ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — MUSC and the Regional Medical Center in Orangeburg have finalized a 99 year agreement that will allow both facilities to collaborate on research and expand services.
“A lot of rural hospitals are closing and this hospital is the only hospital within 2400 square miles. It’s important we serve not only for Orangeburg and Calhoun," said Regional Medical Center's VP of operations Sabrina Robinson, "We serve Bamberg, we serve Barnwell, Allendale, so at the end of the day this is important because we cannot close.”
The partnership was made possible through a budget proviso passed by state lawmakers last year.
The mission is to create more accessibility for specialized care in Orangeburg and Calhoun counties.
This will allow for the expansion of telehealth, pediatric care, cancer care, and other health services that currently aren't offered in the area.
“We don’t need every patient in Charleston. What we need to do is to partner and be in communities to enable best local care so the highest quality care is provided there and yes sometimes they might need to come to Charleston for a heart transplant, for complex cancer care, for high end pediatric sub specialty, all those things that we have," said MUSC president David Cole.
Now both facilities are working together to hire and retain staff. They are also working to rebuild the trust of the community under this new partnership.