darlington, and Marlboro counties on the SCMA Board of Trustees. Dr. Alan will present all of the physicians’ issues or concerns that might require legislative action in April.
Dr. Jona, who has been practicing in Florence for over 20 years, is quite optimistic about the future of medical care in Florence specifically and South Carolina in general. He is seeing physicians from different backgrounds with different subspecialties either come to or stay in the state.
“Now, there are two new internal medicine residency programs,” he said. “There’s a family medicine program, so we have very young physicians coming in. I think these residency programs are good forums for them and the result is that we can have our own physicians stay and practice in South Carolina.”
Moreover, scholarships are available through FCMSA to dedicated students at Francis Marion University in Florence who intend to pursue a career in healthcare programs.
