James Island Emergency will host pre-opening events for the community

North Charleston, S.C. — Trident Medical Center will hold two pre-opening events for its new freestanding ER on James Island. The events for James Island Emergency are:

• VIP event — Thursday, August 3, 5:30 pm — 7:00 pm. Food and drinks will be served. Attire is business casual. RSVP is requested. Register online at our Classes & Events page.
• Ribbon cutting — Monday, August 7, 10:30 am — 11:30 am.

James Island Emergency is located at 945 Folly Road, Charleston, SC 29412.

James Island Emergency is part of nearly $140M in capital investments currently underway at Trident Medical Center. The hospital recently opened:

• Live Oak Mental Health & Wellness, a 60-bed freestanding mental hospital that provides inpatient and outpatient services for adolescents (12-17) and adults. It is located at 3445 Ingleside Blvd., Ladson, SC 29456. For more information go to Live Oak Mental Health and Wellness webpage
• A 600+-space free parking garage at Trident Medical Center
• A new Cath Lab at Trident Medical Center

James Island Emergency is a $13M, 11-bed, nearly 13,000 square foot freestanding ER. Emergency medical services will be available 24/7.

For Trident Health President and CEO Christina Oh the project marks a new chapter in the health system's nearly 50-year presence in the Lowcountry. “We are committed to expanding services to our underserved communities. The research indicates the further away Lowcountry families are from medical care the more they are at risk for poor health outcomes. Our new James Island freestanding ER will provide residents of James and Johns Island and their neighbors access to board-certified emergency physicians who are part of a Trident Health team that provided emergency care to more than 160,000 Lowcountry patients last year.”

Trident Health currently includes, 321-bed Trident Medical Center, 124-bed Summerville Medical Center, 60-bed Live Oak Mental Health & Wellness, and three freestanding ERs - Brighton Park Emergency, Centre Pointe Emergency and Moncks Corner Medical Center. Healthgrades, a national healthcare quality ratings agency, has named both Trident Health hospitals among its 250 Best Hospitals in America Award™ ranking for 2023. Also, Leapfrog awarded Trident Health's hospitals an “A” in its Spring 2023 score card.

Trident Medical Center's Medical Director of Emergency Services Scott Hayes, MD sees firsthand the results of delayed emergency care. “For residents who live far from emergency medical care and who may be experiencing a medical emergency like a heart attack or stroke, minutes can mean the difference between life and death. Access to care close to home is critical, especially in areas that have frequent traffic delays.” Dr. Hayes added, “All of Trident's ER physicians are board certified in emergency medicine.”

For a stroke, time is brain. The quicker treatment is started the more brain function is preserved. For patients who come to James Island Emergency, or any of Trident Health's other freestanding ERs they'll have access to tele-neurology, stroke-specific medication and advanced imaging like CT that will help physicians quickly diagnose the symptoms.

Karen Norwood, MSN, RN, who is a past president of the Lowcountry Chapter of the Emergency Nurses Association, will add James Island Emergency to her current role as Director of Emergency Services for Trident Medical Center, Centre Pointe Emergency and Moncks Corner Medical Center. She says she and her team of more than 100 nurses and clinicians are experienced in providing bedside care to patients needing emergency treatment.

“ER nurses and clinicians come to their shifts with a unique skill set. We understand we may need to transition in a moment's notice from a patient who's injured themselves at home or at one of the many Lowcountry events to a patient having a heart attack. But, above all else, they know their patients want to be reassured they are in good hands. And, they are,” said Norwood.

James Island Emergency will include 11 patient rooms, which include a designated trauma room; in-house diagnostic labs; and advanced imaging and stroke and behavioral health telemedicine services. Board certified emergency physicians and specially trained nurses and other clinicians will provide care to adults and children with access to advanced procedural and inpatient care.