Roper St. Francis Healthcare and MUSC plan 43-bed rehabilitation hospital in Berkeley County

Roper St. Francis Healthcare and the Medical University of South Carolina plan to build a 43-bed, freestanding rehabilitation hospital on the campus of the future Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital.

With the continued growth and healthcare needs of Berkeley and Dorchester counties in mind, Roper St. Francis Healthcare and MUSC will join forces on the hospital, with RSFH serving as the managing partner.

“Health care systems across the country are finding new ways to come together to improve the health and well-being of the communities they serve, and working collaboratively on this future rehab hospital with MUSC is both a wise investment of our funds and an important step in making rehab more accessible to the community,” said Lorraine Lutton, President and Chief Executive Officer of Roper St. Francis Healthcare.

The SC Department of Health and Environmental Control has identified the need for additional rehab beds in the community in its 2018-2019 South Carolina Health Plan.

“Patients always win when high-quality health care providers work together for their benefit, and this is certainly not the first time MUSC and Roper St. Francis have collaborated on caring for our community,” said Dr. Patrick J. Cawley, MUSC Health CEO and Vice President of Health Affairs, University. “We’ve partnered for years on sharing rehab beds in downtown Charleston so that every patient seeking rehabilitation can be served, and we’ve also come together to help patients who suffered spinal cord injuries.”

Additionally, Roper St. Francis Healthcare and MUSC also collaborated on a stroke care initiative focused on sharing resources, clinical expertise and technology to improve and expand stroke care throughout the Lowcountry.

The cost of the proposed project has not yet been determined. Later in January, Roper St. Francis and MUSC plan to file a joint request to DHEC to build the rehabilitation hospital to offer comprehensive care including rehabilitation nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, recreational therapy, speech language pathology and rehabilitation case management.

About Roper St. Francis Healthcare

Roper St. Francis cares for more Lowcountry families than any other healthcare provider in our area. As Charleston’s only private, not-for-profit hospital system, our mission is simple: Healing all people with compassion, faith and excellence. Throughout our entire 150 year history, people have trusted the name Roper St. Francis. Anchored by Roper Hospital, Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital and Roper St. Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital, our 671-bed health system includes more than 110 facilities and doctors' offices conveniently located throughout our region. Our fourth flagship hospital, Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital, is under construction and will open in October 2019 in Berkeley County. The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) has consistently recognized Roper St. Francis Healthcare as the preeminent provider of rehabilitation services in the Lowcountry.

About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and 700 residents in six colleges (Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy), and has nearly 14,000 employees, including approximately 1,500 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $2.6 billion, with an annual economic impact of more than $3.8 billion and annual research funding in excess of $250 million. MUSC operates a 700-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized children's hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), Hollings Cancer Center (a National Cancer Institute-designated center), Level I trauma center, Institute of Psychiatry, and the state’s only transplant center. In 2018, for the fourth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the number one hospital in South Carolina. For more information on academic programs or clinical services, visit web.musc.edu. For more information on hospital patient services, visit muschealth.org.

Media contact: Andy Lyons, Roper St. Francis Healthcare Communications Director: 843-513-3791

MUSC contact: Heather Woolwine, 843-792-7669