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Three area hospitals have been sold in a $2.4 billion deal to North Carolina-based Novant Health by the previous owner, Tenet Healthcare of Dallas, Texas.

The sale of East Cooper Medical Center in Mount Pleasant, Hilton Head Hospital in Hilton Head and Coastal Carolina Hospital in Hardeeville includes the associated physician clinics and other operations, according to a news release from Novant Health.

“We are beyond thrilled to welcome our new team members and grow our presence in South Carolina,” said Carl S. Armato, president and CEO, Novant Health, which is headquartered in Winston-Salem. “Novant Health’s long-term vision is to transform the health and wellness of these communities through expanded specialty services and clinical expertise. We are energized and united behind our cause to create a healthier future together by building connections with patients and clinicians in coastal South Carolina.”

The East Cooper Medical Center includes 15 physician clinics. Hilton Head Hospital includes the Bluffton Okatie Outpatient Center and 12 physician clinics. Coastal Carolina Hospital in Jasper County includes the Tidewatch Free-Standing Emergency Department in Bluffton, according to the news release.

Novant Health said continuity of care is a priority and appointments and procedures will continue as scheduled during the transition period. “We are working closely with our new Novant Health team members to ensure a seamless transition for patients and team members,” Joel Taylor, market CEO of Hilton Head Regional Healthcare, said in the release. “We are eager to move forward together in support of our teams and know decisions will be made with our community’s needs at the forefront.”

“There’s a lot to be excited about when planning for our future,” Tyler Sherrill, CEO of East Cooper Medical Center, said in the release. “Novant Health is known for elevating clinician leadership to provide patients with a trusted health care experience through world-class technology, personal connections and convenient access to care.”

Tenet Health also owns a cluster of imaging centers and urgent care clinics in York, Rock Hill and Fort Mill, but those South Carolina properties were not part of the deal for the coastal hospitals.

“We understand that taking care of our patients starts with taking care of our people, so I’m delighted to join a leadership team that strives to not only be a healthc are provider of choice but also an employer of choice,” Ryan Lee, CEO of Coastal Carolina Hospital, said in the release. “I look forward to expanding the resources available to our team.”

Novant Health supports health and wellness programs in the community, including health education/screenings, community health workers and mobile cruisers. Each year, Novant Health provides hundreds of programs that serve patients, neighbors and some of their communities’ most vulnerable citizens, the company said in the release.

The Novant Health network consists of more than 1,900 physicians and more than 38,000 team members who provide care at more than 800 locations, the release said.

The Town of Mount Pleasant’s continued pursuit of adopting state policies to protect residents from extreme weather events was front and center at the Feb. 5 flood resilience committee meeting.

A presentation from South Carolina Floodwaters Commission Chair Dr. Tom Mullikin on incorporating progressive steps in protecting the state’s ongoing sea-level rise was followed by Mayor Will Haynie and his committee colleagues unanimously endorsing a Mount Pleasant Hazard Mitigation Plan.

The action measure, as described by Mount Pleasant Emergency Management & Resilience Officer Shannon Whitehead, would identify hazards (i.e. flooding, damage, loss of power) and allow local government to implement proposed solutions to those challenges.

The plan — previously approved at the state and federal levels — will be subsequently presented to Town Council for final authorization before incorporating the strategy as an addendum to the Charleston County Mitigation Plan.

Mullikin’s impassioned call for lawmakers to acknowledge climate change set the tone for the committee vote. The research professor, in fact, advised a collective ramp up of environmental resiliency measures in light of sea-level elevations ranging from eight millimeters to eight feet in certain areas of the Atlantic seaboard.

“We’ve seen more intense storms, not more often, but more intense. We see more nuisance flooding and we’ve see a death here in Mount Pleasant in the summer as a result of heavy rains,” reported Mullikin, who also serves as the South Carolina 7 (SC7) Conservation Expedition Chair.

“Mount Pleasant is the oasis of thought leadership in this. Though leadership is no longer just good enough just to know; knowing and leadership is doing. In 2018, when the governor created the South Carolina Floodwater Commission, there was still a hesitancy to use words in this order: climate change. And that really is the nucleus of the problem ... There are places around the world where island nations and coastal communities are under water.”

The guest speaker went to detail a project he contributed on at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) on Parris Island, which has expanded stormwater capacity and promoted health marshes to buffer against tidal/storm events in addressing sea-level rise.

