7 minute read
Newsworthy
from December 2021
by VIP Magazine
Something to Celebrate...
Pee Dee Electric Cooperative Announces Another Large Rate Decrease
Pee Dee Electric Cooperative, Inc. (PDEC) held its annual meeting on Saturday, October 23. The event, with COVID-19 precautions in place, featured live music, prize drawings including a choice between Honda Side-by-Sides or $10,000 cash, and an annual business session. During this once-a-year gathering, the member-owners of the electric co-op voted to receive a 10% rate decrease for the months of December 2021, January, and February 2022. This reduction will be applied automatically, and members will see it as a line item on their monthly bills. “We know that the winter months are a time when our members use the most energy and see their highest bills,” stated James Goodson, Chairman of the PDEC Board of Trustees. “We are so pleased to be able to show our appreciation by offering this significant rate decrease for that period.” Established in 1939, PDEC entered into a partnership with Marlboro Electric Cooperative (MEC) in September 2020. Known collectively as MPD, this strategic collaboration aligned the two neighboring co-ops with the goal of creating economic benefits, long-term efficiencies and overall improved service for members residing in Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Lee, Marion and Marlboro counties. MEC is the lowest cost electric power provider in South Carolina according to the Federal Energy Information Administration (EIA), and this significant decrease is a major step towards aligning the two organizations’ electric rates.
“We’re so proud to have been able to provide our members with a 5% rate decrease last winter, as well as the much larger 10% discount this past summer,” said William Fleming, Jr., MPD’s President and CEO. “The ability to offer an additional 10% rate decrease during the coldest and highest use months of the year demonstrates the benefits of the strategic alliance between the two co-ops. The ability to effectively perform as one of the largest electric cooperatives within the State and country provides each co-op the opportunity to regularly decrease rates and continue to improve member reliability across the entire region.”
On Monday, November 15th, The Darla Moore Foundation announced a partnership with the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund to expand scholarship availability to 26 high schools in eight Pee Dee region counties. The new counties include Florence, Darlington, Dillon, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Williamsburg, and Clarendon and will begin in the 2021-2022 scholarship cycle. The program gives students a chance to earn up to $10,000 a year toward tuition and up to $40,000 over their college career.
Nicholas R. White, MD has joined Robert W. Moore, MD at Hand Surgery Associates in Florence. Dr. White is a board-certified surgeon who has practiced for five years in Florence before accepting a prestigious hand fellowship at the University of Miami to specialize in surgery of the hand. Prior to the completion of his hand fellowship, Dr. White graduated from Wofford College and earned his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. White’s surgical interest include endoscopic carpal tunnel release, advanced nerve repair, and non-operative treatment of Dupuytren’s disease. Dr. White is now accepting new patients. Please call (843)676-2720. Hand Surgery Associates is located at 1498 Freedom Blvd., Florence, SC 29505.
Leadership Florence Participates in Healthcare Day
The Florence Chamber Leadership Florence class of 20212022 held its November session on Tuesday, November 9th celebrating Healthcare Day. The 34-member class heard from several local healthcare organizations, which included visits to McLeod Regional Medical Center, MUSC Health Florence Medical Center and HopeHealth. Each organization had a very informative presentation for the group. The Chamber wants to thank MUSC Health for sponsoring breakfast, McLeod for sponsoring lunch and HopeHealth for providing group treats and special gifts for the participants.
Hand Surgery Associates Welcomes Dr. Nicholas R. White
If you are celebrating a positive achievement or have been awarded for a newsworthy accomplishment, email Heather Page at heather@vipmagsc.com.
On Tuesday, November 16, 2021, Eastern Carolina Community Foundation’s giving circle, Women in Philanthropy (WIP), hosted a brief program at St. John’s Church to announce the 2021 grant recipients. This year’s grants totaled $47,000 and were awarded to ten nonprofits who were carefully selected by the WIP grants committee. Grants ranged in amounts from $2,500 to $7,000. “The members of Women in Philanthropy are thrilled that we could award $47,000 to 10 very worthwhile nonprofit organizations,” said Carrington Wingard, WIP board member and grants committee chair. “This giving circle allows each member to be a philanthropist and make meaningful contributions to important community organizations.” This year’s grantees are: • CARE House of the Pee Dee
• Caring Hearts of the Pee Dee • Drama Lady Theatre Group • Free Medical Clinic of Darlington • Foster Care Closing Closet • Helping Florence Flourish • Mercy Medicine Free Clinic • Manna House
• The Naomi Project • Trent Hill Center
“Women in Philanthropy is a wonderful group that supports CARE House of the Pee Dee and other local nonprofits,” shared Meg Temple, CARE House executive director. “This funding will ensure the privacy of child abuse victims while telling their stories of abuse by improving sound quality of interview space for investigation and prosecution.” Women in Philanthropy is a giving circle fund of Eastern Carolina Community Foundation, serving Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Marion, Marlboro, and Williamsburg Counties. The philosophy is that women informed about philanthropy and community needs can collectively make a difference in improving the quality of life and bring about change in the Pee Dee by combining financial and intellectual resources to award annual grants to local nonprofits. Since its 2009 inception, the WIP fund has contributed over $500,000 to nonprofits in the counties served by Eastern Carolina Community Foundation. More information about Eastern Carolina Community Foundation and Women in Philanthropy membership may be found at www.easterncarolinacf.org or by calling 843-667-1131.
Earns "Certified Zero Harm Awards"
MUSC Health Florence and Marion Medical Centers have earned a combined 10 South Carolina “Certified Zero Harm Awards” from the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA). These awards are in recognition of the outstanding performance for patient safety and prevention of hospital-acquired infections. “These awards are a direct result of the hard work and dedication of each one of our care team members,” MUSC Health Florence Division Chief Executive Officer Jay Hinesley said. “This recognition further emphasizes our commitment to high reliability and is imperative to ensuring zero harm. I am incredibly proud of the resilience and continued focus we have to provide safe, high-quality care. “ The clinically focused Certified Zero Harm Awards remains a unique statewide program thanks to SCHA’s collaboration with the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control (DHEC), who independently validates the hospital data. While the core focus of the awards remains—that hospitals must eliminate or avoid specific preventable hospital-acquired infections over a period of time—SCHA has modified the awards this year to focus on the prior 12-month period to better assess year-to-year progress. “I am extremely proud of the 2021 Zero Harm Awards we received in the Florence Division. While our division has been heavily impacted by multiple surges of COVID-19, these awards make it clear how committed our providers are to providing high quality and safe care for our communities,” MUSC Health Florence Division Chief Medical Officer Rami Zebian said. “We work diligently to create a culture of high reliability and safety. We owe it to our patients to provide exceptional care, and these awards demonstrate just how well we work together across all locations to do that.” MUSC Health Florence Medical Center sustained two zero bloodstream infection awards in the Cardiovascular Intensive Critical Care Unit and the Medical Intensive Care Unit. The other two awards are for no Surgical Site Infections in Abdominal Hysterectomy and Knee Replacement. MUSC Health Florence Rehabilitation Center sustained two hospital-onset awards for no Clostridium difficile (C.diff) and no Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aurieus (MRSA) infections. MUSC Health Marion Medical Center sustained one bloodstream infection award in the Intensive Care Unit, two hospital-onset awards for no Clostridium difficile (C.diff), and no Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aurieus (MRSA) infections. In addition, it received a hospital-onset no pressure injury award, a new category for zero harm.
