SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - People in Dorchester County will soon have more access to medical care, including a new emergency room.

Novant Health hosted a groundbreaking on Tuesday morning for their new medical office building and freestanding emergency department in the Summer‘s Corner community.

The new campus will include a 32,000 square-foot medical office building offering primary care and special services. There will also be an 11,000 square-foot emergency department with 10 exam rooms, a trauma room, a triage bay and advanced imaging services.

Patients will also benefit from the new laboratory, which is expected to help speed up the process of important care decisions.

Aside from medical care, the additions will also provide new job opportunities for the rapidly expanding community.

“More people are relocating here. It’s good to have that state-of-the-art emergency room so there’s less transport time, so they can get some care from emergency physicians,” Port City Ambulance Services Operations Director Ryan Brooks said.

The development will bring care closer to home for patients in Dorchester County in the surrounding area.

“We know that can not only save lives when there’s an emergency, but also you’re healthier when your primary care and your specialty doctors are close by to where you live and work and so we’re really excited to bring this convenience to Summer’s Corner,” Novant Health Charleston Market President Kirsten Royster said.

“Novant Health Summer’s Corner is expected to open in late 2026.

Click here to explore Novant Health career opportunities.

Novant broke ground on two other Lowcountry facilities in 2025, including the Center for Women’s Health at East Cooper Medical Center in Mount Pleasant and the freestanding emergency department on Daniel Island.

The Summerville Orchestra is striking a powerful chord to begin its 22nd season, pairing community spirit with international artistry.

On Sept. 26-27, the orchestra will present Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Piano Concerto at the Summers Corner Performing Arts Center, 318 Gnarly Oak Lane in Summerville. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday, with a livestream available during the Saturday matinee at summervilleorchestra.org.

The program, sponsored by Anne and Alex Scott, begins with Mason Bates’ Soundcheck in C, written as the opening piece for San Diego’s new concert hall. James MacMillan’s lyrical Larghetto, adapted from his choral work, follows, while Veljo Tormis’ energetic Overture No. 2 closes the first half.

The second half features pianist Jonathan Mamora performing Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor. Mamora is a rising figure in classical music circles.

“Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 is one of the most famous, if not the most famous, piano concertos of all time,” said Wojciech Milewski, music director of the Summerville Orchestra. “It has Melodies that everybody knows. You don’t know you know them, but you know them.”

Acclaimed for his “most assured pianism” and “natural, songful lyricism,” according to The Dallas Morning News, Mamora has performed across North and South America, Europe and Asia. He has won first prize at several major international piano competitions, including the Hilton Head, Scottish, Barcelona’s Maria Canals, Olga Kern, AntwerPiano, Dallas and Palm Springs competitions. In 2023, his Carnegie Hall debut at Weill Recital Hall drew praise from the New York Concert Review, which described his playing as “larger than life” and his technique as “so solid that it seemed at times that he couldn’t play a wrong note if he tried.”

Milewski said Mamora is a rare talent to experience in an intimate setting.

“Jonathan sounds like a monster player,” Milewski said. “I cannot stress enough that this is not a concert you want to miss. It’s a pianist you want to be able to tell people later on that you saw.”

Mamora made his concerto debut at age 13 with the La Sierra University Orchestra and has since performed with ensembles such as the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid and the Dallas Chamber Symphony.

In addition to his performing career, Mamora has served as a church musician and educator. He is currently the La Sierra University Director of Keyboard Studies and a candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance and Literature at the Eastman School of Music.

Beyond the opening concert, Milewski said the orchestra continues its focus on building community ties through local partnerships and youth engagement.

“The Summerville Orchestra is your friends, it’s your neighbors, it’s community members,” he said. “Community works just like it is—people you know are playing with the group.”

The orchestra’s season runs September through May and is supported by ticket sales, grants, and private and corporate sponsorships. Edgeworth Capital Group sponsors the Subscription Series.

For more information, email office@summervilleorchestra.org. Tickets can be purchased at https://summervilleorchestra.ludus.com/index.php?show_id=200482937.