Out and About, Vol. 7
Welcome to 2024–we’re three weeks into a new year with a new strategic plan, and SCHA is already out and running!
The SC General Assembly has convened for the 2024 session, and SCHA hosted a luncheon for all hospital lobbyists during the opening week.
Later that same week, SCHA hosted a table at the annual Riley/Wilkins Awards Dinner in Columbia. This year’s honorees were Harris Deloach and Senator Nikki Setzler. Harris Deloach is the former CEO and Executive Chairman of Sonoco Products Company in Hartsville, and he’s also a board member of SCHA’s biggest grant maker, The Duke Endowment. Senator Setzler is the longest-serving member of our state’s legislature and a staunch ally of South Carolina’s hospitals. Senator Setzler has served in the Senate for 47 years! SCHA was pleased to have our next Board Chair, Gayle Resetar, join us at the event. At our table we also had Anthony Jackson of Prisma Health, Rep. Sylleste Davis (Chair of the House 3M Committee), Rep. Mark Smith (also a leader on 3M), and Rep. Shannon Erickson (a major champion for childcare).
The following week SCHA hosted a meeting of all the state’s freestanding rehab hospitals to discuss opportunities to care for more Medicaid patients. When I started working at SCHA, our state had about 5 freestanding rehab hospitals. Today we have 14, with more under construction. This is the fastest-growing sector of the hospital community, which makes sense given our state’s population growth and demographics. Thanks to all the rehab CEOs who attended!
Last week I attended the American Hospital Association’s annual legislative kickoff meeting in DC. It was frigid! But I learned a lot about what Congress and the executive agencies are likely to address in this election year.
I look forward to resuming my hospital visits, and I invite you to come join our team at the State House if you’ve never seen the General Assembly in action!