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Three area hospitals have been sold in a $2.4 billion deal to North Carolina-based Novant Health by the previous owner, Tenet Healthcare of Dallas, Texas.

The sale of East Cooper Medical Center in Mount Pleasant, Hilton Head Hospital in Hilton Head and Coastal Carolina Hospital in Hardeeville includes the associated physician clinics and other operations, according to a news release from Novant Health.

“We are beyond thrilled to welcome our new team members and grow our presence in South Carolina,” said Carl S. Armato, president and CEO, Novant Health, which is headquartered in Winston-Salem. “Novant Health’s long-term vision is to transform the health and wellness of these communities through expanded specialty services and clinical expertise. We are energized and united behind our cause to create a healthier future together by building connections with patients and clinicians in coastal South Carolina.”

The East Cooper Medical Center includes 15 physician clinics. Hilton Head Hospital includes the Bluffton Okatie Outpatient Center and 12 physician clinics. Coastal Carolina Hospital in Jasper County includes the Tidewatch Free-Standing Emergency Department in Bluffton, according to the news release.

Novant Health said continuity of care is a priority and appointments and procedures will continue as scheduled during the transition period. “We are working closely with our new Novant Health team members to ensure a seamless transition for patients and team members,” Joel Taylor, market CEO of Hilton Head Regional Healthcare, said in the release. “We are eager to move forward together in support of our teams and know decisions will be made with our community’s needs at the forefront.”

“There’s a lot to be excited about when planning for our future,” Tyler Sherrill, CEO of East Cooper Medical Center, said in the release. “Novant Health is known for elevating clinician leadership to provide patients with a trusted health care experience through world-class technology, personal connections and convenient access to care.”

Tenet Health also owns a cluster of imaging centers and urgent care clinics in York, Rock Hill and Fort Mill, but those South Carolina properties were not part of the deal for the coastal hospitals.

“We understand that taking care of our patients starts with taking care of our people, so I’m delighted to join a leadership team that strives to not only be a healthc are provider of choice but also an employer of choice,” Ryan Lee, CEO of Coastal Carolina Hospital, said in the release. “I look forward to expanding the resources available to our team.”

Novant Health supports health and wellness programs in the community, including health education/screenings, community health workers and mobile cruisers. Each year, Novant Health provides hundreds of programs that serve patients, neighbors and some of their communities’ most vulnerable citizens, the company said in the release.

The Novant Health network consists of more than 1,900 physicians and more than 38,000 team members who provide care at more than 800 locations, the release said.

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – Twelve acres of land along Park Avenue Boulevard in Mount Pleasant could soon be the site of a proposed attainable housing complex.

“It is in the perfect place in Mount Pleasant ‘cause there’s six schools around there, two fire stations, we’re getting ready to build a public services facility at Lieben Road, the hospital is there, and major retailers like Costco,” explained Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie.

Next week town council will vote on the first reading of amending the Carolina Park Planned Development document to allow for attainable housing at that location.

The mayor said the proposed homes will be in the $300-400,000 price range and will be available for purchase, not rent. To qualify, he said future homeowners will need to fall within a certain percentage of the area median income.

“This is our first responders, our teachers, our healthcare workers. And to be a healthy and complete community, we need to welcome people like that instead of excluding them by the $1 million average home sale price we had last month,” Mayor Haynie said.

The parcel was purchased by Seacoast Church years ago for a second Mount Pleasant campus, but Glenn Wood, the administrator for the church, said they realized it wasn’t the right fit.

After receiving multiple offers, he said they decided to sell it to an attainable housing developer.

“We just feel like it’s a great opportunity for the town to be able to have housing that teachers, fire departments, nurses, you know and honestly even our staff ‘cause some of our staff has to live outside of Mount Pleasant and commute in just because of the cost of real estate,” Wood said. “And so, its an opportunity, we felt like for the town to be able to have some attainable housing and you know I think it’s a great use of the land and a great opportunity.

Prosperity Builders, the developer of the project, already has another attainable housing project in Mount Pleasant called Gregorie Ferry Towns.

Mayor Haynie said if the plan passes the necessary steps, they could break ground as soon as the summer.

