kitchen countertopsIn Seabrook Island, SC

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C, Feb. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Seabrook of Hilton Head's Fraser Health Center has been named one of the Top Four Nursing Homes in the State of South Carolina. According to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS), The Seabrook of Hilton Head's Fraser Health Center received the CMS's highest five-star rating and ranked the health center number four in the state.

CMS has examined 187 South Carolina nursing home facilities, finding that 36 have the highest five-star rating. The CMS star rating system is based on staffing, health inspections and quality measures. Most nursing homes in the U.S. are in the star rating system, given that CMS examines all facilities that accept payments from Medicaid and Medicare.

"We know there is an increasing need for quality nursing home care," Chris Romick, Executive Director of The Seabrook of Hilton Head, said. "All of us at The Seabrook continue to do everything possible to deliver the best care for our residents."

The Fraser Health Center is a licensed and Medicare-certified Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Health Center located on The Seabrook of Hilton Head's 21-acre continuing care campus.

U.S. Census data shows that there are more than 70 million estimated baby boomers today (born from 1946 to 1964), and by 2030, they will all be 65 or older. And, with better health care increasing lifespans and birth rates dropping among young women, the Census Bureau projects that for the first time in the country's history, older adults could outnumber children under 18 by 2034.

For more information about The Seabrook of Hilton Head, please visit https://theseabrook.com/.

About The Seabrook of Hilton Head

The Seabrook is the only Continuing Care Retirement Community that offers three housing options: condominium purchase, entry fee contract, and studio rental. Since 1982, The Seabrook of Hilton Head has operated as a non-profit, tax-exempt charitable organization. Its Board of Trustees established The Seabrook Foundation Fund to promote the organization's vision of social accountability. Families and friends of The Seabrook, through gifts of time and charitable donations, are dedicated to sustaining The Seabrook of Hilton Head as a community devoted to philanthropy, faith, family, and service to others.

Contact: Karen Robertson, 912-313-4417, karen@robmark.com

SOURCE The Seabrook of Hilton Head

The people’s new sport

Ask any pickleball player about the game and they’ll tell you the same thing: Pickleball is unlike any other sport. It’s a combination of table tennis, traditional tennis and badminton. But, they say, that’s not what makes it special.

“It’s incredibly inclusive. It’s multi-generational. There’s really no other sport you can have an 80-year-old grandfather playing with their 8-year-old grandson, and you’re almost playing on the same level,” said Scott Mannetta, Mount Pleasant resident and a USA Pickleball ambassador.

Manetta, who is now a pickleball teaching pro and owns the pickleSTRONG brand, discovered the sport seven years ago when a friend invited him to play.

“I’ve been an athlete all of my life. I’ve played very competitive soccer, ice hockey, tennis, and I never had more fun than I had playing pickleball,” he said. “So I just dove in headfirst. I couldn’t get enough of it. I played every day.”

It’s addictive

This is a sentiment echoed by many players. Pickleball seems to draw people in from their very first game.

“It’s very friendly. It’s very welcoming,” Mannetta said. “We want you to come in. We want you to feel welcome.”

He’s right. From the moment I recently stepped onto a pickleball court for the first time, I was immediately greeted by strangers who wanted to chat and share tips.

Another player, “Pinky” Shin of Summerville, has played for eight years. She said a retired friend introduced her to the game, claiming to love it so much that she played eight hours a day.

“She said you won’t believe how much fun it is. So, I went out and we went to Seabrook Island … we got our first instruction on how to play. Oh my God, I said, ‘This is so fun. Wait a minute, can we play some more?’ And that is the same story with just about everybody who initially plays,” Shin said.

“That’s why people love it. What other game can you play with hardly anything?”

Pickleball requires nothing more than paddles, a light, hollow plastic ball and a court — which are available throughout the Charleston area. The simplicity of the game removes barriers like expensive equipment and years of training often required by other sports like tennis and golf.

Find your court

Brandon Mackie, a Savannah native who moved to the Mount Pleasant area five years ago, wanted to help newbies and pros access local, free pickleball courts. So, he co-founded the website Pickleheads. Users plug in their location anywhere in the U.S. and it generates a map of courts in the area. Currently, the website shows between 44 and 51 courts in the greater Charleston area. Mackie also plans to launch a scheduling tool in the near future.

“It’s geared towards finding places to play and finding people to play with, which really are the two biggest challenges to anyone who is new to the sport,” he said.

