By JEFFERSON WEAVER
Staff Writer

The new management company for Columbus Regional Healthcare will spend the next few weeks intensely examining the hospital and the community’s needs, according to an official with the company.

Bill Moore of Carolinas Healthcare System said Friday that company representatives met with hospital officials last week, and plan to “take a lot of time” talking to staff, board members and employees.

“We have to find some priorities to agree on, and go from there” Moore said. “We’re not coming in with an agenda – we’re taking a close look on what the community’s needs are, and then we’ll decide what directions to take.”

The hospital trustees voted last week to contract with Carolinas Healthcare System (CHS) to manage the hospital, ending a 16-year relationship with Quorum. CHS is the third largest public health provider in the country, and the largest in the Carolinas. The company’s flagship, Carolinas Medical Center of Charlotte, has a Level 1 trauma center, research institute, children’s hospital, rehabilitation center and a number of specialty clinics.

In addition to the advanced Charlotte hospital, Moore said CHS has wide experience in rural and small-town medicine and health care issues.

“We’re looking at the needs in the Columbus community, and seeing how we can best use our resources to everyone’s advantage,” Moore said.

Moore said company officials are “excited” about adding Columbus Regional to the CHS network, which currently has 21 hospitals and a number of other health care facilities in the Carolinas. CHS is licensed to operate 4,900 beds, and has more than 33,000 full and part-time employees.

“We’re grateful the trustees selected us as their management company,” Moore said, “and we’re looking forward to the changeover.”

A transition team of Quorum and CHS employees will be in place later this month, with a full takeover by CHS scheduled for Dec. 4.