McLeod Health broke ground on a new Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) at the McLeod Health Carolina Forest campus on Tuesday, October 24th. This center will provide patients with access to same-day surgical procedures at a convenient location. The leadership and staff along with public officials and other community members celebrated this exciting development for the Carolina Forest and surrounding communities.

“We are not a healthcare operating company,” said Donna Isgett, President and CEO of McLeod Health. “We are a mission driven, not-for-profit healthcare system that is invested in taking care of the communities we serve.”

Ambulatory Surgery Centers are healthcare facilities that provide patients access to high-quality surgical services in an outpatient setting. Patients treated at these centers do not require an overnight hospital stay and may go home the same day of their surgical procedure to recover in the comfort of their home.

With the ASC, the outpatient experience for patients will be transformed by providing more convenient alternatives to hospital-based outpatient procedures. The centers also provide patients several advantages over traditional hospital-based surgical procedures, including shorter wait times and lower costs.

“This surgical center will provide four operating rooms and two endoscopy suites for gastroenterology procedures,” said Julie Hamberis, Vice President of Ambulatory Services. “Our surgeons and staff with be highly-trained medical professionals who will be committed to providing their patients with the best possible care.”

The project is expected to take 12 months to complete construction pending permitting. The cost of the project is expected to cost $15.3 million. The ASC will be on the first floor of building 3 on the McLeod Health Carolina Forest campus.