Tidelands Health, MUSC Health to expand community’s access to advanced heart care
Tidelands Health, in partnership with MUSC Health, plans to expand local access to advanced cardiac care, recruiting specialists and adding new services to meet community need.
A multifaceted strategy approved by the health system’s board of trustees includes the recruitment of additional cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons to serve patients across Georgetown and Horry counties and, long term, the establishment of a comprehensive open-heart surgery program and the construction of a state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization lab at the planned Tidelands Health Carolina Bays Hospital, to be built in the Socastee community.
“The cardiovascular experts at Tidelands Health have cared for the hearts of thousands of area residents over the years,” said Dr. Philip Dulberger, executive vice president and chief physician executive. “Our team has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association for excellence in cardiac care, and we are excited to bring a new, advanced level of heart care to the people of our region.”
Tidelands Health will work closely with MUSC Health to expand patients’ access to lifesaving cardiac care close to home. MUSC Health treats more heart patients than any other hospital in South Carolina, and the health system is ranked the No. 1 hospital in the state by U.S. News & World Report.
Tidelands Health is the Grand Strand region’s exclusive MUSC Health affiliate.
The recruitment of new heart-care experts to meet community need in Georgetown and Horry counties has already begun, while the planned open-heart surgery program and cardiac cath lab will require state approval.
Tidelands Health expects to file certificate-of-need applications for the new services with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Pending approval, construction would begin upon the completion of Tidelands Health Carolina Bays Hospital, which has received state approval but is on hold while legal appeals are heard.
The new hospital, to be located at the interchange of Highways 31 and 707 in south Horry County, is tentatively projected to open in 2027.
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of both men and women in the United States, and approximately 500,000 Americans undergo open-heart surgery each year. The lifesaving procedure is used to treat myriad complex conditions, including heart failure, congenital heart defects, arrhythmias, aneurysms and coronary artery disease.
A cardiac catheterization lab, meanwhile, is the setting where clinicians perform procedures such as ablation, angiogram, angioplasty and pacemaker implantation. Already, Tidelands Health operates Georgetown County’s only cardiac cath lab, located at Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital.
The expansion of cardiac services is one of numerous initiatives Tidelands Health is undertaking to meet the health care needs of the fast-growing region. In recent years, the health system – the area’s largest health care provider -- has recruited dozens of specialists in fields ranging from endocrinology and neurosurgery to gastroenterology, secured leading technology such as robotic-assisted surgery and constructed state-of-the-art treatment facilities. Tidelands Health is also the state’s first full affiliate of the MUSC Hollings Cancer Network, delivering advanced oncology care close to home.
“As a not-for-profit health system, our sole mission is the health of the communities we serve,” said Bruce Bailey, president and CEO. “Just as our region continues to grow and transform, Tidelands Health with the support of MUSC Health, is also transforming – bringing a new level of advanced, compassionate care to our region so that the people of Georgetown and Horry counties can receive the care they need close to home.”
