MUSC Health to Expand Access to Emergency, Urgent Care Through Key Collaboration

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MUSC Health in collaboration with Intuitive Health will expand access to immediate medical care across South Carolina through the development of several state-of-the-art emergency rooms (ERs) offering combined emergency and urgent care services.

“This partnership is a significant step forward in redefining how care is delivered in our communities,” said Patrick J. Cawley, M.D., MUSC Health CEO and executive vice president for Health Affairs, University.

Cawley added, “By integrating emergency and urgent care services, we are ensuring that our patients receive comprehensive, high-quality treatment promptly, without the stress of having to decide the level of care they require.”

Studies have shown that a significant number of ER visits are for nonemergency health concerns that could be effectively managed in an urgent care setting.

To address this, MUSC Health and Intuitive Health are launching a combined emergency room and urgent care model that officials say simplifies patient decision-making.

Patients will be triaged upon arrival and provided with the appropriate level of care by emergency-trained staff in a fully equipped facility, which will also accommodate EMS and ambulances.

“We are excited to collaborate with MUSC to bring a transformative health care solution to communities throughout South Carolina,” said Thom Herrmann, CEO of Intuitive Health.

Herrmann added, “By combining ER and urgent care under one roof, we are providing patients with a seamless, cost-effective way to receive the right level of care without the confusion or financial burden of choosing between emergency and urgent care services.”

Officials said the partnership is further strengthened with the inclusion of Tidelands Health and Beaufort Memorial Hospital.

Those institutions will join forces with MUSC Health and Intuitive Health to extend the reach of these combination facilities, further enhancing access to quality care, the officials said.