BEAUFORT, S.C. – The Beaufort Memorial Pratt Emergency Center has undergone a $1.9 million expansion designed to improve access to critical mental health services for patients experiencing psychiatric emergencies in Beaufort, Hampton and Jasper Counties.
The new Evaluation and Assessment Unit, attached to the hospital ER, uses the nationally recognized “EmPATH” model (Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing) to provide behavioral healthcare in a safe, therapeutic setting. The unit helps reduce the length of time mental health patients spend in the ER, improving safety and overall outcomes for both patients and staff. Construction began in February 2025 and was completed in December.
The Evaluation and Assessment Unit was funded entirely through grants and philanthropic support to the Beaufort Memorial Foundation. The South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) awarded $1.6 million for the project, making Beaufort Memorial one of only 13 healthcare systems statewide to receive funding for an emergency department unit dedicated uniquely to behavioral health crises…