McLeod Health, a seven-hospital system in Florence, S.C., plans to build a hospital in Horry County, according to local news station WBTW.
The health system filed a certificate of need with South Carolina officials to build a hospital that is four stories with up to 48 beds on its 42-acre Carolina Forest campus. Currently the campus houses two outpatient buildings.
The new hospital would also have four operating suites and an emergency department.
"The current and projected population of Horry County, as well as the seasonal spikes we experience due to tourism is a major influence on the growing demand for healthcare services in our county," Monica Vehige, administrator of McLeod Health, told WBTW. "Additionally, our current COVID-19 pandemic response demonstrated the insufficient hospital bed capacity in Horry County. Even without a pandemic, this shortage will become even more apparent as the population grows."