N.C.’s Elizabeth City.Sentara Health announces the $278 million Albemarle Regional Medical Campus, which will formally open to patients on August 8th, ushering in a new era in healthcare for Elizabeth City and the neighboring rural areas.
The recently built building, which takes the place of the aging Sentara Albemarle Medical Center, intends to significantly increase access to contemporary healthcare services in northeastern North Carolina, particularly for individuals who are less fortunate.
Advanced Features and Modern Care Design
According to hospital administrators, the new campus is brimming with cutting-edge improvements, such as virtual nursing technology that enables staff members to support patients in real time from a distance.
During a facility tour, a staff member clarified that the camera does swivel away from the patient and will remain turned away. Thus, they don’t have to be concerned about being watched when they don’t know who is there.
The sole integrated labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum unit in the area is another noteworthy feature. This facility allows new moms to remain in one room for the whole birthing process, which is uncommon in rural areas.
“It’s very roomy, very cozy, very light, and it’s encouraging for families,” Sentara Albemarle Medical Center President Teresa Watson said.
A Deep Connection to Community Roots
Hospital employees believe the core of the operation is still the same despite the new, state-of-the-art facility.
This new chapter is being proudly ushered in by longtime team members like Willie Mae, who has worked in all three Albemarle hospital facilities since the first opened in 1915.
She smiled and remarked, “It feels like we’re moving to another city.”
Some, such as Deb Brite, the hospital’s housekeeping manager, see the new campus as an extension of a long-standing familial and personal tradition.
I’ve spent twenty years here. My mother was employed here. This is the old Albemarle where I was born. Brite remarked, “This is where I had my first daughter and my first grandson.”It has to do with community and family. We’re still here, the people you went to high school with.
A New Chapter for Elizabeth City Healthcare
More than just a building milestone, the opening of the Sentara Albemarle Regional Medical Campus signifies a renewed commitment to northeastern North Carolina residents, equity in rural access, and community care.
“We can’t wait to usher in a new era of healthcare,” Watson added.
Longtime employees and new patients alike should gain from the blend of innovation and tradition forming Elizabeth City’s medical future as the facility opens its doors in August.
How do you feel about funding for rural health facilities? Send us a comment atSaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.
