Tidelands Health to expand care access in Horry County with network of ERs, urgent care centers and primary care offices

May 14, 2025 

Contact: Dawn Bryant                                                                   David Mangan 

Tidelands Health                                                                                 Intuitive Health     
(843) 652-1636                                                                                   (317) 964-3732 

dbryant@tidelandshealth.org 

News for Immediate Release: 

Tidelands Health to expand care access in Horry County with network of ERs, urgent care centers and primary care offices 

Tidelands Health will build a network of integrated emergency departments and urgent care centers, accompanied by primary care offices, across Horry County, dramatically improving access to care for the fast-growing community. 

The region’s largest health system is collaborating with Intuitive Health, a Texas-based medical group that specializes in emergency and urgent care, to develop three integrated ER and urgent care facilities in Horry County. Each facility will be accompanied by a Tidelands Health Family Medicine office. 

Construction on the first integrated ER and urgent care center, at the intersection of Forestbrook Road and Forest Edge Drive in Myrtle Beach, will begin later this year. Additional locations are planned at River Oaks Boulevard in Myrtle Beach and along Highway 501 in Conway. 

MUSC Health, with whom Tidelands Health is aligned, is also working with Intuitive Health to build combined ER and urgent care facilities in other parts of the state. 

“Tidelands Health is proud to bring this innovative model of care to our region,” said Bruce Bailey, the health system’s president and CEO. “Locating ERs and urgent-care centers under the same roof will help assure patients receive the appropriate level of care quickly and efficiently. 

“In addition, these new Tidelands Health Family Medicine locations will provide a broad range of primary care services to meet patients’ non-emergent health and wellness needs.” 

The integrated ER and urgent care model is becoming increasingly popular nationwide, as it simplifies patient decision-making about the type of care needed. Patients who seek care at the new centers will be triaged upon arrival and directed to the appropriate level of care by emergency-trained physicians and nurses in a fully equipped facility, which will also accommodate EMS and ambulances.  

“Studies have shown more than 30 percent of ER visits are for non-emergency health issues that could be effectively managed in an urgent-care setting,” said Dr. William Richmond, director of emergency medicine at Tidelands Health. “By triaging patients when they arrive and directing them to either the on-site ER or urgent care center, we can provide the right level of care for every patient. 

“When a patient can be effectively treated in urgent care rather than the ER, that lowers the cost to the patient and helps keep our ERs available to quickly care for those who need emergency help. 

“This integrated model of care keeps wait times down, improves the patient experience and, most importantly, helps patients access the care they need.” 

The facilities will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will feature a full-service emergency department with on-site laboratory and imaging services, in addition to an urgent-care center. 

Thom Herrmann, Intuitive Health CEO, said the integrated ER and urgent care model brings together the lifesaving capabilities of a hospital ER and the convenience of an urgent-care center. 

“We are excited to partner with Tidelands Health to bring this combination of full-service emergency and urgent care to the people of Horry County,” Herrmann said. “It makes the highest level of care accessible so that you can get the right level of care, at the right price, and you’re going to get in and out really quickly.” 

The planned ERs, urgent care center and primary care offices are part of Tidelands Health’s continuing commitment to meet the health and wellness needs of the region’s burgeoning population. 

The not-for-profit health system, which is celebrating 75 years of caring for the community, has begun preliminary site work on Tidelands Health Carolina Bays Hospital, a new hospital to be located in south Horry County. A third location of Tidelands Health Rehabilitation Hospital, an extended care hospital and additional physician offices and specialty clinics are also planned at various locations across Georgetown and Horry counties. 

### 

About Tidelands Health 

Tidelands Health, in collaboration with MUSC Health, is the region’s largest health care provider, serving the Carolinas at four hospitals and more than 70 outpatient locations. More than 2,500 employee, physician and volunteer partners work side by side with our communities to transform the health of our region – promoting wellness, preventing illness, encouraging recovery and restoring health. 

About Intuitive Health 

Founded in 2008, Intuitive Health pioneered the combined emergency room and urgent care model. Intuitive Health partners with established health systems nationwide to build, operate and launch retail healthcare facilities that provide urgent care and emergency room services under one roof. Intuitive Health partners with leading health systems nationwide, including Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia and Washington. Intuitive's patient-centric approach to immediate care has saved payors and patients hundreds of millions in unnecessary emergency care spending. In addition, the Intuitive Health model increases market share for partnered healthcare systems by expanding their footprint with conveniently located centers. For more information, please visit IHERUC.com.