St. Francis Sports Medicine Newsletter // August 2014 
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August 2014

 Greenville Sports League

  

Monday

Basketball 


 

Tuesday

Volleyball 


 

Wednesday

Soccer 


 

Sunday

Flag Football 


 

 August 9

GSL Sand Volleyball Tournament  

Paris Mountain 7K Trail Run 


 

August 16

Edouard Michelin Memorial 5k  


 

August 21

Greenville Pickens Speedway Bike Race


 

August 23

GSL Dodgeball Tournament 


 

August 30

GSL Co-Ed Grass Volleyball Tournament 


 



 


Greetings!

 

 

As many of you have read, Greenville County Management has once again entered into discussions with Greenville Health System about the future of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in our county.  These discussions are happening behind closed doors and have not included Bon Secours St. Francis, or you-the tax payers of Greenville County.

 

Our concern is not only the lack of transparency in this process, but the proposal's potential effects on patient choice, quality and safety. Read on for an excerpt of CEO Mark Nantz's and Board Chair Camilla Hertwig's opinion article to The Greenville News on this issue, and learn what you can do to support St. Francis and patient choice in the Upstate. 

 

Outsourcing EMS Could Limit Patient Choice
Mark Nantz, CEO & Camilla Hertwig, Board Chair

An effective Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system is an integral part of any community's healthcare delivery system. Bon Secours St. Francis Health System fully supports the brave men and women of Greenville County EMS and their leaders, who we believe provide extraordinary service and quality of care to the citizens of Greenville County each and every day!

The independence and objectivity of EMS is essential not only to ensure patient choice, but also to foster the competition that has created high quality and affordable care in our community. It is the presence of this patient choice that compels both Bon Secours St. Francis and other area hospitals to innovate and improve.

The presence of two highly capable health systems in the market drives quality up and prevents monopolistic pricing in Greenville County health care delivery.

A proposal by Greenville County management has the potential to threaten this appropriate objectivity in the operation of our EMS system.

County management has proposed changes to the EMS system that would outsource control of EMS to another area hospital - directly impacting our ability to serve patients and potentially your ability to make a choice in health care provider in times of emergency.

Our trepidation and concern over this proposal is borne from the lack of transparency and inclusiveness that has existed throughout this entire process. It was only because of a story last summer in The Greenville News that St. Francis even discovered a change of any kind was being considered by county management. It is clear to us that Bon Secours St. Francis has been intentionally excluded and kept "in the dark" since the beginning of these deliberations.

For over 80 years, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System has served the Upstate as a forward-thinking and compassionate healthcare advocate, providing patients choice in their times of need. In 2012, Consumer Reports named St. Francis one of the Ten Safest Hospitals in the Nation, an accolade reinforced by recent surgical safety rankings and statistics which included our 0 percent Central Line infections rate for more than five years and are in the top 1 percent of cardiovascular programs in the United States. Read more>>

 

We want to hear from you! Share your opinions on this important issue here.  



 

Get in Faster
with 675-HURT
 

When injuries strike, you just need to remember one number - 675-HURT, St. Francis Sports Medicine's 24/7 injury hotline. 675-HURT provides concierge service to Piedmont Orthopaedic Associates and Carolina Orthopaedic Center physicians, getting you an appointment with an orthopedic expert faster. If you're not sure if you need to see a physician right away, the professionals at 675-HURT can give you advice for at-home treatment.

 

In fact - grab your phone and enter 864-675-4878 into your contact list now. Then you won't have to remember any numbers!