MUSC Health Sea Islands project moves forward with land donation, selection of architectural firm

Residents to gain access to critical health care services closer to home

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Aug. 5, 2021) – MUSC Health is moving forward with a project that will bring emergency care to citizens living in remote areas on Johns, Kiawah and Seabrook islands.

The project is made possible in part by a commitment from Kiawah Partners to donate six acres of land to the Medical University Hospital Authority (MUSC Health). MUSC Health will build a free-standing emergency department (ED) and medical office on the land, which has been valued at $4.85 million.

“After seven years of working side by side with MUSC to bring this important project to fruition, we could not be prouder to donate the six acres of land needed for the development and to continue our partnership with the MUSC team,” said Chris Randolph, Kiawah Partners. “This new facility will bring vitally important world-class medical care to Kiawah, Seabrook and the Sea Islands residents, which will only add to the exceptional experience that comes with living here.”

The 22,740-square-foot facility will be located at 1884 Seabrook Island Road, near Bohicket Marina. The ED will include four exam rooms, two trauma rooms, imaging and lab services and a rooftop helicopter pad. The medical office will offer primary and specialty care. 

A telemedicine network will connect the entire facility to MUSC Health providers in downtown Charleston for additional care and consultation, if needed.

“People living in this area have to travel 30 or 45 minutes to reach the nearest hospital, sometimes more depending on traffic. That’s a big problem for someone having a stroke or cardiac event,” said Patrick J. Cawley, M.D., MUSC Health CEO and vice president for Health Affairs, University. “This new facility brings that care directly into the community. We’re extremely grateful to Kiawah Partners for helping to make that possible.” 

The project is estimated to cost $24 million. Of that amount, MUSC is working to raise $15 million in private support. 

In mid-June, McMillan Pazdan Smith (MPS) was chosen to design the project. MPS is also one of two architectural firms working on designs for a new MUSC Health hospital in rural Williamsburg County. 

Construction on the Sea Islands project is expected to begin in early 2022 and conclude in fall 2023. 

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About MUSC Health

As the clinical health system of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest quality patient care available while training generations of competent, compassionate health care providers to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Comprising some 2,000 beds, more than 100 outreach sites, the MUSC College of Medicine, the physicians’ practice plan and nearly 275 telehealth locations, MUSC Health owns and operates eleven hospitals situated in Charleston, Chester, Fairfield, Florence, Kershaw, Lancaster, Marion and Richland counties. In 2021, for the seventh consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.

Founded in 1824, MUSC and its affiliates have collective annual budgets of $3.2 billion. The more than 20,000 MUSC team members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers and scientists who deliver groundbreaking education, research, technology and patient care. For information on academic programs, visit musc.edu.