In the current July heat, the Beaufort Memorial Bluffton Community Hospital is still taking shape, looking more like a hospital and less like a construction site every day.
The sounds of welding, heavy equipment, and construction crews echo through the walled structure as workers put the finishing touches on what will become Bluffton’s first hospital in early 2027.
Outside the facility’s walls, Bluffton is bustling with new development – proof of a thriving community.
“You can just feel the energy,” said Beaufort Memorial President and CEO Russell Baxley as he put on a hard hat during a recent walk-through of the nearly complete building. “This organization has come so far, and it’s exciting to see Beaufort Memorial so close to reaching this milestone, expanding into a multi-hospital health system.”
The Bluffton hospital has been in the making for years, as Beaufort Memorial leaders have been working to expand access to care, address workforce challenges, and prepare for the needs of a rapidly growing region.
A New Generation of Leaders
Beaufort Memorial’s transition from a small community hospital into a health system composed of two hospitals, nearly 30 outpatient practices, and more than 150 providers has been a purposeful evolution, driven and shaped by leaders who have spent years listening to the needs of their neighbors in the community they serve.
And as Beaufort Memorial evolves, so does the leadership that supports and drives it, which has resulted in the addition of several new roles in 2026 – inaugural executive positions that reflect the priorities of a changing health system.
Together, they represent a new generation of leadership at Beaufort Memorial and bring into sharper focus a distinctive feature of Beaufort Memorial’s leadership team: Women now serve in a majority of the executive roles helping define the organization’s next chapter, guiding clinical, operational, and strategic decisions during a time of rapid growth and change.
Representing a new generation of leadership at Beaufort Memorial, these women are helping guide the organization’s growth and shape its future. Front row, from left: Ashley Hildreth, Courtney Smith, Tina Jackson, Kim Yawn. Back row, from left: Christine Markowitz, Marissa Jamarik, Allison Coppage, Shawna Doran.
Representing a new generation of leadership at Beaufort Memorial, these women are helping guide the organization’s growth and shape its future. Front row, from left: Ashley Hildreth, Courtney Smith, Tina Jackson, Kim Yawn. Back row, from left: Christine Markowitz, Marissa Jamarik, Allison Coppage, Shawna Doran.
One of these women is Assistant Chief Nursing Officer Ashley Hildreth, MSN, RN, CEN, SANE. A longtime nursing leader, Hildreth has grown with Beaufort Memorial, beginning as a graduate nurse in the emergency room and eventually guiding the hospital as corporate director of quality and patient safety officer.
“As the organization has grown, I’ve grown,” Hildreth said. “It’s exciting; every time the community has a need, Beaufort Memorial fills that gap and figures it out, and I’m pleased to continue to be a part of that impact as ACNO.”
Hildreth joins Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Care Services Marissa Jamarik, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, in maintaining clinical excellence at the organization. Once the new hospital in Bluffton is completed, Hildreth will lead the nursing staff at the facility and oversee clinical operations there. Alongside Vice President of Quality, Risk and Patient Safety Shawna Doran, MSN, RN, these women will continue ensuring that excellence in care is reflected across the entire organization.
Keeping an expanding health system’s facilities, operations, and services running smoothly is a big job – which is why another new position was created: Vice President of Operations and Chief Operating Officer Courtney Smith’s role hinges on flexibility and prioritizes efficiency.
“A health system is truly a coordinated effort of dedicated teams working together to deliver exceptional care,” Smith said.
Kim Yawn, the organization’s inaugural vice president of marketing and development (and the Beaufort Memorial Foundation chief development officer), now guides the Foundation’s critical mission while also overseeing strategic communication across the organization.
Beaufort Memorial Assistant Chief Nursing Officer Ashley Hildreth, President & CEO Russell Baxley, and Chief Nursing Officer Marissa Jamarik tour the Bluffton Community Hospital site as construction continues toward its 2027 opening.
Keeping the Culture of Community
Beaufort Memorial looks very different than it did during its humble beginnings as a small community hospital in 1944. What hasn’t changed, however, is the belief and mission that healthcare should remain deeply connected to the community it serves.
For example, Jamarik and Hildreth played a pivotal role in supporting nursing leadership during National Nurses Week 2026, using the week’s theme, The Power of Nurses, to emphasize the importance of being advocates in the community and within the organization itself through professional governance and continuing education.
Yawn, who has grown through various leadership positions in the organization, connects Beaufort Memorial to the generosity and support of the community through the Foundation. Foundation funding is critical to the implementation of community health initiatives, such as free transportation services for patients to and from Beaufort Memorial facilities, the Beaufort Memorial Sickle Cell Clinic, and support for addiction medicine and pharmaceutical assistance in the community.
Doran has been a leader at the organization since 2017 and, while she ensures that patient care is consistently safe, effective, and centered on best practices, she’s also an executive sponsor for the Patient and Family Advisory Council, which amplifies community voices and integrates them into decision-making at the organization.
“When patients and families are engaged as partners, they provide unique insights into care processes,” she said. “This strengthens safety initiatives by grounding them in real-world experiences, ultimately leading to more effective, sustainable improvements.”
Beyond executive leadership, the “community” culture of a health system like Beaufort Memorial is rooted in its people. As Beaufort Memorial grows, recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals has become one of the organization’s most critical priorities.
