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 Hospital Facilities and Medical Needs web posted January 27, 2012 EDGEFIELD – Patricia "Pat" Robinson, CEO, of the Edgefield County Hospital, addressed the medical needs of Edgefield County stating that many people do not realize the level of advanced medical services the hospital now provides including MRI, CAT scans, Ultrasound, bone density testing to name a few. "We'd encourage people to schedule their tests here, which can be done in a day or two, rather than going to Augusta, Greenwood, or Aiken and having to wait," she said. Robinson stated that the Edgefield County Hospital is a 25-bed facility that is listed as a "critical care facility" and the county is listed as a, "medically underserved county area." This has both pro's and con's. In attracting new doctors, those serving their residency period qualify for a student loan repayment program to offset the cost of their education. However, selling the county to those coming from across the nation, the available supporting county infrastructure is key in getting them to come. Robinson said most look for coastal areas or larger cities and someone outside of Edgefield County sees the country setting as less appealing. "They look at shopping, restaurants, how many shops are open and how many are closed. It's a hard selling point," she said, even though they promote the close location to North Augusta and Augusta. She said that improving the "quality of life" (EMS, Fire, Law Enforcement, idustry) standards would help recruit new doctors to the area and is also something industry leaders look at when deciding to relocate here. She also pointed out that the 40-year-old hospital is facing upgrades to keep up with modern times, including a new sterilization unit for the operating room which will cost an estimated $80,000. Robinson stated that surgeries being performed at the hospital have increased and the upgrades are needed to keep up with demand. Another goal is to provide a medical facility in the Merriwether Community, which is "doable" if the property can be located. This would make local medical services available to local residents rather than them going outside the county for treatment. This would also help to bring the county up to the number of needed doctors (stated at seven and currently at 4) closer to a reality. County Administrator Roger LeDuc asked if there were any cooperative measures being looked at with other area hospitals that may enhance the medical services. Mrs. Robinson said that is a possibility in the future, but as things stand now the hospital is working to serve the county residents the best way possible. She doubted that a regional hospital would take over, and if they did, they could make the choice to close the hospital to bring more patients to their location. © Copyright 2012 All material is property of
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