BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – The Medical University of South Carolina has broken ground on a new 70-bed hospital and a companion ambulatory cancer facility at Nexton, a $325 million project MUSC and county leaders say will expand access to care for Berkeley County residents and improve EMS response options across the region.
At a Sept. 4 ceremony, MUSC leaders and local officials celebrated the start of construction on the MUSC Health Nexton Medical Center. On the same campus, work also began on a 30,000-square-foot outpatient cancer facility affiliated with MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, the National Cancer Institute-designated center on the Charleston peninsula.
Berkeley County highlighted the project’s local impact in a social media post, calling the groundbreaking a “local and regional milestone.” County Supervisor Johnny Cribb, a guest speaker at the event, said MUSC has had a personal impact on his life and will be a critical partner for first responders.
“Our ability to get to a hospital and back to our zone means everything. Response time and patient care to us mean everything; but we absolutely cannot do it alone. On behalf of our entire County Council and especially our EMS team, thank you to MUSC for their continued investment in our region,” Cribb said.
MUSC leaders said the new hospital will make it easier for Berkeley County residents—who account for a large share of the health system’s adult inpatients—to receive care closer to home.
“The groundbreaking for this new hospital and medical facility represents MUSC’s commitment to this community,” said David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, president of MUSC. “We are proud to be a trusted partner to deliver the highest quality innovative health care for the greater TriCounty region.”
The Nexton hospital will include a mix of inpatient and intensive care beds and bring a range of services to the area, including general medicine, general surgery, orthopedics, women’s health and cardiology.
“This new hospital will provide access to the best comprehensive care possible, enabling patients to receive life-saving treatment close to home,” said Patrick J. Cawley, M.D., CEO of MUSC Health and executive vice president for Health Affairs, University.
The outpatient cancer facility will offer comprehensive medical and surgical oncology care, with an advanced infusion suite, on-site compounding pharmacy and modern radiation therapy. MUSC says the site will work closely with Hollings Cancer Center and the recently announced MUSC Health cancer hospital planned for downtown Charleston.
The cancer facility is expected to open in summer 2027, followed by the hospital in summer 2028.
