The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) notified Piedmont Medical Center on May 31, 2006 that the DHEC staff has approved Piedmont’s application to build a 100-bed hospital in Fort Mill.

“This is the day that we at Piedmont have been anticipating and working toward for a number of years,” said Piedmont President and CEO Charlie Miller in a public statement before a crowd of supporters at the Rock Hill hospital. “We strongly believe that our proposal for Fort Mill is the best one for that rapidly growing area of York County. Piedmont is the only applicant with the ability to redistribute its resources to build a 100-bed facility there to meet that need.”  

The 40-acre site for the new hospital is located at the intersection of Highways 160 and 21 in Fort Mill. Initial investment will be approximately $125 million. Because Piedmont is investor-owned, it will pay property taxes, estimated at a minimum of $2.6 million.
 

Services at the new hospital will include inpatient and outpatient surgery, medical/surgical services, an emergency department, critical care, labor and delivery, a Special Care Level II Nursery, diagnostic cardiac catheterization, advanced imaging technology such as MRI and 64-slice CT, and room service dining.

“In addition, we are the only applicant with a contract with York County for the next 40 years. That contract requires us to provide specific services and investments here in our community,” Miller added. “We’ve met and in many cases exceeded the requirements of the contract.”
 

Since 1995, Piedmont has made capital investments of $138 million to enhance the delivery of health care for York County residents. In 2006 alone, examples include the addition of a 64-slice CT scanner and a PET-CT scanner, both of which are advanced imaging technology that is not available at all area hospitals.
 

Earlier this year, Piedmont applied for state permission to build a 50-bed psychiatric hospital on the Rock Hill campus. It is awaiting word from DHEC on that CON.
 

In Fort Mill, Piedmont already operates Piedmont Urgent Care Center at Baxter Village as well as Fort Mill Mammography. Later this year, Piedmont Fort Mill Internal Medicine and Piedmont Tega Cay Family Practice will open.
 

“There are many people I wish to thank for their support, including physicians, our staff and members of the community. I also thank the staff of DHEC for their careful consideration of the applications for this new hospital,” Miller said.
 

“This is a great day for the Piedmont family.”