ST. GEORGE, S.C. (WCSC) — A new MUSC facility will bring primary care, mental health services and radiology to rural Dorchester County residents who have been traveling an hour for basic medical care.
The Medical University of South Carolina facility will open at the end of the month, helping expand medical care for underserved communities in St. George and surrounding areas. New federal funding in the amount of $709,000 is covering 50% of the cost, upgrading the original plan to include a permanent X-ray machine and mobile MRI equipment.
“We’re probably serving folks from Orangeburg County, from Colleton County, from Holly Hill that may be able to come closer to St. George to get service,” David Chinnis, the Dorchester County Council chairman said. “So even though this is a Dorchester County project very specifically in the county, the ability for MUSC to serve the region in an area that was greatly underserved with a level of care, not only with MUSC, but with the Department of Mental Health, it’s critical in nature.”
Officials applied during the 2025 cycle for this project and received approval less than a year after breaking ground on the facility.
Nearly a decade in planning
County officials have worked to address the health care gap since 2016, according to Bryan Haver, Dorchester County’s assistant county administrator.
“Back around 2016, 2017, the county started working on their strategic plan,” Haver said. “County council along with the St. George community heard from the western portion of the county that there was a need to expand health care in the western area of the county and that was built into the strategic plan.”
The facility represents an upgrade from the original plan, which called for mobile equipment only. That permanent X-ray machine will serve residents from surrounding counties who previously drove 45 minutes to an hour for basic imaging services.
The building is also being refitted to have a radiology area for the MRI machine.
“This steps it up a little bit closer to what the ultimate goal is and that is emergency care in off hours when this is not open,” Chinnis said. “It’s not there yet, but this is a piece of that puzzle that the community was asking for.”
Future expansion planned
County officials plan to expand the facility beyond primary care to include an in-house pharmacy and blood work services.
Once the facility opens, Dorchester County will look to expand the medical hours so as many residents as possible can get help when they need it.
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