“Because pickleball has grown so fast and you can play it almost anywhere, it’s really hard to know exactly what a pickleball court is. We felt there was a real need to get this information in the hands of people that just started playing or are considering playing for the first time.”

Though pickleball was invented in 1965, its popularity has exploded in recent years. The Association of Pickleball Professionals estimates 36.5 million people played pickleball in the U.S. in 2022, though Mannetta said some estimates are as high as 65 million.

The South Atlantic region, which includes South Carolina, had the most players with 1,087,000 in 2022, according to USA Pickleball.

“I don’t think we’ve ever seen the sort of growth in any other sport that we’re seeing with pickleball,” Mannetta said. “There’s nobody who can’t play. No matter what.”

Easy exercise to pick up

For first-timers considering the sport, it is very simple and approachable. Within 10 minutes, I learned the basic rules and was scoring points against veteran players. Did they go easy on me? Perhaps. But even that speaks to the spirit of the game.

It’s not about competition. It’s about connection — physically connecting your paddle with the ball and emotionally connecting with other players who are there for a variety of reasons from exercise to socialization.

“It’s a very social sport. It’s a sport that almost anybody can pick up and learn,” Mackie said.

Pickleball sheds the stern semblance of tennis and welcomes new players with open arms.

“If you ever go to a pickleball court, we are laughing away. It’s a great environment,” Shin said. “I don’t remember laughing as much [playing tennis] as I do here.”

Manetta said, “So we reference tennis whites, you know, they’re very formal. Pickleball is the pickleball rainbows. The louder, the crazier the colors, the more colors of the rainbow — that’s what we’re all about.”

Accidental invention

Part of pickleball’s whimsical nature may stem from its origin.

Joe Pritchard, a former Washington congressman, and businessman Bill Bell invented the game in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Wash., to entertain their bored kids during a family vacation. Gathering up random equipment, including a perforated plastic ball similar to a Wiffle ball, ping pong paddles and a net, they created the rules as they went along. A week later, they introduced the game to another friend Barney McCallum and the three men went on to make an official set of rules. Their original intention was to invent a game the whole family could play.

“I think that’s what’s fun about it,” Mackie said. “Pickleball is not this long established sport that’s played at country clubs. It’s a fun sport that was kind of invented by accident, and it can be played anywhere.”

Sometime soon this year, Charleston will welcome another way to experience pickleball at Crush Yard Pickleball Club and Restaurant in Mount Pleasant.

Pickleball Pro Dan Levine will be the bar/restaurant’s director of pickleball and head pro, facilitating leagues and tournaments, helping guests with equipment and offering lessons.

“Pickleball is the hottest trend in America right now.” Levine said. “Our concept is combining this trend with a restaurant, a lounge-like atmosphere and a club feeling. There’s nothing like it, and it’s coming to a community that craves new, fun places to dine, exercise and hang out.”

Though an official date hasn’t yet been set, Crush Yard is expected to open in early 2023.

With more ways to try out the sport, its popularity is only expected to grow further.

“I always say that pickleball is easy to learn, but hard to master,” Mackie said. “So anyone can go out, learn, have fun that first time, but even people that play day in and day out don’t get bored of it. You can keep playing very competitively, and I think that for beginners and advanced players, it just keeps people coming back for more.”

For more about the official rules of pickleball and additional information, visit usapickleball.org.

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SEABROOK ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Seabrook Island neighbors are petitioning their leaders to cap the number of short-term rentals, stating there is overcrowding due to what they called over-tourism, but the mayor said the town has no plans to do so.

Seabrook Island homeowner Ted Flerlage says over 700 of his neighbors want to cap the number of short-term rentals on the island.

“What we’re trying to do is cap, not end the process of short-term rentals, cap at roughly the present numbers, evaluate what happens after that,” Flerlage said, “and then, determine whether or not we should lower the number of short-term rentals.”

As of June 19, there are 484 of these properties on the island, which residents said has led to overcrowding on the island’s streets and amenities.

Mayor John Gregg said for this year, data gathered over the past few months suggest otherwise.

“We’re not going to be looking at imposing limitations on the number of short-term rental units,” Gregg said.

Coastal Getaways owner Nancy Buck said more people are starting to call the island home, and good rentals are full for around 40% of the year.

She says all of her clients are property owners who rent to help offset the costs of the amenities, taxes and insurance.

