From our very beginning, community has been at the heart of our health system.

In the 1940s, Georgetown American Legion Post No. 114 spearheaded an effort to build a hospital to serve the area. At the time, the nearest hospital was 60 miles away.

A game-changing $100,000 donation from Thomas A. Yawkey, owner of the Boston Red Sox and a frequent visitor to Georgetown, jumpstarted fundraising for the new hospital. On May 11, 1950, the hospital now known as Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital opened, beginning a legacy of community care that endures today.

“It started out as an integral part of the community, because the community is the one that put it here,” said Francis “Jeepy” Ford Jr., a current member of our board of trustees whose family has been intertwined with the health system since his grandfather, Albert W. Ford Sr., served as the post commander who led fundraising efforts for the hospital. “It makes me feel really good that so many people support us and so many people use us.

 “You always feel good when people help people. We are the front line for people in our community. I feel really good that the community spirit of Tidelands Health is moving into the future.”

Ford’s great uncle, Ralph Ford, who served as chairman of the board starting in 1947, made contact with his friend Tom Yawkey to request that crucial $100,000 donation in the 1940s. Today, The Yawkey Foundation continues to carry on its founder’s legacy through generous support of our health system, contributing more than $15 million to our health system to date.

“That was huge,” said Ford, who was the second baby born at the new hospital in 1950. “God only knows where we’d be without all of the contributions from The Yawkey Foundation. We certainly would not be the hospital and health system we are today.”

Ongoing funding from The Yawkey Foundation and others supports unique initiatives such as Tidelands Community Care Network, a public-private partnership that helps uninsured and underinsured adults access health care.

In the past year, The Duke Endowment gave a $500,000 grant and The Leon Levine Foundation donated $225,000 to support the network, which helps community members get needed medications, access nutritional foods and get transportation to physician appointments, among other services. Since its inception in 2012, Tidelands Community Care Network has helped more than 9,000 people and now boasts more than 50 partners, including government agencies, non-profits and religious organizations.

Our health system continues to explore creative ways to serve. One new initiative has helped community members conveniently and safely dispose of unwanted or expired medications. Through secure MedDrop containers at our hospitals, community members disposed of 900 pounds of medications in 2024, the first full year of the program.

Delivering care has certainly evolved since our organization’s early days. In 2024, we implemented Epic, the industry-leading electronic patient medical record. The state-of-the-art platform is transforming the delivery of health care in our region, helping care providers collaborate and streamlining access for patients through the new My Tidelands Health app featuring MyChart.

“That has been a big step in the right direction,” Ford said. “I feel like it will just get better as time goes on.”

We’ve embraced technologies such as Epic to meet the growing needs of the community we serve, staying true to our core purpose.

"That initial group of folks who came together with the help of Tom Yawkey and others over the years to construct that hospital and get it up and off the ground – there were so many that participated in that,” said Dan Scheffing, chairman of our board of trustees. “It was the right group at the right time to make that happen. We’re proud to carry that torch forward.”

Through the decades, visionary leaders expanded services, added technology and helped make advanced care close to home a reality.

In 2004, what is now known as the Tidelands Health Francis B. Ford Cancer Treatment Center opened in Georgetown.

“I’m proud of the naming of the cancer center after Daddy because he, Bubber Ferdon [who served on the board for 35 years] and other board members had worked so hard so that people with cancer would not have to drive 60 miles to have radiation or chemotherapy,” Ford said.

In 2001, our health system began collaborating with MUSC Health to expand cancer care in our community. That initial relationship continues to evolve as our two health systems work together to provide expanded clinical services to the community. Through our collaboation with MUSC Health, we’ve expanded care in numerous areas, including vascular surgery, neurosciences, cardiology and more.

“The whole idea from 2001 to today is how do we work with MUSC Health to bring clinical care to this community so you don’t have to travel to Charleston,” said Bruce Bailey, president and CEO of Tidelands Health.

In 2023, we again raised the bar by becoming the first full member of the MUSC Hollings Cancer Network, offering an integrated approach and enhanced connectivity to MUSC’s research and education expertise. This year, Hollings Cancer Network expanded specialized oncology services to Murrells Inlet through our relationship.

Advanced technology and the successful recruitment of skilled physicians has led to ongoing expansion of services so patients can receive care close to home. In the past year, we’ve added urology and rheumatology physician practices and created a comprehensive weight-loss program.

