According to GHS, politicians and health care don’t mix

Greenville Health System issued a further reaction to the announcement that a group of Greenville state lawmakers are behind legislation to force the sale of the hospital system. The discord between the two has implications for Oconee, as Oconee Memorial Hospital is part of the GHS system. “Unfortunately, the most recent attack on locally-owned, not-for-profit health care includes proposed legislation from a handful of local politicians that would force the sale of Greenville Health System assets. This latest political effort is another attempt at doing something that is not in the best interest of the community,” from the statement issued by Sandy Dees Williams, senior media relations coordinator for GHS. One of the politicians to whom Dees Williams refers is William Timmons, state senator. Timmons acknowledged to 101.7/WGOG NEWS that his side has an ongoing court challenge to GHS’s plan to combine with Palmetto Health of the Midlands, but said they’ve now turned to the legislation route because the time the court case requires is unacceptable.