North Charleston, SC - Citing a need for additional access to emergency and surgical services Trident Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Todd Gallati has announced the hospital will embark on a $13.5 million expansion. The first phase of the project is expected to begin by the end of 2016. The project will also include the addition of imaging technology. The announcement comes nearly three months after the hospital earned designation as a Level ll Trauma Center.
“The expansion is driven by patient and physician demand for our services,” explained Gallati. “This year we expect to care for more than 65,000 patients in our Trident ER and perform more than 4,000 surgeries." The project includes:
- Expansion and renovation of the Emergency Department
- Remodel of Outpatient Services registration
- Addition of two new operating rooms
- Renovation and expansion of the Post Anesthesia Care Unit
- New CT scan imaging technology
Currently, Trident has 26 ER beds, two Trauma rooms, and 14 operating rooms.
Located in North Charleston, Trident Medical Center serves families in the fastest growing area in the tri-county region. Nearly eighty percent of the hospital’s patients are from Berkeley and Dorchester Counties. Trident Emergency Services Medical Director Karen Kriza, MD, says the expansion comes at a critical time for the area’s patients. “’Access to care is critical especially in regards to emergency care. The benefits of this project extend beyond the Emergency Department. The addition of new, larger operating rooms and new imaging technology will help us meet the needs of our patients quickly and efficiently.”
In addition to his duties at Trident Medical Center, Gallati also recently began his term as Board Chair of the Charleston Regional Development Alliance. Both positions give him a statewide and regional-perspective on the area’s unprecedented growth.
“This is certainly an amazing period of growth for the tri-county region and we are doing our part to accommodate the growth with our facilities, staff, and program expansions,” said Gallati. “For our community to place the kind of support in what our dedicated employees and physicians are doing for our patients is really heartwarming.”