Edgefield County Hospital

At Edgefield County Hospital we are committed to Healthcare Excellence. It is our goal to give you the best healthcare available in a comfortable caring environment. ECH is a place to receive healing. Our services are provided by excellent healthcare professionals with your neighbors, your friends and family close by comforting you.

Edgefield County Hospital is a local hospital where medical professionals, family and friends come together to provide the healthcare needs of the community. Patients have all the comforts of being close to home while receiving advanced medical treatment. It takes a team of associates to meet the medical needs of a growing community. The mission of Edgefield County Hospital, as we serve our neighbors in surrounding counties too, is “to provide quality and appropriate care to all people.” We have fully qualified and certified associates providing healthcare in Edgefield and surrounding communities. ECH is a Critical Access Hospital with 25 acute care beds. Our physicians are trained by some of the best Medical Colleges in the US. However, if a medical need arises that requires a more intensive treatment plan we have partnerships with area hospitals that become involved in the diagnosis and treatment of our patients.

Administration

CEO: Patricia Robinson

Assistant to CEO: Leslie Seigler

Direct Line:  803-637-1151

CFO:  Bill Garry:

 Direct Line:  803-637-1193  

Auxiliary

Direct Line:  803-637-1151

Leslie Seigler coordinates the functions of the Hospital Auxiliary. The Auxiliary currently consists of approximately 45 members who dedicate their time and effort to improve the operations of the hospital as well as contribute to the hospital profitability through fundraising.

Billing Office 

Direct Line: 803-637-3174 

Billing of all Third Party and self pay accounts.  Patients will be billed when all insurances have been exhausted. Set up payment arrangements for those patients unable to pay their bill in full or need to pay in installments over time. We offer a Charity Care Program for patients needing assistance with their bill. If qualified, patients can have all or a portion of their bill adjusted.

Business Office hours are Monday thru Friday 8:00am-4:30pm

1) ECH will bill any health plan you may have to help pay for your medical services.

2) We offer a variety of payment plans if you are unable to pay for your services in full.

3) We accept all major credit cards.

4) We offer financial counseling and guidance if you need to apply for Medicaid

Dietary Staff 

Director:  Jean Sanders

Direct Line: 803-637-1189 

E-Mail Address:  

The dietary staff prepares meals for patients, visitors, and patient family members. We prepare regular trays as well as special diet trays.  Our staff is committed to serving a well balanced and nutritious diet for all people.  We are open 7 days a week from 6am-6:30pm.

Emergency Room 

Shane Mull, MD Emergency Room Director

Direct Line: 803-637-1180 

E-Mail Address:  

Our Emergency Department is open 24 hours 7 days a week. We have a new 5 bed ER providing privacy with individual rooms, larger waiting area and separate Triage. This expansion also includes a new CT Room.

Emergency Room services 24 hour per day per FNP 3 days per week and MD remainder of schedule.  Portable ventilator on EMS trucks only, none in-house.  We do TPA/TNK (“clot buster” drugs), chest tubes, the rare OB delivery, rape exams, stabilize trauma and transfer usually to MCG Regional Trauma Center in Augusta.  Burns are transferred to Doctors Hospital Burn Unit in Augusta which is the regional burn center. Most orthopedic emergencies that are too complicated for us to handle go to Carolina Musculoskeletal Institute.  Some orthopedics are transferred to Augusta, whichever is patient preference and physician acceptance.  All staff members, both nursing and medical, are at a minimum ACLS certified. Some staff are PALS and ATLS as well.

Our staff is friendly and committed to providing Quality Services, Education, Community and Patient Satisfaction.

Human Resources

Leslie Seigler

Direct Line- (803) 637-1151

E-Mail Address:  

Laboratory Services

Director- Gail Thorne

Direct Line: 803-637-1185

E-Mail Address:  

Edgefield County Hospital’s full service laboratory is comprised of approximately 10 people, performing over twenty thousand tests annually. The laboratory is the most accredited department with accreditations from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO), The Clinical Lab Improvement Amendment (CLIA), The Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB).

