WBTW

New family health center opens at McCall Farms plant in Effingham

EFFINGHAM, S.C. (WBTW)– McCall Farms and McLeod Health celebrated the opening of a new family health center Friday at the McCall plant in Effingham.

The new facility features a lab, two exam rooms and more.

Tim Aponte, the director of safety training and compliance at McCall Farms, said one of the goals of the facility is to treat workplace injuries. He said the clinic is a big improvement for medical services at the plant.

“We had a small exam room upstairs in the admin building, or we had to take them offsite to McLeod occupational health, or something like that,” Aponte said.

Aponte says now, the vast majority of workplace injuries can be treated on-site.

“We can do everything except MRIs and X-rays,” he said. “Sutures, slips, trips and falls, wraps. In addition, we have 23 first responders that are trained by McLeod on-site, rotating all three shifts”

Donna Isgett, president and CEO of McLeod Health System, said staff at the clinic will be able to make a difference during medical emergencies.

“Having them right here, accessible,” Isgett said. “The entire time the plant is going, there is someone here medically available, so they get immediate access- even faster than 911 can get here.”

“It is absolutely beautiful in there- hopefully you will all get to see it,” McCall Swink, co-president of McCall Farms told employees during the ribbon cutting. “When you’re in there, it’s hard to believe you’re in downtown Effingham, South Carolina.”

The new clinic will serve the more than 1,200 McCall Farms employees and their families.

Isgett said many of the employees live nearby and it will be much more convenient for them to visit the clinic at work rather than driving to Florence for medical attention, citing convenient care as a key issue in fighting negative health outcomes in the region.

“Not just emergencies that happen when they’re on the floor, but they can also have access to primary care and things they need to do to take care of their health,” Isgett said.

More issues can be addressed at the site.

“We have a lot of diabetes, hypertension and things like that going around our facility,” Aponte said. “We’re trying to do as much as we can to impact the community in a positive way by having this clinic available.”

Aponte said services are free for all employees except those with a high deductible, who will have to pay a $10 fee.