Episode #481 Health Beyond Hospital Walls, With Monty Robertson, MHA
On This Episode Of The Public Health Epidemiology Conversations (PHEC) Podcast
What would it take to get hospitals, a Medicaid agency, insurers, and global manufacturers like Boeing and Michelin working toward one goal of a healthier state? In this episode of PHEC, Dr. Huntley talks with Monty Robertson, executive director of the Alliance for a Healthier South Carolina, about public health collaboration and what becomes possible when an entire state treats health as everyone’s business.
From Rural South Carolina to Statewide Health Leadership
Monty grew up in small-town South Carolina, splitting his childhood between the one-stoplight town of Ridgeway and nearby Elgin. His original plan was dentistry, and he earned a biology degree with that path in mind. When it came time to choose his next step, an advisor saw how his leadership experience and his interest in healthcare fit together and pointed him toward health administration. Within about three months, Monty had made the decision, taken the GRE, and gathered his letters of recommendation.
That move led him to Lexington Medical Center, where his work in an outpatient clinic showed him what patients carried beyond the clinic doors. People were managing housing problems, transportation barriers, and gaps in insurance. Those experiences sparked the question that still drives his work today: how can communities solve the problems that no single doctor, nurse, or administrator can fix alone?
Inside the Alliance for a Healthier South Carolina
Before joining the Alliance, Monty worked with the South Carolina Birth Outcomes Initiative, a statewide coalition focused on the health of moms and babies. At just 25, he was bringing partners together to shape funding and policy across the state.
Today he leads the Alliance, which grew out of a conversation among hospital leaders around 2010 who realized they needed a much more diverse group at the table. The Alliance launched officially in 2014 with about 25 organizations, became a nonprofit in 2023, and now counts 55 member organizations. Those members include hospitals, state agencies, insurers, nonprofits, and businesses. Monty explains how the Alliance works with the state’s Department of Public Health to carry out the state health improvement plan, a shared roadmap for South Carolina’s biggest health priorities.
Why Education and Housing Belong in a State Health Plan
South Carolina’s plan includes the priorities you might expect, such as maternal and infant health, behavioral health, and chronic conditions. It also names education, poverty, and community development as health priorities, because where people live, learn, and work shapes how healthy they can be. That intentional choice opened the door to new partners, and the Department of Education, the state housing agency, and community development groups now have seats at the table.
Storytelling, Policy, and a Role for Everyone
Dr. Huntley and Monty also dig into two skills public health professionals keep sharpening: explaining their work in plain language and engaging with policy. Monty shares why storytelling helps more people see themselves as part of public health. He also offers a practical reminder that public health professionals can advocate for good policy, even in roles where lobbying is off limits.
Monty closes with an invitation to the Live Healthy South Carolina Conference, an annual one-day gathering of state leaders, nurses, community health workers, social workers, and anyone who wants to be part of the solution.
If you have ever wondered how far public health can reach beyond health departments, this conversation offers a hopeful and practical blueprint. Press play to discover what’s possible in public health when everyone has a seat at the table.
About Our Guest
Monty Robertson
Monty Robertson serves as executive director of the Alliance for a Healthier South Carolina, where he brings together 55 member organizations to work collaboratively on improving health across the state. In this role, he works with the South Carolina Department of Public Health to implement the state health improvement plan and guides the Alliance in identifying a focused set of shared priorities. The Alliance also hosts the annual Live Healthy South Carolina Conference.
Before joining the Alliance, Monty worked with the South Carolina Birth Outcomes Initiative, a statewide coalition dedicated to improving the health of mothers and babies, where he gained deep experience in collaborative, statewide public health work. He began his career at Lexington Medical Center (now Lexington Health), where he completed his graduate residency and an administrative fellowship that included work in the outpatient clinic setting.
Born, raised, and educated in South Carolina, Monty holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and completed his graduate studies in health administration.
Listen To This Episode Of The Public Health Epidemiology Conversations (PHEC) Podcast
Conversation Highlights
Health is shaped far beyond the hospital walls.
In the outpatient clinic, Monty saw that housing, transportation, and insurance affected patients as much as the care they received. Asking what is happening in people’s lives outside of appointments is the first step toward solving problems at the community level.
Physical and mental health belong in the same conversation.
Monty describes them as connected parts of one whole, where a struggle in one area affects the other. He looks at both together, along with factors like housing and transportation, to understand a person’s full picture of health.
A career pivot can lead to bigger impact.
Monty’s shift from dentistry to health administration became the path to statewide leadership. Leaning on advisors and family helped him make that decision with confidence and move quickly once he did.
A broader health plan brings new partners to the table.
By naming education, poverty, and community development as health priorities, South Carolina drew in agencies that had not traditionally been involved. When you frame your priorities so other sectors can see themselves in them, those sectors are more likely to join.
Collaboration works best when every partner brings its strengths.
The Alliance is built on a collective impact model, which means many organizations agree on shared goals and each contributes what it does best. A hospital might provide direct care while the Medicaid agency shapes policy and a business lends its resources.
Storytelling helps others understand public health.
Monty believes showcasing partnerships through real stories is how more people will come to see that public health reaches well beyond state agencies and hospitals. Practicing plain-language explanations makes those stories land.
Advocacy is part of the work, even in roles with limits.
Laws and policies shape everyday life whether or not someone chooses to engage with politics. Public health professionals can advocate for policies that support better outcomes while staying within the boundaries of their roles.
“You can be the smartest person ever, you can be the most athletic person, but if you’re really battling with a mental health issue, then that’s really going to hinder you from being the best person that you can be.” - Monty Robertson
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Public Health Consulting
DrCHHuntley LLC is a public health consulting firm that specializes in epidemiology consulting, supporting large nonprofit organizations in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida that serve Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). We also provide nationwide public health consulting and epidemiology consulting support to BIPOC organizations across the United States.
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