Urgent Care and ER Near Topsail Island: What to Know Before You Go

This guide is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.

Urgent care handles most of what sends people looking: flu and COVID tests, ear infections, rashes, minor cuts and sutures, sprains, UTIs, dehydration and sports physicals. An emergency department handles chest pain, stroke signs, severe breathing trouble, major injuries and uncontrolled bleeding. Knowing which is which saves hours and a great deal of money.

We checked the published hours and phone number for every facility below against each operator’s own website on August 17, 2026. Four matched. One had changed. Two we could not verify from a primary source, and we have said so rather than repeat what was here before.

Emergency Numbers

When to Go Where

Go to an emergency department for chest pain, stroke symptoms (face droop, arm weakness, speech trouble), severe difficulty breathing, major injury, uncontrolled bleeding, seizures, severe dehydration or confusion, and for any child or older adult who seems very unwell.

Urgent care is the right choice for most non-emergencies: flu and COVID testing, ear infections, rashes, minor cuts including sutures, sprains and simple fractures, UTIs, dehydration and sports physicals.

Telehealth works for mild symptoms, prescription questions, simple rashes and after-hours triage.

If you are not sure, call a nearby urgent care and ask. If something feels seriously wrong, go now. Clinical teams would far rather assess you early than late.

Urgent Care and Walk-In Hours, Checked August 17, 2026

Every row below was read from the operator’s own website on that date. Hours change, and clinics add and drop weekend cover, so call before you drive.

Facility	Where	Hours	Phone
Sandy Shores Medical Center & Urgent Care	13741 NC Hwy 50, Unit A, Surf City	Mon-Thu 8am-4:30pm; Fri 8am-2pm; Sat-Sun 8am-2pm. Telehealth Sat-Sun 8am-12pm	(910) 777-2732
Island Family Medicine	2540 NC Hwy 210 E, Hampstead	Walk-in Mon-Thu 8am and 1:30pm, Fri 8am, first come first served. Office Mon-Thu 8am-5pm; Fri 8am-12:30pm	(910) 329-9916
Coastal Carolina Care, Hampstead	15441 US-17 S, Suite 501, Hampstead	Mon-Thu 7am-5pm; Fri 7am-1pm. Closed weekends	(910) 685-7307
Coastal Carolina Care, Sneads Ferry	1072 NC Hwy 210, Suite A, Sneads Ferry	Confirm directly, this location opened after the previous version of this guide	(910) 685-7307
Wilmington Health Today’s Care	8108-B Market St, Porters Neck, Wilmington	Walk-in Mon-Sun 8am-5pm, including Sunday	See note below
Med First Primary & Urgent Care	200 Cape Fear Cir, Suite 1, Sneads Ferry	Mon-Fri 7am-5pm. Closed weekends	(910) 327-2277

Two Corrections

Wilmington Health Today’s Care is open Sunday mornings. The previous version of this guide said Sunday 12:30pm to 5pm. Their own site now publishes walk-in hours of 8am to 5pm, Monday through Sunday. If you skipped it on a Sunday morning because of the old hours, that was our error.

Island Family Medicine is not an urgent care, and that has billing consequences. Their site states plainly that they are not an urgent care facility and do not file claims as one. If your insurance requires an urgent care visit for coverage, a walk-in here may not qualify. Worth a call to your insurer before you go, not after.

What We Could Not Confirm

Wilmington Health Today’s Care phone number. The number carried in the previous version of this guide appears nowhere on their Porters Neck page. The only number published there is the Wilmington Health main line, 910-341-3300. We have removed the unverified direct number rather than keep repeating it. Their site also carries an undated alert about extended hours to 6pm that contradicts the 8am-to-5pm table directly beneath it, so if you need a late appointment, call.

Novant Health Scotts Hill Emergency Department and Novant Health Pender Medical Center. Both direct location pages return errors, and Novant’s location finder is a JavaScript application that serves nothing readable to a plain request. We could not verify hours or phone numbers from Novant’s own source, and we are not going to publish a number from a third-party directory as though it were confirmed. Both are emergency departments and both operate around the clock. For a genuine emergency, call 911 rather than a department switchboard.

