Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital doubles capacity with $94M tower

After six years of operation, Roper St. Francis Healthcare Berkeley Hospital is doubling its capacity with a newly opened four-story tower.  

According to a news release, the 94,000-square-foot expansion is part of the health care company’s 2030 strategic plan to expand across the Lowcountry.  

“Since we opened, we’ve seen the tremendous demand for care in Berkeley County,” Patrick Bosse, chief administrative officer at the Berkeley Hospital, said in the release. “This new tower brings the capacity we always knew this community needed and ensures families can get advanced care where they live.”  

Located at 100 Callen Blvd., Berkeley Hospital was the first full-service hospital in the county in 45 years, according to the release.  

The tower will begin operating on Nov. 3 and additional units will be added through 2026, according to the release. The new addition will expand the total capacity from 50 to 100 beds.  

“This expansion allows us to keep patients here who previously had to travel elsewhere,” Jennifer Crawford, Berkeley Hospital’s chief nursing officer, said in the release. “Families can now stay close to home and still receive advanced treatment for higher-acuity needs.”  

Additions from the expansion include the ICU, which will go from six to 12 beds, a new 16-bed unit for cardiology and stroke patients that previously would have been transferred, and a 30-bed medical-surgical unit, the release said.  

The additions increased monitored beds from 17 to 44 and added neurosurgical and colorectal procedures at Berkeley Hospital for the first time. Nephrology, cardiology and orthopedic services will also be expanded.  

“Many of the services we’re adding at Berkeley Hospital are true firsts for this community,” Bosse said. “That’s what makes this milestone so meaningful.”  

The tower addition will staff 380 new employees for Berkeley Hospital including nurses, physicians, techs and support staff, according to the release.  

“This was a systemwide effort,” Crawford said. “Teammates across all our hospitals have trained our new hires so we could be ready to care for patients on day one.”