Beaufort Memorial Celebrates Opening of First Hilton Head Island Facility
October 4, 2023
Beaufort Memorial Hospital (BMH) leaders gathered with Hilton Head Island’s business community members, town leaders and health care professionals for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Oct. 4 to celebrate Beaufort Memorial’s first facility on Hilton Head Island.
The not-for-profit hospital, recognized as one of the nation’s Top General Hospitals by The Leapfrog Group, recently acquired the former Island Imaging, an independent imaging center on Hilton Head Island. The practice, located at 40 Palmetto Parkway, has reopened as Beaufort Memorial Island Imaging Center.
“When you look at our mission and vision statements, we talk a lot about innovative partnerships. I really and truly look at this as an innovative partnership between not only us and the physicians but also the town,” said BMH President & CEO Russell Baxley during his formal remarks at the ribbon-cutting event. “This is our first step in bringing more access to care on the island. This is not our last step. We understand and we know there is a gap here. Our goal is to address that gap.”
Beaufort Memorial Island Imaging Center, which offered positions to all staff employed by the previous ownership, will continue providing state-of-the-art technology and services to meet the needs of the providers and residents of southern Beaufort County. The center will offering a full range of screening and diagnostic imaging services:
- 3D Mammography
- Computed Tomography (CT) for cardiac and lung screenings
- Fluoroscopy to detect gastrointestinal diseases
- The area’s only ultrasound-guided Elastography to screen for early liver disease and cirrhosis
In addition, plans are underway to add magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for detailed scans showing the structure and condition of soft tissue, organs, nerves and blood vessels.
“We’ve been looking for additional partners to bring health care to Hilton Head. It is so great to have y’all here. We need more expertise. We need deeper care,” said Mayor of Hilton Head Island Alan Perry. “We have had a battle with health care on Hilton Head – whether it’s private practices going concierge, whether it’s groups leaving. But to see y’all step up to Hilton Head in your first endeavor to acquire this facility, it is a great day for our community.”
Community Care
Under previous ownership, the practice created a relationship with Volunteers in Medicine (VIM), a not-for-profit medical clinic with offices in Hilton Head and Bluffton that provides free and low-cost care to the community’s most vulnerable patients regardless of their ability to pay, to provide imaging procedures. This partnership will continue under Beaufort Memorial’s leadership.
“One of the first meetings we had after announcing the acquisition of Island Imaging was with the leadership at VIM,” said Baxley. “Community partnerships that work toward our goals of improving the quality of life and overall health in the Lowcountry are very important to us.”
The relationship aligns with the nature of partnerships Beaufort Memorial has with Good Neighbor Medical Clinic and AccessHealth Lowcountry in Beaufort. Each year patients of those two nonprofits receive nearly 250 free imaging procedures from Beaufort Memorial, among many other services.
Founded in 2013 by radiologists David Estle, M.D., and Patricia Shapiro, M.D., the practice has been accredited by the American College of Radiology for CT, 3D mammography and screening chest CT for lung cancer.
During the past year, Drs. Shapiro and Estle began soliciting and interviewing interested buyers for Island Imaging. Most important to them was choosing a partner who supported their mission and would continue to honor the years-long relationships they have nurtured among providers, patients and their employees while expanding care to meet the ever-growing needs of island residents.
“Beaufort Memorial’s dedication to patient-centered care and commitment to the overall health and well-being of the community makes them a perfect fit for the future of Island Imaging,” said Dr. Shapiro. “Our staff is excited to join the team of one of the nation’s top hospitals and have access to the depth of resources that brings.”
The facility will begin seeing patients Oct. 9. Call 843-681-1999 to make an appointment.