As the holiday season approaches, the Dare County Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) is partnering with numerous community organizations, churches, and local volunteers to ensure that families and individuals across the county experience a joyful and meaningful holiday. Applications for holiday assistance programs open Oct. 1 on the northern beaches and Oct. 6 on Hatteras Island. Please read the information below to find out more about application deadlines for assistance as well as donation opportunities to support residents in need and deadlines .

More »

For Dare County, the bill is about $600K for two years
By Kip Tabb | Outer Banks Voice
After the federal government reconfigured how Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are administered and the state passed the costs on to the counties, they face new SNAP-related costs in the hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. The SNAP program provides food benefits to low-income families.

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 a Youth Mental Health First Aid virtual course on October 21st and 22nd.

Outer Banks Health Physical Therapist IV Lauren Bosley, DPT, has received the prestigious ECU Health Bennett Award, recognizing excellence in clinical practice, mentorship, teamwork and service to patients receiving rehabilitation services.

The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of Outer Banks Health Internal Medicine, a new practice located at 5531 N. Croatan Highway in Southern Shores.

This October, OBXCPR, a local nonprofit organization, is participating in the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation's Ready to Respond nationwide initiative by offering free 30-minute Hands-Only CPR and AED training at locations throughout the Outer Banks.

ThriveOBX, powered by Outer Banks Health and Dare County, is hosting a free, month-long walking challenge throughout October called Walktober.

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.