Tidewatch Emergency Department (Tidewatch ER), Bluffton
A freestanding 24-hour emergency room on Tidewatch Drive in Bluffton. It is an ER, not urgent care.
- 349 Tidewatch Dr, Bluffton, SC 29910
- (843) 757-8433
Hours
Every dayOpen 24 hours
- Type
- Freestanding 24-hour emergency room
- Open
- Every day of the year, day and night
- Life-threatening
- Call 911
What the Tidewatch ER is
The Tidewatch Emergency Department, usually called the Tidewatch ER, is a freestanding emergency room at 349 Tidewatch Drive in Bluffton, in the Okatie Highway area near Sun City Hilton Head. It is open around the clock, every day of the year, and sees the same kinds of emergencies as a hospital emergency room: chest pain, broken bones, deep cuts, head injuries, breathing trouble, severe pain and sudden illness. It has its own lab and imaging, including X-ray and CT, so most patients are tested and treated in one visit.
An ER, not urgent care
This is an emergency room, so it is the right place for something serious that cannot wait, and the wrong place for a minor ailment. For a cold, a mild sprain or an earache, a walk-in clinic is usually quicker; the Bluffton urgent care page lists the clinics and the hours they close. Once they close, usually between 5 and 8 in the evening, this ER is the option that is still open.
When a patient needs a hospital bed
Tidewatch is not a hospital and has no inpatient beds. A patient who needs to be admitted or needs a higher level of care is stabilized here and transferred to a hospital. The hospitals page shows the admitting hospitals within reach of Hilton Head and Bluffton, with distances and phone numbers.
Getting there
The ER is on Tidewatch Drive, in the Okatie Highway area west of Old Town Bluffton. It is off the island, so for anything urgent on Hilton Head the island’s own hospital is closer. In a true emergency, call 911 rather than driving yourself: paramedics start treatment on the way, and they take you to the right hospital for the problem.
More on emergency care near Bluffton
Urgent care in Bluffton, SC: three walk-in clinics, two 24-hour emergency rooms, and which hospitals are open, with hours and phone numbers.
Hilton Head's hospital and 24-hour ER, every island urgent care clinic, the nearest hospitals off the island, and what to do in an emergency.
Bluffton Health Department, the SC Department of Public Health clinic at 4819 Bluffton Parkway: hours, phone, WIC and how to book.
Assisted living Bluffton SC: four communities with memory care or assisted living, their addresses and phone numbers, and how to compare and tour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Tidewatch ER open 24 hours?
Yes. The Tidewatch Emergency Department is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, at 349 Tidewatch Drive in Bluffton.
Is the Tidewatch Emergency Department urgent care?
No. It is a freestanding emergency room for serious problems. For minor illness and injury, a walk-in urgent care clinic is a better and usually faster choice during the day.
What is the phone number for the Tidewatch ER?
(843) 757-8433. For a life-threatening emergency, call 911 instead.
Does the Tidewatch ER admit patients?
No. It has no inpatient beds, so a patient who needs to be admitted is transferred to a hospital.
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