Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital Emergency Department expansion nears completion

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Sumter, S.C. — On Wednesday, September 13, Prisma Health showcased the completed first phase of a ten-year, $15.7 million expansion project for the Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital Emergency Department.

The newly expanded Emergency Department now encompasses a total of 39 beds with the addition of 13 beds and 13,000 square feet to patient care areas, increasing capacity by 33 percent with emphasis on improving the patient experience. Patients will access and receive care in the new space later this month.

Mike Bundy, Prisma Health CEO for the Midlands market, said, “This much-anticipated expansion will ease wait times and overcrowding challenges in the emergency department, which is consistently one of Prisma Health’s highest volume emergency departments enterprise-wide.”

Susan Gaymon, chief nursing officer for Tuomey Hospital said, “For this community, it is so important to be able to provide a close-to-home access point to the vast range of world-class services available through Prisma Health.”

Over the last 10 years, the Tuomey Emergency Department averaged more than 50,000 visits annually, with a projection of over 55,000 visits in 2023. This expansion increases the capacity to provide emergency care to more than 65,000 patients a year.

As Phase 1 expansion work concludes, Phase 2 begins and includes a comprehensive renovation of the original emergency department, as well as a new grant-funded behavioral health crisis stabilization unit. Phase 2 is slated for completion in early 2024. Then, Phase 3 will complete the full transformation with upgrades to the current trauma space and adjoining hallway in late Spring, 2025.

The emergency medicine team, led by department chair Dr. Eric Wernsman, provides immediate evaluation and treatment to severely sick and injured patients who arrive for care 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. As the only emergency department serving several counties in that region, Prisma Health’s focus on community health services continues to improve access and clinical outcomes for patients in Sumter’s largely rural service area.

Local leaders had the opportunity to tour the expanded facility on Wednesday and learned more about the enhanced emergency department capabilities.

As the state’s largest healthcare provider, Prisma Health works with civic and community leaders to improve health outcomes for families and communities. An example of this partnership is a $9.1 million-dollar grant awarded by the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to enhance behavioral health crisis stabilization services in the Tuomey Hospital Emergency Department. The effort to address this critical community need received support from South Carolina House of Representatives Speaker Murrell Smith (R–Sumter) and members of the Sumter County Legislative Delegation.
Regarding the emergency department expansion project, Representative Smith said, “Prisma Health’s expansion of the Tuomey Hospital emergency department is a true investment in Sumter and its surrounding communities. I am pleased to celebrate the milestone of the completion of the first phase of this important project that will have a lasting impact on the health and well-being of our citizens.”

Senator Thomas McElveen (D–Sumter) said, “I am thrilled and excited to see such a meaningful investment in the Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital emergency department that will ensure that people in Sumter and the surrounding areas will have increased access to emergent care for years to come. This is a landmark investment in Sumter that will enable our hospital to continue to grow along with our community and our evolving healthcare needs.”

Representative David Weeks (D–Sumter) said, “I join the people of Sumter in celebrating increased access to emergency healthcare services through the emergency department expansion at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital.”

About Prisma Health
Prisma Health is a private nonprofit health company and the largest healthcare organization in South Carolina. The company has 29,500 team members, 18 acute and specialty hospitals, 2,947 beds, 300 outpatient sites, and more than 5,100 employed and independent clinicians across its clinically integrated inVio Health Network. Along with this innovative network, Prisma Health serves almost 1.5 million unique patients annually in its 21-county market area that covers 50% of South Carolina. Prisma Health’s goal is to improve the health of all South Carolinians by enhancing clinical quality, the patient experience and access to affordable care, as well as conducting clinical research and training the next generation of medical professionals. Learn more at PrismaHealth.org.