Palmetto Health Backs Plans for Hospital: N.C.-Based Novant Wants to Build Center in Fort
Posted on: Wednesday, 15 February 2006, 06:00 CST
By Noelle Phillips, The State, Columbia, S.C.
Feb. 15--Palmetto Health has endorsed a North Carolina-based health system's plans for a hospital in Fort Mill.
Palmetto Health announced its support Monday, saying it will help Novant Health of Winston-Salem navigate South Carolina's regulatory process.
In return, Novant will work with Palmetto Health on improving patient care and safety, said Kester S. Freeman Jr., chief executive officer of Palmetto Health.
The two hospitals are planning a patient care summit in May for doctors, nurses and other staff.
"We are excited about helping them at Fort Mill," said Freeman, who has known Novant's CEO Paul Wiles for about 20 years.
Jim Tobalski, a senior vice president for Novant, said the health systems also possibly will collaborate on information technology such as electronic medical records. He said the electronic records will be very expensive for hospitals to implement, but will be necessary in the future.
Three other health care providers have filed certificate-of-need applications to build hospitals in Fort Mill, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. Two of the three other applicants are for-profit health systems.
Palmetto Health and Novant are nonprofit hospitals. Freeman said that connection is another reason his hospital is offering its support to Novant.
"We believe in local ownership and local control and that a nonprofit health care philosophy is preferable," Freeman said. "We believe our first mission ought to be the care of patients, not stockholders."
Reach Phillips at (803) 771-8307 or nophillips@thestate.com [mailto:nophillips@thestate.com].
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Copyright (c) 2006, The State, Columbia, S.C.
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Source: The State (Columbia, S.C.)
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