Hilton Head labor and delivery services relocating to Coastal Carolina Medical Center

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, Sc. (WTOC) - Novant Health announced labor and delivery services at Hilton Head Medical Center will transition to Coastal Carolina Medical Center beginning July 17, 2026.

Hospital leaders said prenatal and OB/GYN appointments will continue as scheduled at Novant Health Riverside Women’s Care locations, including the clinic on Hilton Head Island. Officials emphasized no OB/GYN clinics are closing and no employees will lose their jobs as part of the transition.

According to Novant Health Hilton Head area President Joel Taylor, the move is part of a broader effort to expand maternity services and specialized care at Coastal Carolina Medical Center, where the majority of births in the region already take place.

Novant officials said Hilton Head Medical Center handles less than 20% of regional births, with the transition expected to affect about 15 patients due in August 2026. Coastal Carolina Medical Center offers advanced maternity care, including a Level II Special Care Nursery, 24/7 OB/GYN and anesthesia coverage, and expanded lactation services.

Hospital leaders said Hilton Head Medical Center will remain prepared to handle obstetric emergencies through its Emergency Department, which includes a dedicated obstetric emergency room and ambulance transfer capabilities.

Novant Health said its future Bluffton Medical Center will include labor and delivery services with six delivery rooms and 12 postpartum recovery rooms. Officials also said no beds are being removed at Hilton Head Medical Center, where resources will shift toward services for the island’s growing older population, including cardiology, primary care, urology and cancer screening.

“For generations, families have welcomed their babies at Hilton Head Medical Center, and we are honored to have been part of so many special moments,” Taylor said in a statement.

“This history makes the transition bittersweet, but it reflects our responsibility to meet evolving community needs while continuing to deliver the highest quality care for moms and babies across this part of the Lowcountry.”