HCA Healthcare broke ground on its fifth freestanding emergency room in the Lowcountry, adding Cane Bay to its tri-county care portfolio.

According to a news release, the $15 million project will be 10,000 square feet with 10 patient exam rooms, a triage room, advanced imaging services, laboratory services and telemedicine for stroke and behavioral health.

“As our communities continue to grow, expanding access to emergency care remains one of our highest priorities,” Jeff Wilson, president of HCA Healthcare Charleston and CEO of HCA Healthcare Trident Hospital, said in a news release. “When we began planning for this freestanding ER, we knew this community deserved emergency care that is close, dependable, and built with its future in mind. Families are moving here, retirees are settling here, and businesses are investing here. With that growth comes a responsibility to ensure emergency care is never out of reach.”

In addition to the Cane Bay area, the new ER is expected to serve Nexton, Del Webb, Carnes Crossroads, and other surrounding communities. It will be open 24/7.

“This project is about more than constructing a building,” Wilson said. “It’s about strengthening access to life-saving care, supporting the long-term health of this community, and providing peace of mind to families who want to know expert emergency care is nearby when every minute matters.”

HCA currently operates a freestanding ER in Brighton Park, Centre Pointe, James Island and Moncks Corner. The company also plans to add a freestanding ER on Johns Island and Long Point in Mount Pleasant later this year, according to the release.

In 2025, over 350,000 patients received emergency care through an HCA Healthcare facility.

“When someone experiences a medical emergency, access matters,” Dr. Neal Shelley, ER medical director for HCA Healthcare Cane Bay ER, said. “This ER will provide proximity to emergency physicians, advanced diagnostics, and life-saving care when minutes matter most. It will improve response times, support our EMS partners, and give families confidence knowing experienced emergency care is close to home.”

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Clemson Paw Partners  plans to build a new $5 million facility in the town of Central, designed to expand access to affordable veterinary care and give Upstate pet owners more options for care.

The new facility, located off Greenville Highway in Central, will allow the nonprofit to expand its low-cost services while working toward its long-term vision of a full-service, affordable veterinary clinic for the Upstate, the organization said in a news release.

The project is expected to be completed by summer 2027. The organization is prioritizing completion of its spay and neuter clinic in order that services can begin as early as possible during construction.

“This expansion is about creating access and giving families more options when it comes to veterinary care,” Margaret J. Thompson, founder and president of Clemson Paw Partners, said in the news release. “Too many pet owners struggle to afford care or find available appointments. Our goal is to provide compassionate, affordable services while helping reduce pet overpopulation across our region.”

Clemson Paw Partners is undertaking both the land purchase and construction without taking on debt. The organization purchased the property outright and plans to complete the facility through fundraising, grants, donations and community support.

McKenzie Architecture is designing the project and the builder is JD Turner Construction.

“This project represents an investment in the long-term health and well-being of pets throughout our community,” Thompson said in the release. “By remaining debt-free, we can keep our focus on affordable care and reinvest resources directly into services for animals and families.”

Founded in 2017, Clemson Paw Partners was established to address the growing need for affordable animal care and support for homeless animals and low-income pet owners throughout Pickens County and surrounding communities. Since opening its low-cost clinic in 2022, the organization has performed thousands of spay and neuter surgeries and provided essential preventative care services for pets in need.

The new facility will continue to offer affordable spay and neuter procedures, vaccinations, microchipping, heartworm testing, flea and tick prevention, and feral cat management support, while laying the foundation for expanded veterinary services in the future.

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Funding is available to technology startups focused on improving rural health access.

According to the South Carolina Research Authority, the Tech Catalyst Fund is one of five initiatives within South Carolina’s Rural Health Transformation Program, administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Health and Human Services has contracted with SCRA to manage and administer the Tech Catalyst Fund, leveraging SCRA’s expertise in fostering innovation, supporting startups, and driving economic development through technology investments, according to a news release.

“We look forward to partnering with SCRA to promote consumer-facing, technology-driven solutions to drive development and innovation across rural South Carolina,” Health and Human Services Director Eunice Medina said in the release.

Funds will go to tech startups developing technologies that address the challenges and unmet needs of rural South Carolina. These funds will focus on prevention and management of chronic diseases, while increasing quality, affordability and access to care.

