According to a recent press release Dobbs Equity Partners, LLC (“Dobbs”), has released the initial artist rendering of the new Regional Hospital planned to be located near Denmark, South Carolina. According to the release the Regional Healthcare System (RHS) is planned to include a new “State-of-the-Art” Regional Hospital as well as multi-specialty physician office centers in both Bamberg and Barnwell counties.

As to the location of the new hospital the release stated “a truly regional system, RHS is being designed to draw patients from both Barnwell and Bamberg counties and for that reason is planned to be centrally located near Denmark, SC. It has been determined that the Denmark area is the location most easily accessible by the largest populations of both counties. Until the new hospital is completed and opened, hospital operations will be headquartered at the Barnwell County hospital.”

Dobbs anticipates that the Barnwell County Hospital will remain open for three years after the sale of the current hospitals are completed in order to provide time for the Regional Hospital to be constructed. At present, studies indicate that the majority of Barnwell and Bamberg county residents are driving several hours to obtain healthcare in other cities.

The new hospital is planned to include private rooms for inpatient care, multiple surgery suites, a full service emergency department, a labor and delivery department where newborns will be delivered, as well as many other services not currently being offered in the local hospitals today. In addition, multi-specialty physician office centers are planned that should bring new specialist physicians into the community to see patients locally.

Bamberg County Councilmember Chris Wilson stated in a telephone interview on Tuesday that: “Bamberg County and Barnwell County have worked very well together through this whole process for a year or more and we (Bamberg County) have been working through the hospital’s issues for the last several years as a result of changes in reimbursement in healthcare delivery.”

“We’re pleased that it’s moving forward and will result in a new system that will be financially stable and provide a high level of care.” Wilson noted that Dobbs Equity Partners, LLC is a private company with the “resources and desire” to build a successful system and we’re going to support them every way we can.”

The Dobbs released stated that currently, the majority of county residents are traveling hours to see a specialist. “They’re trying to locate their services in a way that best serves the population of the two counties. They’re trying to locate their ambulatory and replace hospital in a way that best services most of these citizens in both of these counties in the best way to be successful,” Wilson noted.

The press release noted that Dobbs has been working with industry-leading, healthcare professionals for several months to determine the healthcare needs of the community and design facilities and programs to best meet those needs. The following is a preliminary list of the services and specialties that are planned to be offered within the RHS: General Surgery, Urology, Medical Cardiology, Ophthalmology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Orthopedics and Orthopedic Surgery, Inpatient and Outpatient Services and Emergency Medicine.

“We are anxious to complete the sale process with the counties and begin working to recruit new physicians to the area,” said Rick Greene, Executive Vice President of Dobbs Equity Partners, LLC. “We are releasing our preliminary rendering of the new hospital so the people of the Bamberg and Barnwell communities can see for themselves our plans for the Regional Hospital.”

The Bamberg County Council will hold a public hearing and third reading on Tuesday, September 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the courtroom of the Bamberg County Courthouse on the following items: A proposed ordinance to create a multicounty healthcare park between Bamberg County and Barnwell County; A proposed ordinance approving the execution and delivery of certain agreements providing for the sale of assets owned by Bamberg County, South Carolina, and comprising a portion of the Bamberg County Hospital and other matters related thereto and a proposed intergovernmental agreement between Bamberg County and Barnwell County. There will also be a public hearing for rezoning property from existing Rural District (RUD) to Industrial District (IND).