LANCASTER, S.C. — The Medical University of South Carolina Health System has announced changes to the services provided in Lancaster and Chester due to the impacts of of the COVID-19 virus.
MUSC officials say they are attempting to diminish financial damage and maintain short-term and long-term viability during the pubic health crisis.
Officials say Chester Medical Center is not closing and outpatient surgery, emergency services, Chester Nursing Center, and ancillary support services of those departments remain open.
The changes to service for the MUSC Health Lancaster System include:
- MUSC β Chester Medical Center will not admit med/surg patients for the immediateΒ future. This is effective today. For several months now, both hospitals placed patients inΒ available beds via an internal system called the Admit Transfer Center (ATC). We willΒ continue bed placement for Chesterβs patients who need med/surg beds through thisΒ system. As always, the patientβs choice is taken into consideration.ο·
- Transition 80% of ambulatory/clinic visits to a telehealth platform
- Reduce purchased and contractual services
- Reduce supply utilization to match volume and critical needs. COVID-19 supply ordering
continues as needed - Delay capital expenditures
- Adjust and realign workforce to sustain essential services with compensation reductionΒ and temporary layoffs. The Lancaster System will temporarily lay off approximately 60Β care team members effective at 5pm on Tuesday, April 7, 2020.
- As services increase so that additional staffing is needed, care team members who are experiencing temporary layoffs will be called to return to work
- These modifications are intended thru the end of June 2020ο· All senior and director level leadership will experience a salary reduction
- ο· Non-patient care hourly positions will move to a 32 hour work week
- ο· Clinical hourly positions will flex according to patient census
- ο· The following entities are temporarily closing:
- o MUSC Health β Therapeutic Services β Lancaster & Chester (outpatient physical
therapy)
o MUSC Health β Outpatient Imaging Center β Lancaster (outpatient radiology)
o Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehab at MUSC Health β Lancaster Medical Center
o The Behavioral Health Unit at MUSC Health β Lancaster Medical Center
βObviously, decisions such as these are never easy to make, especially when our care teamΒ members are considered family and we worry about each otherβs personal well-beingβ said PageΒ Vaughan, CEO of MUSC Health Lancaster System. βEvery effort will be made to ensure ourΒ care team members have assistance in connecting with internal and external resources during thisΒ temporary time frame. We all pray and hope for the best for our MUSC family and our patientsΒ as we aggressively work to conserve resources to keep our hospitalβs overall system strong andΒ intact to provide healthcare to the those we serve during and after this pandemic.β
