Pinehaven Sanatorium (Charleston County, S.C.)

The Pinehaven Sanatorium opened in 1924 under the governance of the Charleston County Tuberculosis Association. Although tuberculosis was a serious health issue at the time, the Charleston area did not have a treatment facility in the early years of the 20th century. Dr. Leon Banov, the City of Charleston's Health Officer, recognized the need for such a facility. He found an ideal location for the hospital at 151 Wentworth Street and secured funding from Charleston County. Patients in all stages of the disease were treated at Pinehaven, regardless of their ability to pay for treatment. Pinehaven treated both African-American and white patients, although the facility was segregated. Dr. W. Atmar Smith served as the Medical Director of Pinehaven from 1925 until 1955 (he remained as a consultant until 1958). The Medical College of South Carolina had a cooperative relationship with Pinehaven. Faculty of the school offered their services as consultants, while students served as interns at the hospital. The Pinehaven Sanatorium was known for its dedicated staff and quality of care, but by the late 1940s, many in Charleston felt that the facility itself was deficient. Plans for a replacement facility were made, and in 1953 Pinehaven: the Charleston County Tuberculosis Hospital opened at 326 Calhoun Street, offering more beds and services for patients. In 1965, Pinehaven became Charleston County Hospital. A wing of the hospital was dedicated to TB patients, but the new focus of the hospital was caring for Charleston's indigent population. The hospital's name was changed again in 1981 to Charleston Memorial Hospital, in an effort to upgrade its image. The Medical University of South Carolina, having managed the hospital since 1985, purchased CMH in 2001. The hospital has now been demolished, and the Medical University Hospital Authority (MUHA) has absorbed the services offered by CMH.