EDITOR'S NOTE: Manninglive.com will be looking at the Top 15 stories of 2016, with a few updates here and there as available, over the next few days.
It's no surprise that Hurricane Matthew and its aftermath dominated headlines in the latter part of the year, and that stories related to the storm take up a majority of the top-viewed spots on manninglive.com.
Trailing not too far behind, however, is McLeod Health Clarendon, which transitioned from Clarendon Memorial Hospital in mid-2016 after first announcing a change in leadership, then a loss of $4 million and then an affiliation with the Florence medical entity.
The year began with a change in leadership for Clarendon Memorial, as Richard Stokes had resigned in late 2015, making way for interim CEO Paul Shumacher.
Shumacher announced in early 2016 that the hospital had experienced a $4 million loss in the 2015-16 fiscal year, and the hospital's Board of Trustees began seeking affiliations with various larger healthcare entities in March and April. Ultimately, after a letter of intent with McLeod Health in Florence, the board announced its affiliation and change to McLeod Health Clarendon in the spring. The change gave the hospital a new CEO, Debra Locklair, who had previously been administrator for other hospitals folded into the McLeod system. As part of the agreement, the Clarendon Hospital District remained in control of the hospital's nursing facilities, including Windsor Manor and Lake Marion nursing facilities.
