Roper St. Francis Healthcare nurses, physicians and teammates from various departments collaborated with architects and builders around full-scale models of key rooms and other spaces at the site of the future Roper Hospital campus. Their mission: to provide practical, experience-based feedback on the rooms’ design.
During the sessions held in the former Verizon building on the North Charleston site, teammates discussed optimal placement for electrical outlets, storage configurations and seating arrangements. One nurse noted the absence of a reclining chair — a key feature that ensures visitors and loved ones can stay comfortably overnight with patients.
Vice President of Construction-Real Estate and Support Services Charles Fletcher emphasized the value of frontline input in shaping a facility designed for both high-quality, compassionate patient care and teammate efficiency.
“The teammates who work in these spaces every day are our experts,” Fletcher said. “Getting them in the rooms to feel out the space is how we can make the best design choices for all.”
Teammate safety is also factored into the design. Optimizing the layout of a room can help protect teammates from instances of workplace violence, said Director of Emergency Services Marcela McGeorge, whose team scrutinized an emergency department observation room and other spaces.
“It’s important we consider room design to help prevent teammates from being cornered or trapped,” McGeorge said. “We want them to be able to exit quickly if things escalate.”
The design process extends beyond the emergency department observation room. Full-scale mock-ups of additional key spaces — including a trauma bay, post-anesthesia care unit, ICU room, medical-surgical room, rehabilitation room, hybrid operating room and general operating room — have also been created.
Teammates from diverse departments — including nursing, quality, IT and more — provided feedback on room layouts and design details. The teams gave live, real-time reviews of setups, enabling instant design changes and refinements to ensure the new hospital will be a state-of-the-art facility that sets an unparalleled standard for high-quality patient care and safety.
This collaborative effort comes as Roper St. Francis Healthcare plans to transition its flagship hospital from downtown Charleston to a state-of-the-art campus in North Charleston. The move was announced in November 2022 as part of Roper St. Francis Healthcare 2030 Strategic Plan to expand healthcare services and increase accessibility. The 27-acre site near interstates 26 and 526 is expected to be operational by late 2029. The historic relocation marks a pivotal chapter in the healthcare system’s more than 150-year legacy of serving the Lowcountry.
The hospital room mock-ups helped fulfill key initiatives of the 2030 Strategic Plan, including:
- Optimizing the footprint | Expanding access to quality care by building new facilities and improving existing ones
- Modernizing technology | Incorporating the latest technology available to provide the best possible care for our patients
- Addressing future clinical needs | Expanding key health service lines to reach the community where they are
“It means a lot that our frontline teams have a voice at the table, since they’re the ones providing care,” McGeorge said. “I’m also excited about all the technological advancements that we’ll have access to at this future location.”
Teammates provided similar input during the design of the expansion of Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital — a project expected to be completed by 2026. Their involvement in the process showcases the system’s commitment to cultivating a culture of engagement, a key driver of the 2030 Strategic Plan.
“The needs of the patient come first,” Fletcher said. “Every choice we make is informed by patient experience, which is why we invited our patient experience councils to review the mock-up spaces as well.”