New inpatient unit increases access to care

Prisma Health Children’s Hospital opened a satellite location at Greer Memorial Hospital in June. The four-bed unit offers specialized care for a broad range of diagnoses, including respiratory illnesses, asthma flare-ups, dehydration, fever in young infants, jaundice and skin infections for children ages newborn to 18 who do not require ICU or subspecialty care.

Satellite pediatric units are already open at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital in Sumter (three years running) and Prisma Health Oconee Memorial Hospital in Seneca (which recently celebrated its second anniversary; see sidebar). Prisma Health also has full-scale Children’s Hospitals in Columbia and Greenville.

“Creating these satellite units in Greer, Seneca and Sumter makes it possible for us to offer exceptional child-oriented care for common pediatric illnesses, only closer to home,” said Robin LaCroix, MD, medical director of Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Upstate. “A child is more than just a small adult and requires unique care and expertise; we will provide that in these special hospitalization units.”

The Greer unit houses pediatric hospitalists, specially trained pediatric nurses and pediatric respiratory therapists. It also offers telehealth consultations and Child Life Services, which help children and their families cope with potential stress during a hospital stay. Greer Memorial Hospital is already home to a Level II nursery that helps support the nearly 1,000 babies born there each year.

The team is led by Teresa Williams, MD, who is board certified in both internal medicine and pediatrics. Dr. Williams has worked at Greer Memorial Hospital for the last five years caring for newborns and adults, and she now serves as the hospital’s director of Pediatrics.

“I’m thrilled to bring the Children’s Hospital care commitment to the families in Greer,” said Dr. Williams (pictured). “Knowing that our specially trained team will be available around-the-clock to help children will hopefully be a real comfort to families who may have previously had to travel farther for that extra level of treatment.”

It’s ‘twotti-frutti’ time

Prisma Health Children’s Hospital celebrated the two-year anniversary of the opening of its satellite location at Oconee Memorial Hospital with a “twotti-frutti” theme.

The 10-bed unit opened July 2020 and delivers high-quality, around-the-clock pediatric care convenient for families in the Seneca area. It is led by Allison Ranck, MD, medical director for Oconee Pediatric Services.

In addition to the specialized care provided at the Sumter and Greer satellites, the Seneca site features a dedicated pediatric infusion center – one of two such centers in the Upstate – and offers outpatient care for children receiving regular intravenous infusion treatments.