“We’ve also gone from 35% permanent residents to 60% residents in the last two years,” Buck said. “Twenty-five percent of the properties have turned over since 2019.”

Buck also adds the majority of the amenities are mostly used by members and not rental guests.

However, the homeowners want the town’s government to hear them out.

“I’d like him to reconsider,” Flerlage said. “I’d like him to look at the reality and listen to the people who are property owners here, the residents on the island. You know, 700 people is a big number.”

“Let’s wait and see how this year goes,” Buck said. “They instituted the short-term rental ordinance couple of years ago, or actually, last year, so let’s give it a full year to see how it goes.”

Both Buck and the homeowners said they want to work out their differences over the next several months to come up with a solution that works for everyone.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

The more than 20,000 square foot facility will be located at 1884 Seabrook Island Road, near Bohicket Marina. The Sea Islands community is expected to undergo significant population growth over the next few years, especially those residents 65 and older. The Sea Islands are also geographically isolated, situated more than 20 miles from the nearest hospital. The area also accommodates a large seasonal population of tourists, many of whom have trouble navigating local health care services.

“It can take up to 45 minutes to get to the nearest hospital from the Sea Islands. That’s too long for an emergency situation such as a stroke, where every minute counts. As the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, we are committed to delivering the best possible care, closest to home,” said David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, MUSC president. “This new medical pavilion will provide rapid access to outstanding care for the entire Sea Islands community.”

As part of the MUSC Health system’s overarching strategy, the MUSC Health Charleston Division has worked to provide better community access and local care in the greater Tri-County region, as well as coastal communities to the north and south of Charleston. This enables better capacity at the flagship facilities, which offer specialized and complex care downtown while enhancing overall accessibility and continuity of care for patients and families, especially in underserved communities. Since 2019, four new multispecialty ambulatory care platforms have opened in West Ashley, North Charleston and Mount Pleasant.

In addition to 24/7 emergency care, the facility will offer two trauma rooms, a rooftop helicopter pad, and a medical office building that will provide primary and specialty care, including imaging and lab services, cardiology and physical therapy. A telemedicine network will connect the entire facility to some of the nation’s top providers at MUSC Health in downtown Charleston. The Town of Kiawah Island donated $1 million to create a healing, restful green space and garden adjacent to the new facility.

“Accessibility to the wonderful health system and hospitals we have here has been a concern, so it was exciting to hear about this project,” said Town of Kiawah Mayor John Labriola. “My hat’s off to the MUSC Board of Trustees and the institution’s leadership, because getting a certificate of need is not easy… personally, I look forward to the ribbon cutting and seeing our garden that will be named for the Town of Kiawah.”

The project was made possible in part by Kiawah Partners, which was acquired by South Street Partners in 2013, who donated 6 acres of land to the Medical University Hospital Authority (MUSC Health), valued at $4.85 million.

"This project was initiated to meet the huge need for medical services on Kiawah Island, Seabrook, and Johns Island. With no convenient emergency healthcare options currently available, we have been working for seven-plus years to figure out a way to bring accessible healthcare to the Sea Islands,” said Chris Randolph, South Street Partners. “Thanks to MUSC, we will soon have a world-class medical facility that provides so much more than what we had originally envisioned. We couldn’t be more pleased to have been able to donate the land for this project and feel very grateful to partner with such an excellent health care system.”

Of the estimated $30 million needed to fund the project, MUSC is committed to raising $17 million in private support. To date, it has received more than $9.5 million in confirmed gifts, with many coming from local residents.

“Private support is critical to the long-term success of the MUSC Health Sea Islands Medical Pavilion because of the many financial challenges that come with operating a medical facility in this community,” said Kate Azizi, vice president for Institutional Advancement. “One challenge is the low population density of the Sea Islands. While this is an aging population that needs timely access to medical care – there aren’t enough people living in these communities full time to sustain our operations. Philanthropic support helps fill those gaps, allowing us to deliver the best care possible where and when it’s needed.”

Donors Chris and DeeDee Gibson are giving $2 million to the project. In recognition of their generosity, the physical therapy space will be named in their honor. “My family has been coming to Kiawah for close to 40 years,” Chris Gibson said. “When my wife DeeDee and I built a home here, she had one request: that there was a hospital nearby in case of an emergency. All these years later, we are excited to contribute to the new MUSC Health Sea Islands Medical Pavilion and to help make these vital medical services available to our neighbors on Kiawah, Seabrook and Johns islands.”

