Palmetto Health Hospital Speaks Before Richland County Council
Why does Palmetto Health Hospital care about a proposed one-percent sales tax increase in Richland County?
Why should a hospital representative speak before council at a Richland County Council meeting?
Most people associate hospitals with providing medical assistance; however, a hospital is rarely considered a government spokesperson for the welfare of its employees and healthcare needs of its surrounding communities. On Tuesday, June 19, 2012, I accompanied Palmetto Health’s Governmental and Community Relations Vice-President and Manager to a Richland County Council meeting to speak on behalf of the hospital’s over 9,000 employees and its patients. Prior to voting whether to place a one-percent transportation sales and use tax on the November ballot, County Council listened to the opinions of over fifty nonprofits, businesses, and residents.
If voted for by the county residents, the one-percent sales tax will finance high priority transit requests, road improvements, and bike, pedestrian, and greenway enhancements. When addressing County Council, the Government and Community Relations Manager said that the hospital is an advocate for an adequate, more efficient transit system because it will greatly improve hundreds of employees’ commute to and from work. Every employee contributes something that makes a hospital visit a more bearable and pleasant experience, but to do so each employee must be able to report to work. Because the hospital’s workforce is such a large asset, the governmental relations staff believed it was essential to advocate for those employees affected if the public transit system did not improve.
This week, I witnessed how a local hospital, a nonprofit organization, uses its voice to address a governmental issue that impacts its employees and ultimately the services it provides its patients. I enjoyed watching the governmental and community relations staff handle an extremely sensitive issue. They remained cautious not to endorse the penny sales tax but spoke on behalf of their employees’ right to have an adequate public transportation system.
It was an honor watching Palmetto Health Hospital take an active role in local government affairs. At the end of the evening when County Council voted 9-1 to put a one percent transportation sales tax on the November ballot, I finally understood the power of an organization speaking to elected officials on behalf of its employees and surrounding communities.
