LAURINBURG – Scotland Health Care System will host its annual Community Meeting next month at the hospital’s WR Dulin Conference Center to update citizens on the state of the county’s healthcare system.

Greg Wood CEO of Scotland Healthcare System wants locals to know that in spite of the fact that it is a private not-for-profit system the hospital and its branches belong to the residents of Scotland County.

The hospital hosts these meetings in order to be “active and transparent to the community” according to Wood who said the meetings have been a regular event for around 30 years.

“It gives people an opportunity to hear about [our] challenges and an opportunity to give input as to what they would like to see in the future,” said Wood “Top leaders in the system will present brief reports, and community members can socialize with trustees and key leaders in the system.”

Wood said typical turnout for a community meeting was around 100 people.

“I think the county is proud of the healthcare system, and they come out to feel that ownership and get advised on how to keep the system strong,” Wood said.

Some of the topics that will be covered in the meeting are the hospitals financial successes for the 2016 year, safety awards the hospital has received, and the growth of the system into Marlboro County and Pembroke. The hospital will also discuss three new advances for treatment and preventative care that are being instituted next year.

Members of the Scotland Healthcare will also discuss challenges the hospital system faces in providing care to Laurinburg and surrounding areas.

Wood said some of those challenges were, “How to continue to deliver the same level of safety and quality care when we are faced by payment reductions [from programs like Medicare and Medicaid] and increases in regulations and the recruitment of quality doctors and nurses for the demographic we serve.”

One big change coming next year is a renovation to Scotland Memorial’s Women’s Center.

“We are most excited about our Maternal Health Center and nursery,” said Wood “We want to create a state of the art physical environment for moms and babies.”

Wood said the hospital system wants to continue to work on its strong partnerships with other health care systems like Duke, Carolina’s Hospital System, First Health and local physicians “to determine how to best coordinate delivery of care to get patients the right care at the right time and place for the right cost.”

The meeting will take place on Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. and refreshments will be served. For information call, 910-291-7550.

https://www.laurinburgexchange.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_Hospital.jpg

By Beth Lawrence

[email protected]

Reach Beth Lawrence 910-506-3169