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| Healthcare |
 A
vital part of any community has to be its health care services,
and Simpsonville residents can be assured they have the
high quality medical facilities and expertise necessary
for the growing community.
A modern hospital, plenty of fitness facilities and a family
and child development center are among the assets Simpsonville
can claim in the area of health care.
The Simpsonville Medical Campus is one of five such campuses
in the Greenville Hospital System and the home of Hillcrest
Hospital, a 46-bed hospital offering a wide range of inpatient,
outpatient and diagnostic services. Hillcrest Hospital is
part of the Greenville Hospital System, so local residents
can be assured of access to services of a large hospital while
still having vital services in their own back yard, according
to Mark Slyter, administrator of Hillcrest.
"Because we're part of the Greenville Hospital System, we
work in tandem and in partnership with them, so we take care
of the patients that are appropriate for our facility,"Slyter
says. "And because of our relationship with Greenville Hospital
System, we have a good mechanism to transfer them to a higher
level of care if necessary.Ó
The services available close to home haven't gone unnoticed
by Hillcrest's patients. "We're in the top 2 percent in the
nation in patient satisfaction as rated by Press, Ganey Inc.,"
Slyter says. Press, Ganey is an independent survey organization
that has approximately 780 hospitals included in a nationwide
database.
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"We're
really known for exceptional customer service,"he says.
Slyter says it's important for a growing community like Simpsonville
to assure its many newcomers that they have access to high-quality
medical services. "In health care, bigger is not necessarily
better,"he says. "We have the technology and expertise here."
Slyter says Hillcrest records some 1,700 discharges a year for
a total of approximately 8,000 patient days. "Plus, the hospital
sees approximately 75,000 outpatient visitors a year. More than
3,000 surgeries are performed at Hillcrest each year, and the
hospital records more than 22,000 emergency visits a year,"
Slyter says.
Hillcrest includes an outpatient surgery center, 24-hour emergency
care, radiology, laboratory, respiratory therapy, inpatient
and outpatient physical therapy, a sleep laboratory for breathing
disorders, cardiac rehabilitation, six intensive care beds,
and 40 medical-surgical beds. All patients stay in private rooms.
Specialty programs offered are emergency medicine, gastroenterology,
general surgery, gynecology, internal medicine, ophthalmology,
oral surgery, orthopedics, otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat),
podiatry and urology.
Hillcrest offers the following diagnostic services: X-ray, CT
scan, ultrasound, mammography, nuclear medicine, comprehensive
lab tests and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
"The hospital also works hard to identify and recruit primary
care and specialty doctors,"Slyter says, adding that Simpsonville
is blessed with a strong physician community.
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The
hospital, which opened its doors April 1, 1963, has seen major
renovations over the years, including one in 1992 that added
approximately 47,000 square feet and "put the face on the front
of the hospital,"Slyter says.
More improvements are on the way. A $3.5 million project is
expected to double the size of the emergency department and
greatly expand the capacity of the outpatient surgery center,
Slyter says.
It takes more than excellent medical facilities to create a
healthy community. Simpsonville also boasts plenty of physical
fitness opportunities through the city's Parks and Recreation
Department and YMCA. Amenities available include fitness equipment,
assessment and instruction, swimming pools and playing fields.
"We've got practically a full-service fitness center,"says
Ray Kishlar, fitness director at the Golden Strip YMCA. Cardiovascular
equipment and other fitness equipment, plus weights and access
to a fitness trainer, are available, helping promote wellness
in the community.
Another important agency in the community is the Golden Strip
Family and Child Development Center, located at 1102 Howard
Drive. The center offers services from the county health department
as well as other health-related offerings. For example, health
department representatives come to the center to provide: immunizations;
nutrition counseling and food vouchers through the Women, Infants
and Children (WIC) program; and family planning services, according
to Sandra Hartsell, associate director.
Another important service of the Golden Strip Family and Child
Development Center is the New Horizons Health Services, which
provides services for low-income families on a sliding fee scale.
New Horizons is able to offer treatment for acute illnesses
as well as for manageable chronic diseases. |
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