The Cheraw Chronicle
CHERAW, S.C. — McLeod Health has plans to file a certificate of need to operate an emergency department in Cheraw, the nonprofit hospital group said last week.
The purpose in building this new state of the art emergency center, according to McLeod Health officials, will be to meet the medical needs of the community in the event of the closure of Chesterfield General Hospital in April 2015.
This freestanding emergency department in Cheraw will be located on property adjacent to the Newsom Family Medicine building, along the Chesterfield Highway, and will provide for urgent care needs as well as connect by air and ground emergency transport to the regional trauma center at McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence.
The proposed facility and services in Cheraw would include a fully equipped emergency department for adults and children with diagnostic services and equipment, such as CT, a lab and possible overnight observation beds. It will also be staffed by physicians trained in emergency medicine and open 24 hours a day.
McLeod Health President Rob Colones said the investment in this medical expansion in Chesterfield County underscores the commitment of McLeod to provide treatment, services and health care that the people of Cheraw deserve.
“We are pleased to initiate the investment of these types of medical offerings for the people in our county and the community of Cheraw,” McLeod Health Board of Trustees member Crawford Moore said in a statement. “This type of facility will ensure the continuity of quality care for our residents for essential emergency medical services.”
McLeod Health has a regional presence in northeastern South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina. The 15-county area McLeod serves has a population of more than 1 million along the Carolinas’ state line.
“As a physician and a partner with McLeod Health through my affiliation with McLeod Physician Associates, I am delighted to be a part of this effort to provide excellent care, greater access and leading edge technology to area families,” Dr. Alex Newsom, a member of the Cheraw Family Medicine practice, said in a statement.
Founded in 1906, McLeod Health is a locally owned and managed nonprofit organization supported by nearly 650 members on the medical staff and more than 1,200 full time nurses.
McLeod Health is composed of about 6,200 full-time employees and more than 50 physician practices in nine counties. With five acute care hospitals, McLeod Health also operates a health and fitness center, sports medicine and outpatient rehabilitation center, a behavioral health center, hospice and home health services.
The hospitals within McLeod Health include McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence, McLeod Darlington, McLeod Dillon, McLeod Loris and McLeod Seacoast.
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©2014 The Cheraw Chronicle, S.C.