A pipe failure sent dirty water through a patient unit at Reedy River Post Acute in Greenville's Berea community Wednesday night, and part of the ceiling collapsed onto patient beds. Forty-one residents were relocated to other areas within the building after the flooding and collapse in the facility's 200 unit.
The 125-unit skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility sits at 600 Sulphur Springs Road under the administrative leadership of Taylor Bills, according to the South Carolina Health Care Association. WYFF News 4 reported that the failure involved a sprinkler pipe in the 200 unit, sending water through rooms and hallways before part of the ceiling gave way above patient beds. A video posted by Cody Alcorn showed residents reacting as water spread through the halls.
PACS Post Acute said the failure involved a water pipe and that staff moved residents to safe areas within the building while working with local authorities and other resources. The company said all residents were safe and accounted for after the incident, according to the station's report.
A Daughter Learns Of The Chaos Online, Not By Phone
Maria Hutchins, whose mother has lived at Reedy River Post Acute for nearly five years while receiving long-term care for dementia, told WYFF that she learned about the flooding and ceiling collapse through an online video rather than a call from the facility. Hutchins is listed as her mother's emergency contact, and she said staff did not contact her until shortly before 10 a.m. Thursday, hours after the incident.
What the Facility's Public Rating Shows
According to Reedy River Post Acute's official website, the Greenville facility has a 5-star CMS Quality measures rating. The verified information available here does not specify what regulators had identified before the ceiling failure regarding emergency preparedness, building safety or staffing.
Hutchins said the facility should have called her the previous night. She said the delay remains a concern as she evaluates how the facility handled communication about her mother's safety.
Company Says No Further Investigation Planned
PACS Post Acute said it will not pursue a further investigation into the incident, and the company said the Department of Health and local authorities are involved in overseeing repairs, according to WYFF. The facility's existing federal regulatory profile already shows a track record regulators may scrutinize going forward: ElderLife Financial Services lists 15 total health standard deficiencies and 2 complaint-related deficiencies.
South Carolina's oversight structure for incidents like this one changed in mid-2024. Under a state restructuring effective July 1, 2024, South Carolina dissolved the Department of Health and Environmental Control and transferred public health and healthcare quality programs to the newly created South Carolina Department of Public Health. That same agency began publicly disclosing all executed enforcement orders and regulatory violations against licensed healthcare facilities on a monthly basis starting in September 2024, a transparency measure that could surface findings from this incident in the coming weeks.
Facility Is Part Of A Sprawling National Chain
PACS Group, Inc. is a Utah-based publicly traded healthcare company managing more than 320 post-acute and senior living facilities across 17 states, as reported by PACS Group, Inc., as Hoodline reported in its coverage of the company's rapid expansion strategy. PACS Group has faced national scrutiny beyond this incident: the company became the subject of a November 2024 short-seller report and subsequent federal securities fraud litigation alleging systemic Medicare billing schemes and staffing record falsifications across its nationwide network, as noted by Skilled Nursing News, according to Hindenburg Research.
In September, county environmental health officials posted a red placard at Sacramento Post-Acute's kitchen following health code violations there. South Carolina long-term-care regulations are also part of the broader regulatory context.
The collapse at Reedy River Post Acute also raises broader questions about building maintenance.
