How MUSC is bringing health care home to South Carolina 

For many people, going to the doctor isn’t a big deal. You make the appointment, put it in your calendar, take some time off work, and get your check-up. 

But for people who live far from medical providers or don’t have reliable transportation, a simple doctor’s visit can mean lost wages, long travel or care delayed altogether. That’s the reality for many South Carolinians, especially those in rural communities, those without insurance, or those working hourly jobs. 

Since 2005, 146 rural U.S. hospitals have closed or been downgraded — leaving critical care out of reach for thousands of patients. (Source: USDA) 

That’s why MUSC is stepping up: expanding access and redefining what’s possible.  

Thanks in part to donor support, care is reaching more patients in more communities than ever before. With 17 hospitals serving all 46 counties, MUSC is building a healthier South Carolina, one community at a time. 

Here’s how patients across the state are experiencing primary, specialty and emergency care – right in their own communities. 

Care that comes to you 

📍 All 46 SC counties 

When Dawn Perrone, a 60-year-old living near Johns Island, found herself without health insurance, she started delaying routine care, including cancer screenings. 

“It’s so expensive,” she said. “I really try to stay out of the doctor’s office.” 

Two years passed without an exam. Then she discovered the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center Mobile Health Unit — a traveling clinic that brings screening services directly to communities across the state. 

In one visit, Perrone received both a mammogram and a pap smear, all at no cost to her. The appointment took just 30 minutes, and she appreciated being able to drive to nearby Hollywood, avoiding downtown traffic. 

Getting the all-clear gave her priceless peace of mind. 

Care that goes the distance 

Yolanda Walker, a registered nurse with the mobile health unit, hears stories like Dawn’s every day. The mobile team visits churches, workplaces, and even prisons, ensuring that women across South Carolina, including those over 40, can access routine breast and cervical cancer screenings. 

The program also serves uninsured and underinsured women through a partnership with South Carolina’s Best Chance Network. And it’s made possible in part by donors, including a recent gift from the Kuznik Charitable Foundation. 

“This work removes barriers that prevent women from getting care,” Walker said. “We’re not just making it easier – we’re making it possible.” 

The unit, launched in 2022, is equipped with 3D tomosynthesis mammography technology, a crucial tool for women at high risk or with dense breast tissue. It served 712 patients in 2024 – a nearly fivefold increase in just two years. 

“If we can prevent something, catch it early enough, or increase someone’s survival rate, that’s everything,” Walk said.

Emergency rooms that save time and lives 

📍 Cades in Williamsburg County, SC 

When you need emergency care, every mile matters. In rural areas, distance can be the difference between timely treatment and a crisis. That’s why rural hospitals aren’t just a convenience – they’re critical to public health. 

That was the case in Williamsburg County, where two local hospitals closed, leaving the community without a nearby emergency room. MUSC saw the need and responded, opening MUSC Health Black River Medical Center in the rural town of Cades. 

A new facility made possible by donors 

Before joining the Black River team, emergency nurse Debra Holliday worked at Williamsburg Regional, a temporary modular facility set up after the 1,000-year flood destroyed the original hospital in 2015. 

“We were in FEMA trailers for six years,” she said. “We gave amazing care, but the building itself was falling apart.” 

That changed in 2023. With more than $3.8 million raised from individuals and organizations, MUSC opened a state-of-the-art hospital in 2023 to serve both Williamsburg and lower Florence counties. 

“Everything's brand new,” Holliday said. “It's a very up-to-date hospital.”  

Better equipment, better care

Every room in the 64,000-square-foot facility is fully stocked, and each has a heart monitor, which may seem small but makes a big difference in an emergency. 

“When seconds count, walking down the hall to find equipment isn’t an option,” Holliday said. “Now we have what we need, right where we need it.” 

Outside of the ER, the upgrades are just as significant. Black River is home to the first permanent MRI in Williamsburg County and now offers 3D mammograms – services that were previously hours away. 

Advanced care with a community feel 

While the technology is cutting-edge, Holliday says what makes Black River special is its heart. 

“This is still a place where neighbors take care of neighbors,” she said. 

She would know. In 2023, she had both knees replaced there as a patient. 

“I was very, very pleased,” she said. “I’ve been in bigger hospitals that didn’t have this level of personal care. It makes all the difference.” 

Life-changing transplants in Lancaster

📍 Lancaster County, SC  

Until recently, patients in South Carolina who needed a kidney transplant had one option: travel to Charleston. For many, that meant driving several hours each way, staying in hotels for weeks after surgery, eating takeout meals, and recovering far from home – all of which made an already expensive and stressful procedure even harder. 

That changed in 2022, when MUSC Health Lancaster Medical Center opened its transplant center – expanding access to specialty care in the northern part of the state. A generous $500,000 gift from Founders Federal Credit Union helped support the launch of this program. 

“This center gives people the chance to heal at home,” said Prince Anand, M.D., director of transplant services. “They can sleep in their own beds, eat their own food, and stay close to their support systems. That makes recovery faster, cheaper and better.” 

More access, more lives saved 

By adding a second transplant site, MUSC can serve patients from rural areas who previously had few options – and potentially match more patients with donor organs.

Because organs can be shared within a 250-nautical mile radius, Lancaster’s location near Charlotte gives MUSC access to a larger geographic area for both donors and recipients. 

And the expansion isn’t stopping there. The team is working toward launching a living donor program, which would allow healthy individuals to donate a kidney to someone in need – giving patients more chances to find a match, and more time to live. 

A statewide system of care 

The benefits of expanding specialty care reach beyond Lancaster. Because MUSC’s network is connected statewide, even patients who do travel for surgery can have labs and tests done closer to home.

“It’s faster, more efficient service for the patient and the provider,” Anand said. “The definition of good quality, local care has changed in the state of South Carolina.” 

One mission, many communities  

From mobile screenings to rural surgery suites, MUSC is building a new model of care – one that puts patients first, no matter where they live. 

And with continued donor support, we can bring care even closer to home for every South Carolinian.

Let’s keep redefining local.  Together, we can reach even more patients, right where they are.  Learn more about how you can make an impact today.