The proposed 50-bed Johns Island Hospital will be the first hospital built on the island.
North Charleston, SC – Trident Medical Center has submitted a Certificate of Need to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to build a hospital on Johns Island. The application is for a 50-bed acute care hospital to be located between Maybank Highway and Cane Slash Road, directly across from the Live Oak Square development. The estimated cost is $277M.
“We are excited to continue making medical care more accessible to residents in our historically underserved communities,” said Trident Health President and CEO Christina Oh. “Currently on Johns Island and neighboring communities, it can take residents 30 to 45 minutes to drive to their nearest hospital, and often longer in heavy traffic and inclement weather. Our goal is to increase access to timely, high quality and affordable health care services.”
Trident Health President and Chief Executive Officer Christina Oh said the proposed Johns Island Hospital will make high quality medical care more accessible to residents on Johns Island and surrounding communities.
Trident Medical Center’s Chief of the Medical Staff and Medical Director of Emergency Services Scott Hayes, MD sees firsthand the results of delayed care. “For residents who live far from emergency medical care and who may be experiencing a medical emergency like a heart attack or a stroke, minutes can mean the difference between life and death. Access to care close to home is critical, especially in areas like Johns Island and the surrounding communities, that have frequent traffic delays.” Dr. Hayes adds all of Trident Health’s ER physicians are board certified in emergency medicine.
Trident Health surgeon Thomas Litton, MD, who lived on Johns Island for 20 years and recently moved from there largely due to increasing traffic congestion and limited access routes off the island, said, “The rapid population growth and development of Johns Island, as well as its role as the sole gateway to Kiawah, Seabrook, and Wadmalaw Islands, has created a strong need for a full service hospital in the area. Residents on those islands have never had a full service hospital. Trident’s hospital on Johns Island and their freestanding ER on James Island will greatly improve residents’ access to much-needed medical care.”
Projections for Johns Island Hospital show within the first three years it will:
- Create nearly 300 jobs
- Contribute $10M in non–income taxes to support the community
- Pay $70M in salaries, wages and benefits
Regarding the jobs the hospital will create, Oh says, “Johns Island Hospital will mean many residents in the area won’t have to leave the island for work. This will be a great benefit to them and their families.”
Johns Island Hospital will be located seven miles from James Island Emergency, Trident’s new freestanding ER at 945 Folly Road, Charleston, SC 29412, that will open in the next few weeks. Details of Johns Island Hospital include:
- 50 beds with space to expand to 150 beds
- 40 Medical/Surgical/Stepdown beds
- 10 ICU beds
- 20 ER rooms
- 4 Operating rooms
- 2 Endoscopy suites
- 1 Cath lab
- 2 CT scanners, 1 MRI, 2 Diagnostic Radiology Suites, 1 Fluoroscopy rooms
- 3rdFloor future space for Labor and Delivery Unit and Nursery
In addition to the hospital, services would include:
- Medical offices for primary care and specialists
- Outpatient imaging and support such as breast imaging, rehabilitation and other outpatient therapy services
“From our first discussions about building a hospital on Johns Island, we have been committed to creating a thoughtful plan that preserves the natural beauty of Johns Island. We will honor the strong Gullah Geechee cultures of the community; we will partner with the areas’ community and businesses; and will promote the important and unique contributions of Johns Island’s agricultural community,” explained Oh.
The proposed Johns Island Hospital is in addition to nearly $140M in capital investments currently underway at Trident Health’s hospitals, Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center. Trident Medical Center 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.
- A 600+-space free parking garage at Trident Medical Center
- A new Cath Lab at Trident Medical Center
Trident Health, which is a part of the HCA Healthcare, includes:
- Trident Medical Center
- Summerville Medical Center
- Live Oak Mental Health & Wellness
- Brighton Park Emergency
- Centre Pointe Emergency
- James Island Emergency (opens in the next few weeks)
- Moncks Corner Medical Center
This year, Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center received the America’s 250 Best Hospitals Award™ from Healthgrades.
Oh says residents of Johns Island and surrounding communities have given much to the history and character of the Lowcountry and a new hospital is recognition of their legacy and their need for increased access to specialized medical care.
Trident Heath's hospitals, Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center received Healthgrades' 250 Best Hospitals in America Award for 2023.