Providence Hospitals Announces 2009 Society of St. Luke Physicians
April 30, 2009
COLUMBIA, SC – April 30, 2009 – Providence Hospitals inducted two physicians into the Society of St. Luke, a program that celebrates and honors selected members of the Providence medical staff, at a ceremony on Friday, April 24. Established in 2003, The Society of St. Luke recognizes physicians for their distinguished service to their patients, the mission of the hospitals and their service to the community.
Dr. Edward Darrell Hopkins, Jr., is a retired Providence ophthalmologist. A native of Boise, Idaho, Dr. Hopkins attended The Citadel and graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC. Dr. Hopkins completed an internship at William Beaumont Army Hospital in El Paso, Tex., and served in the Army as a medical officer in Germany. Following his stint in the Army, Dr. Hopkins completed an ophthalmology residency at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, La.
In 1962, Dr. Hopkins began practicing at the Columbia Eye Clinic, where he worked until his retirement. Dr. Hopkins was very active in the medical community, serving as a member of the Columbia Medical Society, the South Carolina Medical Association, the American Medical Association, Southern Medical Society, and the American Association of Ophthalmology.
Dr. Hopkins and his wife Leila have four children, son Darrell, and daughters Anne, Elizabeth, and Lee.
Born in Chesterfield, SC, Dr. E. McIver Leppard, Jr., is a Providence cardiovascular surgeon who completed his undergraduate degree at the University of South Carolina in Columbia and graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Dr. Leppard performed his residency in general surgery at Louisiana State University in New Orleans, La.
In 1984, following a fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., Dr. Leppard joined Thoracic and Cardiovascular Associates in Columbia, SC, where he remains employed. Dr. Leppard is the current chief of staff for Providence Hospitals and is a member of the Columbia Medical Society, South Carolina Medical Association, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He serves as president of the South Carolina Cardiac and Thoracic Surgical Society and is also a member of the James D. Rives Surgical Society, Southern Thoracic Surgical Association and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
Dr. Leppard and his wife Connie have two children, son McIver, who is also a physician, and daughter Cameron.
Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity Health System, Providence Hospitals is known statewide for its compassionate care. This non-profit organization is licensed for 304 beds and is comprised of four entities: Providence Hospital, Providence Heart & Vascular Institute, Providence Hospital Northeast and Providence Orthopaedic & Neuro Spine Institute. A faith-based health care facility in the Midlands area of South Carolina, Providence employs more than 1,900 caring individuals.
Providence Hospital, located in downtown Columbia, was founded by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Augustine in 1938. The facility is best known for the expertise in cardiac care it provides through Providence Heart Institute, which is recognized statewide as a referral center for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Providence Hospital Northeast was established in 1999 and offers a range of medical services in surgery, emergency care, women’s and children’s services and rehabilitation. Providence Northeast is home to Providence Orthopaedic & Neuro Spine Institute, which provides medical and surgical treatment of diseases and injuries of the bones, joints and spine.
