Women of Main Street: Dr. Beryl Bachus-Keith

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Beryl Bachus-Keith of HopeHealth Pediatrics is one of nearly 100 local businesswomen who will be recognized Sept. 23 during Main Street Manning’s annual meeting. The Manning Times will be featuring a few of these women each week throughout September in The Manning Times, and posting stories daily on manninglive.com. Local pediatrician Dr. Beryl Bachus-Keith didn’t dwell much on being the first pediatrician in Manning when she came to Clarendon County more than two decades ago. She just knew she had a job to do, and that she absolutely loved doing it. “I actually knew that I wanted to become a doctor when I was in third grade,” she said. “The elementary school I attended did an article on me after being selected as their student of the month. The article stated that I wanted to be a pediatrician or an obstetrician and attend McDonogh No. 35 High School, Tulane University and Tulane School of Medicine.” What she said at 7 became a reality. Pediatrics won out, and Bachus-Keith received her medical degree from Tulane University in her native New Orleans, La., graduating at the top of her class After more than two decades in Clarendon County, Bachus-Keith has served two terms as Clarendon Memorial Hospital’s chief-of-staff, most recently from 2008-12, overseeing medical operations during the hospital’s largest expansion to date, in addition to having served as the hospital’s chief of pediatrics for 20 years. She served as chief medical officer at Black River Healthcare for 19 years, coordinating medical services for up to seven medical centers in Clarendon, Williamsburg and Florence Counties. Bachus-Keith is currently Medical Director at HopeHealth Inc., which comprises nine Community Health Centers, three HIV/AIDS service sites, and a child abuse and neglect advocacy center, offering affordable healthcare, while integrating a range of health resources to provide the very best in patient care, prevention, and support services. Bachus-Keith is the current chairman of the Board of Directors for NBSC in Manning, and serves on the Board of Directors for Clarendon Memorial Hospital, The South Carolina Office of Rural Health, and the Cypress Foundation. Bachus-Keith pro­vides medical information to the community in her “Ask a Doc” newspaper column and enjoys being a part of the community. She was most recently honored as the Shining Star Award recipient by Dancing with the Clarendon County Stars, after collecting more than $21,000 for local charities, the most money raised by a single donor in the program’s five years.