COLUMBIA, S.C. - Dr. Meera Narasimhan, professor and chair in the Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Floyd School of Medicine and Prisma Health Midlands, received the Order of the Palmetto from Governor Henry McMaster on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at the South Carolina State House.
The Order of the Palmetto is the State of South Carolina’s highest honor, presented in recognition of a lifetime of service and contributions to the state.
“Dr. Meera Narasimhan has helped change the course of mental health care in South Carolina," said Governor McMaster. "For more than 25 years, she has brought new ideas, built programs, and brought people together to expand access to care across our state. Her work has helped make South Carolina a leader in telepsychiatry and rural mental health care, while her leadership has strengthened the people and institutions that will carry this work forward. Dr. Narasimhan has earned the Order of the Palmetto through the lasting impact she has made on South Carolina.”
Since arriving to South Carolina 28 years ago, Dr. Narasimhan has championed mental health awareness and the need for resources in all corners of her adoptive state. Her efforts have led to the expansion of telehealth opportunities for populations who do not have equal access to mental health professionals, and she currently is working to expand the influence of the Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare.
Along with her personal efforts, she also works to uplift organizations looking to make inroads. Helen Pridgen, a founding member of the South Carolina chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), wrote to the Governor in support of Dr. Narasimhan.
Spurred on by her own personal loss, Pridgen wanted to start an AFSP chapter in the state. She asked if Dr. Narasimhan would serve on the first board of directors for the group, to which she agreed.
"Meera’s 'yes' 18 years ago had a remarkable influence on our course, our credibility, and our sustainability," Helen wrote. “For more than 25 years, she has advanced care delivery to bridge the health inequities in the state. Through her unwavering advocacy, influence on health policy, professionalism, and ethical leadership, she has served as a respected champion for mental health and healthcare."
Dr. Narasimhan brought her passion for advocacy to the State House, connecting with Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives Murrell Smith. Their partnership brought many important initiatives to the citizens of South Carolina.
In his remarks at the ceremony, Speaker Smith recalled their first meeting.
"The passion, the enthusiasm, and the caring nature that came out of her was so refreshing. You saw someone who was committed to healthcare, who was committed to this state, and who was committed to improving healthcare in this state ... She was already winning awards around the nation for what she was doing in telepsychiatry. That right there convinced me that telehealth was a possibility in this state. It was a way that we could help rural South Carolina gain access to care, and she was one of the pioneers in our great state in that regard."
Dr. Lucy Easler, president and CEO for the Mental Illness Recovery Center, Inc. (MIRCI), mentioned the role of relationships in Dr. Narasimhan's leadership.
"Dr. Narasimhan is a leader across South Carolina because she understands that lasting change never happens through expertise alone. It's all about relationships. Whether she's working with clinicians, educators, legislators, hospital leaders, insurers, or community partners, she keeps the needs and dignity of patients and their familites at the center."
After receiving the Order of the Palmetto from Governor McMaster, Dr. Narasimhan shared her gratitude for her partners at the Floyd School of Medicine, the University of South Carolina, Prisma Health and beyond.
Joined also by her parents, she remarked that they "instilled in us that while you make a living by what you earn, you make a life by what you give."
For now, the work continues for Dr. Narasimhan. She currently serves on the S.C. Telehealth Alliance, Palmetto Care Connection Board (Broadband) and the American Psychiatric Association Telehealth Steering Committee. She has received several National Institutes of Health, industry, foundation grants for clinical, translational and technology driven initiatives and is currently evaluating Suicide Prevention Initiatives in the state of South Carolina.
Dr. Narasimhan has received numerous prestigious national and international awards from several institutions and organizations globally including the American Psychiatric Association, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health America, Yale University, American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, the Indo American Psychiatric Association and the South Carolina Department of Mental Health.