Bon Secours St. Francis, the national award-winning hospital known for its compassionate care and quality service celebrated its 20th anniversary in West Ashley on Sunday, Jan. 22. Hundreds of Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital teammates and their family members gathered to share memories and shuck oysters in honor of this milestone event.
“Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital has become a bedrock for our healthcare system,” said Lorraine Lutton, president and chief executive officer of Roper St. Francis. “It consistently delivers strong results, but most importantly, it is known for its amazing patient experience.”
Allen Carroll, the hospital’s chief executive officer, started as chief operating officer in 1990 and was asked to lead the planning, construction and relocation of the downtown facility to its current location. Carroll said they felt like pioneers; there were no restaurants, Lowe’s, Home Depot or West Ashley High School. Paul Cantrell Boulevard ended at the Magwood Drive stoplight.
He recounted what pioneer Brigham Young said when entering Salt Lake Valley: “This is the place.”
“When I walked under the grand oaks that now frame our meditation garden, I felt a very similar emotion: This is a special place,” he said. “Today, 20 years later, that courageous act of leaving all that is familiar and striking out has created a busy hub of an entire microeconomy of healthcare out here in West Ashley.”
The hospital has the busiest labor and delivery unit in the city, the busiest emergency room in the healthcare system, a busy cancer treatment center and a growing neouroscience service line, Carroll said. Within a 10 minute drive, there are five ambulatory surgery centers, a mental health department, an Alzheimer’s care unit and numerous doctors’ offices.
“As I tell those who ask, yes, 20 years later, we’re an overnight success,” Carroll said with a smile.
City of Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg said it was an honor to celebrate the hospital’s 20th anniversary. His family has close ties with Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital; his father was instrumental in helping it get the Certificate of Need to move off the peninsula; both his father, mother and nephew served on the hospital’s board; and he and his wife, Sandy, were born at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital. The street the hospital is on is named for Tecklenburg’s late father, Henry Tecklenburg.
Although some thought Carroll and his father were “crazy,” Tecklenburg said they had the vision that growth and opportunity for Charleston was west of the Ashley River. They knew great things were coming, and “boy, has it worked out well,” he said.
“This hospital delivers healthcare with such compassion and love, and it’s in keeping with the original intent of its founders, the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy,” he said. “It is a true fulfillment of Christian love and providing care to those in need.”
Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital traces its mission back to 1882 when five Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy opened St. Francis Infirmary in downtown Charleston as the first Catholic hospital in the state.
The Most Reverend Robert Guglielmone, the Bishop of Charleston, blessed the hospital, its ongoing healthcare ministry and its 20 years of dedication to West Ashley and the broader Lowcountry community.
“As provider, employer, advocate, citizen, bringing together people of diverse faiths and backgrounds, our ministry is an enduring sign of healthcare rooted in our belief that every person is a treasure; every life, a sacred gift; every human being, a unity of mind, body and spirit,” he said.
