LAURINBURG – Scotland Health Care System plans to grow its footprint in the area over the next few years.
The system will take advantage of financial growth it has experienced over the past few years and re-invest in the facility.
Scotland Health Care has spent over $12 million on new equipment and construction recently and plans to spend another $10-20 million in the coming years.
“It has been a busy couple years for Scotland Health Care System,” said Pat Phillips, senior vice president of operations at Scotland Health Care. “Thanks to our CEO and board members, Scotland Health Care has created a plan or ‘road map’ for the coming years which is built on sustainability. The plan is intended to define the direction for the ongoing development of the health care system as we move into the future, in both the short and long-term.”
Projects completed over the last couple of years include the groundbreaking of Marlboro Medical Complex in Bennettsville — which will provide primary care, urgent care, and specialty services to residents of Marlboro County, Renovations to Scotland Memorial Hospital — including a new nurse call system, the Ready Care Unit in the Emergency Room, the entire Second Floor, and upgrades to waiting rooms throughout the hospital.
Initiatives completed in June included moving Scotland Surgical and the Pain and Vascular Clinics. Scotland Surgical and GI is now located in the Outpatient Imaging Center at the corner of Scotland Memorial Hospital beside the Community Health and Rehabilitation Building. Carolina Vascular Associates and Pain Management Clinic will now be located in the vacated Scotland Surgical and GI building at 1600 Medical Drive behind OrthoCarolina-Scotland. The decision was made to switch locations to improve patient flow and to allow for additional capacity.
The imaging center added 3D Mammography in July. Scotland Health Care System is the first in the region to offer this state of the art technology to patients.
Scotland Health Care System also expanded their partnership with Carolinas HealthCare System by joining Carolinas Stroke Network, the largest Stroke network in the Carolinas, to keep patients local with known stroke symptoms. This includes establishing telemedicine services within the neurology and emergency departments, with tele-neurologist working jointly to diagnosis patients who present with stroke symptoms in the Emergency Center at Scotland Memorial.
Ongoing initiatives at SHCS include renovations to the Inpatient Women’s Center. Construction to this unit includes upgrades to patient rooms, labor and delivery, and the special care nursery. Construction is planned to be completed by January 2018.
A facelift to Pembroke Family Practice is on the way along with renovations to the Emergency Center and Operating Room, and Imaging and Cancer Center enhancement.
Pembroke Family Practice renovation includes additional space due to the addition of a new physician. A retail pharmacy will also be part of these renovations and is expected to open in the winter of 2017.
An expansion of emergency and operating facilities also is one of the top goals for SHCS. “To support our growing volumes, we have contracted with a consultant to help analyze the existing space inside these two areas of our hospital and see what renovations or new space may be needed. We expect a concrete plan to be developed in the fall of 2017,” Phillips said.
Technological enhancements to the Imaging and Cancer Center include: 2 new CT machines, 3 new X-ray machines for the Imaging Center and updates to the Linear Accelerator for Scotland Cancer Treatment Center. These improvements will help to decrease equipment downtime, improve throughput, lower operating costs, improve outcomes and keep patients local.
Phillips also noted that the hospital has received recognition for quality of care and hospital safety. Those include being ranked a 4-star hospital two years in a row from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, recognized in the top 49 safest hospitals in the nation from Becker’s Health Care Review, and is proud to be recognized as a Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care from BlueCross BlueShield for demonstrating better overall quality of care and patient results in maternity care.
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