Downtown Columbia to get bigger, better Emergency Department

Andrea Chivers has worked at what is now called MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown, formerly known as Providence Hospital, for almost two decades. Chivers, who has a Master of Science in Nursing degree, directs the hospital’s Emergency Department. When she heard that it would undergo a $30 million expansion, she was thrilled.

“The downtown ED has seen an increase in patient volume since 2020, where we were seeing approximately 30 to 40 patients a day during Covid and 50 to 60 post-Covid. Current state, we're averaging approximately 70 to 80 patients a day in our 16-bed ED,” Chivers said.

 

“This expansion will increase the number of beds so that we can care for patients in a timely manner in rooms aligned with their needs.”

Bill Phillips, M.D., chief medical officer of the hospital, said the need to expand the Emergency Department has been discussed for a long time. “This goes back 25 or 30 years. There was just never a commitment from the previous ownership to make the financial commitment to do it.”

There is now. Phillips said the expansion will basically double the number of emergency department beds in a thriving part of the state. “The community continues to grow, the Midlands in particular. And as the community grows, we need more capacity to take care of patients. The emergency room is the front door to the hospital. And so you need to be able to accommodate those things that the community needs.”

Chivers looks forward to the changes. “Aesthetically, our current ED isn't as bright, open and inviting compared to our other EDs in the division,” she said, referring to the MUSC Health-Midlands Division. 

“This expansion will create a new environment for the staff, providers and patients. We’ll have a new floor plan, designated care areas, new equipment – all the things that our care team members and providers will be proud of and excited to work in to provide care to patients. I think the change will positively impact employee and patient satisfaction.”

 

Phillips said the plan is to cause as little disruption as possible while the expansion is underway. “The current emergency room will remain in place. The clinical lab space backs up to it. And so we're going to move the clinical lab to a wing of the hospital that's not currently in use. First, renovate where the clinical lab was and create extra ER space there and, then, take the wall down and renovate the other side. So ER services won't stop during this project.”

Since MUSC Health bought the Midlands Division hospitals in 2021, it has been investing in improving them. “I think it shows a clear commitment to provide care for the community of South Carolina. That's the plan, and that's what this is all about,” Phillips said.

“MUSC has done that on multiple other levels within the hospital. Our downtown facility, our Northeast facility, our Kershaw facility – these same types of upgrades and investments and equipment change-outs have happened in all of those locations. That sends a very clear message to the hospital and the staff and the community that MUSC's commitment to providing care for South Carolina is the real goal here.”

That commitment will mean shorter wait times for patients in downtown Columbia, Chivers said. That includes people who need trauma, heart and stroke care. “Our team does a phenomenal job of providing timely, safe care in our current space. I feel this expansion will broaden our reach to do the same but on a larger scale.”

The plan is for renovations to the hospital at 2435 Forest Drive to be finished in December 2025.