
Summerville Medical Center's pediatric ER team receiving Pediatric Ready certificate: Karrie Powell, Chief Nursing Officer; Nancy Stone, pediatric ER nurse; Nicole Proveaux-Nichol, Emergency Department director; Dr. Doug Holtzman, Pediatric ER Medical Director; TJ Sanders, pediatric ER nurse.
Only Lowcountry Hospital to Achieve Pediatric Readiness Certification
Summerville, SC (October 26, 2018) – Summerville Medical Center is ensuring that Lowcountry families receive the best care for their children close to home. Today the hospital was awarded Pediatric Ready certification from SC DHEC’s Emergency Medical Services for Children department (EMSC). Summerville Medical Center is the only hospital in the Lowcountry, and one of two hospitals in the state, that has completed the Pediatric Ready survey and received this distinguished certification.
The Pediatric Ready certification recognizes emergency departments that go above and beyond the national standards for the care provided to pediatric patients. The survey evaluates programs and guidelines implemented in the hospital including the special treatment needed for pediatric patients, state-of-the art pediatric medical equipment, and processes for better medical outcomes for children.
“This certification distinguishes the extraordinary care Summerville Medical Center is providing our children and families in our pediatric ER,” commented Summerville Medical Center’s Pediatric Emergency Department Medical Director Doug Holtzman, MD.
Summerville Medical Center opened the 24-hour pediatric emergency department in 2013 and it is staffed with pediatric specialty trained physicians and clinicians. The pediatric emergency department cared for more than 17,000 pediatric patients in 2017, making it one of the busiest pediatric ERs in South Carolina.
“Our Summerville Medical Center family is dedicated to providing children with care that always goes above the national standards,” said Karrie Powell, Chief Nursing Officer at Summerville Medical Center. “We are honored to be recognized by the SC Emergency Medical Services for Children for providing that extraordinary level of care to our growing community of families and for continuing to expand our pediatric program.”
In spring 2019 Summerville Medical Center will break ground on a $24 million emergency department expansion that will include additional new pediatric patient rooms. The project is scheduled to open in 2020. In addition to the dedicated pediatric ER, Summerville Medical Center has developed a robust pediatric program including a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), and board-certified pediatric specialists in general surgery, GI, ENT, and plastic surgery.
This month Summerville Medical Center is opening phase 1 of a $61 million expansion designed to improve access to the highest quality of services for women and children. The expansion includes 30 new patient beds, labor and delivery rooms, neonatal ICU, and an 18 bed surgical wing. The expansion will be fully complete in summer 2019.
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Summerville Medical Center is a 94-bed, acute-care hospital with a 24-hour emergency room, a dedicated ER for children, and comprehensive medical services. The facility enjoys an enviable reputation for its women’s and children’s services including "home-like" birthing suites. Surgical services include orthopedic, reflux, robotic and weight loss surgeries. Summerville Medical Center is part of Trident Health, which has earned recognition as a leader in the delivery of healthcare in the Lowcountry.
For more than 40 years staff and physicians at Trident Health have provided acute healthcare services to families in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. Services are provided through its two hospitals, Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center; two freestanding emergency departments, Moncks Corner Medical Center and Centre Pointe Emergency; and two urgent care centers, CareNow Urgent Care Goose Creek and CareNow Urgent Care North Charleston. Both hospitals have received top ranking as Joint Commission Top Hospitals for Quality Performance and are Joint Commission Certified for Advanced Heart Failure and Advanced Primary Stroke Centers. Trident Health is one of the South Carolina Lowcountry’s largest employers with more than 2,500 employees and has a medical staff of nearly 500 physicians. In 2017 it provided $47.6 million in uncompensated care and paid $35.5 million in local, state and federal taxes. To learn more about how Trident Health is growing to meet the needs of our growing region and how to join our team go to www.tridenthealthsystem.com.
