The New York City studio of the global architectural firm NBBJ, has designed the newly opened Ashley River Tower at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Ashley River Tower is a state-of-the-art hospital designed to treat patients with cardiovascular and digestive disease problems.
This 641,000 s/f facility has 156 beds, including 32 ICU beds, as well as 9 operating rooms, catheterization laboratories, interventional radiology laboratories, endoscopy suites, imaging suites, outpatient clinic space and a dedicated around-the-clock chest pain center for rapid diagnosis and treatment. Specially sized equipment, treatment space and ICU beds accommodate bariatric surgery patients.
The facility also includes a division specializing in surgery for gastrointestinal cancers.The center marks the first step in the hospital's multi-phase expansion plan. It was built to replace the facility that for 50 years has served as the teaching hospital for MUSC.
Comprised of a four-story diagnostic and treatment building, a seven-story patient hospitality tower and a garden atrium that connects the two buildings, Ashley River Tower is designed around the patient experience, delivering the highest quality care in a comforting environment. 
The facility also is equipped with new technology to greatly enhance patient safety and reduce infection and promote a "green" environment.  
Total cost of the hospital project is approximately $275 million. The U.S. department of housing and urban development insured $401 million in bonds to finance the project. This figure insures both bonds for the new construction project and re-funding of existing debts.