The Power Of Partnership
It’s hard to believe that the Outer Banks Health we know and love today started out as 11 acres of sand and some architectural drawings back in the late 1990s. The need for a hospital had been clear for a long time before that, though. For generations, the people of the Outer Banks typically traveled hours to access the services they needed. And the community was growing. So when the state of North Carolina granted our Certificate of Need in 1998, we hit the ground running. Those early days were an exciting time of conducting staff interviews while wearing our hard hats, enjoying employee cookouts and getting to know each other through family activities — ultimately allowing us to form a professional family of our own.
That sense of building something important together in a family-centered environment continues to this day and defines who we are as a community hospital. And while Outer Banks Health is the result of many successful connections, it would never have come to fruition without the remarkable and ongoing partnership between ECU Health and Chesapeake Regional Healthcare.
Starting Small
When The Outer Banks Health first opened its doors in 2002, our services and capabilities were narrow compared to what we provide today. Back then, we welcomed a lot of babies to the Outer Banks and also performed orthopedic surgery and other small-scale surgical procedures. Despite our limited scope, however, we were able to benefit the community greatly by serving as a conduit to care with our partners. Patients suddenly had direct access to a full range of services at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center and ECU Health Medical Center as well as other ECU Health community hospitals. And all the while, our partnership was enabling us to develop and expand our own service offerings.
Growing Strong Together
The strength of our partnership has from the beginning made our community stronger. Our Emergency Department was an early initiative and a crucial addition to our services — especially so in the summer months, when our population swells to nearly 250,000. The expansion of our capabilities continued with cancer services as well as two urgent care centers. Our incredibly varied outreach programs are also key to promoting a happier, healthier community and demonstrate our commitment to everyone in it. From the free screenings we provide via our Health Coach bus…to wellness programs like yoga on the beach…to cancer outreach programs and beyond, we’re making a difference every day.
Embracing The Future
Partnership based on cooperation and support is what allows us to strengthen the services we currently provide and to expand our continuum of care as well as innovate so we are able to explore new avenues. Over the past 20+ years we’ve experienced a brand evolution and are proud to now be known as Outer Banks Health.
We’ve come a long way in a relatively short time, thanks to our partners — and our potential knows no bounds.