The laboratory staff works closely with medical staff, nursing and other departments throughout the hospital daily to provide quality patient care to the members of the community. The laboratory serves its clients 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The laboratory offers diverse services in the following areas: blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, phlebotomy and outpatient services. Also available is a comprehensive program for specialty testing.

In addition, the laboratory provides services for the employees of various businesses in the area such as pre-employment drug testing, random drug testing and health fair blood checks.

Health Information Services 

Director: Faye Burton 

Direct Line:  803-637-1170

E-Mail Address:  

Health Information Services (Medical Records) of Edgefield County Hospital serves many functions, including the maintenance and storage of patient medical records. A medical record is the written collection of a person’s health history as recorded by physicians and other health care professionals. The history includes information about your health, hospitalizations, tests, treatments and much more. Our employees are here to assist you with your questions about the department as well as to ensure that the information maintained within the department is accurate and accessible. We value the patient’s privacy rights and value the quality of health information. Your medical record legally belongs to Edgefield County Hospital, but you are welcome to request copies of your medical records if you need them.

The Health Information Services Department

is open Monday-Friday 7:00 am to 4:30 pm.

Director Faye Burton, RHIT

Nursing 

Director:  Cheryl Faust, RN 

Direct Line: 803-637-1145

E-Mail Address:  

Edgefield County Hospital  Levels of Care Provided

All levels of care at ECH are provided by RNS and LPNs licensed by the State of South Carolina.  Nursing Assistants provide care under the direction of the RN. All care is by direct order of the attending physician.

Acute Care

Observation

Patients requiring up to 23 hours of care and observation to treat an acute episode. The physician thinks that the condition will not require inpatient admission and can be sufficiently treated at this level.

Acute and Observation may require cardiac monitoring which we provide also.  We have consultative services of cardiologists when the private physician wants to use this service.

Swing Bed

Patients requiring skilled care including rehabilitation.  The requirements for admission are those set forth by Medicare and are the same as for any licensed nursing home in the state of South Carolina.  Swing Bed can also be private pay.

Respite

We have some patients in the community who come in for a few days while family is out of town and pay privately for respite care.

PRIVATE PAY RESPITE patients are those who basically live here and pay privately a per diem.  The family provides all medications and supplies for these patients.  This is an internal ECH designation.

Hospice

We contract with various Hospice groups to provide Respite or Acute Care for patients requiring this level of care.  This may be for pain management, etc.

Operating Room 

Supervisor:  Lisa Turner, RN

Direct Line:  803-637-1183

E-Mail Address:  

We offer a variety of general surgical procedures including laparoscopic gallbladder, hernia repair, etc. Endoscopies are available, both colonoscopy and gastroscopy. General surgery is available weekly. We also provide orthopedic surgery to include arthroscopy. The orthopedic surgeon provides his service for us one day per month. Also included in our OR service is ophthalmic surgery such as cataract removal with intraocular lens implant. This service is also provided one day per month.

An anesthetist is available for all procedures. OR and PACU are staffed with ACLS certified RNs and Surgical Techs.

Pharmacy 

Director: Carla Quant, RPh 

Direct Line: 803-637-1146

E-Mail Address:  

Pharmaceutical Care Services are provided by caring and dedicated professionals. Medication safety is our goal and quality patient care is our mission. 

Hours of Operation:

Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm

Weekends: 8am-12noon

On Call 24 hours a Day 7 Days a Week

Working together to meet your needs.

Performance Improvement / Medical Staff Services

Wendi C. Shaffer, RN

Direct Line: 803-637-1162

E-Mail Address:  

Performance Improvement

The mission of the Edgefield County Hospital is to “Provide Quality and Appropriate Care to All People.”

The purpose of Performance Improvement is to ensure delivery of excellent care to our patients by providing a mechanism and process to identify opportunities to improve patient care, services and safety.

PI encourages every staff member of Edgefield County Hospital to find new and improved ways of doing things. This process is accomplished by:

• Identifying important services and types of care customers expect of Edgefield County Hospital;
• Work out strategies to solve any problems;
• Put the plan into action;
• Evaluate the results of the plan; and
• Incorporate the new measure into Standard Practice.

