Cross Roads OBX is inviting the Outer Banks community to come together this September in support of its mission to bring hope, help and healing to individuals and families in need, especially those dealing with the impact of Substance Use Disorder (SUD). The organization will host its upcoming fundraising event, “Awake,” on September 18, 6:30-9:30 p.m. at Liberty Christian Church in Colington. “Awake” is offering residents and visitors the chance to enjoy an evening of music and inspiration while learning about Cross Roads OBX work and contribution throughout the Eastern Carolina region.

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Dare County Department of Health & Human Services, in partnership with the Saving Lives Task Force Faith Committee, Breaking Through Task Force, Walk Against Addiction, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC), and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Injury and Violence Prevention Branch, will host Talk Saves Lives on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at St. Andrews by the Sea in Nags Head.

Prepare to encourage & support Recovery Court participants on their recovery journey with this hands-on mentor training. Free community training offers evidence-based, peer-support methods to help you learn how to walk alongside and encourage those engaged in our local Recovery Courts due to substance use disorder.

Dare County Schools, in partnership with Dare County Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) and Surf Pediatrics and Medicine, is launching a School-Based Urgent Care Telehealth Program for students in grades 6–12.

Update: Dare County Director of Health and Human Services has provided the Voice with this explanation of how payment for the telehealth services will work.

Emails labeled “MyChart Medicare Kit” are not from ECU Health, MyChart
ECU Health is aware that some patients have received phishing emails with the subject line “Your MyChart Medicare Kit Awaits.”

In the wake of President Trump's Aug. 10 executive order calling for fewer childhood vaccines, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released this statement.

The Breaking Through Task Force of Dare County, partnering with Dare County Department of Health & Human Services, is excited to announce it will be offering an Adult Mental Health First Aid virtual course on September 16, 2026.

Ending an impasse that jeopardized health coverage for many area patients, ECU Health and UnitedHealthcare have reached a multi-year agreement restoring in-network access to care “for more than 100,000 UnitedHealthcare-covered patients and supporting rural health sustainability in eastern North Carolina,” according to the statement from ECU Health.

The latest update from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), released on Tuesday, Aug. 4, provided this information about cases of the intestinal illness cyclosporiasis in the state.

Outer Banks Health is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026-2027 Community Benefit Grants Program. Grants are awarded for 14 projects that will significantly increase access to healthcare and financial resources in our community for over 34,000 individuals in need.

L.I.F.T. is an 8-week group-based strength training program. We will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning August 25, 2026 for 1-hour sessions starting at 9 AM. Class cost is free, but you must register, space is limited.

By Kip Tabb | Outer Banks Voice
Voting unanimously at their Aug. 3 meeting, the Dare County Commissioners passed an ordinance “prohibiting the sale of any non-compliant Kratom product” in Dare County. The ordinance also prohibits the sale of all Kratom products to anyone under 21 years of age.

Katy Haslar works to expand the reach of the Saving Lives Task Force
By Maggie Miles | Outer Banks Voice
When Katy Haslar and her husband Scott moved to the Outer Banks from Indianapolis in 2018, they were a few years into their recovery and decided to launch a local chapter of the program that had helped them—Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART).

By Brian Tress | Outer Banks Voice
Erin Criss knew, before she wrote the email, that The Network for Endangered Sea Turtles (NEST) nest-sitting spots for the season were already full. She sent it anyway. In it, she laid out her husband Bill's story — a lifelong love of sea turtles, a retirement plan built around finally getting to sit a nest, and a diagnosis of ALS, four months earlier, that had put all of it in question. She asked if there was any way to get him involved.