AnMed breaks ground on new healthcare campus, ER for Central, Clemson
VIDEO: AnMed breaks ground for hospital in Central/Clemson to open mid 2027
Groundbreaking ceremony for a $105 million AnMed Central/Clemson facility with emergency department, on 18 Mile Road near US 123 in Central.
- AnMed Health is breaking ground on a new $105 million healthcare campus in 2027 near Central and Clemson to address the growing need for emergency services.
- The 150,000-square-foot facility will include an emergency department, primary and specialty care offices, and imaging services.
- The campus aims to reduce travel time for residents who currently face a 20-minute drive to the nearest emergency room.
- The project is expected to create at least 50 jobs initially, with more anticipated as services expand.
Central and the city of Clemson currently lack a dedicated emergency department or hospital within their immediate municipal limits.
According to AnMed Chief Nursing Officer Shaunda Trotter, every second matters when it comes to emergency care.
“The sooner expert care and intervention are provided to a person in need, the more likely that person is to recover and heal, the more likely that person is to overcome, survive, and thrive,” Trotter said.
“Additionally, having the emergency department at AnMed Central / Clemson will make residents, families, businesses, and visitors throughout the area safer,” Trotter said. “It’s going to save lives.”
On August 19, AnMed officially broke ground on a $105 million healthcare campus near the intersection of U.S. Highway 123 and 18 Mile Road.
The new healthcare campus will feature a state-of-the-art emergency department, and the facility will operate around the clock, offering critical care 24 hours a day, as well as a wide array of services.
- Primary care offices
- Specialty physician offices
- Physical therapy services
- Laboratory and imaging services
- X-ray, CT, and ultrasound services
The campus is projected to open in the spring of 2027.
Before its opening, residents must travel approximately 20 minutes to reach the nearest emergency department.
Central, Clemson is seeing population growth
With a 2025 population of 5,358, Central has been experiencing steady growth, increasing by 1.71% since the 2020 census.
Additionally, the Clemson area has a 2025 population of 17,894 and is currently growing at a rate of 0.16% annually. Its population has increased by 0.79% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 17,753 in 2020.
‘We’re called to serve our community’
The growth of the town of Central, the city of Clemson, Clemson University, and the surrounding area brings a need for more access to exceptional medical care and services, and we’re called to serve our community, according to AnMed CEO William Kenley.
“This expansion of our independent, not-for-profit health care system represents our unwavering commitment to that service. It’s going to provide exceptional care the community needs and deserves in a state-of-the-art environment and reduce the need to travel to Anderson, Greenville, Easley, or Seneca,” Kenley said.
“It’s an investment in the health and well-being of everyone we serve,” Kenley said. “I’m tremendously excited about it.”
AnMed’s new healthcare campus: What to know
The campus will cover about 150,000 square feet of space for patient care, according to a press release.
This includes shelled space for expansions to accommodate the needs of the growing local population.
City of Clemson Mayor Robert Halfacre expressed gratitude regarding the new development.
“This is a major investment in our community, its health, well-being, and the future of healthcare,” Halfacre said. “I am heartened to see how it will affect the lives of those touched by this. Especially after seeing AnMed Piedmont’s success.
“It’s not just advanced medical technology, services, and convenience, but the care of compassionate people that makes such a special difference to a community,” Halfacre said.
AnMed’s healthcare campus: Economic impact
At least 50 high-paying jobs will be created at the campus by AnMed upon its opening, with additional jobs to be created as services expand, according to a press release.
Additionally, the healthcare system has 620 physicians on medical staff and about 3,600
Family medicine and pediatrics practices are among the providers accessible at the new healthcare campus.
“For families here in Central and the surrounding area, this new facility means peace of mind,” said Central Mayor Andrew Beckner. “It means that in moments of crisis, help will be close at hand.”
“Additionally, it means jobs for our neighbors and a stronger, healthier future for our community,” Beckner said. “We are grateful for AnMed’s vision and investment, and we look forward to the lives touched, healed, and saved right here at home.”
AnMed: What to Know
According to a press release, AnMed Health System was founded in 1908 and is an independent, not-for-profit provider of health care in Upstate South Carolina and the Northeast Georgia region.
It is licensed for 648 beds and anchored by AnMed Medical Center, a 495-bed acute-care hospital that’s earned the Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center since 2012.
The hospital includes a heart and vascular center, a maternity center, and a comprehensive cancer center.
The AnMed Piedmont campus, which opened in 2025, is among the new locations for the growing system.
This $50 million project involved the construction of a new 55,000-square-foot facility featuring an emergency department, physician offices, physical therapy, laboratory, and imaging services (including X-ray, CT scan, and ultrasound).
AnMed Rehabilitation Hospital, AnMed Cannon, and more than 60 physician practices are also among the service sites spread throughout the region.
Additionally, the healthcare system has 620 physicians on medical staff and about 3,600 employees.
AnMed partnered with Elite Integrated Therapy Centers in January 2025.
This collaboration expanded AnMed’s network of outpatient therapy practices and provided a wider range of services for patients.
Travis Rose covers Anderson County for the Independent Mail. Reach him via email at [email protected].
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