McLeod Health to operate Cheraw hospital
McLeod Health has announced plans to operate Chesterfield General Hospital in Cheraw, and will transfer health services provided at Marlboro Park Hospital in Bennettsville to Cheraw.
McLeod said in a statement that the hospitals will continue to be operated by MC Healthcare/Alecto through May 1, until a definitive agreement can be completed for a safe and orderly transition to McLeod Health.
In the statement, McLeod noted a number of reasons it plans to consolidate services to Cheraw.
“This decision is good both for these communities and for McLeod,” the statement said. “The agreement brings McLeod resources to the hospital and community, including consolidating to Cheraw for better financial stewardship and help with economic losses at the hospital in Marlboro County.”
McLeod cited data from www.SCHealthdata.org that showed the 102-bed Marlboro Park facility had 14 patients per day occupancy last year. The data also showed it operated at a $10 million loss.
South Carolina Health data showed that as of 2013, Marlboro Park reported an almost $11.5 million for 2013 loss and a $34.8 million loss over five years ending in 2013.
Jumana Swindler, McLeod vice president of public information and communications, said McLeod is studying what future health services will be provided in Bennettsville. Marlboro Park will not be an acute - care facility after the transition.
“There will be some positions that will be redundant , so we’ll look at placement for those positions,” Swindler said. “They have suffered a substantial financial loss and low patient census. A hospital cannot function with that kind of financial patient loss.”
Over the next 30 days, McLeod is planning a job fair for outplacement services to employees in Bennettsville and will review open positions in the McLeod System to identify work opportunities.
“We need to have a hospital in this community,” Bennettsville Mayor Dexe Bostick said in an interview Tuesday. “We have hospitals at our disposal nearby , but still we need a community hospital here. I’m very disappointed.”
McLeod currently operates five hospitals : McLeod Regional medical Center in Florence; McLeod Darlington; McLeod Dillon, McLeod Loris and McLeod Seacoast. It also operates u rgent c are c enters in Florence and Darlington, along with 59 medical practices in eight counties.
Community Health Systems, wh ich operate s both Chesterfield and Marlboro hospitals, announced in April 2014 that it would not renew the lease, which was set to expire April 1, 2015. Early in March of this year , it was announced that MC Healthcare had signed an agreement as the new operator for the two hospitals.
C arolina Health Systems operates, six other hospitals in South Carolina , including Carolina Pines in Hartsville; Marion Medical Center in Marion; and hospitals in Lancaster, Spartanburg and Chester. Both the Cheraw and Bennettsville hospitals employ approximately 300 people.
“This agreement is consistent with our not-for-profit mission,” says Rob Colones, p resident and CEO of McLeod Health. “The changing health care landscape makes it considerably more difficult for hospitals in rural areas to operate successfully. We believe that this affiliation allows McLeod Health the best way to continue serving the health needs for families in those communities."
This story was originally published April 1, 2015 at 8:00 AM with the headline "McLeod Health to operate Cheraw hospital."