New hospital in Berkeley Co. opens to public

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - A new hospital opened to the public in Berkeley County at 12:01 a.m. on Friday.

Construction began on the Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital at 100 Callen Blvd in June of 2017.

The hospital, which is located at Carnes Crossroads where Highway 17A meets Highway 176, cost $119 million to build and includes 50 beds as well as 300 staff members.

It sits on 90 acres and takes up 116,000 square feet. Hospital officials say the staff-to-patient ratio will be 7 to 1.

There will be 15 bays in the emergency department along with four labor suites and two operating rooms which are dedicated to Cesarean sections.

The hospital’s location also holds special meaning. Located on Maude Callen Boulevard, the road is named after a woman who helped bring healthcare to rural Berkeley County in the 1920s. Maude Callen is said to have delivered hundreds of babies, set broken bones, and administered shots to patients in the area for more than 60 years.

On Friday afternoon, the hospital will hold a “blessing of the hands” in which representatives from various faiths will pray for the hospital’s caregivers.

The hospital will also offer the following services:

• 24-hour Emergency Department
• Cardiology
• Critical Care (ICU)
• Endoscopy
• Imaging & Lab
• Mother & Baby Center
• Oncology
• Orthopedics
• Physical Therapy
• Primary Care
• Surgery, including Robotics
• Urology

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