Prisma Health moves forward with $15.7 million expansion of Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital Emergency Department

SUMTER, S.C.—Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital announced plans for a $15.7 million expansion of its Emergency Department, a long-awaited project that will add 13,000 square feet to patient care areas and provide enhanced technology and an improved patient experience.

“Prisma Health is committed to the healthcare of the Sumter, Lee and Clarendon communities,” said Jean Meyer, the hospital’s interim chief executive officer. “This expansion follows nearly $50 million in previous investments by Prisma Health that include major infrastructure upgrades, new equipment and the recruitment of new physicians representing a variety of specialties.”

“We would not be able to grow and expand like this alone,” Meyer added. “Being part of the largest health system in South Carolina allows us to continue to make these enhancements and be a truly full-service hospital.”

The Tuomey Hospital Emergency Department was designed to accommodate 43,500 patients a year but routinely averages closer to 53,000 annual visits – 55,000 during COVID-19. The expansion will add 13 new patient rooms and will give the hospital the capacity to provide emergency care to more than 65,000 patients a year.

“We are very excited about this project,” said Tuomey Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Susan Gaymon. “It will offer better patient flow, a quicker triage process and should drive wait times down significantly.”

“We have the only emergency department in several counties,” Meyer added. “We want people to come to Tuomey not simply because we’re close by but because we offer high-quality healthcare and minimal wait times.”

Architectural plans are being finalized, and the hospital hopes to hold its groundbreaking next summer. The project will be completed in two phases, with the new construction completed by summer 2023 and the complete renovation of existing spaces by spring 2024.

Prisma Health’s commitment to investing locally

The ED expansion is but one in a series of Tuomey capital investments that have been made or budgeted for by Prisma Health, including:

• 22 new providers in radiation oncology, neurology, gastroenterology, plastic surgery and psychiatry, as well as new physician hospitalists, pediatric physician hospitalists and an intensivist physician, with plans to add more providers in family medicine, cardiology and palliative care
• New imaging equipment (an MRI and ultrasound machine) and operating room equipment
• Major upgrades to the hospital’s generator, boiler and HVAC systems
• Creation of new Intermediate Care and Observation units (both of which will improve the patient experience and enable patients to discharge faster)

About Prisma Health

Prisma Health is a not-for-profit health company and the largest healthcare system in South Carolina. With nearly 30,000 team members, 18 acute care and specialty hospitals, 2,947 beds, approximately 300 outpatient sites, and nearly 5,000 employed and clinically integrated network physicians and providers, Prisma Health serves more than 1.2 million unique patients annually in its 21-county market area that covers 50% of South Carolina. Prisma Health’s goal is to improve the health of all South Carolinians by enhancing clinical quality, the patient experience and access to affordable care, as well as conducting clinical research and training the next generation of medical professionals. For more information, visit PrismaHealth.org.