Self-pay pricing at any of these clinics. None of the six publishes a self-pay price list, and we are not going to estimate one. Call and ask for the self-pay rate and what it excludes.

The Onslow Memorial emergency desk number. A separate ER desk line appeared in the previous version. It is not published on Onslow Memorial’s emergency medicine page, so we have removed it and kept the main hospital number, which their site does publish.

If You Are Visiting

1. Daytime, minor problem: Sandy Shores in Surf City is the closest urgent care to the island. Just over the bridge, Island Family Medicine has weekday walk-in windows, with the billing caveat above.
2. Evening, overnight, or anything severe: go to Novant Scotts Hill if you are staying south, or Onslow Memorial if you are staying north.
3. Mild symptoms: telehealth. Sandy Shores now runs weekend telehealth sessions, and Wilmington Health offers a telehealth option.

Bring photo ID, your insurance or travel insurance details, a current medication and allergy list, and a payment method. If you test positive for COVID or flu, ask about antivirals and current isolation guidance.

Seasonal Problems That Actually Turn Up Here

• Heat illness. Hydrate, take shade or air conditioning breaks, and seek care for confusion, fainting or symptoms that worsen. Risk climbs through hot, humid spells.
• Swimmer’s ear. Common after ocean and pool time. Keep ears dry. Urgent care treats it quickly.
• Marine stings and cuts. Rinse with seawater, remove visible tentacles carefully, and seek care for severe pain, spreading rash or breathing trouble.
• Tick bites. North Carolina sees Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis and Lyme. Seek care for fever, headache or rash in the days after a bite or outdoor exposure.
• Back-to-school infections. Upper respiratory infections, strep and conjunctivitis all climb in late August and September.

Respiratory Season

Expect waves of COVID-19, flu and RSV through fall and winter. If you are ill, stay home where you can, test as needed, and ask whether you are eligible for antivirals.

• NC DHHS current guidance
• CDC respiratory activity levels
• Find COVID and flu vaccines

County Health Departments

Pender County Health Department, 803 S Walker St, Burgaw. (910) 259-1230. Immunization clinic and walk-in services.

Onslow County Health Department, 612 College St, Jacksonville. (910) 347-2154. Immunizations and the WIC program, appointments (910) 347-5002.

Before a School Year Starts

• Immunizations. Check school requirements and deadlines, and book any missing shots with your provider or the county health department.
• Sports physicals. Most offices above do them. Bring the school forms.
• Go early. Weekend and evening demand rises through late August. Morning visits, online check-in and telehealth all move faster.

Common Questions

Where Is the Closest Urgent Care to Topsail Island?

Sandy Shores Medical Center and Urgent Care at 13741 NC Hwy 50, Unit A in Surf City, open Monday to Thursday 8am to 4:30pm, Friday 8am to 2pm, and weekends 8am to 2pm as of August 17, 2026.

Where Is the Nearest Emergency Room?

Novant Health Emergency Department at Scotts Hill if you are south of the island, and Onslow Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville if you are north. Both operate 24 hours. For a life-threatening emergency call 911 rather than driving.

Is Any Urgent Care Open on Sunday Near Topsail?

Yes. Sandy Shores in Surf City is open Sunday 8am to 2pm, and Wilmington Health Today’s Care at Porters Neck takes walk-ins Sunday 8am to 5pm. Coastal Carolina Care and Med First are both closed at weekends.

How Much Does Urgent Care Cost Without Insurance?

An urgent care visit costs dramatically less than an emergency department visit for the same complaint, which is the single biggest financial reason to choose correctly between them. Self-pay rates vary by clinic and almost none of them publish a price list, so ask for the self-pay rate when you call, before you arrive. Ask separately about tests: a visit fee often excludes X-rays, labs and strep or flu swabs, and those are usually what moves the total.

Can I Get a Sports Physical Locally?

Most of the offices listed above provide them. Bring the school forms, and book in early August rather than late, when demand peaks.

What Should I Do About a Jellyfish Sting?

Rinse with seawater rather than fresh water, remove any visible tentacles carefully without bare hands, and seek care for severe pain, a spreading rash or any difficulty breathing.

More Local Providers

The Topsail Guide directory lists dentists, chiropractors, physical therapy, optometry, home care and other health and wellness providers across the Topsail area. Listing is free.