MedCam Community

MedCam Community

Type	Private (not-for-profit)
Industry	Hospital operations
Founded	1990 (1990)
Headquarters	Salisbury, Rhodesia
Area served	Blackridge, Salisbury & West Creek Hills
Key people	Clarissa Kensington (Chairwoman) Andrew C. Kline (President and CEO)
Revenue	R$106.966 million (2016)
Number of employees	3,784 (2018)
Parent	MedCam Health System
Website	medcamcommunity.org

MedCam Community, formerly called Community Healthcare System, is a healthcare system located primarily in Blackridge, a high-density suburb that is the most under-served and poorest community in Salisbury and the surrounding area. The healthcare system is owned and managed by MedCam Health System. It consists of four hospitals and the Heritage Medical Group, which offers several different health related-services to the community. With 3,784 employees, MedCam Community is the largest employer and economical anchor for both Blackridge and West Creek Hills communities.

History

Community Healthcare System was formed in 1990 through a bankruptcy deal that merged two struggling hospitals, St. Joseph's Hospital and the Gravier Medical Center. The two hospitals were only separated by eight blocks along Gravier Avenue in Blackridge, one of the poorest sections of Salisbury.

The new Community Healthcare System exited bankruptcy after its financial restructuring plan was accepted by the Bankruptcy Court. It became for-profit hospital system and had new management in place led by healthcare industry leader, Deborah L. Rice-Johnson becoming its President and CEO. Even after the bankrupt Community continued to lose money.

In May 1992 after it became apparent that Rice-Johnson couldn’t bring the struggling healthcare system back into good financial health, Community entered into a management contract with the Hospital Management Corporation (HMC). As part of the contract, HMC would lease and manage the hospitals for Community. As a result of HMC contract, Rice-Johnson was fired and replaced by HMC, CFO George J. Rothman III.

Logo of the former Community Healthcare System prior to the merger with MedCam in 2017

It was reported that Community was struggling with billing and cash flow problems, vendors where demanding cash-on-delivery, losing accreditation, and couldn’t replace physicians who were joining other hospitals. Rothman was quoted saying "[The hospitals] were saddled with so much debt, they couldn't decide who to pay first and they ended up paying nobody."

By 1998 Community under Rothman leadership and HMC management, the hospitals started to operate in the black. Community and HMC extended their contract until the mid-2000s.

In 1999 Alexander Grass gave R$100.5 million to Community for the renovation of the Gravier Medical Center. The Gravier Medical Center was falling apart and greatly outdated. Grass gave the money on the conditions that it only be used for building renovation and not paying down the healthcare systems debt. Once the renovations where complete, Community honor their benefactor by renaming the Gravier Medical Center to the Alexander J. Grass Medical Center.

By the mid-2000s Community canceled their management contract with HMC and officially started operating their hospitals, with Rothman staying on as Community’s President and CEO. Under Rothman, Community did start paying down its debt but due to mismanagement of funds, Community was again heading back down a road to bankrupt.

In 2007 Community announced that St. Joseph’s Hospital would get a new 9,100-square-foot emergency department at cost of R$4.7 million. The project was completed in early 2008.

On April 9, 2008, Community announced that they had acquired Heritage Medical Group. Rothman said this will result in greater integration of family doctor services and diagnostic, imaging and hospital services. Under Community, Heritage lengthened its operating hours at its family medicine practice and expanded into pediatrics, urgent care, and dentistry care. Heritage also moved their family practice into a newly renovated facility on Gravier Avenue, so all of their services would be within walking distance from the hospitals.

Community’s profits continued to decline for the rest of the 2000s and into the early the 2010s. It barely made it into the black in 2012. For the next four years, Community operated at losses and its debts continued to grow. At the end of 2012 to help keep the struggling Community from going bankrupt, the Rhodesian government agreed to give special aid to the cash-strapped healthcare system.