"From the staff and administration, there was an excitement about being able to build that program and offer that service to patients in this area,” said Dr. Seun Omofoye, a neurosurgeon who joined the health system in 2021 to grow a neurosurgery program. “Being able to deliver high-level care and having that collaborative relationship with MUSC Health, it’s helpful because you are able to have patients close to home where they have the family support they need. It’s really valuable for patients in terms of their recovery.

“Patients are generally very grateful for the great care they are able to receive but also the compassionate way in which it’s delivered.”

Our health system continues to provide award-winning care that meets or exceeds high-quality state and national standards. In the past year, Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital and Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital earned multiple Zero Harm awards for patient safety from the South Carolina Hospital Association, recognition for providing high-quality stroke care and treatment and accolades as high-performing in specific procedures and treatment of certain conditions from U.S. News & World Report. Tidelands Health Cardiology has also been honored for two decades of nuclear medicine accreditation.

“It’s about health care for our community,” said Julian Reynolds Jr., who has served on the health system board of trustees for nearly 50 years. “I’m proud of this hospital and this accomplishment, and I’m proud of anything that I had to do to help it. It’s about what’s best for people.”

Dr. Oluwaseun Omofoye discusses how patients benefit from the collaboration between Tidelands Health and MUSC Health.

As we learned from the community support we’ve had since our founding, we’re better together. Today, partnerships help us support the health and wellness of our community.

We first opened a health and fitness center in Pawleys Island in 1998. Today, that facility is one of three regional YMCA locations, and Tidelands Health is proud to serve as the exlusive health system partner of YMCA of Coastal Carolina. Our two organizations work to improve the health and wellness of our community through programs such as Safe Sitter classes, summer camp activities and Safety Around Water, which provides free water safety lessons to second graders.

As the official health care provider of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, we encourage an active lifestyle through sports for better health. Last spring, hundreds of students received free sports physicals provided by Tidelands Health physicians and providers at clinics set up at Georgetown County schools.

“We can’t do it all by ourselves,” Bailey said. “We all have to work together to make the community better.”

Our health system also continues to build on our proud tradition of hosting and supporting community events.

In October 2024, a record 2,100-plus people participated in our annual In the Pink breast cancer awareness walk, held at Brookgreen Gardens. The beloved event, which raised more than $250,000 in 2024, will celebrate its 20^th anniversary this October.

Our health system also supports one of the largest annual events in Myrtle Beach, providing on-site medical care as the official health care provider of the Carolina Country Music Fest.

Claire Chapin Epps YMCA

Bruce Bailey, Tidelands Health president and CEO, reflects on the importance of community partners.

Over the past 75 years, we’ve built a network of four hospitals and more than 70 outpatient locations to serve our fast-growing region.

From the opening of Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital in 2002 to the establishment of dozens of physician offices, rehabilitation clinics, imaging centers and two Tidelands Health Rehabilitation Hospital locations, we’ve grown with our growing community.

Now, planning is underway for Tidelands Health Carolina Bays Hospital, to be located in south Horry County.

Initial site work at the future location of the 70-bed hospital has begun. The Tidelands Health Carolina Bays Hospital campus will also be home to a third location Tidelands Health Rehabilitation Hospital, an affiliate of Encompass Health, and specialty services such as advanced cancer care, open-heart surgery and pediatric sub-specialty care.

“One of the most significant changes has been how we focus on ambulatory care across our network,” said Gayle Resetar, executive vice president and chief operating officer. Resetar has helped develop numerous new facilities during her 30-plus-year career at Tidelands Health.

“That might mean physician practices, freestanding imaging centers,” she said. “Tidelands Health Medical Park at The Market Common is another big milestone. We are a fully integrated health system, and we deliver all those elements of care. We’re very different than we were 50 years ago or even 25 years ago.

“Today, we’re really a health care system that’s spread our wings quite a bit across the whole continuum of care. It’s very integrated, and I think that’s the future.”

Aerial rendering of Carolina Bays hospital

Gayle Resetar, Tidelands Health executive vice president and COO, discusses the organization’s transformation into a fully integrated health care delivery system.

Our partnerships are helping us prepare the next generation of health care professionals to serve our community through innovative educational and training programs.

