Prisma Health breaks ground on $180M medical park

Prisma Health officially broke ground June 30 on the Fountain Inn Medical Park, a $180 million medical park in southern Greenville County that will provide expanded access to specialty health care services.

The organization says the location will mean greater convenience and reduced travel times for communities in the area.

The medical park will offer a wide array of advanced and expanded outpatient services in one location for the growing region.

More than a dozen medical specialties — including advanced cancer treatment and cardiology-vascular care — will be located under one roof in the complex, according to a news release. An outpatient surgery center specializing in orthopedic surgeries and other same-day procedures is also underway.

New specialties for the local area include radiation and medical oncology, neurology, ear, nose and throat physicians, urology and colorectal physicians. Expanded services will include cardiology/vascular care, gastroenterology, general surgery, orthopedics and pulmonology.

Prisma Health’s primary care practice in Fountain Inn will also expand its footprint in the community, the release said. Located across the interchange from the new medical park, the practice will expand access to pediatric specialties and adult endocrinology.

Located along the Interstate 385/McCarter Road corridor, the 50-acre medical park is designed to meet the needs of the rapidly growing southern Greenville County, including Fountain Inn, Simpsonville and surrounding areas — among the fastest growing areas in South Carolina.

Site preparation is already underway.

The structure was designed by McMillian Pazdan Smith and the project is being managed by JLL. The general contractor is Brasfield & Gorrie, Thomas & Hutton is in charge of civil engineering and Smith Seckman Reed is handling mechanical, electrical and plumbing. Equipment planning is under the care of Anchor Planning.

The new health care hub is expected to treat its first patients in December 2027, according to Prisma Health.

“Today represents far more than the start of construction — it represents our continued commitment to expanding access to high-quality, compassionate care across South Carolina,” Mark O’Halla, president and CEO of Prisma Health, said in the release. “As our state continues to grow at a remarkable pace, we are focused on ensuring we have the healthcare services that support our communities. This new medical park is a direct response to that growth. It will expand access to specialty care, reduce travel times and provide patients with a more convenient, connected experience.”

Key features of the complex include:

• A four-story 130,000-square-foot medical office building with more than 200 exam rooms.
• A 27,000-square-foot outpatient surgery center offering greater access to surgical care at a lower cost than in-hospital procedures — but with what Prisma says is the same level of expert care. It will feature four operating rooms specializing primarily in orthopedic surgeries with a mix of other surgical specialties. An additional four suites will accommodate a broad range of procedures, including GI and endoscopic procedures.
• A comprehensive range of diagnostic and treatment services including laboratory, imaging, and cardiac and physical/occupational rehabilitation.
• A full-service pharmacy, allowing patients to fill prescriptions on-site.

The plan also calls for significant growth at Prisma Health’s nearby Hillcrest Hospital Campus after its existing specialty practices are relocated to the new medical park complex. The Simpsonville campus will increase its number of primary care providers within the Hillcrest medical office building.

“The Fountain Inn Medical Park and nearby expansions at the Hillcrest campus exemplify our commitment to offering a wide array of primary, specialty and surgical services throughout our region,” said Justin Benfield, CEO of Prisma Health Laurens County Hospital and Prisma Health Hillcrest Hospital. “Our goal is to create a seamless experience across the continuum of care, ensuring patients can easily access high-quality services when and where they need them most.

“I am honored to be part of a health care system that focuses on providing access to patients where they need it most and help keep them close to where they live, work and play,” Benfield said in the release.

Local community leaders cheered the expansion.

Rep. Mark Willis, S.C. House District 16, attended the ceremony, saying, “The groundbreaking for Prisma Health’s Fountain Inn Medical Park is another example of Prisma’s commitment to providing exceptional and more convenient care in our growing Upstate community. I am thrilled this project will improve access for patients across District 16 and beyond.”

Fountain Inn Mayor G.P. McLeer also had praise for the project.

“I am thrilled to celebrate the groundbreaking for Prisma Health’s new medical park in Fountain Inn,” McLeer said in the release. “This exciting project will bring much needed access to health care services for our community and the surrounding area. Prisma has continued to be a valued partner in our community, and we look forward to seeing this project in Fountain Inn.”

Recruitment planning for physicians and other health care professionals is already under way for the medical park project.