History
Kershaw County Medical Center has always held close ties with the community. In fact, private citizens founded the not-for-profit corporation to establish the hospital in 1913. Here’s a look at highlights of our history:

1913 - A group of private citizens donated funds and Camden Hospital opened its doors and a school of nurses was organized the same year. After a fire in 1921, the main building was replaced with a larger one.

1950 - Interested citizens began planning the construction of a new hospital to replace the Camden Hospital, which had outgrown its existing site and buildings.

1958 - The new hospital opened and the name was changed to Kershaw County Memorial Hospital, in honor of those from Kershaw County who served their country in all wars.

1971 - The A. Sam Karesh Long Term Care Center was officially opened, providing 88 skilled nursing care beds for the community. With the opening of this new center, the old Camden Hospital, which had become a nursing home, was closed.

1974 - A successful fund raising campaign led to completion of a four-bed Intensive/Coronary Care Unit.

1981 - Construction was completed on a new emergency room and laboratory. A new pharmacy, respiratory therapy department, medical library and conference room were part of the new construction.

1987 - Construction completed on new outpatient services building including Emergency Room, laboratory, physical therapy, cardiac rehabilitation, pharmacy, speech therapy, audiology, cardiology and radiology, renovation of existing operating rooms, recovery rooms and labor and delivery. This construction, along with additional construction completed in 1989 brought the number of acute care beds up to 100.

1989 - Hospital Foundation receives charter as independent non-profit tax-exempt corporation to oversee gifts to the hospital.

1991 - Hospital purchased Camden Home Health, Inc. and began providing home health services to Kershaw County.

1993 - Board approves implementation of Hospice through the Home Health Department.

1994 - Name changes to Kershaw County Medical Center to better reflect full range of services offered.

1995 - Health Resource Center opens with the mission of providing health education and wellness programs for residents of Kershaw County.

1995 - Opened new outpatient surgery center and new emergency department.

1995 - Opened Healthcare Place at Elgin and a primary care office in downtown Elgin.

1996 - Opened Healthcare Place at Bethune and a primary care office in Bethune.

1997 - Opened West Wateree Medical Complex, a combination medical office building and KCMC support services such as lab and x-ray to provide services from a West Wateree campus.

2001 - Now with a total of 121 acute care beds, construction began on renovation to increase the Medical Center by approximately 71,000 square feet. More >>