Walking through the hallowed halls of Trident Medical Center’s lobby and network of specialty units was a whole new world for the healthcare venue’s new CEO Jeff Wilson during his first day on the job on March 25.
Hired earlier this month to serve as the North Charleston facility’s CEO and President of Trident Health System, Wilson previously held chief officer duties at Methodist Hospital Stone Oak in San Antonio, Texas.
In comparing the two facilities, Wilson noted how the primary focus was on neurosciences at his last stop, whereas Trident specializes more so on cardiovascular health. The married father of three also highlighted his new site’s superior size, as Trident features 250 more hospital beds, while Trident Heath as a whole employs a staff of nearly 3,000 in the Lowcountry.
“I’m excited about the growth of the Charleston market, the opportunity to serve even more patients. This is also an area that for my wife and I, this is home ... [it’s[ an area we’ve enjoyed for a very long time,” said the Kansas native, who also held several health leadership positions in the Richmond, Virginia area beginning in 2005.
In those roles, Wilson was employed by HCA Healthcare — Trident Medical Center’s parent company.
As the new point man of the Trident healthcare enterprise continues to integrate himself in his new environment, one of his primary goals will be to support and enhance multiple freestanding departments that cater to many previously underserved communities and individuals.
Those areas include St. James, Daniel Island and Moncks Corner, as the health network has grown to treat a range of mental conditions, as well as establish a greater focus on oncology, neurosurgery and urgent care.
“We have a number of freestanding emergency departments that help provide access to care to individuals who wouldn’t have had those emergency services. And then the plans we have on Johns Island are also providing inpatient care for those people,” added Wilson.
The new face of Trident walks into a healthcare circuit that has earned its fair share of praise and recognition in recent times. Both Trident Medical Center and sister hospital Summerville Medical Center have, in fact, been awarded with patient safety excellence and outstanding patient experience awards by Healthgrades, which reviews nearly 4,500 facilities nationwide.