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCIV) — A 48-year-old man was sentenced to nearly a decade behind bars for his role in a $100 million healthcare fraud scheme.

Andrew Chmiel, from Mount Pleasant, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison Tuesday for his role in a scheme that involved kickbacks and bribes in exchange for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment orders, the United States Department of Justice said.

“Chmiel’s scheme preyed upon honest citizens seeking medical help and this sentence brings an end to that exploitation,“ said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “We will continue to pursue and dismantle health care fraud schemes in South Carolina, especially those that permeate throughout the country.”

Chmiel's chargers stem from 2019 when law enforcement ran Operation Brace Yourself out of South Carolina.

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Evidence presented in court showed Chmiel controlled and operated at least 10 durable medical equipment companies throughout the United States. Those companies were used by his coconspirators to submit false claims to Medicare for braces deemed unnecessary, the Department of Justice said.

Chmiel's companies entered into agreements with an offshore call center to purchase completed doctors' orders so they could then bill Medicare.

The offshore call center would advertise on television. Once a Medicare beneficiary called the 1-800 number on the advertisement, they would be screened for eligibility and be convinced that they needed a brace, the Department of Justice said.

The call center would then contact a telemedicine company whose physician or nurse practitioner would issue a prescription without regard to the medical necessity.

Throughout the investigation, the evidence revealed that beneficiaries were prescribed braces without ever being examined by a medical professional. Additionally, the evidence showed that Chmiel was attempting to hide that he was purchasing completed doctors’ orders by creating fraudulent and false invoices for alleged marketing and business processing services, the Department of Justice said.

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Throughout the healthcare fraud scheme, Chmiel's companies billed Medicare for more than $200 million and Medicare paid Chmiel's companies more than $95 million.

"This outcome underscores our unwavering commitment to combat health care fraud and pursue those who exploit Medicare beneficiaries and defraud taxpayers for personal gain,” stated Tamala E. Miles, special agent in charge at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “HHS-OIG takes pride in collaborating with our partners to ensure accountability for those seeking to illegitimately profit from federal health care programs.”

United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson sentenced Chmiel to 108 months imprisonment, followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. The court also ordered that Chmiel pay $98.9 million.

MOUNT PLEASANT — The saying goes that beggars can’t be choosers, and Trader Joe’s certainly doesn’t need to beg for business (if you've ever fought for a parking spot on a Sunday afternoon, you know).

The California-based grocery chain has a reputation for being highly selective about where it opens new stores — even if that means choosing a second location a few miles from an existing one.

Trader Joe’s confirmed in January that Mount Pleasant will soon have not one, but two stores in town.

The announcement sparked excitement, praise and a fair amount of grumbling from outside fans of the grocery chain who believe their communities are more deserving of a new Trader Joe's location. A post about the chain's plans for Mount Pleasant drew more than 800 comments on The Post and Courier's Facebook page.

"This is the craziest decision," one reader groused. "Right around the corner basically from the current one...why not spread out a bit and go to James Island, West Ashley, N. Charleston or Summerville?"

"Do better Trader Joes," another demanded. "Two locations in the same area is preposterous."

As one might imagine, the news received a much more favorable reception in Mount Pleasant.

Tasha Blomquist and her son perused the floral offerings in front of the store on a cloudy morning. Blomquist said she stops by the store twice a week and is eager to see a new location, hopefully, in the northern part of town, where she lives.

“I live way in north Mount Pleasant, so I’m happy there might be one there,” Blomquist said. “I think it’s needed though because every time I’m here … I feel like you have to do multiple laps around the parking lot just to find a spot.”

Another shopper, Kelly Crowley, who lives near Brickyard Plantation, said opening a second store will hopefully cut down on crowds.

“We come by here pretty regularly. If you come here on Sunday or even Saturday, it’s lines all the way back into the aisle," Crowley said.

Though Trader Joe’s has not disclosed where the new store will be, multiple sources have told The Post and Courier the grocery chain is considering the old Bi-Lo building at the foot of the Isle of Palms Connector — a few miles from the store on Johnnie Dodds Boulevard that opened in 2011, and not farther into northern Mount Pleasant as customers like Blomquist would hope.

