WHY DO YOU THINK CHARLESTON HAS BECOME A REGIONAL MEDICAL HUB?
First, consider where we live. The area we call home has been called “America’s Most Friendly City,” “The Most Polite and Hospitable City in America,” and, most recently, “The World’s Best City.” Long-term residents and our new families have high expectations for all the services they need, especially health care.
Second, consider the range of the region’s major medical providers. Summerville Medical Center’s parent company, HCA, is one of the nation’s leading providers of health care services. Summerville Medical Center offers critical health care services for our community, especially for women, children and growing families. Over the past five years, we’ve brought talented physicians and clinicians to the region, raising the level of care that our neighbors can get without leaving Berkeley or Dorchester County.
IN WHAT MEDICAL AREAS DOES CHARLESTON AS A WHOLE AND YOUR HOSPITAL IN PARTICULAR EXCEL?
Tri-county residents have access to high-quality care in a variety of specialties, including ER, trauma, robotic surgery and heart care.
For example, patients have access to seven daVinci surgical robots. This innovative surgical tool allows physicians to perform minimally-invasive complex medical procedures that include thoracic, gynecology, urology and general surgery cases. Its primary benefits include fewer complications and shorter recovery times. Trident and Summerville Medical Centers’ robotics programs lead the Charleston region, having performed more than 6,000 robotic cases since the programs were launched.
At Summerville Medical Center, we’re particularly proud of the elite services we provide for women and children. Over the past three years, we’ve brought more than 25 specialists to this community – clinicians with special training in treating children, managing high-risk pregnancy, helping people make lifesaving changes through bariatric surgery and improving quality of life through minimally-invasive robotic surgery.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR HOSPITAL/SYSTEM’S PLACE IN THE LARGER CHARLESTON HEALTHCARE COMMUNITY?
We and our sister hospital, Trident Medical Center, are the local community hospitals for Berkeley, Dorchester and much of Charleston County. We take very personally the responsibility for providing emergency or surgical care when our neighbors are suffering, and we celebrate with them when they’re expanding their families or taking steps to improve their overall health. We also take seriously our responsibility to offer cutting-edge technologies and equipment so our neighbors know they can stay close to home and still receive the best available care.
HOW DO YOU EXPECT THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT TO AFFECT PROVIDERS?
The Affordable Care Act provides some level of insurance for patients who otherwise may not be insured, which gives them the opportunity to access care at our hospitals and with our physicians. We know that disease is much more treatable when found early. My hope is that with this new insurance coverage, many will feel financially able to seek routine preventive care with a family physician who can help manage their health and ensure they get the routine screenings needed to catch disease early.
