MUSC's Ashley River Tower is the hospital of the future today

In early 2008, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) celebrated the opening of the Ashley River Tower (ART), and in the process, marked a new era of excellence in hospital design and patient care in South Carolina. The MUSC ART is an architectural marvel, with an expansive glass façade that showcases the beauty of the Ashley River. It is a clinical marvel as well: a best-in-class facility designed to elevate the quality of care, redefine the way care is delivered, and amplify the satisfaction of patients, staff, and doctors. The new hospital is comprised of several buildings, including a diagnostic and treatment tower, a patient hospitality tower dedicated to recovery and healing and a garden atrium connecting the two.

MUSC leaders, architects, and planners designed the ART with the intent of elevating patient safety. Among the cutting-edge measures taken in the design to minimize hospital-acquired infections are: separate private hallways within operating rooms and procedure areas, a central sterile corridor for physicians and nurses to cross between operating rooms, operating room equipment that is suspended from the ceiling, and DuPont Corian® surfacing and paper-free insulation to protect against and prevent mold and mildew.

ART houses the MUSC Digestive Disease Center and the MUSC Heart & Vascular Center, and it is a bold step forward in a larger vision to advance quality and safety. Coordinating and locating services together via service lines will result in even more patient-centric care. The Ashley River Tower provides an environment that allows physicians, surgeons, and support staff to do things they have never been able to do before. Its design brings everyone together toward a common set of goals and has the power to improve patient satisfaction and quality. Through this greater collaboration, more things will be accomplished.