By HFT Editorial Staff

Roper St. Francis Healthcare recently announced a strategic plan centered on modernizing technology and expanding patient care. A focal point of Roper St. Francis Healthcare 2030 is moving Roper Hospital from the Charleston, S.C., peninsula so patients can more easily access care closer to where they live and work.

This new building will be the fourth location for Roper Hospital since it opened downtown in 1856 and will be technologically and structurally upgraded to better withstand natural disasters, such as floods, hurricanes and earthquakes.

The strategic plan is a roadmap for the next decade for the Lowcountry’s largest healthcare system for adults. It marks a milestone since the Medical Society of South Carolina and Bon Secours Mercy Health announced its joint venture to share ownership of Roper St. Francis Healthcare in late 2019. Roper St. Francis Healthcare is built on key initiatives:

• Optimize the footprint: In addition to relocating Roper Hospital, Roper St. Francis Healthcare will expand Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital and the services the system’s newest hospital provides to meet the growing community’s demands. Roper St. Francis Healthcare also will acquire land to improve access where large numbers of residents live.
• Modernize technology: Roper St. Francis Healthcare will implement a new electronic medical record that will enable patients and medical providers to more easily access records.
• Address the clinical needs of the future: Based on patient needs, Roper St. Francis Healthcare will intentionally expand key healthcare service lines, such as cancer care and orthopedics.
• Improve sustainability: Roper St. Francis Healthcare will work behind the scenes on finances, talent management and processes to improve operational efficiency, which make it possible to serve the community.