“Being selected by SCDHHS to help address chronic disease in our rural communities — both across South Carolina and throughout the nation — signifies our continued commitment to health technology innovation statewide,” said SCRA President and CEO Bill Kirkland. “Over the past several years, we have witnessed remarkable innovation statewide, and we are confident this program will serve as a vital catalyst in advancing the latest solutions to reduce chronic disease and ease the significant burden it places on our state. The Tech Catalyst Fund will drive the development and deployment of medical innovations, bringing meaningful change to those who need it most.”

The Tech Catalyst Fund will deliver non-dilutive funding to early-stage medical technology companies dedicated to addressing the growing health care challenges and rising costs facing rural South Carolina communities. Supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the fund places a strategic emphasis on the prevention and management of chronic diseases — helping to improve the quality, affordability and accessibility of care for those most vulnerable.

Visit scra.org/techcatalyst for detailed information on eligibility, application requirements, due dates, and frequently asked questions and answers. Interested applicants should contact techcatalyst@scra.org.

The Rural Health Transformation Program is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of a financial assistance award totaling more than $200 million with 100% funded by CMS/HHS.

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Clemson Livestock Poultry Health has named Catherine Harris, DVM, as South Carolina’s new deputy state veterinarian.

Harris has experience as both an animal agriculture regulator and a veterinarian working directly within the industry, according to a university news release.

Harris joins Clemson from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, where she served as assistant state veterinarian and director of livestock animal health programs. In that role, she managed statewide programs involving infectious disease surveillance, emergency response, animal disease traceability and livestock movement regulations across multiple species.

Before entering state government, Harris spent a decade working in integrated swine production medicine with Smithfield Hog Production and Smithfield Premium Genetics, overseeing animal health programs for large commercial production systems as well as high-health genetic herds. She also spent three years in dairy-exclusive private practice in Texas and New Mexico, according to the release.

That breadth of experience, Harris said, gives her an important perspective when working with producers and industry partners.

“Having been on that side of industry, and worked alongside producers and stakeholders, has allowed me to better understand the day-to-day workings and needs of our animal agricultural industries,” Harris said in the release. “This knowledge and understanding facilitates my ability to provide better oversight and guidance, as well as develop relationships to work closely with producers and industries.”

Harris said her experience in the private sector and being subject to regulatory oversight has shaped how she approaches regulating animal health.

“It’s always good to have been on that side of things,” Harris said in the release. “Then you can better explain regulatory requirements in terms and language that helps producers understand how we serve to protect their livelihoods, such as why we have movement restrictions, why we have quarantines and why we require certain types of testing and disease surveillance, for example.”

She said she has found that this perspective and experience has helped build trust with producers and allows us as regulators to work more effectively during disease investigations and emergency responses.

“Producers understand and appreciate that I am familiar with their industry, and that we, as regulatory animal health officials, are here to protect it,” Harris said in the release. “That has allowed me to be very effective as a state animal health official in North Carolina, and I hope to bring that same sort of trust and industry relationship to South Carolina.”

Clemson Livestock Poultry Health serves as South Carolina’s animal health authority, state meat and poultry inspection department and veterinary diagnostic center. The organization protects animal health through disease surveillance and response programs while also helping ensure the safety of meat and poultry products for consumers.

Harris earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from North Carolina State University in 2008, with a focus on food animals.

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The University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia is now officially named in honor of the late longtime trustee and surgeon Dr. Edward “Eddie” Floyd and his wife, Kay Floyd.

Announced May 22 at a private luncheon attended by members of the Floyd family, trustees and university leaders, the school is named the University of South Carolina Kay and C. Edward Floyd M.D. School of Medicine. The naming celebrates the Floyds’ decades-long service and philanthropic support of USC, which totals $30 million, according to the university. Their giving will fund scholarships for medical students and endowed faculty positions including surgery, neurosurgery, neurology, sports medicine and the basic science.

“This gift is particularly meaningful because it also honors two exceptional people who gave so much to the University of South Carolina and the Palmetto State, and in so many different ways, throughout their lives,” USC President Michael Amiridis said in a news release. “Through their generosity, they will continue to have a tremendous, far-reaching impact on the School of Medicine and the entire University of South Carolina.”

The Floyds were married for 66 years. The naming honors their shared lifelong commitment to education, health care and public service, the news release stated.