Mullikin further referenced oyster-shell reefs that have been used to stabilize the shoreline at the military outpost.

During his address, the Camden native also mentioned the effectiveness of trees by recounting a 3-year-old SC7 initiative to seed 3.5 million bark-enclosed plants across the state. One tree, said Mullikin, can absorb 10,000 gallons of water annually.

“It’s no longer an academic issue of modeling — we’re measuring. People see it, they feel it. They’re concerned about it for a very good reason. And we would start with one reason being that 40 percent of the world’s population lives within 60 miles of the coast like right here at Mount Pleasant. So, we’ve got to do something,” he added.

The environmental attorney cautioned meeting attendees that previous sea-level predictions are being realized. Soon, he remarked, stakeholders will be left with one of two options: more property that’s worth less or less property that’s worth more.

The worst of sea-level rise impacts “has not been reported,” he stated by highlighting the first recent instance of malaria in Florida from a resident mosquito — not one that was brought into the Unites States. Because of water emerging in places where it never surfaced before, different areas of the country are beginning to see the arrival of new bacteria and pathogens, Mullikin noted.

When commenting on erosion mitigation measures used on nearby barrier islands, such as sea walls, Mullikan opined that the structures don’t actually stop water, but merely move it.

While he conceded that there is no real way to completely neutralize water, Mullikin continually advocated for wetland restoration and the installation of reefs.

“We’re not going to win the fight ... We’re going to protect Mount Pleasant, but we’re not going to stop the water ... Why don’t we welcome it and turn it into something that would drive money into the community rather than push it away.”

That something, he floated, was using contained water to produce a Palmetto State bottled drinking water.

At the conclusion of the environmental expert’s analysis, Haynie publicly informed Mullikin of his hope to visit the MCRD site on Parris Island with Town Council to view the innovative resiliency components at the military venue.

Earlier in the committee session, staff members and civilians in the audience were treated to a list of common objectives espoused by the state’s resilience plan and the Town alike. An item-by-item rundown of Town resiliency initiatives to that end included:

• The establishment of a green commission to advise the Town on environmental issues

• The construction of watershed-based CIP projects at the Old Village and Hobcaw

• Adopting a slab-on-grade fill ordinance

• Installation of a full weather station at Waterfront Park later this year

Tell me about your school. Palmetto Christian Academy (PCA) was established in 1992 as a ministry of East Cooper Baptist Church and has a current enrollment of 825 students in grades PK2-12. The school is a “covenant” Christian school, which means we seek to enter into a partnership with Christian parents who believe true flourishing for their children comes when the home, church and school are working together to provide biblical worldview training.

What do you want families to know? We want all families to know the biblical worldview we teach will provide our students with a way to answer life’s most important questions (How did I get here? What is my purpose? Is this all there is?), and how to deal with the issues and trials they will encounter throughout their lives.

We strive to provide the highest level of academics, fine arts and athletics, but as Christians we believe the truth in scripture that says, “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all things will be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). Therefore, the spiritual formation of our students is the highest calling of our faculty and staff.

How does winning the Best Of feel for you? You’ve won many years. Why do you think that is? Winning one year is a fantastic feeling but winning for 10 years in a row is surreal. We are humbled by this honor! We are big fans of Mount Pleasant Magazine and know that this Best Of award comes from readers who love our town and vote for many wonderful organizations here. The fact that they feel like we are one of those, and for so many years in a row, makes us feel we have sustained a level of excellence that is appreciated by our PCA community.

What are you most proud of? I am most proud of how our team consistently strives to improve. We want to get better at everything we do. We try to stay on top of current educational issues, technology trends, operational best practices, athletic equipment upgrades, campus safety options and faculty and staff professional development. Most importantly, I am proud of the administrative team, faculty and staff members who understand that whatever they do they should work “as if working for the Lord and not for man” (Colossians 3:23).

Why do you think families love your school? I have to believe that families love our school because they know when they leave their children with us, they trust we will not only teach them but also shepherd, mentor and nurture them in the same way their parents would. We provide parents with experienced and loving teachers and coaches, nurses who care for their kids when they get sick, campus security officers who ensure that students are safe, a cafeteria crew that provides an amazing array of foods and a custodial staff that maintains our campus at a level of cleanliness second to none!

For more information, please visit palmettochristianacademy.org, or call 843-881-9967.

