ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (WAVY) — After more than a century of service, Sentara Albemarle Medical Center is turning the page with the opening of a brand-new hospital in Elizabeth City.

The new Sentara Albemarle Regional Medical Campus, a $278 million investment, aims to transform access to health care for northeastern North Carolina’s rural and underserved communities — the new hospital will help bridge that gap.

“We are super excited to bring forth a new era of healthcare,” said Teresa Watson, president of Sentara Albemarle Medical Center.

The facility, which officially opens to patients Aug. 8, provides cutting-edge features. This includes virtual nursing technology, designed to provide patients with an added layer of support.

“The camera does turn away from the patient and will stay turned away,” a staff member explained during a tour. “So they don’t have to worry about someone watching them when they are unsure who’s there.”

One of the hospital’s standout features is its labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum unit, the only one of its kind in the region. This space allows mothers to remain in the same room throughout the birthing process.

“It’s really spacious, really comfortable, filled with light and it’s encouraging for families,” Watson said.

But while the building is new, the people inside reflect decades of commitment to community care.

Willie Mae, a longtime staff member who has worked in all three of Sentara’s Albemarle hospitals, including the original location that opened in 1915, says the transition is exciting.

“… It makes me feel like we’re moving to another city,” she said with a smile.

For others, like housekeeping manager Deb Brite, Sentara is more than a workplace — it’s part of her family history.

“I’ve been here for 20 years,” Brite said. “My mom worked here. I was born here, at the old Albemarle. I had my first daughter here, and I had my first grandson here.”

“It’s a family and community thing,” she said. “People you went to high school with, … we are still here together.”

The new campus marks a new chapter for health care in Elizabeth City.