PI works on focusing on how and why things go right!

Purpose: The Utilization Review Department reviews the utilization of hospital resources against established criteria documentation requirements of external agencies.  We monitor and evaluate the medical necessity, appropriateness, and efficient use of health care services.  UR provides reports and recommendations to medical and hospital staff for improved utilization of resources and to maximize reimbursement while maintaining quality care.

Purchasing

Director: Ann Carpenter 

Direct Line: 803-637-1187

E-Mail Address:  

The Purchasing Department reviews literature on supplies and equipment and makes recommendations to other departments.  Participates in group purchasing for the hospital. See that areas are kept stocked with supplies in order to take excellence care of all patients.

All purchases are ordered through the purchasing department and all shipping and receiving are received in purchasing, before being distributed to other departments.

Rehabilitation

Director- Brad Swiger

Direct Line: 803-637-1148

E-Mail Address:  

The Rehabilitation Department at Edgefield County Hospital is now a full-time in house service. The department offers:

Outpatient Services

Inpatient Services

Acute Care

Swingbed

Wound Care

A physical therapist works under the directon of your doctor to treat your health care needs with exercises and modalities. We work to prevent/ relieve pain, improve functional status, and regain lost abilities in the context of your needs evaluated at that time.

ECH Rehabilitation Department consists of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy.  We are equipped to handle a wide variety of diagnosis as it relates to returning an individual to their highest rehab potential.

Here are just a few examples of health care issues that are seen by therapists:

Orthopedic:

Total Hip Replacement

Total Knee Replacement

Joint pain due to injury or overuse

Back Pain

Wound Care:

Diabetic Ulcers

Circulation disorders

Pressure Ulcers

Neurological:

Strokes

Parkinson’s disease

Multiple Sclerosis

Traumatic Brain Injury

Cardiopulmonary:

Congestive Heart Failure

Coronary Artery Disease

Pneumonia

It is our goal to give you the best rehabilitation experience possible.  As Edgefield County Hospital’s mission statement directs, we are here to serve you with the highest quality health care service.

Social Services

Director: Mary Brightharp 

Direct Line: 803-637-1182

E-Mail Address:  

The Social Services Department provides quality services to the patients and their families to meet their medically related Social and Emotional Needs.  Services may include: Psychosocial Assessment/ Counseling, High Social Risk Screening, Information and Referral, Health Education, Financial Counseling and Discharge Planning.

Social Work Services are performed by qualified professional staff and serves patients who are insured, uninsured and underinsured.

Radiology 

Direcotry: Lisa Smith 

Direct Line: 803-637-1175

E-Mail Address:  

The Radiology Department is staffed by qualified individuals with over 25 years of work experience in the field of diagnostic x-ray. All radiographers are registered by the ARRT and graduates of an accredited college.  We are equipped with new state of the art equipment for providing services in the following modalities:

1. General Radiography and Fluoroscopy

2. Computed Tomography (CT)

3. Ultrasound

4. Bone Densitometry

5. Mammography is provided on-site by Palmetto Baptist Medical Center, Columbia

Radiology Equipment:

1. GE Logiq 5 Ultrasound Unit- uses sound waves to detect abnormalities in the neck, breast, abdomen, pelvis, and superficial structures.

2. GE High Speed X/I CT Scanner- uses radiation to image body structures in cross section.

3. GE Prodigy Bone Densitometry- uses radiation to scan the lumbar spine, hip, and forearm for detection of osteoporosis.

4. GE Advantix Legacy Digital Radiographic and Fluoroscopic Unit- uses radiation to image all body structures.

Environmental Services 

Director of Environmental Services

Wayne Mills

Direct Line-  803-637-1195

E-Mail Address:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Environmental Services plans, directs and administers the maintenance and housekeeping functions of Edgefield County Hospital.  The Maintenance Department consists of 3 employees that maintain the building and grounds and all equipment within the hospital.

Housekeeping has a staff of 8 employees that work 3 shifts to keep the hospital a pleasant environment. 

Wayne Mills also is the hospital Safety Officer.  He develops and implements safety procedures to ensure a secure place for the patients, visitors, and hospital staff.