NAACP asks the Justice Department to intercede in helping save Pungo Hospital | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This article originally appeared in the Beaufort Observer.

    The Beaufort, Hyde, and Pitt county chapters of the NAACP have filed a formal Title VI Complaint with the U. S. Justice Department seeking to block Vidant from closing Pungo Hospital. A press conference was held in Greenville Friday (6-27-14) at which the matter was discussed.

    The NAACP Complaint charges that Vidant agreed when it took over Pungo Hospital to provide emergency medical services to the region served by Pungo, but that within two years getting control of Pungo Vidant decided to close the hospital and replace it with a "24/7" doctors' clinic. That is when the NAACP filed its first complaint with the Justice Department. This led to a mediated Agreement that was designed to allow another management group to take over the Pungo facilities and continue to operate a hospital, including an Emergency Room.

    Then owners of the real estate (Pungo Creek LLC) backed out of the deal. That left the community facing the closing of Pungo Hospital in a matter of days.

    Thus, the supplemental complaint has been filed asking the Justice Department to file for an injunction to allow for more time to "save" the Hospital.

    You can read all this in the Supplemental Complaint clicking here to go to the original source.

    Clicking here to review the letter from State NAACP President William Barber to the DOJ.

    Here's the video of the entire press conference:

    The first clip contains the introductions and opening statements. Then Belhaven Adam O'Neal gives an overview of the issue from his perspective

    The second clip is mostly the NAACP lawyer reviewing the legal issues in the complaint

    The third clip is a continuation of the Q&A session

    Meanwhile, Vidant issued the following statement:

    "We are surprised by the mayor's inaccurate comments and allegations from the NC NAACP and are choosing not to respond at this time," said Roger Robertson, president of Vidant Community Hospitals.