The hospital opened in 1949. It was initially operated by the Pungo District Hospital Corporation. The hospital had almost of space.
Closure The operator, asked for a third party to acquire the hospital as the operator could not pay for the care of the large number of
Medicaid and
Medicare patients using the hospital. Vidant stated that it was unable to keep the hospital in operation due to poor finances and announced that it was going to close the hospital. The Pantego Creek Board agreed to the closure. Mayor Adam O'Neal advocated for spending $500,000 to buy the hospital buildings, but Pantego Creek chose not to sell it. O'Neal also criticized the closing and held marches to Washington, DC, and he began facing political opposition due to his activism as there were residents who were afraid that his activism was too aggressive and would cause Vidant to cancel its proposed clinic in Belhaven.
The Guardian reported that personal relationships in Belhaven became frayed as a result of the hospital closing controversy. ==References==