The Outer Banks Hospital in Nags Head is celebrating its 20th birthday. For those of us who have been here a while, or our long time visitors, it truly is a reason to celebrate.
Before the hospital came into existence things could get dicey on the Outer Banks if there was an emergency. The nearest hospital was in Elizabeth City, at least an hour away. That was also where the maternity ward was.
When the hospital opened in March of 2002, everything changed. Emergency services were now close at hand. Expectant mothers no longer had to travel to Elizabeth City—which for many was the best part of the new hospital.
With the hospital came what could almost be described as an explosion in health related services. More specialists moved into the area. The hospital also had to hire a significant number of professional support staff and is one of the larger employers in Dare County where it’s located.
It is a relatively small hospital. There are 18 rooms, two labor and delivery beds and three operating rooms. There is, of course, also the emergency department. Especially in the summer the emergency department get really busy.
There are plans on the books to expand what they are doing including an Urgent Care and Family Medicine cliic and a cancer center that will place all services under one roof.
The hospital has done a very good job of maintaining quality and service under some extraordinary circumstances. COVID certainly put a strain on what they were doing, but adding to that is a housing crunch on the Outer Banks that has created some staffing problems. Of course that’s probably no different that many other areas are experiencing.
The hospital does work cooperatively with Vidant Health in North Carolina and Chesapeake Regional Healthcare in Virginia.
Having a facility like the Outer Banks Hospital is one more reason why the Outer Banks is such a great place to visit. Make your vacation plans right away with a stay at a Brindley Beach Vacations home.