Greenville Health System and Palmetto Health finalize partnership to form new health company

Greenville Health System (GHS) and Palmetto Health announced that they have finalized their partnership to create a new, not-for-profit, locally governed health company that will work to address important health issues affecting South Carolinians. GHS and Palmetto Health have achieved necessary approvals ahead of schedule, and have filed paperwork that allows them to begin operating as one new health company. The partnership does not change the patient-provider relationship: patients will continue to be patients of Greenville Health System or Palmetto Health.

The new health company has the scale, scope and resources required to address the critical health issues of the people it serves. As a mission-driven organization committed to caring for urban, suburban and rural community members, the new company brings together the strengths of both systems to improve the patient experience, advance clinical quality and increase access to care, while addressing rising health care costs.

Charles D. Beaman Jr. and Michael C. Riordan, who previously led Palmetto Health and GHS, respectively, will serve as co-CEOs of the new company and share leadership responsibilities. Beaman and Riordan are working together to capitalize on the momentum from the work so far, and will build on the latest developments to create a company that will improve health care in South Carolina.

“We’re all focused on ensuring our community members receive the high-quality health care they need and deserve close to home, regardless of their ability to pay. Forming our new company reflects our commitment to improve the health and well-being of our patients for many years to come,” said Beaman.

Riordan added, “Coming together will allow our organizations to continue providing vital mission-driven care for those in our communities who are most in need. We have a long history of successful collaboration, and the new organization will embody a work culture that attracts, retains and develops the highest quality team of caregivers who are committed to making South Carolina healthier.”

A governing board of directors for the new company has been seated and is comprised of South Carolina business, community and medical leaders. The board is working closely with management to operationalize the new health company, so it can deliver improved clinical quality, expanded access to health and wellness services and enhanced patient and caregiver experiences, while addressing health care affordability. The Board of Directors includes:

• James A. Bennett, Mid-South area executive vice president, First Citizens Bank, Columbia, S.C.
• Craig Brown, president and owner, Greenville Drive Baseball Team; South Atlantic League affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and CEO of Keelers Ridge Associates; Greenville, S.C.
• Edward “Eddie” Duffy Jr., M.D., radiation oncologist, Tuomey Cancer Treatment Center, Sumter, S.C.
• Jean E. Duke, financial consultant, Columbia, S.C.
• Frances DeLoache Ellison, retired attorney with Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A., Greenville S.C.
• George S. King Jr., executive vice president, director of Wealth Management, South State Bank, Columbia, S.C.
• Jerome “Jerry” D. Odom, PhD, distinguished professor emeritus and provost emeritus, University of South Carolina; retired Executive Director, USC Foundations, Columbia, S.C.
• Michelle B. Seaver, president of United Community Bank for Greenville County, Greenville, S.C.
• Rev. Thomas E. Simmons, pastor of Reedy Fork Baptist Church, Simpsonville, S.C.
• James E. “Rick” Wheeler, vice president M-D MetalSource, Columbia, S.C.
• Richard “Dick” Wilkerson, retired chairman and president of Michelin North America, Simpsonville, S.C.
• Dwayne Wilson, former group president of Industrial & Infrastructure business segment, Fluor Corporation, Greenville, S.C.
• Charles D. “Chuck” Beaman Jr., Co-Chief Executive Officer, Columbia, S.C.
• Michael C. Riordan, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Greenville, S.C.

Greenville Health System and Palmetto Health are recognized leaders in the communities they serve. A new name and graphic identity for the new company are being developed, and will be announced sometime after the first of the year.

About the New Health Company

The new health company is the leading health care delivery system in the Midlands and Upstate, serving more than 1.2 million patients annually. The new company’s more than 28,000 employees and team members will have enhanced opportunities to share best practices to improve patient outcomes, and the organization’s scale will positively impact the ability to develop new clinical programs and reach more patients. This will serve to improve the ability to provide meaningful and effective population health services and, ultimately, make South Carolina a healthier place to live. 

About Greenville Health System

Greenville Health System (GHS) is an academic health system that is the largest not-for-profit health care delivery system in South Carolina and is committed to medical excellence through research, patient care and education. GHS offers patients an innovative network of clinical integration, expertise and technologies through its eight medical campuses, tertiary medical center, research and education facilities, community hospitals, physician practices and numerous specialty services throughout the Upstate. The 1,358-bed system is home to 15 medical residency and fellowship programs, and comprises more than 14,000 employees. GHS also is home to the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, a joint effort of USC and GHS. Visit ghs.org for more information. 

About Palmetto Health
Palmetto Health, the largest health care system in the South Carolina Midlands region and one of the state’s largest employers, comprises more than 14,000 team members, physicians and volunteers working together to fulfill Palmetto Health’s Vision: To be remembered by each patient as providing the care and compassion we want for our families and ourselves. The 1,439-bed system includes six acute-care hospitals in the Midlands – Palmetto Health Baptist, Palmetto Health Baptist Parkridge, Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital, Palmetto Health Heart Hospital, Palmetto Health Richland and Palmetto Health Tuomey. In the South Carolina Upstate region, Palmetto Health also co-owns Baptist Easley Hospital. Recognized nationally as one of the best places to work and receive care, the system also includes the Palmetto Health-USC Medical Group, the region’s largest multispecialty group, which serves as the entry point to the health care system with more than 500 providers serving patients in more than 80 practices and nearly 100 locations. Palmetto Health also is supported by two 501 (c)(3) foundations, and trains the next generation of physicians through its 24 residency and fellowship programs affiliated with the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. For more information, visit PalmettoHealth.org or call 803-296-CARE (2273).