Need medical aid during Ian? Here’s which Beaufort County hospitals will be open

Hilton Head Hospital and Beaufort Memorial Pratt Emergency Center will remain open during Tropical Storm Ian, while Naval Hospital Beaufort will be closed Friday.

Elective and outpatient services for Hilton Head and Beaufort Memorial hospitals on Friday have been rescheduled. A Thursday advisory for Beaufort Memorial details services not available.

“We will remain open to care for patients with medical needs,” Hilton Head Hospital Communication Manager Valerie Burrow said in a statement. “However, it is important to note that the hospital is not a designated shelter.”

It’s standard for Beaufort Memorial Pratt Emergency Center to stay open during weather emergencies, according to Director of Communications Deidre Robinson.

The hospitals are prepared for weather-related issues like road conditions making it difficult for staff to get to work.

“Staff are worried about not being able to get home or not being able to get back for a regular shift,” Robinson said. “We’ll make space for them to stay in the hospital if they feel the need to do that.”

They are also prepared for power outages.

“Uninterrupted power is critical, since some patients may be connected to lifesaving equipment,” Robinson said. “We have power generators and a whole system that kicks in if the power goes out in the area.”

Naval Hospital Beaufort is relying on hospitals like Beaufort Memorial Pratt Emergency Center to stay open while it closes Friday.

“We work alongside Beaufort Memorial and some outlying hospitals for any of our serious patients,” Public Affairs Officer Nicole Buckhanan said.

Naval Hospital Beaufort doesn’t have any patients in their beds right now.

“We’re just making sure we’ve set up the ‘oh by the ways’ or the ‘just in cases’ in case something happens once we’re closed on Friday so that patients have a place to go,” Buckhanan said.

For the hospital, this means checking to make sure their patients have any needed medicine and know to call 9-1-1 for medical emergencies.

During this time some injuries are more common than others.

“When storms hit, the most common injuries occur when people are putting up shutters, taking down shutters and clearing debris, which can be especially risky,” Robinson said. “Eye injuries and accidents with chainsaws are the most common.”

This story was originally published September 29, 2022 at 3:38 PM.