Healthcare Management Partners, LLC (“HMP”), will sign agreements to manage Allendale County Hospital, Fairfax, SC, Barnwell County Hospital, Barnwell, SC and Bamberg County Hospital, Bamberg, SC, after being approved by their respective boards of directors. The appointment of HMP as the manager of the three hospitals is a continuation of the process previously announced by HMP and Dobbs Equity Partners, LLC (“Dobbs”) to construct a new “State-of-the-Art” regional hospital system. The proposal includes plans to merge the three existing hospitals’ operations into the new facility as part of the creation of an integrated healthcare delivery system for the tri-county region.

The Memphis, TN-based Dobbs has been investing in promising businesses since the 1920’s, including a wide range of healthcare initiatives such as hospitals and managed care organizations. HMP, with five offices in the United States and a leadership team composed of experienced healthcare executive officers, has been providing exceptional hospital and health system management for decades.

“Healthcare Management Partners looks forward to working with each county along with coworkers and medical staffs at the hospitals, to establish a modern regional health system”, said Michael Morgan, Partner and Managing Director. Mr. Morgan will direct the current management of the three hospitals, construction of the new hospital and formation of the new health system which will be called Tri-County Regional Health System (TCRHS). Morgan added, “Our due diligence process for the acquisition of the three hospitals is nearly complete and combining the management of the hospitals is a logical next step to address historical challenges while positioning each hospital’s operations for the future.”

The planned Tri-County Regional Health System will offer the communities healthcare services that are currently unavailable within the Tri-County Region. Along with the construction of a new general acute care hospital, HMP and Dobbs will create three new multi-specialty ambulatory primary care centers located in Barnwell, Bamberg and Allendale. Each of these facilities will be staffed by a multi-specialty group practice.

HMP will be working very closely with the current local physicians and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) to staff the facilities.

HMP and Dobbs also plan to work closely with local EMS/ambulance providers and government agencies to fully utilize a fully integrated medical transportation system, including emergency medical transportation and a non-medical transport system to move employees, patient visitors and others between the facilities. The total capital investment required to construct the proposed tricounty healthcare system is currently estimated to be approximately $90 million.