HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Fifty years to the day since Hilton Head Hospital first opened its doors, Novant Health Hilton Head Medical Center welcomed community leaders, team members and longtime supporters to commemorate its half-century legacy of compassionate care.
The celebratory press conference and reception took place on Friday, August 8, at the hospital’s main campus on Hospital Center Boulevard, the same location where, on August 8, 1975, a group of visionaries gathered to mark the opening of the first hospital on Hilton Head Island.
With just 6,500 residents at the time, the hospital’s launch ensured islanders no longer had to travel off the island for emergency and inpatient medical services.
“This was more than the opening of a building - it was a promise to this community,” said Joel Taylor, president of Novant Health’s Hilton Head area. “And it’s a promise we continue to honor today, with expanded services, advanced technology and a deep-rooted commitment to the people who live, work and retire in this incredible part of the Lowcountry.”
Dr. Peter LaMotte, a renowned orthopedic surgeon and former team physician for the New York Mets, relocated to Hilton Head in the early 1970s and played a central role in founding the hospital. Today’s event was especially meaningful with the presence of his son, Peter LaMotte, who shared memories of his father’s legacy and the vision that shaped the hospital’s beginnings.
William Bethea Jr., one of the hospital’s founding investors and leaders, reflected on the decades of transformation that followed the hospital’s opening.
Mike Rosenfeld, president of the Hilton Head Hospital Auxiliary, emphasized the vital role the dedicated group of volunteers has served over five decades. The Auxiliary starting fundraising to support the hospital years before opening day. “From the minute the hospital opened, I think it became very important to the community,” he added. “From anywhere on the island, you can be in our hospital’s ER within 15 minutes. And there, you’ll find tremendous expertise in the types of ailments we have here.”
Mayor Alan Perry of Hilton Head Island also shared remarks on the hospital’s integral and ongoing role in the health, safety and economic development of the region. Perry said he is especially encouraged by the positive remarks and feedback he has heard since Hilton Head Medical Center and Coastal Carolina Medical Center joined the Novant Health family in February 2024.
The event included a performance by the Hilton Head Choral Society, which also performed at the hospital’s opening ceremony in 1975; a presentation of the colors by the Hilton Head Island High School Color Guard; the unveiling of a commemorative timeline wall installation inside the hospital lobby; and a display case of historic photos, medical memorabilia and original press clippings from 1975.
Novant Health Hilton Head Medical Center continues to provide comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services, including emergency care, surgical specialties, imaging, cardiology, women’s health and orthopedics. When joining the Novant Health system in 2024, the hospital returned to its nonprofit roots, further investing in community care, physician recruitment, affordable housing and access initiatives across Beaufort and Jasper counties.
“As we look to the future, Novant Health is helpng us carry forward the same values that launched this hospital 50 years ago,” Taylor said. “Compassion, excellence and a promise to be here for every generation.”
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