Behavioral Care Pavilion in Florence to offer compassionate, safe care

When the MUSC Health Jean and Hugh K. Leatherman Behavioral Care Pavilion opens this fall, it will represent a fresh approach. “Decades ago, in South Carolina and nationwide, funds for inpatient behavioral health care were cut as a result of a changing philosophy in how we cared for mental health patients,” says Jay Hinesley, CEO of the MUSC Health Florence, Marion and Black River Medical Centers.

“The philosophy was to restore patients’ rights and release them into the community, where they would be treated at outpatient mental health centers. Unfortunately, funding wasn’t adequate, and the strategy wasn’t the right one. A lot of mentally ill patients wound up struggling to find the right services.”

Hinesley says the Leatherman Pavilion is South Carolina’s first state-funded facility to rectify the shift that began 25 years ago. He believes the $100 million center will show that patients can be cared for compassionately and safely.

 

He also wants to address misconceptions about such places. “There is a gross misunderstanding of what occurs in behavioral health hospitals,” he says.

“We’re making a concerted effort to include community and church leaders, law enforcement, EMS workers and local government. We want the community to understand that the Leatherman Pavilion will be a well-funded, professionally staffed facility that will give compassionate care to a population that has been significantly neglected.”

Hinesley says the new pavilion will also boost the economic health of the area. “Florence is a thriving community, and the Leatherman Pavilion will be a significant economic investment - one that will bring additional jobs as well as new construction and a pleasing design to a part of our community that has needed some refurbishment. It is one of many projects on Dargan Street to revive downtown Florence.”

Hinesley says the planning, construction, funding and other support for the center exemplify the best of public/private partnerships. The state, the city of Florence and private entities have contributed funds to make the $100 million facility a reality. Leaders say McLeod Health and HopeHealth have been great partners in developing the facility.

“This is an extremely complicated project, and we needed every dollar we could find, along with the input of local community and health care organizations,” Hinesley says.

“We could not do this without the legislature and Florence’s financial assistance. At the local level, we’re making sure that McLeod Health, HopeHealth, Francis Marion University and the surrounding health care community come together to discuss how to operate in the future.”

Hinesley says he’s pleased that the state selected the Pee Dee. Over the last 25 years, the need for behavioral health care in the area has grown while resources have shrunk. “We believe MUSC will be an example for other regions of the state and build a center that will care for people in crisis.”