'We need more healthcare': Highlighting growing need and expansion updates at State of the Community
March 19, 2025
There were several trends identified at the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce’s “State of the Community” presentation on Feb. 28, among them being a growing population, an aging population and a struggling workforce.
Beaufort Memorial is working to adapt to those trends, as well as combat some of the challenges the industry is facing with innovative, smart solutions, reported hospital president and CEO Russell Baxley during the healthcare portion of the presentation.
The State of the Community
The presentation, held at Dataw Island, gathered community leaders for the Chamber’s first “State of the Community” event, highlighting key elements of the region north of the Broad River.
The areas addressed during the presentation were regional demographic data, economic highlights, the state of community service in the county, healthcare, housing and local government.
Key takeaways that face both the community as a whole and the area’s only community hospital, Beaufort Memorial: Beaufort County is growing rapidly, and the county’s population is aging.
“That has a material impact on healthcare because as we age, we are going to need more healthcare,” Baxley said. “And we are going to need more people who are able to join the workforce. We are seeing trends, especially in Beaufort County, where that math doesn’t work. We need more healthcare.”
The Trickle-Down Effect
Baxley emphasized during his presentation that at the national level, “it’s an extremely busy and uncertain time in healthcare.”
Healthcare accounts for almost 19% of the nation’s GDP, and that number continues to grow. At the federal level, proposed cuts to funding affecting national healthcare agencies could pose some real challenges for the industry, trickling down to the state and local levels.
Other changes at the federal level include the uncertainty of physician payment cuts and insurance adjustments.
Tariffs will also potentially alter the healthcare landscape, Baxley said.
“We get a lot of our supplies from a number of different countries, and tariffs have the potential to increase our supply cost by 20% if everything goes into effect,” he explained. “That is a big deal for an already escalating expense climate.”
Workforce Development
Locally, Beaufort Memorial has recognized for years that the population of the Lowcountry is growing, and that increased demand for high-quality, patient-first care means recruiting and retaining a skilled workforce.
“Statistically, we are one of the worst states with population-to-physician ratio,” Baxley said. “How does that affect Beaufort County? Well, based on our studies, we are approximately 40 primary care providers short and approximately 70 specialists and surgeons short today.”
The industry is also feeling a nursing shortage, as well as a shortage in support positions. Beaufort Memorial has a workforce development plan that targets some of the big challenges to recruitment that the area faces: childcare and affordable housing.
The hospital’s PATH program (People Achieving Their Highest) has an array of internal pathways for career advancement and has graduated 79 individuals in a total of 8 cohorts since 2022. The program has also recently unveiled a collaboration with the Beaufort County School District and offers youth volunteer opportunities – all ways to strengthen the pipeline in career development for healthcare in the Lowcountry.
Beaufort Memorial cut the ribbon in November on its new on-campus location of the Learning Center, employer-subsidized childcare facility that offers an accessible, affordable and convenient option for staff members and their families.
In Bluffton, the hospital is also nearing the groundbreaking of its first workforce housing development in partnership with Woda Cooper Companies, LiveWell Terrace by BMH. The project will include 120 residential units and be available to the public for rental.
Expanding Access and Our Next Steps
During the presentation, Baxley also touched on several expansion projects underway or in their planning phases now, including:
- Surgical Pavilion renovation and expansion
- Crisis Stabilization Unit
- Angiography Suite
- May River Crossing Primary Care site (planned 5,000 square-foot medical office building, adding four primary care providers and 20 jobs to the May River community)
- Lady’s Island Internal Medicine renovation and Lowcountry Medical Group expansion
- Beaufort Memorial Emergency & Urgent Care on Hilton Head Island
- Bluffton Community Medical Campus (BCMC) on the corner of Buckwalter and Bluffton Parkways
The sitework for the BCMC began in early February.
Baxley’s presentation at the event finished with Megan Morris, president and CEO of the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, honoring the hospital for 50 years of Chamber membership.
Learn more about Beaufort Memorial’s commitment to expanding access to primary and specialty care across the Lowcountry.
Expanding Health Care Access in Bluffton
Expanding Health Care Access in Beaufort
Expanding Health Care Access in Hilton Head