GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – A major drive is gaining momentum to get an emergency division back again in northern Greenville County.
The only 1 there was element of Prisma Health’s North Greenville Healthcare facility. It closed in November of 2020 soon after leaders there mentioned it was significantly underneath-utilized.
As a substitute, it was turned into a wander-in care clinic. Because then, county leaders have been doing work to deliver a person back again.
Strolling alongside the Swamp Rabbit Path in Tourists Relaxation is an crucial aspect of Lois Koenig’s working day.
Not only to get her puppy exercise but also, continue to be nutritious herself.
“That’s a matter of time, it could acquire for any person to are living or die.”
That is relevant for the reason that there’s no for a longer time an crisis room in a few miles of she and her spouse. A pair decades back, they discovered firsthand how vital that is.
“I believe that they saved his life, that health practitioner and that CT scan and that crisis area suitable here in Vacationers Rest,” Koenig explained to 7News.
She claimed it begun with a pneumonia misdiagnosis at a nearby clinic. It finished with her spouse in Prisma’s North Greenville Medical center unexpected emergency home. That’s wherever they found, it was a lot far more dire.
“He claimed, you have blood clots in your lungs and we’re sending you to the hospital,” stated Koenig.
But now, that unexpected emergency house is no far more. It closed in 2020 and has since been transitioned into a walk-in clinic.
“We have been really upset ever given that it remaining,” Koenig said.
She’s not the only a person.
“I get each day phone calls from folks that are not pleased due to the fact they do not have an emergency space that they can go to,” stated Greenville County Councilman, Joe Dill.
In point, Greenville County Councilman Joe Dill explained to 7News, it is a problem that is just increasing with the population.
Which is why he and condition lawmakers like Rep. Mike Burns are working to make a area to fill the need to have. Councilman Dill mentioned they want to develop a medical campus in north Greenville County, with assist from COVID relief resources.
“Right now, we’re at the point where any individual is likely to give us an crisis home,” Councilman Dill said.
Rep. Mike Burns told 7News, they want to function with Bon Secours St. Francis and MUSC on this all. Rep. Burns mentioned they are making an attempt to get this prepare in entrance of the finance committee by March 15.
A spokesperson with Bon Secours explained to us, they have not created any particular commitments to the undertaking at this time but they do strategy to proceed to interact in related conversations.
You can come across a complete assertion from their spokesperson right here:
“Bon Secours has not made any unique commitments to the task at this time. However, we will carry on to be engaged in these conversations about Greenville County’s crisis care requires as keeping the people and communities we provide at the center of every little thing we do is our leading priority. Entry to care is critical to us, and staying a portion of the collaboration on Greenville’s upcoming demands is also critical to us.”
A spokesperson with Prisma Well being despatched 7News the adhering to assertion on the emergency department’s closure:
“Prisma Wellness regularly strives to serve our people and communities, adapting to altering community desires.
The former unexpected emergency department house at North Greenville Clinic was repurposed into a stroll-in treatment clinic that gives exact-day urgent and scheduled treatment for insured, uninsured and underinsured clients. By supplying this answer, Prisma Wellbeing hopes to have a prolonged-expression effect on increasing neighborhood wellness.
We are dedicated to developing with the North Greenville group and hope to increase additional staff, extra providers and increase to evening and weekend hrs. When thoroughly expanded, the North Greenville exercise will offer you further pediatric care as nicely as on-internet site specialty care, more enhancing healthcare for the residents of Tourists Relaxation.
North Greenville Healthcare facility was transformed back into a extensive-expression acute-care unit previous April, but, like other hospitals, continues to treatment for a minimal amount of COVID or COVID-recovered individuals in separate locations.
We are continually examining the overall health requires of the neighborhood and are committed to furnishing the ideal care, at the proper time at the ideal price to North Greenville and all other communities we serve.”