Also will seek permission to build behavioral health facility

 After more than two decades of providing healthcare for York County residents and planning for future needs and expansion, Piedmont Medical Center has announced that it is revising its application to build a hospital in Fort Mill from 64 to 100 beds.

 “From the beginning, we’ve said publicly that 64 beds is too few for a hospital in such a rapidly growing area,” said Charlie Miller, president and CEO of Piedmont Medical Center. “In fact, our original proposal includes space that easily could be finished to 100 beds. After evaluating growth patterns, the scope of Piedmont’s services, and our resources, we believe we should submit this request sooner rather than later.”
 The 40-acre site is located at the intersection of Highways 160 and 21 in Fort Mill. Initial investment in the new hospital would grow from $107 million to approximately $125 million. Because Piedmont is investor-owned, it will pay property taxes, initially estimated at a minimum of $2.6. That estimate is expected to increase now.

Behavioral Health Pavilion request
 In addition, Piedmont is planning to submit another request in early October to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) to develop a Behavioral Health Pavilion on Frank Gaston Boulevard behind the main Rock Hill campus.
Piedmont’s total number of licensed beds could grow to 382 when combined with the request for 30 additional behavioral health beds and the 64 beds last year’s State Health Plan acknowledged that Piedmont needed to expand. Completion of the Behavioral Health Pavilion will free space in the main facility in Rock Hill for a future potential expansion of up to 26 beds. 

Piedmont’s investment over the years 
 “We are proud of the investment Piedmont has made in this community. In the past 10 years alone, we’ve spent more than $120 million here on our Rock Hill campus,” Miller said. “Our Heart and Vascular Center and our Women’s Center are two very visible examples of our ongoing commitment.”
 So far in 2005, Piedmont has completed a $7.6 million upgrade of two cardiac catheterization laboratories and added a third, all of which feature advanced technology.
It also has received state approval for new imaging technology, including a 64-slice CT, and is seeking approval to upgrade its PET services to PET/CT.
 “We have a contract with York County for the next 40 years that holds us accountable for affordable, quality health care. That is a rare guarantee to the citizens of any community,” Miller says. “All that we have accomplished and all that we are planning clearly indicate that we are serious about that responsibility.”

To support Piedmont's efforts to build a 100-bed hospital in Fort Mill, please write a letter to

Mr. Joe Grice,
Bureau of Health Facilities and Services Development,
SC Department of Health and Environmental Control,
2600 Bull Street,
Columbia, SC 29201

and mail it to

Charles Miller,
President and CEO,
Piedmont Medical Center,
222 S. Herlong Avenue,
Rock Hill, SC 29732.

Thank you.