Chief People Officer Tina Jackson is committed to keeping the culture of community at the center of this initiative. Since joining Beaufort Memorial in August 2025, Jackson has helped reshape HR around workforce development, recruitment, retention, and career education partnerships.
On the financial side, Beaufort Memorial Chief Financial Officer Christine Markowitz, CPA is helping keep the organization financially strong amid pressure on charity care, uncompensated care, and expansion costs.
“Healthcare is constantly changing, and our responsibility is making sure that Beaufort Memorial is ready for what’s next,” Markowitz said. “That means finding creative ways to invest in our people, continue expanding access, and build a strong foundation for the future.”
With Beaufort Memorial as the largest private employer in the county, Allison Coppage, JD, CHC, associate vice president of corporate compliance, privacy and contracting, has helped advance key initiatives to find solutions for the pressing workforce challenges of affordable housing and reliable onsite childcare for employees.
She played a pivotal role in transitioning the Beaufort Memorial Learning Center – an employer-subsidized childcare facility previously located on Lady’s Island – to the hospital’s main campus in 2024.
“It’s no secret that childcare and housing are huge challenges for a workforce like ours,” Coppage said. “For Beaufort Memorial leaders, the focus is to help our employees overcome those barriers as our health system evolves.”
“Healthcare challenges today are complex, and we need to be willing to adapt and collaborate in order to reach sustainable solutions. ‘Innovation’ isn’t just about technology or new facilities, but also about approaching practical solutions to make our care more accessible to those we serve.”
– Russell Baxley
Collaboration is Key
At the same time, Beaufort Memorial’s leadership strength is rooted in collaboration across the entire executive team, including key leaders whose expertise continues to shape the organization’s growth.
President and CEO Russell Baxley has led major expansion across the region, while Vice President of Physician Services Chris Ketchie is driving provider recruitment to meet rising demand across the Lowcountry.
And at the helm of the medical staff is Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kurt Gambla, who served the community for nearly two decades as an internist before stepping into an executive role. His steady and knowledgeable guidance has provided a bridge between medical staff and the health system leaders – he’s a key liaison and a necessary piece of the culture at Beaufort Memorial with his consistent leadership.
That leadership composition is no accident. Under Baxley, Beaufort Memorial has intentionally built an innovative, forward-looking executive team – one that blends experience, emerging leadership and diverse perspectives to meet the evolving needs of the community.
A Vision in Action
While “innovation” is one of the organization’s core values, it’s a part of Baxley’s personal ethos as a healthcare leader. “Healthcare challenges today are complex, and we need to be willing to adapt and collaborate in order to reach sustainable solutions,” he said. “‘Innovation’ isn’t just about technology or new facilities, but also about approaching practical solutions to make our care more accessible to those we serve.”
Take workforce challenges, for example. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when shortages peaked, Baxley led the development of the PATH program (People Achieving Their Highest), which allowed nonclinical employees to transition into patient care roles. Since its first cohort in 2022, the program has seen more than 100 graduates.
“Investing in our employees is essential not only to Beaufort Memorial’s growth, but also to the personal and professional development of our workforce,” Baxley said. “The PATH program shows how innovation and forward thinking can strengthen an organization like ours.”
Over the past decade, Baxley has been driving major growth across the health system, including new cancer centers, urgent care clinics, the renovated Collins Birthing Center, the Surgical Pavilion renovation, the Okatie medical office building, and continued expansion in Bluffton, Hilton Head Island, and southern Beaufort and Jasper counties.
“Beaufort Memorial has been growing in Bluffton since 2006, and we’re continuing to expand our footprint there, now establishing the first Bluffton hospital,” Baxley said. “We want to be able to serve our Bluffton patients in the area where they live, providing them the care they need closer to home.”
Building for the Future
When patients begin walking through its doors in early 2027, the Bluffton Community Hospital will be bustling with new staff, specializing in nursing, hospitality, support services and everything in between, with the facility creating 250 jobs in its first year alone.
Beaufort Memorial is also driving the growth of outpatient practices, recruiting physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs, such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants). The need for primary care services has exploded in the Lowcountry, and while Beaufort Memorial has the largest primary care network in Beaufort County, recruitment for new providers isn’t slowing down. As the region grows, so does the demand for specialists in areas like oncology, cardiology, and urology.
“Specialty care can be hard to come by here, and primary care is one of the Lowcountry’s largest healthcare needs,” said Vice President of Physician Services Chris Ketchie. “Our health system is working hard to keep up with its growing needs.”
Legacy’s New Chapter
For the rest of 2026, the momentum of the Bluffton Community Hospital will be focused on its opening next year.
The sounds of construction will soon be replaced by patients, volunteers, and staff, all beginning a new chapter in the Beaufort Memorial legacy. The structure itself is a visible sign of growth of both the nonprofit healthcare organization and the community itself.
Less visible, yet still critical to the legacy, are the years of planning, problem-solving, and leadership that made it possible.
As the region continues to grow, the leaders at Beaufort Memorial are focused on a mission beyond solely the opening of a new hospital: building a health system capable of serving its neighbors for generations to come.
With women now serving in many of the organization’s most influential roles, that leadership reflects both Beaufort Memorial’s legacy and its evolution, helping shape the future of healthcare in the communities it serves.