“The construction of a full-fledged medical facility with emergency services is a dream come true for all Johns, Kiawah and Seabrook Islands,” said local resident Pam Harrington, who donated $2 million and will name the emergency department after the Harrington family. “As our population continues to grow and more folks are retiring to our area, the demand for medical services grows with it! Being a Kiawah/Cassique resident for many years, the addition of a medical pavilion fills a real need that has existed over several decades. Prior to my 40-plus years in real estate on the islands I was a practicing ICU nurse. This medical center is near and dear to my heart! As a thank you and show of appreciation to all who have been so supportive of my success, here, on the Sea Islands, it seems befitting to take this opportunity to give back in a meaningful way.”

Construction is expected to conclude in late 2023.

Quote bank:

Seabrook Mayor John Gregg – “It is indeed my pleasure to welcome MUSC to Seabrook Island, as our local community will be well served by the capabilities of this facility and the practitioners who will staff it. We look forward to having better availability of care, ranging from emergency room treatment, to advanced diagnostics for the ailments, bumps, pains, scrapes, stings, and strains that come with having an active and diverse population.”

MUSC Board of Trustees Vice Chairman Charles Schulze – “On behalf of the board, I want to acknowledge, commend, and deeply, deeply thank you for your dedication hard work and the public private collaboration that is taking place to get us to where we are today. As an air force veteran of the Vietnam war, I know the importance and necessity of teamwork. When you have a complex mission ahead of you in those situations, your unity as a team is your biggest strength… And it didn't matter where you live, where you were from or what your background was in our military. You learned that persistence, perseverance, collaboration, and expertise are critical to the success of a mission. And it's been no different in this case. When the board began to discuss the feasibility of this project, we knew it wasn't going to happen without teamwork and vision. Not only from everybody at MUSC, but also from the community here in the sea islands.”

MUSC Health System CEO and Executive Vice President of Health Affairs Dr. Pat Cawley – “What makes this project challenging is that it doesn’t fit into normal health constructs. We spent a lot of time with the community, trying to gauge what was needed and it was clear that there was tremendous community support for this project and it was the engagement with the concept of neighbors caring for neighbors and the work of the community to reach out to state officials and regulators that helped make this project a reality. MUSC Health is proud to be a part of this community and its health care provider of choice, and we are humbled by the level of support we are receiving to bring this shared vision to reality.”

###

About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a unique mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates more than 3,000 students in six colleges – Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy – and trains more than 850 residents and fellows in its health system. MUSC brought in more than $327.6 million in research funds in fiscal year 2021, leading the state overall in research funding. MUSC also leads the state in federal and National Institutes of Health funding, with more than $220 million. For information on academic programs, visit web.musc.edu

As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Patient care is provided at 14 hospitals with approximately 2,500 beds and five additional hospital locations in development; more than 350 telehealth sites, with connectivity to patients’ homes; and nearly 750 care locations situated in all regions of South Carolina. In 2022, for the eighth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.

MUSC and its affiliates have collective annual budgets totaling $5.1 billion. The nearly 25,000 MUSC team members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, students, affiliates and care team members who deliver and support groundbreaking education, research, and patient care.

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You’ve already been charmed by Charleston, maybe even made the trip to some of South Carolina’s best small towns like Bluffton, Georgetown⁠ and Mount Pleasant. But there’s a lot more awesomeness waiting to be discovered in the Palmetto State…or, shall we say, just off the coast. South Carolina has some really incredible isles that are perfect for vacation, whether you’re intrigued by pirate lore, love exploring salt marshes, fancy a birdwatching holiday or just need a stress-free escape where wild horses run free. Here, the best South Carolina islands and where to stay on each one.

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1. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

One of South Carolina’s most popular tourist destinations for a plethora of reasons, Hilton Head Island offers an incredible mix of natural wonder, upscale delights and outdoor activities. You can book whale watching and dolphin spotting boat charters, hit the links, go cycling, hiking and kayaking, play tennis and polo, do some shopping, snap pics in front of the red-and-white-striped Harbour Town Lighthouse and, of course, catch some rays on the beach.

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2. Daufuskie Island, South Carolina

No doubt you’ve heard of Hilton Head Island and Savannah in the neighboring state of Georgia. Sitting just off the coast between these well-known vacation destinations is a tiny hidden gem called Daufuskie Island with a population of just 500 residents. There aren’t hotels or big-name attractions. Instead, it's a place of peace, quiet and magical natural wonders—bottlenose dolphins bob in the waters and loggerhead turtles nest on the shore.

