RMC announces affiliation agreement with MUSC Health
January 28, 2015
Affiliation continues RMC quest to continuously improve patient experiences and access to care
ORANGEBURG, SC – Regional Medical Center (RMC) President and CEO Thomas C. Dandridge announced that the RMC Board of Trustees has approved a clinical affiliation with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC/MUSC Health). An enterprise-wide focus on continuously improving the RMC patient experience, including quality of care and doing what’s best for the patient, is at the forefront of this decision.
“The Regional Medical Center has enjoyed an excellent ongoing, albeit informal, relationship with MUSC for many years,” Dandridge said. “This affiliation agreement formalizes that relationship and creates opportunities for expanded interaction between RMC and MUSC physicians, staff, boards and leadership.”
The affiliation will allow RMC to enhance specific specialty services, initially targeting stroke care through telehealth technology and the surgical weight loss program. In the future, RMC and MUSC Health plan to further explore opportunities for enhanced care in cancer treatment, orthopaedics and mental health.
Patrick J. Cawley, M.D., Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, MUSC Health Medical Center, said “Today’s dynamic healthcare environment calls for new and different collaborations and clinical integrations to deliver the best care at the best location for the patient. Sometimes that means care delivered in the local community close to home and family, and other times the best outcome may require better access to the highly specialized services delivered by MUSC Health.”
MUSC Health, MUSC’s clinical enterprise, is the state’s most nationally recognized health system consisting of four inpatient facilities and more than one hundred care settings across the state of South Carolina. It is the state’s leading provider of telehealth services, and one of only 68 NCI-designated cancer centers in the country.
In collaboration with local care providers, MUSC Health develops and implements innovative models of care delivery with the common goal of enhancing the health of all South Carolinians. Annually residents of Bamberg, Calhoun, and Orangeburg counties benefit from innovative, integrated care provided by local care givers at RMC and MUSC Health.
Dandridge concluded, “The RMC healthcare system’s affiliation with MUSC Health further strengthens RMC’s comprehensive portfolio of primary, specialty and subspecialty healthcare services provided throughout the multi-county region.”
About RMC
The Regional Medical Center healthcare system includes a 286-bed acute-care hospital owned by Orangeburg and Calhoun counties and accredited by The Joint Commission with Advanced Certification as a Primary Stroke Center. RMC offers a 24-hour emergency department and a full-range of high-quality medical services such as same day surgery, orthopaedics, obstetrics, cardiology, cancer care, dialysis access, home care, retail pharmacy and the latest in diagnostic imaging. RMC also operates nine Primary Care practices, three Cardiology practices, an Orthopaedics practice, two Surgery practices, an Internal Medicine practice, an Internal Medicine/Gastroenterology practice, and an Obstetrics/Gynecology practice, as well as Urgent Care with physician, lab and X-Ray in Santee and Bamberg. RMC’s Mobile Services van provides digital mammography throughout the region.
