WHO WE ARE
Albemarle Health and the Communities
We Serve
Albemarle Health is northeastern North Carolina’s
premier healthcare provider, serving a seven-county region
of more than 130,000 year round residents. The beaches of
the Outer Banks bring an estimated 7 million visitors to
the region each year. The hospital’s service area
includes Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Pasquotank,
and Perquimans counties. The region is a rural, agriculture-based
area. Albemarle Hospital is located in Elizabeth City, in
Pasquotank County, the region’s economic hub.
Albemarle Hospital continues to be a major healthcare provider
to the region. In 2005, the hospital admitted 7,764 patients;
delivered 766 babies; performed 7,041 outpatient surgeries
and 2,874 inpatient surgeries; and treated 33,087 patients
in the Emergency Department.
A Regional Resource …
The hospital offers our region state-of-the-art healthcare
usually not seen in similarly sized community hospitals,
including: brain surgery using Stealth Brain-Mapping technology;
vascular surgery; Small Incision Surgery; cardiac care including
diagnostic catheterizations, and pacemaker implantations;
complete diagnostic radiology services including nuclear
medicine, MRI, breast MRI, Mobile PET services, CT scans
utilizing a 16 slice, 3-D spiral CT scanner, and a PACS
digital imaging system; multimodality cancer treatment,
including radiation therapy employing a new linear accelerator,
CT simulation, as well as multi-leaf intensity-modulated
radiation therapy (IMRT) allowing the delivery of precise
doses of high energy radiation to tumors; renal dialysis;
Greenlight PVP laser technology, used to treat prostate
conditions; mammography services, with digital mammography
technology; and Fast Track Emergency Room service.
Albemarle Hospital is also in the planning and design phase
of a $44 million project to construct a new, state of the
art Surgery Department, and a new Emergency Department with
over double its current capacity. Construction is forecasted
for completion by the end of 2008 with occupancy in early
2009.
In addition to its healthcare impact, Albemarle Hospital
is a leading financial resource to region. The system employs
more than 1,000 people regionally, with more than $50 million
in annual payroll; and spends $3.2 million annually on local
vendor purchases.
Providing Care to All Who Need
It …
In Pasquotank County, home of Albemarle Hospital, the median
household income is more than $8,000 less than the state
average, the per capita money income is nearly $6,000 less
than the state average, and 18 percent of residents live
below the poverty level, more than 6 percent higher than
those living elsewhere in the state. More than 25,000 residents
within the hospital’s service area are indigent, uninsured,
and underinsured; consequently, Albemarle Hospital wrote
off $12,174,984 million in bad debt, and charity care in
2005; and $11,158,961 million in 2004. To further help those
with limited resources, Albemarle Hospital has instituted
a 15 percent discount for those who have no insurance.
A Foundation of Care …
The Albemarle Hospital Foundation was created in 2003.
The Community Care Clinic was developed through the Foundation
to offer free primary care, prescriptions, and prescription
assistance to our region’s growing indigent, uninsured,
and underinsured population. The Foundation has created
Community Care Clinics in each county within its service
area: Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Gates, Pasquotank, and
Perquimans counties (and played a major role in developing
the Community Care Clinics in Dare County).
In its first year alone, the Albemarle Hospital Foundation’s
Elizabeth City Community Care Clinic filled more than 14,000
non-narcotic prescriptions through its pharmacy; helped
clients acquire more than 12,000 prescriptions through a
prescription assistance program; and provided more than
930 patients with free medical care — all totaling
more than $4.5 million in free healthcare services.
The Foundation’s target populations, including minorities
and a growing Hispanic population, are experiencing an increase
in chronic diseases such as high cholesterol, high blood
pressure, obesity, and diabetes. The Foundation’s
Community Care Clinics are developing culturally relevant
initiatives that deliver much-needed preventative healthcare
to the communities where the need is greatest; we’re
focusing on Hispanic and African-American outreach programs
that target some of the most pressing healthcare issues
of these two typically underserved groups.
Reaching Into Our Communities
…
Albemarle Hospital’s community involvement is as
diverse as the counties we serve. Our staff typically hosts,
or participates in 121 community events. Some of our healthcare
initiatives include: a Women’s Health Advisory Board
to identify healthcare needs of women in the community;
taking a lead position in community efforts to address HIV/AIDS,
and domestic violence; community partnerships with faith-based
organizations to improve the health of the community, e.g.
Hugh Cale Community, RHEMA Ministries, Take Heart program
in local churches; and free health fairs that draw thousands
of participants, such as Women’s Day.
The hospital staff have become lead participants (in terms
of monetary employee contributions) in The United Way, March
of Dimes, and American Cancer Society’s Relay for
Life campaigns. In 2005, Albemarle Hospital employees donated
more than 26,000 volunteer hours to community agencies and
organizations; and the Albemarle Hospital Volunteers gave
more than 20,000 hours of service to Albemarle Hospital,
its patients, and employees.
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