Columbia, Camden hospital sale must ensure SC people come first, Gov. McMaster says

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Any acquisition of a Columbia and Camden hospital system by one of the largest health care providers in the state must ensure South Carolinians are served first, Gov. Henry McMaster said Friday.

McMaster held off on explicitly supporting the Medical University of South Carolina’s plans to buy Columbia’s Providence Hospital and Kershaw Health Medical Center in Camden. McMaster said he received a briefing from MUSC weeks ago.

“Our goal is to see that the people of South Carolina have ample medical care and attention. MUSC is confident that this will do that,” said McMaster, speaking to reporters at the State House on Friday after he announced his budget vetoes. “I would like to see the details of the proposal, as would I’m sure the other four members of the Fiscal (Accountability) Authority.”

The acquisition, announced by the hospital system Friday after a unanimous board vote, would further expand the public hospital’s footprint in the state, allowing the medical university to put roots down in the Midlands region.

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