McLEOD DILLION 21 DECEMBER 2010

(12/21/10) – McLeod Medical Center Dillon continues its tradition of bringing excellent health care to the people in Dillon County and the bordering counties of South and North Carolina.

The needs of those citizens continue to grow. In 2006, the Emergency Department at McLeod Dillon treated nearly 24,000 patients. In 2010, there were more than 26,000 Emergency Department visits, partly because of limited options for urgent care or after-hours primary care. All ages of patients are treated — from pediatric to geriatric.

Based on historical data, the volume of patients using the Emergency Department for trauma and primary care is projected to continue to grow at a rate of 2.2 percent each year for the next ten years.
To meet that need, McLeod Medical Center Dillon plans to open the doors to a new Emergency Department.

At the dedication ceremony on December 21 Deborah D. Locklair, Administrator at McLeod Dillon, commented, "A new Emergency Department at McLeod Dillon will make emergency care more accessible and timely for patients in the area. In creating the new design, the focus of the expansion has been on efficiency and flexibility — providing for future growth and changes based upon population and technology. This focus will optimize benefits to the community."

The renovation and construction project is estimated at $6.3 million. With the addition of approximately 9,365 square feet, it will have 17 new exam and treatment rooms, including designated triage and trauma rooms, a decontamination area, and staff support spaces. A new entrance for walk-in patients will keep them separate from those arriving by ambulance.

A new family waiting area has been designed for improved privacy and safety. In addition, a dedicated site for a helicopter pad will allow transporting of trauma patients. Existing Emergency Department exam rooms and support areas will be renovated to flow into the new construction.

Robins and Morton is the General Contractor for the Emergency Department constructions. The architect for the project is Design Strategies, LLC. Hoffman Steel is the steel supplier for the project.

The McLeod Foundation "One Vision, One Future" campaign is making a $25 million investment to improve and enhance its services, including the McLeod Dillon Emergency Department expansion project, as well as the expansion of the McLeod Hospice House and the McLeod Cancer Center.

Jill Bramblett, Executive Director of the McLeod Foundation, explained that while the campaign is in its early stages, they have received generous gifts by reaching out to the McLeod family and friends of the Foundation.

Community funding will continue to support the project. To honor generous donations in a permanent way, a Recognition Wall has been placed in the Emergency Departments. Naming Opportunities allow the donor to honor or memorialize a loved one or caregiver with a plaque placed in the Emergency Department. "Gifts in support of the McLeod Health "One Vision, One Future" campaign insures that patients in our region continue to receive the highest quality emergency care, with the latest enhancement of emergency services." Future contributions will continue to support this project. Gifts can be sent to the McLeod Health Foundation.

For more information on this project or other programs served by the McLeod Foundation, please call their office at (843) 777-2694.
About McLeod Medical Center Dillon
A 79-bed community, not-for-profit, acute-care hospital, McLeod Dillon has a long history of providing quality care to its community. Committed to improving the health status of those it serves, McLeod has invested in services and technology in an unceasing effort to meet the health needs of the Dillon community.

The hospital was the 1998 recipient of the SC Governor’s Quality Award, given by the SC Quality Forum based on the Malcolm Baldridge criteria and the recipient of the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 South Carolina Chamber of Commerce’s South Carolina Safety Award.

McLeod Medical Center Dillon is committed to improving the health status of those it serves by offering the following superlative services in the following areas: Inpatient Care, Pediatrics, Intensive Care, Emergency Services, Urology, General Surgery, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Orthopedic Surgery, Maternity Services, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Rehabilitative Services, Podiatry, Family Medicine, and Internal Medicine.

McLeod Medical Center Dillon invests in state of the art technology to enhance the following diagnostic services offered to those it serves including: Open MRI, Digital Mammography, 3D/4D Ultrasounds, CT Scans, Spiral CT Scans, Nuclear Studies, Laboratory, and Vascular Studies.

For more information, visit www.mcleodhealth.org/dillon.