St. Joseph's/Candler expanding westward to reach communities amid growth

Seven years ago, St. Joseph’s/Candler had the foresight to begin planning for the future and it came as no surprise to the team there was a need for expansion.

The hospital transitioned to a health access company with the idea of bringing healthcare to communities throughout the coastal Georgia region. Now, with offices in their backyard, some residents can get to St. Joseph’s/Candler facilities on foot or via a short drive.

“We are not expecting people to always come to the hospital for care,” said Paul P. Hinchey, president & CEO of St. Joseph’s/Candler. “We decided to push healthcare to where people work or live. That was the predicate for the architecture you are seeing.”

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The hospital continues to expand that vision, with locations in Heartwood at Richmond Hill, at the megasite to serve employees working at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America and more.

“We are on our way significantly,” said Hinchey. “This was a very thought-out process. We have a very active real estate company where we buy land in high growth areas and then we do demographic studies and are very aware of what areas are growing.”

In a world where there is a shortage of nurses and doctors, St. Joseph's/Candler fills the gap via its partnership with Georgia Southern University’s nursing program.

“They have increased their admission classes as they have added more faculty,” said Hinchey. “Both hospitals are clinical sites for their rotations. That has been a tremendous help as we hire more and more of the Georgia Southern grads. Since the pandemic has ended, more nurses are working in the area they are educated in. That’s been very helpful.”

According to Hinchey, Savannah has become a hotspot for doctors looking to provide quality care while living in a city where there is no shortage of things to do.

“The two things we have going for us is we are in Savannah – it’s a very desirable place for physicians to live and their family,” said Hinchey. “When one recruits a physician, its binary – the job has to be beneficial to the family. The job itself, we’ve been very fortunate that physicians have been interested in working in a healthcare facility that is technologically broad as St. Joseph’s/Candler. Our medical staff is very sophisticated for a population this size."

The company currently has four sites in the works. Here is what to know.

St. Joseph’s/Candler Richmond Hill Campus at Heartwood

Grand opening: Feb. 26

Services: Urgent and primary care and specialty providers

The facility is the first of five as part of a mega planned healthcare development to not only support growth in the Heartwood community but for folks coming from west and southwest of Chatham County who need access to healthcare. Total buildout will take 10-20 years, and the next phase is estimated to take four years.

St. Joseph's/Candler at Black Creek

Grand opening: Early 2025

Services: Primary care, occupational medicine and more.

The size of the parcel will allow the company to expand up to 30,000 square feet in the future.

St. Joseph’s/Candler at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America

Grand opening: Early 2025

Services: Will include a dozen services such as injury prevention and wellness management, chronic disease management, primary care and more.

The facility will be used to treat employees at HMGMA. An on-site doctor has been hired and will lead a team of nurses, physical therapists and other specialties.

Hinchey hinted at additional locations to come, saying it is almost inevitable given the amount of growth taking place in the region. “Unless something catastrophic happens, I think the stars are aligned in this part of the state where we are going to see continual population [growth] and they will need someone to service them.”

Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: St. Joseph's/Candler hospital expanding throughout the coastal region