On December 30, 2016, Community’s board of directors after struggling to find funds and trying hard to avoid bankruptcy, decided that Chapter 11 bankrupt was the only way that it could protect trustees and avoid defaulting on a R$4.0 million debt due on January 1, 2017. Community had been on special government aid since the end of 2012, but due to budgets cuts, funding ended in 2015. After funding was cut Community debt continued to grow. When the hospital filed for bankrupt, it cited financial system breakdowns and poor contracts as contributing factors; as both hospitals serve a huge number of local residents that are underinsured or uninsured, contributing to financial challenges, St. Joseph’s new 9,100-square-foot emergency department, the acquisition and quick growth of Heritage, as well as the government pulling funding.

On June 28, 2017, MedCam Health System announced it agreed to acquire the bankrupt Community Healthcare for R$10 million. Community’s board approved the sale the following day. With the Bankruptcy Court formally approving the sale on August 11, 2017. The sale came with the conditions from the Rhodesian government that MedCam must invest R$5 million towards capital improvements for each hospital and take on R$8 million in debt, which is less than half of the R$40 million that Community owed to creditors.

Following the announcement of MedCam's acquisition, MedCam’s President and CEO, Dr. Russell Ford said in a statement “Community Healthcare would become known as MedCam Community. MedCam is committed to dramatically increasing the ability of Community’s facilities to modernize, attract more patients, and keep all of Heritage services, that the Blackridge community depends on.” As a part of the acquisition, Community will keep its local board of directors who will play a role in governing the organization but 7 of the 12 board members will be appointed by MedCam; all charitable donations given to Community will remain in the Blackridge community; and neither William Sabree, the Chairman of the Board or George Rothman, would continue on with Community once the acquisition was finished. But both Sabree and Rothman would continue to serve in their roles, respectively until the deal closes. Both Sabree and Rothman resigned after MedCam completed its acquisition of Community, with MedCam appointing Clarissa Kensington as the new Chairwoman of the Board and Andrew C. Kline as the new President and CEO.

Following MedCam's acquisition the hospitals were restructured to eliminate duplication of services. St. Joseph’s would solely provide medical and surgical services and the Alex Grass Medical Center would solely provide behavioral health care services.

On May 14, 2018, West Creek Hills Regional Medical Center, a 124-bed community hospital in West Creek Hills, a suburb of Salisbury, signed an agreement to be acquired by MedCam for R$8.5 million. The Salisbury Business Times reported once the deal was finalized, West Creek and its assets, including its foundation and auxiliary, would be integrated into MedCam Community and with the hospital becoming MedCam Community West Creek. Under the agreement, all of West Creek’s services would be kept and some services expanded while shoring up its finances. All current employees would be offered job opportunities, "subject to standard pre-employment screenings," according to the report. The deal was finalized on July 6, 2018. On September 3, 2018, the re-branding began with the new name and logo appear in various places, at the hospital, and throughout the West Creek Hills community.

On June 28, 2018, Charity Hospital announced it was exploring an affiliation with the MedCam Community, and on January 7, 2019, the two entities announced that they had signed a binding integration agreement. Charity Hospital officially merged with MedCam Community on April 1, 2019, becoming MedCam Charity and the health systems tertiary flagship hospital.

In May 2021 MedCam Community announced that their hospital would drop Community from their names. The new naming and signage where to simplify, unify, and help people recognize MedCam's world-class care in Salisbury. There where no changes to hospital management and system will continue to be name MedCam Community.

Hospitals and Facilities

Alex Grass Behavioral campus

Alexander J. Grass Behavioral campus

MedCam Alexander J. Grass Behavioral Hospital, commonly known as The Alex Grass Behavioral Hospital, is a 290,000 square foot, 220-bed, psychiatric hospital that opened in February 1980. The facility specializes in a variety of services for behavioral illnesses whether it is for a mental health disorder, addiction, anxiety or ADHD. It is the mission of MedCam Alex Grass Behavioral Hospital to provide quality healthcare through prevention, education and treatment in the hospital and community.

The campus has a total of three building: The Alex Grass Behavioral Hospital which houses the Geriatric Psychiatry; the Lois Lehrman Grass Clinic houses the Outpatient Drug and Alcohol Residential programs; and the Greg Hoffmann Center for Mental Health houses the Psychiatric and Rehabilitative programs.

