SWAN QUARTER — A new group formed in opposition of Vidant Health’s July 1 closing of Vidant Pungo Hospital held an emotional press conference Tuesday to share their stories and join community members in pleading for help in reopening the emergency facility. Simultaneously, Belhaven Mayor Adam O’Neal led a rally for rural healthcare in Richmond, Va., as he continues his march to the nation’s capital.

Healthy Communities United called the press conference to highlight the complications for EMS providers in the area and for families, who say they have been affected by the closing, to give their testimonies. Hyde County resident Mickey Hammel said the closing has put residents of Hyde County in a situation that forces them to travel another 30 to 40 miles to receive care and potentially, save lives.

Hyde County residents Barry and Justin Gibbs, husband and son of 48-year old Portia Gibbs, who died from a heart attack while awaiting transport to Vidant Beaufort Hospital or beyond, spoke to community members about their loss.

“We were the first, but we won’t be the last,” Justin Gibbs said. “We were shown first-hand what happens as a result of the hospital closing. We need some sort of emergency facility. (Vidant) Pungo (Hospital) saved a lot of lives. Please, everybody come together because we do need this hospital.”

Among the other speakers at the press conference was Mike Adams, president of the Hyde County Branch of the NAACP. Adams expressed his concern that the community’s church leaders had not been more active in the fight for eastern Beaufort and Hyde counties’ healthcare.

“I’m disturbed our faith leaders haven’t stepped forward,” Adams said. “It’s time for them to step out of the shadows. If we don’t come and stick together, there will be more tragedy. We need to fight this thing out.”

Annabelle Parks, HCU member and co-founder of Story of America, a media organization that has provided close coverage of the healthcare situation in Belhaven, urged community members to visit SaveOurHospital.org to sign an online petition to reopen the hospital. According to Hammel, the petition currently has over 1,500 in- and out-of-state signatures. Members were also urged to call North Carolina state leaders to voice their opinions regarding the healthcare situation in the area.

While community members attended the press conference and continued their fight, O’Neal and NC NAACP President Rev. Dr. William Barber held a rally in Richmond and met with Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) to discuss rural healthcare and Medicaid expansion. McAuliffe has been fighting to expand Medicaid in Virginia, arguing that rural hospitals are struggling and are facing closing without an increase in federal funding from Medicaid expansion.

“The rally was pretty well-attended,” O’Neal said. “There were a bunch of Richmond citizens there and we got a lot of media coverage. We got the word out again about a conglomerate taking over based on a business model instead of a model for quality healthcare. The governor (McAuliffe) was empathetic to our situation and alarmed about a Critical Access Hospital closed when they’re so needed. He said he was going to call Obama to lobby for him to meet with us.”

O’Neal began his 273-mile march to D.C. on July 14 in opposition of the hospital’s closing, to advocate for rural healthcare and in memory of Gibbs. So far, O’Neal has walked about 160 miles and made several stops throughout North Carolina and Virginia. O’Neal will continue his journey over the next few days, which will end with a rally scheduled at 11:30 a.m. on July 28 on the lawn of the Capitol building.

“We’ve been averaging about 20 miles a day,” O’Neal said. “We are a slight bit ahead of schedule. We are having a rally on the lawn of the Capitol building. Rev. Barber and I will do most of the speaking. It’s going to be a Moral Monday on healthcare. So far, they’ve had phenomenal turnouts for it.”