$45 Million Medical Pavillion to Provide Patient-Centered Design
By Fay Harvey
BLUFFTON, S.C. — The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) recently broke ground on a $45 million medical office building that will introduce essential healthcare services that were previously unavailable in the area.
The new 54,000-square-foot facility will consolidate previously dispersed services into one location, creating more accessibility and convenience for South Carolina’s Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton Counties. Known as the MUSC Health Bluffton Medical Pavilion, the building features a patient-centric design alongside expanded services to increase specialty care. The project will include a freestanding emergency department and an ambulatory surgical center.
“We will provide access to the highest quality care that patients deserve and have grown to expect from MUSC over the years,” said David J. Cole, president of MUSC, in a statement. “We enable the best local care, collaborating with the local communities and expanding access to education, research and patient care in a way that improves health outcomes and eliminates health disparities.”
New Amenities
The three-story office building brings a plethora of new services to the growing area including pediatrics, oncology, vascular treatment and cancer care.
Services include pediatric and adult primary care alongside numerous exam rooms, telehealth stations and offices. A sleep lab with independent access will be located on the first floor in addition to lead-lined X-ray facilities. More imaging services are included on the second floor as well as a cardiovascular lab and instrument sterilization room.
Phlebotomy services will be offered in a designated corridor with four separate blood-drawing stations, while a medical and surgical oncology clinic, a chemotherapy compounding pharmacy and a supporting lab will comprise the third floor. The facility’s pharmacy is negatively pressurized to mitigate the spread of airborne illnesses.
Additionally, the building features a generator to ensure critical operations, such as cardiac procedures and the pharmacy’s compounding, remain functional during power outages.
A large registration area in the building’s lobby will offer clear sightlines, while an entry vestibule with badged access for employees is incorporated to enhance safety. Visitors and staff will have access to two elevators and a stair tower beside a modernly designed glass curtain wall.
On the exterior, patients will find a canopied drop-off area, 259 parking spots with room for ADA-compliant parking and an MRI trailer support pad for expanded imaging services, if necessary. Outside, stormwater runoff was considered with the addition of an outdoor French drain system as well as pervious paving around a retention pond to alleviate flooding.
Improving Experiences and Outcomes
To prioritize patient experience, Charleston, S.C.-based Novus Architects integrated natural light, intuitive wayfinding and flexible, healing environments into the design, according to Ashley McCormick, principal of Novus Architects.
“Each detail of the building’s design was thoughtfully crafted to support both patients and providers, ensuring a space that fosters well-being in which providers can effectively and efficiently deliver exceptional care to their patients,” McCormick added.
The three floors, spanning 18,000 square feet each, will be built by Ladson, S.C.-based Frampton Construction. Civil engineering was completed by Cranston Engineering of Charleston, S.C., while structural engineering was led by Moore Lindner Engineering of Matthews, N.C. DWG Inc. in Mount Pleasant, S.C., worked on the mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire (MEPF) design.
“This project represents an exciting opportunity to expand healthcare access in the Bluffton area, which has nearly tripled its population since 2010,” said Jamie Shipman, project executive at Frampton Construction, in a statement. “Our team is committed to delivering a product that facilitates exceptional patient care and offers medical professionals the technology they need to execute at the highest level.”
The new medical pavilion will create almost 60 new jobs, including 17 new providers, and will be constructed on a piece of land next to the planned Beaufort Memorial Bluffton Community Medical Campus, which is set to break ground later this spring. Construction on the pavillion is slated to finish in spring 2026.