Joanne Carelli is thrilled that the downtown Columbia hospital where she鈥檚 worked for 43 years is now part of MUSC Health鈥檚 new听. She鈥檚 pleased not only as a veteran nurse manager but also as woman battling cancer.

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鈥淚 just feel like research and new data that comes out, the new medications that come out, we鈥檙e going to know about it. We鈥檙e going to be part of it because MUSC is so much into research and teaching and education and moving forward,鈥� Carelli said.

The leaders of 石榴视频黄色版 and MUSC Health, the clinical side of the academic medical center based in Charleston, visited Carelli鈥檚 hospital and three other Midlands sites on Aug. 2 to welcome employees and share their vision for the future.

鈥淢USC must find ways to have partnership and presence throughout the state to help facilitate the best local care possible and provide better connectivity to the high-quality, highly specialized care we are known for,鈥� said David Cole, M.D., president of MUSC. 鈥淪tatewide presence is the linchpin to delivering on our mission.鈥�

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That statewide presence has been steadily growing. In 2019,听hospitals in the Chester, Florence Lancaster and Marion areas joined MUSC Health. The latest additions involve the purchases of Providence Health and KershawHealth from Tennessee-based LifePoint Health.

Carelli is glad to become part of a South Carolina-based health care group again. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been such a long time that we were part of something that鈥檚 local and so well respected.鈥�

MUSC Health鈥檚 new Midlands Division includes:

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David Stratford works at the hospital in Camden in Kershaw County, leading the team that keeps instruments sterile for surgeons. 鈥淲hen I first came here in 1975, it was Kershaw County Memorial Hospital. I鈥檝e been through four or five changes. I think MUSC has the resources to take us to where we need to be,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going to work out well.鈥�

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Cole emphasized the value of those resources as he spoke to new employees. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e now part of the state鈥檚 only comprehensive academic health system, during one of the most transformative moments in modern health care.鈥�

Patrick Cawley, M.D., CEO of MUSC Health and vice president for Health Affairs, University, said that transformation is happening both deliberately and swiftly. 鈥淚t was just a month ago that we had a definite agreement worked out, and it was because we felt so strongly about bringing you all on board and doing听it听as quickly as we could because South Carolina can鈥檛 wait. We need high-quality care and better access to care,鈥� he said.

鈥淲hile we鈥檝e been doing outreach in the Midlands for years, having this presence in the community takes it to a whole new level. Each one of these facilities already had a great culture. We鈥檙e going to take their great culture and our great culture and combine them to bring the best care possible to this area.鈥�

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With the new additions, MUSC now has about 19,000 employees statewide. Carelli is happy to become one of them. 鈥淵ou can just feel the excitement, and you have felt that excitement over the past month. We鈥檙e going to MUSC. Everybody is just looking forward to it.鈥