Patricia Wilson Witherspoon, MD

Patricia Witherspoon, MD, received her undergraduate, graduate and medical education degrees in Pennsylvania. After obtaining a bachelor's degree in biology from Lincoln University in Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, she received a master's degree in biology from Pennsylvania State University in State College. She then received her doctor of medicine from Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Dr. Witherspoon completed a family practice residency at Prisma Health Richland Hospital, serving as chief resident in her final year. In 1995, she accepted an appointment with the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. Prior to joining the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine faculty, she was a staff physician for three years with Richland Primary Health Care Association in Columbia, South Carolina, with the National Health Services Corporation Loan Repayment Program.

Witherspoon has served in a variety of roles throughout her tenure, including as a member of the investigation team at the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center in the office of Rural Health Policy and as a member of the South Carolina Cardiovascular Task Force. She is currently the director of community outreach and the senior member of the quality team, and since 2017 has been a consultant at South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) in the capacity of assistant medical director. Her community appointments include the South Carolina Academy of Family Physicians as past president and alternative delegate and serves on several subcommittees. She is an active member of the South Carolina Medical Association and participates in the Doctor of the Day program at the South Carolina state legislature. She is a member of the volunteer physician work force at the Columbia Free Clinic and the Good Samaritan Clinic. She is a past recipient of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) Diabetes Physician Champion and currently participates in the DHEC-sponsored plan to reduce diabetes in the state. Dr. Witherspoon is board certified by (diplomat) and a fellow with the American Board of Family Medicine. She has special interest in women's health, minority health issues, health disparities, diabetes care, community health and health care advocacy on a local and national level.