Summerville Hospital Expansion Facing Goose Creek Opposition Friday

Summerville Medical Center will present plans for its 30-bed, $26 million expansion to the Department of Health and Enviornmental Control on Friday, but the state will also hear local opposition.

Roper St. Francis Healthcare and it's getting help Friday as at least one Goose Creek offical weighs in against Trident.

Two proposed Berkeley facilities are at the heart of the dispute — an expansion of Trident’s Moncks Corner Medical Center and a new Roper St. Francis hospital at Carnes Crossroads near Goose Creek.

Both have been approved by the state. But Trident the Roper facility, claiming it would be difficult for each to turn a profit because of their proximity. Last month, Roper announced it was objecting to the Summerville expansion, arguing the nearby hospital’s growth is directly related to the unresolved Berkeley County dispute.

Goose Creek Mayor Pro Tem Kimo Esarey told fellow City Council members this week that he would be heading to Columbia to oppose the Summerville expansion because the Goose Creek facility is still in limbo.

“Trident is a fine facility, but they’re blocking Berkeley County from having a hospital,” Esarey said. “It will bring hundreds of jobs — the economic investment will be huge.”

This may not be the end of Goose Creek's involvement. Councilman Jerry Tekac asked Esarey what the City Council could do to support Roper. Esarey said he would have a better idea after Friday's meeting.

DHEC has until the end of September to decide on the Summerville expansion. Trident’s Pam Brock said the hospital system would not have a comment until after the Summerville expansion is presented in Columbia on Friday.