AnMed Health to oversee Cannon Memorial Hospital

Dec. 18--PICKENS -- An arrangement announced Wednesday will enable AnMed Health to become the parent corporation for Cannon Memorial Hospital, an AnMed executive said.

Cannon will keep its name and its employees will continue to work for the Pickens hospital with no change in benefits. However, AnMed representatives will hold a majority of seats on a new board of trustees that will be formed at Cannon.

The agreement between the two hospitals is part of a continuing effort to adjust to changes in the national health-care landscape, said John Miller, AnMed's chief executive officer.

"Today, efficiency in health care is found in building solid relationships and networks to handle financial, technological and medical challenges," Miller said in statement issued by AnMed. "Our integrated relationship with Cannon Memorial Hospital is part of that strategy."

Norman G. Rentz, Cannon's president and chief executive officer, said "integrating with AnMed Health will better position Cannon Memorial to provide quality, innovative and specialized care to all residents of Pickens County."

Cannon and AnMed previously agreed to an affiliation pact in 2009.

Miller said "both institutions already have benefited from the relationship over the last few years."

"This integration creates opportunities for Cannon Memorial to realize even greater financial efficiencies," said Miller, adding that Wednesday's agreement "is an avenue to more medical resources for the Pickens community."

"At our heart, we're very similar institutions except for size," Miller said. "Both were founded by individuals who wanted better health care for their communities."

Virginia "Jennie" Gilmer founded what is now AnMed in 1908. A 25-bed hospital has grown into a health-care system with 740 beds and 3,600 employees at multiple facilities.

Dr. E. Gaine Cannon founded Cannon Hospital in Pickens more than 50 years ago as a memorial to his father. Today Cannon has 55 patient beds and about 300 employees.

AnMed is committed to helping Cannon continue to succeed in what has become a challenging environment for small hospitals, said AnMed president and chief operating officer Bill Manson.

Manson said AnMed will help recruit physicians to treat patients at Cannon who need specialized care such as urology, cardiology and pulmonology services.

Cannon spokesman Steven Evans said no immediate layoffs are expected when the integration agreement with AnMed takes effect Jan. 1.

Manson emphasized during an interview Wednesday that AnMed officials will strive to "make sure that Cannon is running as efficiently as possible."

He said the two hospitals may be able to save money together on workers' compensation insurance. Manson also would not rule out eliminating or streamlining some duplicative business tasks such as billing.

"If we find something where that makes sense, we will look at it," Manson said.

AnMed hopes to benefit from the integration agreement over the long term, Manson said, by expanding its reach into Pickens County for a variety of patient services that Cannon doesn't offer. The goal is to persuade Pickens residents to come to AnMed for care instead of heading to hospitals in Greenville.

"It is about building awareness," Manson said. "We feel like this will give us a better chance of doing that."

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