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The proximity to an existing store seems like a head-scratching move — why does Mount Pleasant get two stores 5 miles apart, bypassing places like Summerville or West Ashley?

Demand for a Trader Joe’s in these areas is high, as evidenced by petitions that attract thousands of signatures calling for the chain to open the shop in their towns and cities.

One such petition from 2020 that called for a store in Summerville earned nearly 5,000 signatures. Another in West Ashley gained over 6,000.

Similar efforts also crop up in Myrtle Beach regularly. The city is one of South Carolina’s fastest-growing, yet you won’t find a Trader Joe's in the coastal municipality. Former Horry County Director of Planning David Schwerd said he had that conversation over and over during his 30-year tenure.

“'We need Trader Joe's. Everybody always wants a Trader Joe's. Pretty much every time a commercial rezoning or development planning comes up, it's usually the first one that gets mentioned,” Schwerd said.

Jeff Campbell, the University of South Carolina's department of retailing chair, said grocery stores, particularly Trader Joe's, are extremely strategic in opening new locations. You won't see a Trader Joe's on every corner, and they take their time scouting areas before settling on a city.

"Typically, they would use a variety of metrics in site selection, and while location is still an important consideration, they'll look at things like projected foot traffic, the demographics of the area, where the current transportation routes are, where competitors are located," Campbell said.

Myrtle Beach being a hot spot for tourists might not be attractive to the chain either. People who visit the coastal city are looking to stock up for the week, heading to Walmart or Costco for items in bulk, rather than prepackaged, single-serve foods, Campbell said.

People can request that Trader Joe’s consider their city for a new store. Nakia Rohde, a spokesperson for Trader Joe’s, said the company receives “tons” of requests for stores nationwide.

The company doesn’t share much about how it chooses the perfect site for a new Trader Joe's. But Schwerd has a hunch. He pointed to the region’s median income, age and education level — factors the grocer is thought to consider when choosing sites for a new store.

“They have their undisclosed lists of what they're looking for in demographics,” Schwerd said. “Even though Trader Joe's does not list any specific criteria in their evaluation, that's what they're looking for. They have an upscale, educated clientele.”

An interview with Joe Coulombe, the store’s founder and namesake, published in the LA Times in 2011 demonstrates this ideology that seems to have stuck with the company: “Unless you have enough well-educated people, Trader Joe’s will not work.”

Because of these factors, Schwerd said Horry County or Myrtle Beach are unlikely to get a Trader Joe’s any time soon.

According to U.S. census data, Myrtle Beach has a median income of $57,713, a median age of 51.5 years and 28.8 percent of residents who hold bachelor’s degrees or higher.

Mount Pleasant’s median age of 41.3 years is slightly higher than the state’s 40.5 years, but in Greenville and Columbia, where the other two Trader Joe’s are located, the median ages are much younger at 35.9 and 28.4, respectively.

“They want younger consumers, they want a little bit better-income consumers," Campbell said.

Mount Pleasant, where the median income is $114,237 and 66 percent of residents hold a bachelor’s degree, is far above the state’s median income level of roughly $64,000 and where 32.6 percent of the state hold bachelor's degrees.

So, Trader Joe’s wants to open stores in higher-earning areas with higher volumes of college-educated folks, and Mount Pleasant happens to fit the bill. It fits so well that shoppers will soon find half of South Carolina's Trader Joe's in town.

Campbell, who lives in Lexington, said he’d like to welcome a store in his city, but it’s not likely — it's just not what Trader Joe’s is looking for.

“They're not trying to sell to everybody. They're trying to sell to a particular demographic, and that demographic tends to do very well,” Campbell said.

Reach Anna Sharpe at 843-806-6790.

An Atlanta-based merchant is laying down plans for a second big-box store in the Charleston area.

Floor & Decor is eyeing a site at 2233 U.S. Highway 17 next to Home Depot in Mount Pleasant to build a 64,450-square-foot retail outlet.

The building is slated for roughly 8 acres on the back portion of a parcel that formerly housed longtime dive bar Richard's, which was demolished last year, and a small office building. A Spinx gas station and convenience store is going on the front of the tract.

