COLUMBIA, S.C. (June 18, 2026) – MUSC Health-Midlands, in partnership with Dallas-based Intuitive Health, has cut the ribbon on MUSC Health Emergency and Urgent Care-Garners Ferry, the state’s first combined emergency and urgent care facility.
Located at 7620 Garners Ferry Road, just off I-77, the 12,484-square-foot facility is part of MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown and features a 24/7 on-site laboratory and radiology services, including X-ray, ultrasound and a 64-slice CT scanner. The facility also accommodates EMS and ambulances, ensuring high-quality care closer to home.
"For too long, residents of southeast Columbia and the Lower Richland area needed to drive a long way just to reach an emergency room," said Matt Littlejohn, chief executive officer of MUSC Health-Midlands Division. "This facility changes that. It's a meaningful step toward ensuring that everyone in this community has access to emergency care where they live."
Upon arrival, patients will be evaluated by emergency-trained providers who will determine the appropriate level of care, either emergency or urgent. Patients are then billed only for the level of care they receive, eliminating the stress of deciding where to seek care and concerns about unexpected bills.
"Our mission has always been to bring the right care to our patients at the right price, and our partnership with MUSC does exactly that,” said Jay Woody, M.D., founder and chief medical officer for Intuitive Health. “South Carolinians deserve access to care that is convenient, compassionate and transparent, and we are proud to help make that a reality for this community."
The Garners Ferry opening is part of a broader collaboration across South Carolina between MUSC Health and Intuitive Health. The two organizations opened a freestanding emergency room on Kiawah Island in December, and additional combined emergency and urgent care facilities are currently under construction in Florence, Summerville and West Ashley in Charleston.
"We are committed to ensuring that every South Carolinian, no matter where they live, has access to the care they need, when they need it," said Patrick J. Cawley, M.D., CEO, MUSC Health and executive vice president for Health Affairs, University. "The opening of this facility is a reflection of that commitment, and with several more locations underway across the state, we are just getting started."
Within the Midlands region, major renovations are also underway at MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown Emergency Department, and two new primary care facilities are planned: one at the corner of Forest Drive and Trenholm Road and another on Knox Abbott Drive. Both are expected to open in the fall.
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About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates nearly 3,500 students in six colleges and trains more than 1,060 residents and fellows across its health system. MUSC leads the state in research funding from the National Institutes of Health, including National Institute of General Medical Sciences COBRE awards. For information on our academic programs, visit musc.edu.
As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. In 2025, for the 11th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.
MUSC has a total enterprise annual operating budget of $8.9 billion. The more than 36,200 MUSC members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, contract employees, affiliates and care team members who deliver groundbreaking education, research and patient care.
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, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, South Carolina, 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.
