August Headlines Highlight National Honors, New Providers, Primary Care
September 17, 2025
New faces, back-to-school information and expansion updates peppered the news publications in August as Beaufort Memorial made headlines to wrap up the summer.
Orthopedics: Honors, New Faces, Patient Highlights 
Orthopedics were a hot news item in August as media outlets shared the good news: Beaufort Memorial received national recognition from Blue Cross Blue Shield for its orthopedic programs.
Read about the awards here:
- Beaufort Lifestyle: Beaufort Memorial receives national distinctions for two orthopedic programs
- WSAV: Beaufort Memorial Hospital receives national recognitions
(And watch here)
Medical Mondays on The Bridge: Beaufort Memorial earns Blue Distinction honors
Beaufort Memorial welcomed orthopedic surgeon Dr. Patrick Pallitto, practicing with BOSS Orthopaedics, to the team. Read about him in Becker’s Spine Review here: Beaufort Memorial taps orthopedic surgeon
Finally, Grace Sorrentino, the Sun City resident whose life was changed by revision spine surgery with Dr. Andrew Castro and the Beaufort Memorial Advanced Orthopedics & Spine Program, shared her story in the 2024 Report to the Community. Her story also appeared in the Sun City Sun on August 19. Read it here: Graceful Movement
Highlighting Primary Care
Dr. Kelsey Mijares joined Beaufort Memorial Palmetto Medical Group in August, and Bluffton Today shared the good news: Internal medicine specialist joins Beaufort Memorial Palmetto Medical Group in Bluffton.
Also joining the Beaufort Memorial primary care team last month was Jenna Gossett, MSN, FNP-C, who started seeing patients at Lady’s Island Internal Medicine. The Island News covered her arrival here: Nurse practitioner joins BMH Lady’s Island Internal Medicine.
Maybe you caught Beaufort Memorial Vice President of Physician Services Chris Ketchie on Sun City TV this month speaking about primary care needs in the Lowcountry, as well as provider recruitment.
Workforce Housing Advances in Bluffton
Bluffton Today highlighted the next steps of the Beaufort Memorial workforce housing project that will soon be taking shape in the southern part of the county.
Read about it here: Beaufort Memorial, Town of Bluffton, Beaufort County advance affordable workforce housing project.
Education and Lifelong Learning 
A few education milestones made headlines in August.
USCB nursing students began classes for the first time at the Beaufort Memorial PATH Career Development Center on the hospital’s main campus. Hear about the partnership here, in WSAV’s coverage.
- Read about it in The Island News: USCB nursing students begin classes at new Beaufort Memorial PATH Center.
Baby University and the Beaufort Memorial Collins Birthing Center got their moment in the spotlight in August as well, as WJCL highlighted July’s baby boom and the parent education program.
With students across the county going back to school, The Island News highlighted several key elements to keep in mind as the school year rolled to a start:
Beaufort Memorial Experts in the News
As always, Beaufort Memorial providers contributed their expertise throughout the month, touching on topics such as the immune system, orthopedics and national and statewide trends affecting local healthcare.
- Beaufort Memorial President and CEO Russell Baxley shared with The Island News the healthcare headwinds impacting systems locally.
- Dr. Vandit Sardana, board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon with Beaufort Memorial Orthopaedic Specialists, highlighted some of the common concerns surrounding arthritis on WSAV’s Medical Monday segment on The Bridge.
- Dr. William Clare Jr., who sees patients at Lady’s Island Internal Medicine, offered his expertise to Pink Magazine in their monthly Pink Rx section. August’s theme was “The Immune System.”
- James Varner, MMS, PA-C, a board-certified physician assistant who treats patients at Lowcountry Medical Group Primary Care, explained the relationship between foot pain and psoriatic arthritis in a feature that was published in The Island News.