New ER coming to James Island will reduce EMS drive-times

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Construction is well underway on the new James Island emergency room designed to get lifesaving care faster to residents of James and Johns Island.

Trident Medical Center officials said the new $12 million facility is set to open in August.

Officials on the construction site said they’ve completed the foundation, exterior walls and structural steel of the facility, and are almost done with the interior walls.

Trident Medical Center broke ground on the new 11-bed, 13,000-square-foot ER in May of 2022.

Trident Officials said this location is crucial to James and Johns Islanders because access to care close to home is critical, especially in areas that have frequent traffic delays.

Sarah Young, the interim manager of Trident’s Emergency Department, said eliminating the EMS commute from James and Johns Island to Trident’s main campus will save so much time and so many lives.

She said at peak beach time, it can take 30 to 40 minutes to drive just one mile on Folly Road.

“I’m super excited. Being a Johns Island local, I feel safer that I know that something is so much closer to our house than it’s been in the past,” Young said. “It’s really exciting to be bringing all the good work that we do up here, to be bringing it down to the islands.”

Officials on the construction site said they’re planning on starting the roofing for the facility Tuesday, and that it’s still on schedule to open in August of this year.

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