Dr. Karen Lommel receives 2026 Healthcare Transformation Award. Life-Changing Work Dr. Karen Lommel receives the Healthcare Transformation Award Dr. Karen Lommel knew in high school that she wanted to become a physician. Her extensive training has given her expertise across multiple specialties, including pediatrics, adult psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and emergency medicine. With more than a decade at Prisma Health, Lommel currently serves as the chief medical officer for behavioral health and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Prisma Health in Greenville, South Carolina. She has also trained future physicians since 2016 as a professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville. For her leadership, expertise and commitment to service that advances a more connected, patient-centered approach to behavioral health in the community, Lommel is this year's recipient of the Healthcare Transformation Award, sponsored by Prisma. "It's truly an honor to be recognized for this important and life-changing work," she says, and is quick to point out that this recognition "spotlights the importance of people doing the hard work behind the scenes to address the significant deficit of behavioral health resources." Prisma's new behavioral health hospital will open in Easley in 2027 and will significantly expand access to behavioral care for children, teens and adults in the Upstate region of South Carolina. "We will be able to serve more children in the Upstate than we ever have before," Dr. Lommel says. The new hospital quadruples Prisma's bed capacity for children and adolescents, while offering more specialized programming for patients in need of acute psychiatric care. "We will also expand our role as the hub for training psychiatrists, medical students, nurses, physician assistants, and psychiatric nurse practitioners," Lommel says, noting that expanding this workforce is "desperately needed." The new facility will include The Sargent-Wilson Wellness Center, a dedicated space for recreational activities for patients, educational sessions for families, and additional resources for community partners. Lommel's excitement for this restorative environment is evident. "This will truly be a benefit to our community on so many levels," she says. Seeing the impact of her efforts on patients, families, and communities is incredibly meaningful to Lommel. While many experiences have shaped her as a clinician and leader, "the opportunity to expand behavioral health services through Prisma Health, the growth of this hospital, and our partnerships with the state to improve access to care has been the true highlight of my career."

Tecsys commits $5M to new Prisma behavioral health hospital. Tecsys, a Montrel-based provider of supply chain solutions, has committed $5 million over the next five years to support Prisma Health's new behavioral health hospital being built near Easley. The new $138 million facility is the centerpiece of a 46-acre campus at 4906 Old Easley Bridge Road near the intersection with S.C. Highway 153 in Easley. The three-story, 112-bed facility is expected to open in March 2027 and will nearly double Prisma Health's inpatient behavioral health capacity. The new hospital will also quadruple the number of beds available for children and adolescents and significantly reduce the need for patients and their families to travel for treatment. It will replace Prisma's 65-bed Marshall I. Pickens Hospital, which was built in 1969. "Tecsys' support is helping bring to life a transformational project that will change behavioral health care in the Upstate for decades to come," said Mark O'Halla, president and CEO of Prisma Health, in a statement about the funding. "With the support of the State of South Carolina, our community and partners like Tecsys, we can reduce that burden and help more people get the care they need closer to home." According to Prisma, the need for more inpatient capacity is acute. In 2025, more than 3,000 behavioral health patients were transported across the state because there were not enough licensed psychiatric beds in the Upstate. As a technology partner to Prisma Health, Tecsys teams have been working behind the scenes to help establish the resilient, secure supply chain infrastructure that will support the new hospital. Through this work, Tecsys President and CEO Peter Brereton saw an opportunity to contribute to the hospital's mission beyond its technology partnership. "Our work with health systems gives us a close view of the critical role they play in the lives of patients, families and communities," Brereton said. "When we understood the need Prisma Health is addressing with this hospital, particularly for children and adolescents who may have to travel hours from home to receive care, we wanted to do more." According to Tecsys co-founder and board chairman David Brereton, the gift is part of the company's longstanding commitment supporting children and families in the communities where it operates through corporate giving, employee-led fundraising and donation matching.

Prisma Health names Douglas W. Lundy, MD, MBA, president of Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute. Prisma Health Media Relations Tuesday, September 29, 2026 GREENVILLE, SC - Prisma Health has named Douglas W. Lundy, MD, MBA, president of its Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute, one of the largest orthopedic and sports medicine programs in the Southeast and the ninth largest in the United States. He will join Prisma Health this fall. As president, Lundy will provide strategic and clinical leadership for more than 180 physicians and advanced practice providers serving patients across South Carolina and East Tennessee. The institute delivers comprehensive orthopedic and sports medicine care and serves as the orthopedic and sports medicine provider for Clemson University, the University of South Carolina and South Carolina State University and thousands of students through its statewide athletic training programs. Lundy joins Prisma Health from St. Luke's University Health Network in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he serves as senior vice president of medical services, chair of orthopedic surgery and an orthopedic trauma surgeon specializing in acute and reconstructive fracture care. Before joining St. Luke's, he spent 16 years with Resurgens Orthopaedics in Atlanta, helping grow the practice into one of the Southeast's leading orthopedic groups while serving as president and advancing its ambulatory surgery center strategy. "Dr. Lundy is a proven physician leader whose experience spans clinical excellence, organizational growth, physician engagement and national leadership," said Jonathan Gleason, MD, executive vice president and chief clinical officer for Prisma Health. "His vision, expertise and commitment to advancing orthopedic care will help strengthen our institute's position as a regional destination for orthopedic and sports medicine services while supporting our mission to improve the health of the communities we serve." Lundy is a nationally recognized orthopedic surgeon, healthcare executive and physician advocate whose career spans clinical practice, academic medicine, military service and healthcare leadership. He served as president of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and most recently as president of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association, two of the nation's leading orthopedic organizations. He has also held numerous leadership roles within the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the American College of Surgeons. His contributions to the profession have earned widespread recognition, including the AAOS Senior Achievement Award and induction into the University of North Georgia Hall of Fame. He has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed scientific publications and is widely respected for his work advancing orthopedic education, policy and patient care. "I am honored to join Prisma Health and lead an institute with such an outstanding reputation for patient care, innovation and athletic partnerships," said Dr. Lundy. "The Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute has built an exceptional team and a strong foundation for growth. I look forward to working alongside our physicians, advanced practice providers and team members to expand access to high-quality musculoskeletal care. Together, we will advance the future of orthopedic and sports medicine services across the region." Throughout his career, Lundy's work has extended beyond clinical practice and executive leadership. He served in the Georgia Army National Guard and the U.S. Army and has participated in international surgeon training and global health initiatives across Africa. Lundy earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Medical College of Georgia and an MBA from Auburn University. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Georgia Baptist Medical Center in Atlanta and a fellowship in orthopedic trauma, foot and ankle surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. About Prisma Health. Recognized as one of "America's Most Innovative Companies" by Fortune, Prisma Health is a private nonprofit health company with over 32,000 team members, 19 acute and specialty hospitals, 3,131 licensed beds, 320 practice sites, and more than 5,900 employed and independent clinicians across its clinically integrated inVio Health Network. Each year, Prisma Health serves more than 1.6 million patients in South Carolina and Tennessee. Connect with Prisma Health on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter/X and TikTok. Visit PrismaHealth.org.