Mount Pleasant Gardens may sound like a gorgeous, plant-filled sanctuary, but in actuality it’s a peaceful, loving, family-centered establishment for people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and dementia. This stand-alone facility focuses on those three neurological conditions and is one of the few places in the state of South Carolina to do so.

“We are a higher skill level than general assisted living, where people can come out from their apartments and still live on their own,” said Denise Kish, executive director of Mount Pleasant Gardens. “We specialize in ‘safe care living,’ where residents need assistance in many of the activities of daily living (e.g. showering or just going to lunch) as well as safety and socialization which is needed the most. We are between skilled care and assisted living. We don’t leave them on their own too much.”

The residents at Mount Pleasant Gardens aren’t in their rooms watching “The Young and the Restless” all day. Oh no! They’re up in the morning exercising, participating in the walking club and engaging in other healthy, mobility-promoting activities. Throughout the day, entertainment may include arts and crafts, music and brainteasers, all of which consistently use the brain to access and recall information, which is stimulating for all residents. Most of them have lost the executive skills of knowing what tasks to do in which sequence. The staff is trained with the positive approach that was developed by Teepa Snow, a specialist in memory care. They are there for their residents. We often take for granted how easy it is to pick up a fork and properly use it. For residents at Mount Pleasant Gardens, it’s a challenge or a skill that is re-taught daily. “They come in here and usually are not able to function in society anymore. They get lost. They are constantly looking for something. They are hallucinating. They lose sequencing. That’s what mainly scares families,” added Kish.

Starting every morning with prayer and giving thanks, one can feel the love upon entering the building. The Mount Pleasant Gardens staff don’t treat their work as a job; for most, it’s a calling. Everyone at Mount Pleasant Gardens is dedicated to the mission of serving those who have been affected by Alzheimer’s and these neurologically-deteriorating conditions. Thanks to all of them for their compassion and care and for such admirable dedication to their work. From our place to yours, thank you for creating joy in moments and ways that truly matter the most.

For more information, please visit gardensmemorycare.com or call 843-216-1001.

By Maurice J. Frazier

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MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCIV) — A former Mount Pleasant veterinarian is accused of illegally prescribing drugs to another employee of the vet clinic throughout 2022, an affidavit shows.

Kerry Lynn Stone, 29, is charged with possessing narcotics with intent to distribute, and illegally distributing narcotics in violation of the state's Controlled Substances Act.

Victoria Dianne Elizabeth Sherrill, 30, is charged with illegally distributing narcotics in violation of the state's Controlled Substances Act.

A sworn affidavit says Stone, while working as a vet at Animal Center of Mount Pleasant, unlawfully issued a prescription of Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen to Sherrill, who was working at the same clinic as a receptionist.

A Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) spokesperson confirmed over 1,000 tabs of various controlled substances were obtained.

READ MORE: Affidavit shows recent drug-related arrest of Darius Rucker comes from Feb. 2023 incident

The affidavit says Stone illegally issued these prescriptions to Sherrill on June 1, June 27, and Aug. 4, 2022, and Sherrill filled the prescriptions each time at the Publix on Johnnie Dodds Boulevard.

The affidavit accuses Stone and Sherrill of not having a legitimate practitioner/patient relationship, and says no physical examination or assessment was ever done. It also says Stone furnished false or fraudulent material information or omitted material information in records required to be kept at Animal Medical Center of Mount Pleasant.

Stone is accused of issuing those prescriptions without filing medical or prescription history in the patient chart.

Both Stone and Sherrill were fired from Animal Center of Mount Pleasant in August of 2022 once the clinic was made aware of the improper prescriptions the pair are accused of engaging in, Dr. Epstein of the Animal Center of Mount Pleasant confirmed to News 4 Wednesday.

READ MORE: Orangeburg County checkpoint leads to major drug bust, 3 charged with trafficking

Up until Friday, Feb. 2, Stone had been working at Best Friends Animal Clinic in Hanahan. An employee of that clinic confirmed to News 4 Stone was fired Friday when they were made aware of her charges. When asked how long Stone had been working there, the employee estimated a year.

The clinic then declined to comment to multiple additional questions regarding Stone's employment.

In answering a question regarding whether employees who sell, possess, use, or divert controlled substances must be suspended from their place of employment, a DHEC spokesperson said the decision ultimately lies with the employer—although DHEC provides guidance in the Controlled Substances Regulation (R 61-4) Section 411.

Stone's veterinary license appears to be in good standing as of the evening of Feb. 6.