HCA Opens 24/7 Emergency Clinic in Mount Pleasant; PSC Adds AI Assistant as Charleston Climbs LinkedIn Rankings

HCA Healthcare Charleston is expanding its Lowcountry footprint with a new around-the-clock emergency-services clinic in Mount Pleasant. The Nashville-based system will cut the ribbon on the 11,020-square-foot facility at 645 Long Point Road on Aug. 15, with a public ceremony at 11 a.m. and an open house running until 3 p.m.

HCA’s New Clinic
HCA — which operated locally under the Trident Health System name until last year — purchased the four-acre site across from Belle Hall Shopping Center for $4.35 million several years ago. The urgent-care hub will operate 24/7 and represents HCA’s first permanent brick-and-mortar presence in Mount Pleasant, a town of roughly 96,000 residents. The company has also been expanding rapidly across the region by buying and converting smaller suburban sites and acquiring a dozen emergency clinics in the Carolinas, including eight between the Charleston area and the Grand Strand.

S.C. Public Service Commission Adopts AI Tool
The S.C. Public Service Commission added an AI assistant to its website (www.psc.sc.gov) to help the public search orders, dockets and hearing schedules. The tool, adapted from the Bradley assistant launched at SC.gov, comes as utilities expand capacity to serve AI-driven data centers. The commission is also overseeing the state’s largest regulatory matter this year: the proposed $68 billion sale of Dominion Energy South Carolina and its parent to NextEra Energy, a transaction shaped in part by rising grid demands tied to AI projects.

Charleston, Myrtle Beach Rank High on LinkedIn List
LinkedIn’s annual ranking of the 25 fastest-growing U.S. metro areas placed Charleston at No. 6 and Myrtle Beach at No. 16. Analysts credit Charleston’s rapid labor-force growth — reportedly three times the national average — and the region’s quality of life. Myrtle Beach’s climb is tied to a fast-growing senior population and new investments, including a reported $350 million commitment to expand health-care services.

Local Real-Estate Moves: Joe’s Kwik Mart Sales
CrossAmerica Partners LP sold three Joe’s Kwik Mart gas-and-go locations in the Charleston area for a combined $1.4 million, according to public filings — less than half of what it paid five years ago. The properties are at 2245 Savannah Highway (West Ashley), 5777 Dorchester Road (North Charleston) and 1401 Trolley Road (Summerville). The buyer is an affiliate of Khawaja Enterprises; CrossAmerica retains rights of first refusal and typically continues supplying fuel after sales. The partnership said it has sold 21 properties in the first half of 2026 as part of real-estate optimization.

Boeing’s Economic Impact Recognized
Gov. Henry McMaster proclaimed Aug. 7 as “Boeing 787 Dreamliner Day,” honoring Boeing’s investment and job creation in South Carolina. Boeing began assembling the 787 in North Charleston in 2011 and is now investing about $1 billion to add a second assembly line off International Boulevard. The Dreamliner program employs roughly 9,000 people across several sites and has helped position the state as a leader in aerospace manufacturing.

Entertainment: Charleston Music Hall Hosts Netflix Premiere
The Charleston Music Hall hosted a Southeast screening premiere on Aug. 7 for the Netflix sitcom Tires ahead of Season 3’s streaming debut on Aug. 13. The event drew cast members and fans to the John Street venue; Season 3 follows cousins Shane and Will (Shane Gillis and Steve Gerben) as they navigate part-ownership of a struggling auto shop.

For calendar note: HCA’s ribbon-cutting is Aug. 15 at 11 a.m.; open house until 3 p.m.