System News

Wednesday, June 10, 2026: Roper St. Francis Healthcare is celebrating the completion of major construction at its expanded Berkeley Hospital, capping three years of renovations and new construction that doubled bed capacity and enhanced the community’s access to comprehensive care.

The project added more than 300,000 square feet of new or renovated space, brought 350 healthcare jobs to the community and introduced new services, allowing Berkeley Hospital to care for more patients, reduce wait times and provide advanced care close to home.

Berkeley Hospital opened at 100 Callen Blvd., Summerville, in 2019 as Berkeley County's first full-service hospital in 45 years. Goose Creek, Summerville and surrounding communities have grown in the years since then, highlighting the need for a campus that offers an array of healthcare services for a life lived here in the Lowcountry.

"Berkeley Hospital has been providing exceptional care to this community since day one," Roper St. Francis Healthcare President & CEO Joseph DeLeon said. "This expansion reflects our commitment to grow alongside our neighbors and ensure families have access to advanced healthcare close to home. The investments made here today will benefit patients for generations to come."

Roper St. Francis Healthcare hosted a celebration June 10 that gathered teammates, clinical leaders, community members and local officials to mark the occasion. The event included a ribbon-cutting for the expanded Gregory M. Parker Emergency Department, made possible in part through a historic $5 million donation from Parker’s Kitchen founder and Executive Chairman Greg Parker and the Parker’s Community Fund.

Completion of major construction marks a significant milestone in Roper St. Francis Healthcare's commitment to grow with the community – a key component of the not-for-profit organization’s 2030 Strategic Plan. Berkeley Hospital's new Labor & Delivery Unit, one of the final areas completed this month as part of the expansion, offers families a modern, comfortable environment to welcome new babies.

Teammates, physicians, contractors and community partners worked together since construction began in 2023 to bring the expansion to life while providing uninterrupted, safe care to patients. The facility maintained an "A" Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group throughout the three-year project, underscoring Berkeley Hospital's commitment to patient safety while remaining fully operational.

“Reaching this milestone would not have been possible without the support, patience and dedication of so many people,” said Jennifer Crawford, Chief Nursing Officer of Berkeley Hospital. “Our teammates have continued to deliver exceptional care while adapting to changing spaces and workflows. Their commitment to our patients never wavered, and this expansion is a testament to what can be accomplished when an entire community comes together.”

Highlights of the expansion include:

• Added more than 300,000 square feet of new or renovated space to the pre-existing campus
• New four-story bed tower, increasing inpatient capacity from 50 to 100 beds, including doubled ICU space, new intermediate care unit and medical-surgical unit
• Expanded emergency services, with Gregory M. Parker Emergency Department growing from 14 to 35 patient care bays
• Doubled key imaging services with two CT scanners and two MRI units; expanded Interventional Radiology
• Expanded women’s imaging, including new DEXA bone density scan
• Enhanced women, infants and children services with new Labor & Delivery Unit, including six delivery rooms, six nursery beds and 12 postpartum rooms; new Perinatal Center for pregnant women with potential complicating conditions
• New Heart & Vascular Center, bringing a full suite of cardiovascular services together under one roof
• New wound care services
• Doubled surgical capacity with eight total operating rooms; renovated perioperative space to enhance patient experience from pre- through post-operative care; additional space for sterile processing
• Expanded laboratory
• Expanded pharmacy, supporting 24/7 operations
• Expanded dining, main lobby and registration areas, cultivating an inviting and relaxing place for patients, visitors and teammates
• Additional new and renovated clinical space designed to support future growth and advanced care services

The four-story inpatient tower serves as a prominent new feature of the campus, which rests in the City of Goose Creek. A day-lit grand concourse connects the hospital and Medical Office Building through a weather-protected corridor.

"From its opening in 2019, Berkeley Hospital has been an essential part of our community. This expansion reflects the tremendous growth and bright future of Goose Creek and Berkeley County," Goose Creek Mayor Greg Habib said. "As more families choose to call this area home, investments like this ensure residents have access to high-quality healthcare close to home. We are grateful for Roper St. Francis Healthcare's continued commitment to serving our community and meeting the needs of our growing region."

About 2,000 tons of steel and 8,500 cubic yards of concrete were used to complete the expansion, with Roper St. Francis Healthcare teammates playing an integral role in designing spaces that maximize healing, efficiency and patient experience.

Construction was completed by Rodgers Builders in phases to allow Berkeley Hospital to remain fully operational throughout the project. Crews will remain on site in the coming weeks to add finishing touches.

“We are proud to partner with Roper St. Francis Healthcare to bring this important expansion to life,” said Jonathan Byers, Vice President for Construction Operations at Rodgers Builders. “Our team delivered a complex, multi-phase project while maintaining a safe, fully operational hospital environment. This milestone reflects the dedication of our project teams and trade partners, and our shared commitment to building spaces that enhance patient care and support the growing Lowcountry community.”

Roper St. Francis Healthcare will continue advancements throughout the region to meet clinical needs. New health pavilions offering emergency, imaging, lab and specialty services will open this summer on Sawmill Centre Drive in Summerville and late 2027 on Johnnie Dodds Boulevard in Mount Pleasant. A state-of-the-art future Roper Hospital campus now under construction in North Charleston is on track for completion in 2029.

Berkeley Hospital expansion construction quick facts

• 600,000 total work hours
• 3,100 craftworkers
• 2,000 tons of steel
• 8,500 cubic yards of concrete
• 18 miles of earthquake drains installed
• 3 miles of aggregate piers installed
• 48 out of 88 patient bathrooms prefabricated off site
• 631 prefabricated exterior wall panels built off site

About Roper St. Francis Healthcare  

As a not-for-profit healthcare system, Roper St. Francis Healthcare chooses purpose over profits by putting extra money back into the system to help meet the health needs of the Charleston community. The healthcare system features four flagship hospitals: Roper Hospital, Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital, Mount Pleasant Hospital and Berkeley Hospital. In an emergency, the healthcare system offers six strategically placed emergency departments with more on the way. With nearly 7,000 teammates, Roper St. Francis Healthcare is the Lowcountry’s largest private employer with more than 1,000 doctors representing almost every medical specialty. The system has nearly 700 beds and about 120 facilities and services across four counties. Learn more: rsfh.com.