Christina Oh, President and CEO, Trident Health

Charleston, SC – In 2025 Trident Medical Center will celebrate its 50th anniversary. For Trident Health President and CEO Christina Oh, today's announcement of the hospital's $140M in capital investments tells only one part of the hospital's nearly half-century commitment to serving patients in the Lowcountry and throughout South Carolina.

“We invest in people,” explained Oh. “Our capital investments are visual evidence of our commitment to expanding services to where they are needed in the Lowcountry and throughout the state. The investments are also creating easier access to care at Trident Medical Center and medically underserved communities like James Island, where we will open a new freestanding ER in August 2023. We’re also completing a campus-wide renovation that is elevating the experience and comfort of our patients, guests and colleagues.” The hospital also recently opened offices in Beaufort and Columbia, SC for its affiliated head and neck cancer practice, Head & Neck Specialists.

The projects in Trident Medical Center’s current $140M capital investment include projects that are scheduled and under construction:

  • $40 million – Live Oak Mental Health & Wellness, a 60-bed mental health hospital opening June 6, 2023. It will be SC’s first mental health hospital in more than 30 years and will provide inpatient and outpatient services to adolescents (12+) and adults.
  • $31.7 million – Addition of three operating rooms
  • $22 million – Created a 2ndFloor specialty unit that includes a Neuro/Surgical ICU and Med/Surg beds
  • $18 million parking garage – The 649-space garage will include charging stations. It will open June 2023. The new garage is the result of Trident Medical Center’s regional growth in caring for patients needing trauma, heart, brain, cancer, orthopedic and spine care.
  • $14 million – Renovation of four floors including patient rooms and nursing stations
  • $13 million – James Island Emergency will open August 2023.
  • $5.2 million – Trident Cancer Center renovation and new linear accelerator
  • $4.6 million – New Cath Lab
  • $1.8 million – ICU refresh
  • $1.5 million – Moncks Corner Medical Center renovation

Trident Medical Center, 321-beds, is a part of Trident Health, which also includes Summerville Medical Center, Brighton Park Emergency, Centre Pointe Emergency and Moncks Corner Medical Center. The health system will expand this year with the opening of Live Oak Mental Health & Wellness in June and James Island Emergency in August. And, Summerville Medical Center, 124-beds, recently announced a $66.8 million inpatient project that will add 56 inpatient beds.

Summerville Medical Center CEO Jeff Taylor commented, “This year we are proudly celebrating our 30th anniversary serving families in Summerville and the Tri-County area. Summerville Medical Center is situated in one of the fastest growing areas in Charleston, and as we work to meet the health needs of our community, it is vital that we add capacity and clinical programs. We are committed to providing the highest quality and most comprehensive care in the heart of Dorchester County for all those who need us, for many years to come.”

Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center were recently named for the second consecutive year as America’s 250 Best Hospitals™ by Healthgrades, a national healthcare quality ratings agency that reviews nearly 4,500 hospitals. The ranking places Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center among the Top 5% of hospitals in the US.

In the past five years, Trident Health has provided more than $250 million in charity care and paid nearly $200 million in local, state and federal taxes.

Oh says in addition to Trident’s investment in people, projects and community, there is evidence the hospital’s investments in its nurse recruitment are paying off, too. “We tripled the number of RN hires in the first quarter of this year compared to the same time last year. And, through our partnerships with the nursing students at Trident Technical College, Charleston Southern University and ECPI University we are providing hands-on experience for the next generation of nurses.”

“Our patients and business and community leaders tell us they support our plans to expand access to health care to underserved communities and they value the investments we’re making at our hospitals and freestanding ERs,” said Oh. “I believe our latest Impact Report supports our nearly half-century commitment to providing compassionate, high quality care to families in the Lowcountry and throughout South Carolina.”

Trident Health's 2022 Impact Report shows through the health system:

  • 330,000 Patients Treated
  • 163,000 ER Visits (includes 32,000 pediatric ER visits at all Trident Health hospitals and freestanding ERs)
  • 3,300 Colleagues
  • $307.3M Salaries, Wages & Benefits
  • $50.3M – Charity Care Provided
  • $29M – Taxes Paid
  • $114M – Capital Investments
  • 2,725 – Babies Born (at Summerville Medical Center)
  • 2,127 – Trauma Patients (Trident Medical Center)