After Your Stay

We hope your stay at MUSC Health Kershaw Medical Center exceeded your expectations. After your visit, you may have questions about your hospital bill, your medical record, or how to arrange home health care or rehabilitation services. For more information, please visit Patient Billing. View a full directory of healthcare system phone numbers here.

Discharge Planning

Each medical unit is assigned a patient care coordinator whose role is to develop a discharge plan for all patients in the hospital. Their goal is to ensure you are ready for discharge and well-informed about what you may need when you leave the hospital and the resources available to meet those needs.

The patient care coordinator collaborates with your doctor to determine your needs. Will you enter a long term care facility or require home health services? What type of physical rehabilitation, if any, will be necessary? Will you need medical equipment like a wheelchair or walker? The discharge planner will then meet with you to discuss the various options available. They will help you access the resources necessary to carry out your discharge plan and help you navigate a complex network of healthcare resources.

Please let the patient care coordinator know any special needs or concerns you may have. The sooner they know about these, the easier it is to plan for them. In addition, the patient resource coordinator will have information about advance directives – what they are, how to get one, and when they are used. They’ll be glad to discuss these with you at any time.

We know you’ll be anxious to leave the hospital as soon as your doctor says you’re ready to go home. Remember, though, that there are still many things we must do before you leave. The actual discharge process can take several hours, so please be patient. Our goal is to have everything completed so you are ready to leave by noon on the day of discharge.

Health Information Management

All of the information from your stay will become a part of your medical record. This includes results from diagnostic tests or exams, notes from your physician, pharmacy records, as well as many other items. These records may only be released to you or your designated representative, or those specifically involved in your care (physicians) or in the payment for services (insurance companies).

If you need to get a copy of your medical record for any reason, please call 803-713-6818 or 803-713-6237 before coming to our office. We can explain any authorization, signatures or documentation you may need for the release of information.

Do you have a question about a birth certificate? Birth certificates are issued by the health department, not the hospital. You may contact DHEC at 803-425-6012. If you need other information about a birth at Kershaw Medical Center, please call 803-713-6237.

Certificates of Death are issued by the funeral home. After 30 days, you may obtain this certificate from the health department. Call 803-425-6012 for more information.

If you need to contact the Health Information Management department, please contact Rudene Hutto at 803-713-6296.

Patient Financial Services

If you are self-pay, once you leave the hospital, you will receive a bill from us detailing the services provided and their cost. Payment is requested at this time. If your bill is being paid by Medicaid or another government provider, or by private insurance like Blue Cross, you will receive a bill once your claim has been processed. If you have a question about this bill, please contact Customer Service at 803-713-6693.

To pay your bill in person, please go to the cashier’s office across from Administration on the second floor. It is easiest to access the cashier's office if you use the Karesh Long Term Care entrance on Roberts Street.

If you are not able to pay your bill in full, please contact us immediately. Call 803-713-6589 for assistance. We will be glad to set up a payment plan with you, and financial assistance may be available.

Have a question about your bill? Call Customer Service at 803-713-6693. Please have a copy of your bill handy. If you’re calling for a family member, please be sure you know their date of birth and Social Security number.