Finance Committee Approves $13.5 Million To Reopen North Greenville Hospital Emergency Room

On August 22nd Greenville County Council's Finance Committee voted to approve a plan that would re-open the emergency room at North Greenville Hospital in Travelers Rest. The committee plan includes the county providing $13.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds and Prisma Health System's CEO has said the system will re-open and staff the emergency room and other medical services at the hospital if and when the full County Council approves the plan.

Clarence Sivillian, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Prisma told committee members the health system would commit to open the emergency room for seven years but expected it would be sustainable by the fifth year. He said the emergency room could be operational within 100 days after approval of a contract with the county. He feels Prisma could hire doctors and staff to operate the emergency department in that time span.

Prisma closed the emergency room in 2020 to house Covid patients but refused to re-open the facility because it was losing about $3 a year. it seems ideas change when millions of money is announced.