Edward Floyd, who passed away in January at age 91, was the longest-serving member in the history of USC’s Board of Trustees, from 1982 to 2024. A former board chair (1992–1996), Floyd earned his undergraduate degree in business from USC in 1956 and was a fourth-generation alumnus of the university.

Born in Lake City, and a longtime resident of Florence, he built a career as a general and vascular surgeon after completing medical school in Charleston and his residency at the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans. He established his medical practice in Florence, where he became known for his pioneering work in vascular surgery.

Beyond medicine, he was also a farmer and a prominent Republican fundraiser in South Carolina.

Kay Baker Floyd, who passed away in 2023, was born in Timmonsville. She graduated from Saint Mary’s College in Raleigh and the University of South Carolina. She managed one of the largest farming operations in the state and served as business manager for one of South Carolina’s first vascular laboratories.

Her civic contributions were widely recognized, including the naming of the Floyd Conference Center in Florence. She was also a founding member of Arts Alive at Francis Marion University.

In 2024, the Floyds’ daughter, Dr. Coleman Floyd Buckhouse, succeeded her father as a member of the university’s Board of Trustees.

“My parents loved this university with all of their hearts,” Buckhouse said in the release. “They believed deeply in improving lives and expanding opportunity. The USC School of Medicine Columbia has served South Carolina through education, discovery and care, and those same values guided my parents. By naming the School of Medicine, we are honoring their highest ideals and lasting commitment to this university and to the people of South Carolina.”

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, who attended the luncheon, also praised the Floyds’ history of service.

“The Floyds represented the very best of South Carolina, with lives defined by service to others and a deep commitment to improving their community,” McMaster said. “By naming the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in their honor, we carry their legacy forward in every physician who trains here and serves the people of this state.”

Founded in 1977, the Floyd School of Medicine is dedicated to educating the next generation of health care providers to serve communities across the state and beyond. More than 750 students are currently enrolled. Construction of a  300,000-plus-square-foot medical education and research facility is underway at Columbia’s BullStreet district, home to USC’s developing 16-acre Health Sciences Campus.

“This transformational gift from the Floyd family will have a profound impact on the educational experience of our students and provide boundless opportunities for our esteemed faculty and our school’s research endeavors,” interim School of Medicine Dean Dr. Gerald Harmon said in the release. “The Floyd’s legacy of service and devotion will live on through generations of health care professionals and scientists for our great state.”

With the naming, the school becomes the sixth named school or college at USC, and the fourth in the past three years, the release said.

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Construction firm Robins & Morton joined Self Regional Healthcare on May 5 to celebrate the groundbreaking of Self Medical Center Spring Street, a new 68,000-square-foot multispecialty medical office building in Greenwood.

The health system says the facility will bring together a wide range of specialty services under one roof, including urology, gastroenterology, general surgery, bariatric surgery, women’s health and infusion services. Construction is expected to be completed in the summer of 2027, according to a news release.

“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to make specialty services more available to our community, as well as the other outpatient services that will now be available under one roof in this beautiful new building,” Dr. Matthew Logan, president and CEO of Self Regional Healthcare, said in the news release. “We are so grateful to S.C. DHHS for the funds that helped make this project possible.”

Robins & Morton is the general contractor for the project. McMillan Pazdan Smith is the architect.

“We are honored to partner with Self Regional on the new Self Medical Center Spring Street, which will enhance access to quality health care for the Greenwood community,” Robins & Morton Operations Manager Mike Bumgardner said in the release. “This groundbreaking marks an exciting step forward, and we are committed to delivering a facility that supports Self Regional’s mission and serves the needs of the community for years to come.”

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Clemson Rural Health received $7.7 million from the South Carolina Department of Public Health to implement the Maternal Care Access Project in underserved communities in the Midlands and Upstate.

The grant includes $702,750 in one-time funding for the purchase of a Mobile Maternity Unit and annual funding of $1.4 million for its operating costs. The grant covers a three-year project period, with two one-year renewal terms, according to a news release.

The goal of the grant is to expand access to high-quality maternal health services, including preconception counseling, prenatal and postpartum care, in designated areas with limited health care access — which the university said is a critical public health need in South Carolina. A signature goal of the grant is to reduce the number of preventable maternal deaths due to lack of access to care.