In the past year, we launched the Tidelands Health Scholars program in partnership with Georgetown County School District and Horry-Georgetown Technical College, providing high-school students training and education in health care fields before they graduate.

We’ve also partnered with Horry-Georgetown Technical College to expand the college’s nursing program with a new location on the campus of Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital. The new Tidelands Health HGTC Education Center features a simulation lab and classroom space for nursing students to learn.

In addition to inspiring future nurses and physicians, our health system uses unique opportunities to fill other in-demand fields in health care. We partner with HGTC for skilled IT professionals, as the South Carolina Hospital Association highlighted this year in a special “H is for Hiring” broadcast on SCETV. And we hosted our first “Healing Hands: Career Pathways in Rehabilition” event this year, designed to inspire high-school students to pursue the in-demand rehabilitation services field.

Also new in 2025, we added a transitional year residency program, building on the success of the Tidelands Health MUSC Family Medicine Residency Program. Many residents who train here remain with our health system as practicing physicians after graduation.

Myrtle Beach native Dr. Sean Nguyen, medical director of family medicine, was one of the first family medicine residents to graduate from the program and now advises current physician residents.

“I always look at Myrtle Beach and say to myself, ‘Look at the difference you’ve made in a small community by being a provider.’ That is the greatest advice I give to resident physicians,” Dr. Nguyen said. “We put the community first and having quality care but also effective care – it makes my job easy.”

Representatives from Tidelands Health, Georgetown County School District and Horry-Georgetown Technical College stand in front of Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital

Dr. Sean Nguyen, a family medicine physician at Tidelands Health, reflects on his journey from student to teacher at the health system.

Our people make the real difference.

Every day, we receive heartfelt thank yous, emails and even handwritten letters of thanks from our patients for the high-quality, compassionate care our team members provide.

"I am proudest when I have a friend or acquaintance come up to me in the street and tell me what great service they had at Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital or Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital,” Ford said.

Team Tidelands is the epitome of what a care team should be: skilled, dedicated and passionate. Our 2,500 physician, employee and volunteer partners are also your neighbors, fellow church members, coaches of your kids’ sports teams and more.

Our team members not only serve the community – we are also part of the community. Even though our health system continues to expand, we remain rooted in our community-first approach.

“I think the real legacy of Tidelands Health will be the people, the culture, the leaders that we develop,” Resetar said. “We’ll continue to grow to meet the needs of the patients where they are. We’ve laid some great groundwork for that in the future. We’ve got ourselves really well positioned for the long-term future. We’ve maintained a certain culture within our organization that cares about the community, and we care about expanding services and continuing to grow as we need to.”

Thanks to Team Tidelands, our health system has been repeatedly recognized by Becker’s Healthcare as a top place to work in health care and by Gallagher as a high-performance employer.

“I care about people,” said Gloria Washington, a certified pharmacy technician who has worked for our health system for 41 years and who learned directly from our first pharmacist, Dr. Charles F. Cooper. “It makes me feel good at the end of the day when I go home. I may not have direct contact with the patients, but I have helped somebody feel better and I have given somebody some confidence that they are going to make it.”

Some of our team members and board members have direct bloodlines to those pioneering founders, continuing not only our health system’s legacy but also their family legacy.

Robert Jones, vice chairman of our board of trustees, feels like he’s come full circle with our health system -- from being born at Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital in 1964 to recently having knee surgery there. The son of the hospital’s second radiologist and 13^th physician, Jones recalls tagging along with his dad to the hospital on weekends.

Now, the younger Jones is proud to help chart the health system’s future.

“At the end of the day, what matters to people is who it is you’re dealing with every day, whether you’re in the hospital bed or you’re going to see your physician,” Jones said. “It’s the quality of the people we have. I like that we’ve been able to be independent and keep that local touch and local feel and provide the care that people want and deserve in every aspect from birth to now.”

Bailey, who celebrates 26 years as the health system’s president and CEO this year, applauds every member of Team Tidelands, as well as our many community partners, for helping our organization keep our community focus.

“It’s in our DNA, right?,” Bailey said. “It started that way. It was a community-led effort to start Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital, and to this day we are still a community-led, community-focused organization. Our only reason for our existence is to make sure the health and wellness needs of our community are met.”

Bruce Bailey celebrates the past, present and future of Tidelands Health.