Wednesday, November 19, 2025
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Roper St. Francis Healthcare and MUSC Children’s Health launch first-of-its-kind pediatric partnership in South Carolina
In a significant expansion to meet the growing healthcare needs of the Charleston region, MUSC Children’s Health and Roper St. Francis Healthcare are partnering to open a dedicated, 10,000-square-foot Children’s Unit at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital in West Ashley.
This partnership marks the first collaboration of its kind for pediatric inpatient care in South Carolina — a milestone in the long history of teamwork between Roper St. Francis Healthcare and MUSC Health, institutions that date back to 1829 and 1824, respectively.
Scheduled to open in the new year, the unit will offer a modern sanctuary for high-quality, compassionate pediatric care. It will feature 16 private, child-friendly rooms designed for family-centered healing and a 1,000-square-foot playroom to support recovery and well-being.
With MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital ranked in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals 2025-2026 survey as the number one children’s hospital in the state with six nationally ranked pediatric specialties and building on Roper St. Francis Healthcare’s reputation for top-quality pregnancy and newborn care, this expansion will extend services beyond birth and advance the system’s mission of healing all people with compassion, faith and excellence. With the area’s rapid population growth, the project also closely aligns with the Roper St. Francis Healthcare 2030 Strategic Plan, which includes initiatives to optimize the system’s footprint in the region and meet future clinical needs, as well as MUSC’s goal to empower healthy communities.
“With the continued growth of our community, we recognize the challenges families face in getting high-quality, accessible care,” Roper St. Francis Healthcare President and CEO Joseph DeLeon said. “We want to answer that call and ensure families have convenient access to exceptional care. We thank MUSC Health for its close partnership in this endeavor.”
“The MUSC Children’s Health and Roper St. Francis Healthcare partnership is a powerful example of what can happen when two mission-driven organizations come together to meet the needs of our community,” said Patrick J. Cawley, M.D., CEO of MUSC Health and Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, University. “By combining the trusted clinical expertise of MUSC Children’s Health with Roper St. Francis Healthcare’s commitment to community-based care, we’re creating a model that delivers the right care, in the right setting. Families can trust that their children will receive high-quality, compassionate care close to home and backed by the full resources of our academic health system.”
For patients and their loved ones, a key benefit of the unit expansion is the reduction of transfers to other facilities. The new unit will allow Roper St. Francis Healthcare, with MUSC pediatric hospitalists, to treat low-acuity pediatric conditions in-house, providing continuity of care and preventing parental separation during critical moments.
Roper St. Francis Healthcare pediatric nurses certified in pediatric advanced life support (PALS) and rapid response will work with MUSC pediatric specialists to provide round-the-clock, high-quality care for the unit’s young patients.
Families can feel confident knowing they’ll receive the same high-quality care found at MUSC Children’s Health, with MUSC pediatric specialists overseeing care at Roper St. Francis Healthcare.
- The unit blends community-based convenience with the collaboration of a comprehensive children’s hospital, reinforcing trust in quality and safety.
- A clear operational plan ensures that each patient receives the right care in the right setting.
- This initiative represents a true collaboration, with MUSC pediatric hospitalists, Roper St. Francis Healthcare nurses and aligned pharmacy/IT systems working seamlessly together. This alignment of health systems reflects a shared commitment to excellence, accountability and patient-centered care.
The Roper St. Francis Healthcare and MUSC Children’s Health Children’s Unit will feature:
- Emergency, medical-surgical (med-surg) and inpatient services.
- Laboratory, imaging and pre-op services.
- A pediatric clinical pharmacist.
- A child-life specialist to help patients and families cope during their stays.
- A 1,000-square-foot playroom.
The unit blends community-based convenience with the collaboration of a comprehensive children’s hospital that will treat a range of common diagnoses, such as:
- Bronchiolitis in babies over 3 months.
- Stomach illnesses with dehydration.
- Fevers without clear causes.
- Kidney or bladder infections.
- Mild pancreatitis (inflammation).
- Ear, nose and throat surgeries.
“We are honored to extend our nationally ranked care to children and families through this partnership,” DeLeon added. “Providing inpatient care when they need it most is a shared responsibility that we hold dear.”