“This transformative grant provides an opportunity for Clemson Rural Health and its partners to expand access to high-quality maternal care and improve health outcomes for mothers and babies across our state,” said Leslie Hossfeld, dean of the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences. “By strengthening care and advancing research in underserved areas of South Carolina, CRH is building a healthier future for families statewide.”

The grant will fund a Lakelands Region mobile maternity health unit, to be named the BLOOM Clinic, for Bringing Lasting Outcomes for Optimal Motherhood. The clinic will serve as South Carolina’s first comprehensive mobile maternity program thanks to a partnership between Clemson Rural Health and Self Regional Healthcare’s clinical departments and disciplines including obstetrics, family medicine and supporting specialties; their Guided Beginnings Program; and their collaborating community-based organization, Community Initiatives Inc. HOPE (Healthy Opportunities for Perinatal Equity).

The BLOOM clinic will integrate technology-enabled solutions to expand access to care and improve maternal health outcomes. Services will include preconception counseling, prenatal and postpartum care, chronic disease management, and lactation support. Patients will also benefit from remote patient monitoring, access to obstetric and maternal-fetal medicine specialists, and connections to community-based support services.

“Too many women in South Carolina have had to travel long distances to get the prenatal and postnatal care they need,” Dr. Edward Simmer, Department of Public Health interim director, said in the release. “This has contributed to poor health outcomes for mothers and babies. Today, that begins to change. By bringing quality care directly to communities, DPH and the Clemson Rural Health of Clemson University are making it easier for women to get care close to home. Clemson is a strong partner in this work, and together we’re committed to improving the health of mothers and children in underserved areas.”

The BLOOM Clinic will serve Abbeville, McCormick, Edgefield, and Saluda counties — areas identified as maternity deserts—bringing essential care directly to women who would otherwise face significant barriers to access.

“This is an exciting initiative that brings comprehensive maternal care to women in a cluster of maternity desert counties and will save lives of moms and babies,” Ron Gimbel, Clemson professor and director of CRH, said in the release.

Family physician Dr. Trey Moore of the Abbeville Area Medical Center agreed.

“This first-of-its-kind partnership in the Lakelands region allows Self Regional Healthcare and Clemson Rural Health to bring advanced maternity care directly to the highest-risk pregnant individuals in our communities,” Moore said in the release. “By building on our hands-on approach to improving pregnancy outcomes, this program strengthens our ability to address the chronic conditions that contribute to poor birth outcomes.”

For DPH, the grant ensures that mothers from areas of South Carolina identified as needing services the most get the care they need.

“With this multi‑year investment, we are strengthening South Carolina’s commitment to improving maternal health outcomes,” Danielle Wingo, director of DPH’s Bureau of Maternal and Child Health, said in the release. “This mobile maternity unit will create new pathways to care for individuals who face significant barriers to accessing routine services. We look forward to partnering with them to expand access to high‑quality prenatal and postpartum care in our rural communities.

Clemson Rural Health is the organizing framework for Clemson’s rural health service delivery and prevention efforts statewide — with locations including the Clemson Health Clinic at Walhalla, Clemson Health Clinic at Orangeburg, Clemson Community Primary Care — home of the Joseph F. Sullivan Center, Clemson Rural Health Support Office at Abbeville, and a fleet of Clemson Rural Health mobile health units.

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The Medical University of South Carolina has entered a partnership with Revival Healthcare Capital, an investment firm focused on medical devices.

The partnership is intended to accelerate evaluation, development and clinic advancement of medical technologies. A news release said the organizations have a five-year agreement with a plan to quickly begin project-specific initiatives.

“This collaboration reflects MUSC’s commitment to advancing innovation that improves patient care and health outcomes,” Dr. David Cole, president of MUSC, said in the release. “By working closely with Revival Healthcare Capital, our clinicians and researchers can help evaluate and inform the development of promising medical technologies, strengthening the pathway from clinical insight to real world impact.”

Clinicians and experts at MUSC will be invited to provide clinical and procedural insights to evaluate the technology with Revival’s investment plan. Additionally, some MUSC leaders will be advisers to the investment firm’s portfolio companies, according to the release.

The partnership put MUSC-originated devices on a quicker pathway to evaluation, with investment to support later clinical development.

