It’s a Game Changer for Beaufort

Beaufort Area Hospitality Association and Beaufort Memorial Hospital partner to provide affordable healthcare for the hospitality industry

story by WENDY NILSEN POLLITZER           photos by PAUL NURNBERG

Have you ever worked as a restaurant server, a mate on a boat, a cashier in a retail store, or a writer for a local publication? Many of us in Beaufort have and currently do. Tourism fuels our economy. It’s our way of life here. We profit from day-trippers coming from Charleston, Hilton Head, and Savannah to shop, eat, and explore. We welcome overnight guests who attend festivals, visit historic attractions, and take advantage of our pristine beaches and waterways.

A local organization recently became the voice of our tourism trade, the largest economic driver in Beaufort County. The Beaufort Area Hospitality Association (BAHA) was formed in 2018 when representatives from Beaufort’s hospitality industry came together to create a local network of lodging, restaurants, food service, and other businesses and attractions engaged in the hospitality industry in the Beaufort area.

BAHA is now recognized as the Greater Beaufort leader in the hospitality industry as a key contributor to developing and sustaining Beaufort’s vibrant tourism industry. With the financial assistance and support from Platinum Corporate Partners, Aramark, Ameris Bank, and Kelly Tours Gray Line, BAHA hired Ashlee Houck as the president and CEO to oversee the organization’s partnerships resources and strengthen the industry through program development.

“I was a waitress and a bartender for years. Sometimes it was a financial struggle, but it was always rewarding,” says Houck. “I have a love for the industry and the people who come to visit. I want to support it any way I can.”

To better serve employees and improve the local workforce, Houck and the Board are committed to three critical factors for recruiting and retaining staff in the hospitality industry: healthcare, transportation, and childcare.

First on the agenda…healthcare.

Russell Baxley, president and CEO of BMHBAHA Board Chairman Jonathan Sullivan, president of Spartina Hospitality, managing the Beaufort Inn and Quality Inn, says healthcare for small business employees is critical. “Sometimes employees will avoid medical issues for the sake of a paycheck. Their condition may worsen, and some may develop chronic pain or irreversible damage because they didn’t prioritize wellness care or seek preventative services. Then they are out of work for a lot longer than they can afford,” he explains.

BAHA wanted to do something about the lack of affordable and accessible healthcare options in Northern Beaufort County, especially those directly or indirectly supported by the tourism industry.

“If you don’t ask, you’re never going to find a yes,” says Sullivan with enthusiastic optimism. He called Russell Baxley, the president and CEO of Beaufort Memorial Hospital (BMH), to begin the discussion about healthcare solutions for area hospitality employees. He and Vimal Desai, vice chairman of BAHA, met with Baxley in November 2019. To their surprise, Baxley already had a plan on paper. The program was called Direct Primary Care (DPC), an innovative alternative healthcare model to improve access to primary care with a simple, flat, affordable membership fee.

Baxley explains, “Direct Primary Care really speaks to one of the core values of our mission at Beaufort Memorial, which is to create accessible, high-quality, affordable care for the residents of Beaufort County.”

Both organizations left the meeting very happy. They were now on a progressive, forward path.

In February 2020, BAHA and BMH worked together to build the framework of the DPC program for BAHA members. Shortly after that, COVID-19 began to plague the world. There was no better time to be proactive about local healthcare. BMH employees became overwhelmed with new protocol and testing procedures, a sudden increase of patients, and fatigue. But they were also resolute and committed to serving their community with gracious professionalism and courage. BAHA recognized the increased workload and organized daily meals from local restaurants for frontline workers. BAHA also understood that the hospitality industry was suffering due to a lack of staff and COVID restrictions. For months, BAHA worked to keep visitors informed about Beaufort’s mandates, staffing shortages, and safety guidelines. Two industries — healthcare and hospitality— came together to support one another on a local level in a time of global crisis.

Robin Price, vice president of Plums, Inc., agrees and adds, “BAHA did a great job of uniting local hospitality businesses and BMH during the pandemic. It was an “all-for-one” and “one-for-all” attitude. Houck also thought outside of the box about communicating to the public. Everything was changing daily, and she delivered detailed information to our community with creativity and accuracy. You can tell she really cares about our industry.”

Meanwhile, as everyone was working and schooling from home during the pandemic, BAHA and BMH worked behind the scenes to get the DPC program up and running. In June of this year, the state insurance agency approved the program. The BMH Direct Primary Care initiative for BAHA members and their employees was finalized.

“It’s a game changer,” Houck smiles as she nods an affirmative YES for Beaufort.

Sullivan adds, “Russell Baxley is an entrepreneur at heart. He really helped this program get started.”

The program will roll out in phases, enrolling up to 500 people in the first year, and will provide participants with an array of basic medical and preventive care services, including annual physicals or women’s health exams, in-person or telemedicine visits, routine laboratory work, and annual flu vaccinations, as well as sick care visits.

Located in the Port Royal Medical Pavilion at 1680 Ribaut Rd, care will be provided by Miranda Moss, FNP-C, who will be the program’s nurse practitioner. An experienced board-certified health care provider, Moss spent the past two years at the Beaufort Memorial Express Care clinic. A Beaufort native, she began her medical career as a staff nurse at BMH, working in several departments at the hospital. During her MSN training, Moss completed clinical rotations in emergency medicine, primary care, women’s health, and pediatrics. At DPC, she plans to prioritize time for all patients, building relationships and understanding their medical history.

Baxley adds, “The goal is to keep people out of the ER, to manage chronic, acute conditions proactively, and focus on good lifestyle choices and the wellness of the individual.”

The best news is that this program is affordable for employers and employees. For a $50 monthly fee, employers may choose to cover program costs for employees, or employees can enroll individually and pay their member fees directly. Who is eligible for membership? Currently, this is an exclusive partnership with BAHA and its members. Eligibility is limited to working-age adults who work within the hospitality industry who do not qualify for Medicaid, Medicare, or Tricare.

Who can become a member of BAHA? “Anyone,” says Houck. “Tourism affects everyone in Beaufort, whether directly or indirectly. Hotel and restaurant workers, plumbers, merchants, layers, HVAC technicians, all small businesses. We are all interconnected within the hospitality industry in Beaufort.”

BAHA and BMH staff will present the DPC program to employers first. By mid-September, they will educate employees of interested BAHA members. Annual membership will begin October 1, 2021, and end September 30, 2022.

“This will be a chance to keep our industry healthy and our economy healthy,” smiles Houck.

The program will eventually grow based on demand and the needs of the community. And BAHA Board members are discussing the possibility of a grant program that might assist with transportation needs for those DPC members unable to get to appointments.

As Beaufort continues to grow, we must protect the hospitality industry and strengthen it as well. BAHA is interested and ready to discuss more initiatives…childcare, affordable housing, and model programs to assist with vehicle ownership to name a few. If you are interested in joining BAHA and supporting a healthy and vibrant future for the Greater Beaufort hospitality industry, please visit www.bfthospitality.com. And to learn more about the Direct Primary Care program for BAHA members, please visit www.beaufortmemorial.org/directprimarycare or call (843) 524-3344.