Improving Care for Cancer Patients on the Outer Banks

Carol Cowell (front, center) with members of The Outer Banks Hospital's Cancer Care Services. [Sam Walker photo]

Cancer patients on the Outer Banks now can receive care in one centralized location thanks to the opening of the Carol S. and Edward D. Cowell, Jr. Cancer Center at the Outer Banks Hospital in Nags Head. The new facility brings together services that were previously in three separate locations. The Cowell Cancer Center adds 10,000 square feet to the radiation therapy center, bringing the overall size to 15,000 square feet.

Open since 2002, the Outer Banks Hospital is a partnership between Chesapeake Regional Healthcare and ECU Health. “The hospital was built and designated as a critical access hospital to provide healthcare on the Outer Banks for our residents and visitors,” says Amy Montgomery, senior administrator of operations.

The hospital has expanded over the years as it continued to fulfill its mission to provide the highest quality healthcare while investing in wellness in the community. The Outer Banks Hospital is one of just six critical access hospitals in the U.S. that is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. It is also the only critical access hospital that is accredited for breast cancer care.

The Carol S. and Edward D. Cowell Jr. Cancer Center at the Outer Banks Hospital in Nags Head will bring together all services in one location, offering excellent care to cancer patients.We currently have six primary care locations, six specialty locations, and two urgent care centers. Now we are excited to open the brand-new cancer center that will bring all of the cancer services under one roof. This will improve the quality of life and experience for patients and caregivers who are facing the uncertainties that come with a cancer diagnosis,” Amy says.

Jennifer Schwartzenberg, director of community outreach and development for Outer Banks Health, describes how the Cowell Cancer Center became reality. “The vision of a cancer center is something we had talked about for a long time. We kicked off our campaign and TowneBank was an early supporter. I met with Taylor Sugg, TowneBank Northeastern North Carolina president, to talk about the vision for the center. Later, he called me and said, ‘Jennifer, TowneBank is going to make a leadership gift in the hopes that the rest of the community will follow suit.’ What that tells me is that Towne really cares and knows that other organizations are paying attention to that type of investment. We ended up raising more than $6 million through our capital campaign.”

“The Outer Banks Hospital has been a vital part of our community for many years and TowneBank has participated in projects to support the hospital, including the Annual Gala and the mobile Health Coach,” says Taylor. “It is an honor for us to support the Cowell Cancer Center that will help improve the lives and health of residents throughout the Outer Banks.”

The much-awaited opening takes place in early 2024. For more information, visit OuterBanksHealth.org.