Ah, paradise. Beach umbrellas instead of bus shelters, shingled cottages instead of skyscrapers, communing with nature instead of commuting to work. Yes, it is idyllic-until an accident or illness disrupts your life. Don't worry. In the event of an emergency, the Outer Banks has a multitude of trained medical personnel, both staff members and volunteers, who can be on-site in a remarkably short time after they receive a call from the 911 dispatcher. Local EMTs, firefighters, and ocean rescue workers can all provide immediate medical assistance and continued care while patients are transported to a local medical facility.

The Outer Banks hospital, the first and only such facility in our region, opened in 2002. It is centrally located in Nags Head. This is really exciting for locals and visitors because one of the biggest complaints about this area for years was the lack of medical facilities. Pregnant women had to travel to Elizabeth City or Virginia to have their babies, and many babies were born en route to the hospital. Many retirees hesitated to move here because of the lack of medical facilities. Anyone who experienced a major emergency or illness in the past had to be flown by helicopter or transported by ambulance to a hospital at least 50 to 100 miles away. The hospital may still be a long distance from Corolla or Ocracoke, but it's a heck of a lot closer than Virginia.

In addition to the new hospital, there are a number of medical centers and clinics on the Outer Banks, along with an ever-increasing roster of alternative medical service providers.