Carolina Pines' roots run deep

By Lisa Chalian-Rock
The (Hartsville) Messenger
lchalian-rock@hartsvillemessenger.com

HARTSVILLE — What began as a small clinic known as Byerly Hospital in 1933 has grown into a $44.5 million regional medical center that employs more than 600 with an average hourly wage of $20.74.

Health Management Associates, based in Naples, Fla., purchased the facility in 1995 and broke ground on its current location in 1997. The corporation owns two facilities in South Carolina, the one in Hartsville and one in Chester, and three in North Carolina in Hamlet, Mooresville and Statesville.

Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center officially got its name in 1999, the same year the center opened its doors.

“Ours is truly a community hospital,” CEO Lance Jones said.

“The level of medical staff that we have, the commitment that we have from our employees and the quality of services that we offer, in all honesty, there are very few towns of similar size and makeup in the country that have the level of service that we have here,” he said. “It’s something we’re certainly proud of as a health care provider in the community.”

In addition to its primary role as a health care provider, Carolina Pines makes itself a part of the community. Its physicians speak to local seniors groups, schools and civic organizations as well as give their time to the Free Medical Clinic.

Carolina Pines also holds monthly Lunch & Learn events where residents can hear about medical conditions and enjoy a healthy meal; provides athletic trainers for Hartsville area schools, the S.C. Governor’s School for Science and Math and Coker College; has an informational booth at the monthly Good Living Marketplace in downtown; provides nurses at Coker and the Governor’s School; and will host a health fair featuring Mark Martin in April.

The medical facility is still a business, though.

“In the first quarter, it’s been a little quieter than in prior years, partially driven by lack of flu and partially the economy,” Jones said.

As an industry, health care lags behind the rest of the economy nine to 12 months, he said. Newly unemployed workers typically receive some form of severance package including an extension of their health care benefits, COBRA coverage.

“That nine-month period now catching up with us in health care,” Jones said. “We have to manage our expenses closely.”

The elective side of health care has been slower in the first quarter than historically, he said.

“Consumer making more diligent decisions,” Jones said. Employers are shifting more cost to individual employees through deductibles, co-payments and plan options, so individuals are being more cautious about that spending.

That consumer caution can end up costing more, however, if they don’t fill their medications, don’t follow doctors’ orders or don’t contact their doctor when problems first arise. A visit to the doctor costs much less than a visit to the emergency room.

“I’m certainly optimistic about the future recognizing that the country has weathered economic challenges in its history. The fact is, people with still get sick,” Jones said. “We need to make sure we’re providing very good quality care for what we do, we need to make sure we meet the needs of our community.”

Carolina Pines is moving forward and continues to invest in the community, he said. In the last year, Carolina Pines has recruited two new primary care
physicians, a pain management specialist, a cardiologist and a podiatrist and expects to have an additional cardiologist join the group in August.

The Wound Center opened in January, and Carolina Pines is enhancing its mammography service line with a digital unit. In the next few months, the facility will unveil a pulmonary navigation system, a kind of GPS for lung cancer.

“From our perspective of focusing on community, we’ve continued to ensure we’re providing services that we believe the community will benefit from,” Jones said.