FLORENCE, S.C. — Construction of the $100 million Leatherman Behavioral Care Pavilion on South Dargan Street in Florence topped out with great fanfare Wednesday afternoon.
Florence Mayor Teresa Myers Ervin, McLeod Health CEO Donna Isgett, Jean Leatherman and Gov. Henry McMaster, among others, stand by the topping…
A beam signed by those involved in the project and in serving those in need was installed — an event that is tradition in significant building projects. The beam for the last week or so made the rounds around Florence and Florence County to be available for signing.
This facility will alleviate some mental health care shortages from which the Pee Dee, and the state overall, suffers.
“This is a model of what we can do in South Carolina where, internationally, we have become a model of conservation and innovation,” said Gov. Henry McMaster, who spoke at the ceremony. “And I guess on behalf of Jean (Leatherman) and the whole state, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, thank you for all that you’ve done.”
People are also reading…
The facility is named for the late Sen. Hugh Leatherman, who created the initiative to improve access to mental health care in South Carolina. It was his vision for the new facility to exist. His widow, Jean Leatherman, was present at the ceremony.
Among the guests of honor at Wednesday’s topping-out ceremony for the Leatherman Behavioral Health Pavilion in Florence was a beam signed by m…
McLeod Health CEO Donna Isgett described the efforts the region has now to address mental health services as a “Band-Aid” for a much larger issue with access to behavioral health care in the region and state.
“Because one of those other numbers is 45th out of 50 in access to behavioral health care in the state,” she said in her speech. “That’s not what you have in mind, Governor, you don’t want to be at that number, nor do we. Many of those people just need help so they can be productive citizens. So it’s exciting for us as we bring forward solving the problem that exists today.”
A small crowd turned out Wednesday afternoon for the topping-out ceremony for the Leatherman Behavioral Health Pavilion in Florence.
Robbie Kerr, director of the SC Department of Human and Health Services, said the state’s facility-to-resident ratio is three times the national average — the worst among Southern states.
This facility will, in part, address the region’s lack of access to mental health care.
McLeod Health’s Donna Isgett speaks Wednesday afternoon during a topping-out ceremony for the Leatherman Behavioral Health Pavilion in Florence.
It will include walk-in triage, crisis stabilization, telehealth and both in- and out-patient treatment services to expand care for both adults and children, Dr. David Cole, president of MUSC, said.
The mental health crisis impacts many areas of life in a community, Florence City Manager Scottie Davis said. When “individuals are having a crisis, that affects all of us.”
#lee-rev-content { margin:0 -5px; }
#lee-rev-content h3 {
font-family: inherit!important;
font-weight: 700!important;
border-left: 8px solid var(–lee-blox-link-color);
text-indent: 7px;
font-size: 24px!important;
line-height: 24px;
}
#lee-rev-content .rc-provider {
font-family: inherit!important;
}
#lee-rev-content h4 {
line-height: 24px!important;
font-family: “serif-ds”,Times,”Times New Roman”,serif!important;
margin-top: 10px!important;
}
@media (max-width: 991px) {
#lee-rev-content h3 {
font-size: 18px!important;
line-height: 18px;
}
}
#pu-email-form-daily-email-article {
clear: both;
background-color: #fff;
color: #222;
background-position: bottom;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
padding: 15px 0 20px;
margin-bottom: 40px;
border-top: 4px solid rgba(0,0,0,.8);
border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,.2);
display: none;
}
#pu-email-form-daily-email-article,
#pu-email-form-daily-email-article p {
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, “Apple Color Emoji”, “Segoe UI Emoji”, “Segoe UI Symbol”;
}
#pu-email-form-daily-email-article h2 {
font-size: 24px;
margin: 15px 0 5px 0;
font-family: “serif-ds”, Times, “Times New Roman”, serif;
}
#pu-email-form-daily-email-article .lead {
margin-bottom: 5px;
}
#pu-email-form-daily-email-article .email-desc {
font-size: 16px;
line-height: 20px;
margin-bottom: 5px;
opacity: 0.7;
}
#pu-email-form-daily-email-article form {
padding: 10px 30px 5px 30px;
}
#pu-email-form-daily-email-article .disclaimer {
opacity: 0.5;
margin-bottom: 0;
line-height: 100%;
}
#pu-email-form-daily-email-article .disclaimer a {
color: #222;
text-decoration: underline;
}
#pu-email-form-daily-email-article .email-hammer {
border-bottom: 3px solid #222;
opacity: .5;
display: inline-block;
padding: 0 10px 5px 10px;
margin-bottom: -5px;
font-size: 16px;
}
@media (max-width: 991px) {
#pu-email-form-daily-email-article form {
padding: 10px 0 5px 0;
}
}
.grecaptcha-badge { visibility: hidden; }