“We are pleased to partner with MUSC to create a repeatable, high-velocity collaboration model that supports our investment strategy and our portfolio companies,” Todd Pope, senior partner at Revival Healthcare Capital, said in the release. “By combining Revival’s flexible capital model and operational capabilities with MUSC’s strong collaboration across patient care, research and education, we believe this partnership can advance technologies that address unmet patient needs.”

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The Duke Endowment and the Medical University of South Carolina have partnered to form an initiative across North and South Carolina to strengthen maternal and infant health outcomes.

The pair will expand MUSC’s HEAR 4 Mamas and Babies program to additional health systems. HEAR means “healing, equity, advocacy and respect.”

Using text messaging and phone outreach, HEAR 4 Mamas and Babies is an evidence-informed screening and a referral program which helps identify medical, behavioral health and social needs from early in the pregnancy until the following year of postpartum.

“We are thrilled to launch this initiative in partnership with MUSC, UNC-Chapel Hill and five health systems,” Jay Kennedy, senior program officer with The Duke Endowment’s Health Care program area, said in the release. “Our aim is to work together to replicate and scale this program in hopes of improving health outcomes for more women and infants across the Carolinas.”

The Duke Endowment allocated more than $13 million to the initiative, $8 million intended to support five health systems implementing HEAR 4 Mamas and Babies over the next four years. The release said participating health care systems will be Cape Fear Valley Health System, ECU Health, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Prisma Health and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System.

The other $5.3 million will be to establish a Technical Assistance and Training Center that is led by MUSC and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the release said. The center will provide training, technology, cross-site evaluation and data resources in addition to partnering with state agencies, Medicaid programs and private payers for long-term reimbursement plans.

“H4MAB was created to address the many gaps in maternal and infant health care by ensuring that individual concerns are heard and medical, behavioral health and social needs are proactively addressed by a trusted care team throughout pregnancy and the postpartum year,” Dr. Constance Guille said in the release. Guille is the training center director, H4MAB principal investigator and professor in MUSC’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. “With The Duke Endowment’s support, we now have the opportunity to bring this model to scale and improve outcomes for families across the Carolinas.”

According to the release, the model has demonstrated improvement in detection and treatment of mental health such as maternal depression and anxiety, substance use disorders, chronic health conditions, intimate partner violence and unmet social determinants of health needs.

The program has also helped reduce disparities across maternal and infant health care, connecting patients with personalized support.

“We are honored to partner in this important endeavor,” Sarah Verbiest, director of the Jordan Institute for Families at the UNC School of Social Work, said in the release. “By bringing together MUSC’s expertise, the H4MAB program, our experience implementing innovation in communities and The Duke Endowment’s sustained investment in maternal and child health, we believe this initiative has the potential to mitigate risk factors that lead to poor maternal and infant health outcomes, such as postpartum depression, while ensuring families across North Carolina and South Carolina receive the timely support they need to thrive.”

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The third MUSC Health Nexton location broke ground with an $87 million Nexton Medical Pavillion.

The pavilion is expected to serve 800 patients daily, focusing on an anticipated growth of 29,000 people in Summerville and Moncks Corner over the next five years, according to a news release.

“We are proud to serve as a place where patients receive outstanding care, future providers are trained in nationally recognized academic programs and transformational research elevates quality of life,” Dr. Gene Hong, chief executive physician of MUSC Physicians and MUSC Health, said in the release. “Through partnership, progress and investment in the future, we hope to make a lasting impact for the future.”

Nexton Medical Pavilion will include a four-story, 80,000-square-foot medical office building with services provided which include imaging, phlebotomy, non-chemotherapy infusion, breast health, pelvic floor care, physical and occupational therapy. Specialty care will be in neurology, neurosurgery, spine, cardiology, orthopedics, urology, OB-GYN, surgical subspecialties and otolaryngology.

Once opened in the fall of 2027, the pavilion is intended to provide more services to the area while reducing travel times and improving timely access, the release said. It will be located across from MUSC Hollings Cancer Center at Nexton and MUSC Health Nexton Medical Center.

“Today’s groundbreaking marks continued progress in meeting the health care needs of the Nexton area,” Johnny Cribb, Berkeley County supervisor, said in the release. “MUSC Health’s investment reflects a commitment to growing alongside our communities. As our county and region continue to expand, projects like this help strengthen the local health care system, enhance quality of life and support long-term well-being for the families who live and work here.”

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