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Floor & Decor's East Cooper expansion is making its way through the town's approval process. A company representative did not immediately respond for comment.

The flooring merchant opened its first South Carolina store on Rivers Avenue in North Charleston in 2019.

Publicly traded Floor & Decor operates 203 warehouse stores and five design studios across 36 states, including other Palmetto State locations in Columbia and Greenville.

Opening soon

An Ohio-based restaurant chain is just a few days away from opening a new venue in the Lowcountry, its second in South Carolina.

Condado Tacos will open at 11 a.m. Nov. 4 at 1712 Towne Centre Way next to Lenscrafters in Mount Pleasant Towne Centre.

The first 100 people in line who enter the doors on opening day will win a "Year of Yum," or free tacos for a year.

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The restaurant will be open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday. Happy hour is 3-6 p.m. weekdays, offering $5 margaritas, $1 off tacos and other food and drink specials.

Condado Tacos has one other restaurant in South Carolina. The Greenville location on Woodruff Road opened earlier this year. The company has 45 locations in nine states across the South, Midwest and Northeast.

(Note: Condado Tacos changed the opening date twice before settling on Nov. 4. This story has been updated to reflect the latest change.)

New tenants

A Mount Pleasant retail site where a proposal has been in the works to redevelop a former grocery store recently landed four new tenants.

Dear Lucy Shoes, The Works Cycle, facial bar Clean Your Dirty Face and Findings Boutique joined Oyster Park Shopping Center at 1400-1421 Shucker Circle and 1440 Ben Sawyer Blvd.

Tim Rowley of the commercial real estate firm Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented the landlord, an affiliate of Atlanta-based Dewberry Capital.

The property owner presented plans to the town in 2021 to transform the long-vacant former Bi-Lo grocery store building into office and retail space. Oyster Park already includes a 269-unit apartment development.

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Rowley also represented Paragano Associates of Mount Pleasant, the owner of the redeveloped Montague Corners Shopping Center at 5060 Dorchester Road in North Charleston in several leases.

Among the tenants are Latin fusion restaurant El Callao, Silver Crowne Liquors, sports bar Whiskey Run Grill, Sticky Fingers Rib House, Kanji Sushi & Hibachi restaurant, 540 Vape, Platia Greek Goodness dining spot and The Montague Room, an upscale steak and martini lounge.

He also represented Ruby's New York Style Bagels, which opened in August in the shopping center. Ruby's will offer new locations in Carolina Park in northern Mount Pleasant and The Market at Carnes Crossroads in Goose Creek in 2024.

Ruby's opened its first location on Coleman Boulevard in East Cooper in 2022. Another one recently opened on Ashley River Road in Crossroads Centre in West Ashley.

Going dark

A women's clothing store in downtown Charleston soon will turn out the lights.

Souchi at 141 Broad St. will close Oct. 27. The owner has decided to move to the Seattle area and open a shop there. The store is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Spa treatment

A new holistic health business is ready to welcome customers on the Charleston peninsula.

Solt Wellness at 137-A President St. will host its official opening 5:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 26. Owned by Fiona Scott, the site will offer a range of natural therapies, including a Himalayan salt room, infrared saunas, float pod, red light therapy, meditation pod, skin care and body work.

Scott said benefits include detoxification, relief of muscle and joint pain, reduced stress and anxiety, increased energy, strengthened immunity, improved skin and better sleep.

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Born in Hong Kong to Scottish parents, Scott has a diverse background in sports development, health and fitness management and a decadelong experience in luxury resort development across the globe.

She decided to look into the business after being diagnosed with a chronic lung condition in 2007 and undergoing therapy in a salt room.

The opening event will offer guided tours, therapy demonstrations, complimentary consultations and exclusive opening discounts. It's open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.

On display

An upscale women's clothing store in downtown Charleston will host a fashion event and cocktail party 5-8 p.m. Oct. 26 as the kickoff to the arrival of a special clothing collection from a French design firm. RTW at 186 King St. will have a collection of offerings from Balmain Paris that can be previewed through Nov. 16.

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