MedCam appointed Carol Burrell as President of MedCam Alexander J. Grass Behavioral Hospital in 2017.

Charity campus

Charity campus

MedCam Charity is a 1,000,000 square foot, 1,350 bed, non-profit, tertiary, research and academic hospital that opened in May 1939. It is the tertiary flagship and largest hospital in MedCam Community health system.

MedCam Charity is 1 of 3 university-level academic hospitals in the Salisbury region. The hospital is affiliated with Vista University College of Medicine and is physically conjoined to the medical school's primary facility, MacMurray Hall. It is also features a level I adult and pediatric trauma center and has a rooftop helipad to handle medevac patients.

The campus is located in downtown Salisbury between S. Claiborne Ave (to the West), Tulane Ave (to the North), Lasalle St (to the East) and Poydras St (to the South). The campus consists of the 20-story hospital; the Spirit of Charity, a student-run free clinic for the underserved; a 15-story Statler Hotel (located in the East Wing of the hospital); Vista University College of Medicine; MedCam Community School of Nursing; medical offices and outpatient services.

MedCam appointed Patrick Green, MD as President of MedCam Charity in 2020.

St. Joseph's campus

St. Joseph campus

MedCam St. Joseph is a 167,000 square foot, 146-bed, full-service acute care facility, that opened in April 1982. The five-level facility provides acute and emergency medical care, surgical, labor and delivery, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, cardiology and vascular services, imaging, transplant (Kidney and Pancreas), ICU, pharmacy/retail pharmacy, inpatient rehabilitation and laboratory, including blood donor lab. It does provide or permit medical procedures that are contrary to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

The campus is most closely identified with the Blackridge community. MedCam St. Joseph vision is that the hospital continues to have medical, and surgical services that are of high quality, efficient and patient-friendly. They are committed to expanding the community’s access to primary care services regardless of their ability to pay, and are dedicated to providing the best wellness, prevention and outreach healthcare services.

MedCam appointed Gar Atchison as President of MedCam St. Joseph in 2018.

West Creek campus

West Creek campus

MedCam West Creek is a 234,000 square foot, 124-bed, all private patient rooms, facility that opened in December 2015. The facility provides acute and emergency medical care, surgical, labor and delivery, pediatric and intensive care services, a cutting-edge cardiac catheterization lab, and a state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging and interventional equipment.

The campus includes a walking trail that is maintained and open to the community to use. It also has space for future expansion available on-site, MedCam West Creek's replacement hospital ensures it will be able to serve the health care needs of West Creek Hills’ community for generations.

MedCam appointed Brian Sinotte as President of MedCam West Creek in 2018.

Medical education

MedCam Community hosts a number of residency programs in family medicine, internal medicine, and emergency medicine, including two combined residency programs: one in internal and emergency medicine and another in family and emergency medicine. It also runs a critical care fellowship program and doctoral internship in clinical psychology.

The MedCam Community School of Nursing offers 18-month, full-time program and 3-year, part-time program from a diploma in nursing. The program includes clinical experiences at all four of its hospitals.

Events

The MedCam Community Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization with the sole purpose of supporting MedCam Community. The foundation hosts three major events each year that generate tens of thousands of dollars to help fund the hospitals, their services and to help benefit the communities that MedCam Community hospitals serve.

The Diamond Ball is an annually gala honoring the patients and families served by MedCam Community. The Diamond Ball is an evening of dinner, dancing, and fundraising, all to benefit and enhance the quality of life, programs and services that support the health and wellbeing of MedCam Community patients.

The Fire & Ice Festival is a winter-themed street festival. Which features dozens of ice sculptures, a 70-foot ice skating rink, live musical performances, an Ice market and more. The Fire & Ice Festival is Salisbury’s largest winter festival. All performances and activities are free.

The Ducky Carnival is a rub ducky-theme street carnival. The Carnival's highlight event is the Great Duck Race, when 2,000 plastics rub ducks slid down Gravier Avenue for a change to win R$1,000 dollar. The Carnival also has food vendors, entertainment stages featuring live music, the Ducky Village which includes carnival games, a bounce house, caricature, artists, face painting, arts and crafts, and more.