PLEASE WRITE A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR OUR PROPOSED NEW HOSPITAL IN BERKELEY COUNTY?

Roper St. Francis Healthcare (RSFH) officials earlier this fall announced plans to seek state approval to build a new, full-service hospital to serve the healthcare needs of Berkeley County.

Roper St. Francis Hospital - Berkeley will be located at Carnes Crossroads at the intersection of Highway 17A and 176. Hospital officials plan to submit the CON application to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC) in October.

VERY IMPORTANT! At this time, we invite everyone to write personal letters of support for the project.

These letters will be submitted to DHEC along with our CON and are viewed as a critical and valuable component in the review and decision process.

Please direct yours to: Mr. David L. Dunlap, President and CEO, Roper St. Francis Healthcare, 125 Doughty Street, Suite 760, Charleston, SC 29403.

Here are a few key points to consider as you write your letter of support:

• Berkeley County is one of only five counties in South Carolina without a hospital, despite its population size in excess of 155,000 and ranking as the ninth largest county in the state
• In addition, the county population is projected to grow 7.8 percent in the next five years.
• Goose Creek (29445) is the most populated area in Berkeley County.
• Carnes Crossroads is an emerging population center in Berkeley County with more than 104,370 residents within a 7-mile radius of the proposed hospital site.
• More than 25,800 Berkeley County residents came to a Roper St. Francis facility in 2007 for outpatient surgery, emergency care or inpatient hospitalization.
• By locating a new, not-for-profit hospital in Berkeley County, residents will have state-of-the-art care much closer to home as well as a convenient choice.
• Roper St. Francis has a long tradition of serving Berkeley County residents with our existing facilities in Moncks Corner and Goose Creek.
• Roper St. Francis has a reputation of providing quality healthcare.
• Roper St. Francis is the only community-based, not-for-profit health system in the Lowcountry.
• A hospital in Goose Creek/Berkeley County is good for (my business, my neighborhood, etc.)
• Roper St. Francis is the only faith-based organization in the Lowcountry, which is important to me.
• Not-for-profit medical facilities have a lower charge structure than their for-profit counterparts.
• The scope of services for the proposed hospital includes:
  • 50 inpatient beds (36 medical/surgical, 8 obstetrics and 6 intensive care/critical care beds)
  • 24-hour emergency care
  • Women?s Services including obstetrics
  • Inpatient and outpatient surgery
  • Intensive and Critical Care Units
  • Imaging, Laboratory, and Pharmacy

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The Roper St. Francis Healthcare Mission:

Healing All People with Compassion, Faith and Excellence.