SUMMERVILLE MEDICAL CENTER OPENS 9-BED OBSERVATION UNIT
Charleston, SC (January 10, 2018) – Summerville Medical Center has opened a 9-bed Observation Unit. This unit is part of a $100 million investment the hospital is making into our communities to ensure they receive excellent care close to home. Summerville Medical Center is a 124-bed, acute-care hospital with a 24-hour emergency room, a dedicated ER for children, and comprehensive medical services.
The Observation Unit provides comprehensive, high quality care for adult and pediatric patients admitted at Summerville Medical Center for 23 hours or less. Patients in the Observation Unit have a variety of diagnoses, from post-operation patients to those needing extra monitoring or testing.
“Currently, our observation status patients are treated in the inpatient units,” said Robin Malik, MD, lead hospitalist at Summerville Medical Center. “With our new dedicated Observation Unit, these patients will be able to receive expedited care and testing, and will likely be able to go home sooner because of this streamlined care.”
The 9-bed unit features all private rooms. It is a secure unit with the ability to accommodate and care for pediatric patients. A specially trained team of nurses and clinicians oversee this unit to ensure patients receive the comprehensive care they need before being discharged.
“We are pleased to open the Observation Unit to better serve the needs of our community,” commented Julia Malone, director of the Observation Unit and 2nd floor Medical/Surgical unit. “With the opening of this unit, we will be able to provide comprehensive, focused care for our patients and ensure they are able to return home and back to their actively lifestyles quickly.”
The Observation Unit is the latest investment made by Summerville Medical Center into expanding its facility and services for the community. In 2018, the hospital opened Phase 1 of a $61 million expansion for women’s and children’s services, which is scheduled to be completed and fully open in summer 2019. Also in 2018, the hospital opened the Summerville Rehabilitation Center for outpatient rehabilitation services and a second CareNow Urgent Care location in North Charleston.
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Summerville Medical Center is a 124-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.
