Charleston, SC (May 20, 2026) — HCA Healthcare is expanding access to emergency medical care in Berkeley County with the groundbreaking of HCA Healthcare Cane Bay ER, a new freestanding emergency room designed to serve the rapidly growing Cane Bay, Nexton, Del Webb, Carnes Crossroads, and surrounding communities.
Community leaders, healthcare representatives, EMS partners, and local officials gathered to celebrate the beginning of a project that reflects HCA Healthcare’s continued investment in the health and future of the Lowcountry. Once complete, the facility will bring high-quality, 24/7 emergency care closer to home for thousands of families in one of South Carolina’s fastest-growing regions.
Once the $15 million project is complete, HCA Healthcare Cane Bay ER will feature 10,000 square feet of space and provide full-service emergency care staffed by board-certified emergency physicians and specially trained clinicians. The facility will include 10 patient exam rooms, a dedicated triage room, advanced imaging services including CT and X-ray, laboratory services and telemedicine capabilities for stroke and behavioral health care.
Neal Shelley, MD, ER Medical Director for HCA Healthcare Cane Bay ER, said the facility will provide residents with something invaluable during a medical emergency:
proximity to care.
“When someone experiences a medical emergency, access matters,” Shelley said. “This ER will provide proximity to emergency physicians, advanced diagnostics, and life-saving care when minutes matter most. It will improve response times, support our EMS partners, and give families confidence knowing experienced emergency care is close to home.”
Shelley added that all physicians staffing the facility will be board-certified in emergency medicine and supported by experienced emergency nurses and clinicians.
“Every decision behind this project has been guided by one goal — strengthening the long-term health, safety, and well-being of this community,” Shelley said. “This investment is for the families who live here today and for the generations who will call this area home in the future.”
The new ER is part of HCA Healthcare’s continued expansion of healthcare services across South Carolina’s Lowcountry to meet the needs of the region’s rapid population growth. Later this year, HCA Healthcare Johns Island ER and HCA Healthcare Long Point ER will also open to serve residents in Johns Island and Mt. Pleasant.
“By bringing our emergency services closer to home with multiple freestanding ERs across Charleston, we’re ensuring patients have timely access to high-quality care when every minute matters,” said Jeff Taylor, Interim Chief Executive Officer for HCA Healthcare Summerville Hospital. “HCA Healthcare Cane Bay ER represents another important step in strengthening healthcare access throughout Berkeley County.”
In 2025, more than 350,000 patients received emergency care at an HCA Healthcare facility in the Lowcountry. Across the region, HCA Healthcare continues to grow as one connected healthcare network focused on expanding access to advanced care while remaining deeply rooted in the communities it serves.
The groundbreaking ceremony included remarks from healthcare leaders, EMS officials, local elected officials, physicians, and community representatives, followed by a ceremonial turning of the dirt.
About HCA Healthcare in the Lowcountry
As part of HCA Healthcare, one of the nation’s leading healthcare providers, HCA Healthcare in the Lowcountry is a unified network of hospitals and healthcare services, including HCA Healthcare Trident Hospital, HCA Healthcare Summerville Hospital, HCA Healthcare Live Oak Mental Health and Wellness, and HCA Healthcare Colleton Hospital. Together, they comprise a collaborative healthcare network focused on expanding access to advanced care while honoring the unique needs of each community. Having collectively served their communities for more than 120 years, these hospitals and sites of care are committed to improving health and advancing care across the Lowcountry.