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3. Kiawah Island, South Carolina

In terms of true vacation destinations, Kiawah Island is a hole-in-one. It has a huge gated luxury beach and golf resort with loads of swish accommodation and amenities like world-class fairways. You don’t need to be a guest to explore the island, which is open to the public. Daytrippers from Charleston often drive over to enjoy the sandy beaches, hiking and biking trails, tours at Heron Park Nature Center and Marsh Island Park.

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4. Capers Island, South Carolina

A pretty, undeveloped barrier island oasis, Capers Island is the perfect spot for a family vacation. Beaches, maritime uplands and salt marshes provide the perfect backdrop for outdoor adventure. It’s excellent for birdwatching and wildlife peeping. Be sure to bring your camera to the eye-catching “boneyard beach” where old tree stumps dot the sandy expanse. Bonus: accessibility from Charleston means no long travel days with the kiddos.

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5. Deveaux Bank, South Carolina

By now you’ve likely gathered that birding is a big deal in South Carolina. Deveaux Bank, a horseshoe-shaped spit of sand at the mouth of the North Edisto River estuary, takes it to the next level as the island actually encompasses a 215-acre sanctuary that’s a protected nesting habitat for many sea and shorebirds. If you’re keen to see eastern brown pelicans and black skimmers, hightail it over to Deveaux Bank.

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6. Seabrook Island, South Carolina

Seabrook Island is a downright dreamy place to live or visit. A lot of people choose to reside in this private, oceanfront community. That’s because it’s pretty as a picture with natural beauty galore, nationally recognized birdwatching, two award-winning golf courses, near-empty beaches, a racquet club, an equestrian center and stunning houses we’d happily call home. And the fact that it’s just a few miles from downtown Charleston yet retains a sense of seclusion definitely helps, too.

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7. Bear Island, South Carolina

A nature lover’s dream, Bear Island feels rugged and remote despite sitting just an hour outside Charleston. This undeveloped and pristinely beautiful 12,021-acre Sea Island is part of the ACE Basin estuarine reserve area and managed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. That translates to ample opportunities for bird watching (it’s among the top-ranked spots for twitchers in the entire state) and wildlife viewing, fishing, hiking and biking.

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8. Edisto Island, South Carolina

For a fantastic family-friendly holiday, consider Edisto Island. A laid-back Lowcountry Sea Island not far from Charleston (some people even call it home and commute into the Holy City, just to give you a sense of proximity) that’s approximately 68 square miles and has loads of low-key appeal in the form of sandy beaches and outdoor activities for all ages, including hiking and camping in Edisto Beach State Park.

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9. Fripp Island, South Carolina

Fripp Island doesn’t scream "Shiver me timbers" in that really obvious sort of way. But its treasure hunting past is really interesting and the legends live on. Though, these days, the most seaward of the barrier islands feels a lot less pirate and more residential vacation resort with sandy beaches, tennis courts and golf courses. It’s also a designated wildlife sanctuary. Visitors and residents frequently see great blue herons, wood storks and dolphins.

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10. Port Royal Island, South Carolina

If you’ve spent some time in South Carolina or are generally familiar with the Palmetto State, Beaufort probably rings a bell. Port Royal Island is the island where the aforementioned seaside city resides. There are beautiful beaches, scenic walking trails, boat tours and tons of opportunities for birdwatching. It's also a popular pick for foodies, specifically seafood lovers who come from far and wide to sample fresh-caught Lowcountry fare.

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11. Callawassie Island, South Carolina

Callawassie Island may be one of the hundreds of barrier and sea islands, but this 880-acre private slice of paradise just 17 miles from Beaufort sets itself apart from the rest with its coastline, tidal creeks, lagoons, salt marshes and moss-draped trees. There’s also a butterfly garden and a golf course. Callawassie Island is accessible via the half-mile-long causeway that connects it to the mainland as well as by boat.

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12. Johns Island, South Carolina

Sure, bigger isn’t always better. But, then again, sometimes size ups the appeals of a place. Sprawling 738 acres, Johns Island, the largest island in South Carolina and famously a filming location for The Notebook is enchantingly beautiful with miles of wooded trails, farms and lakes. Back to the whole size thing…its most famous feature, the massive ancient Angel Oak stands a whopping 65-feet tall and shades an area of 17,000 square feet.