Established on July 1, 1942, Pasquotank County Health Department was as a result of the placement of federal training and defense facilities in northeastern North Carolina. A requirement of this government provision was the availability of preventive health services. Dr. Daniel C. Hackett, a United States Public Health Service representative, was the first health officer.

The Perquimans County Health Department, which was also established in 1942, became a part of the Pasquotank County Health Department in 1943. Camden County joined in 1943 as well. In 1949, Chowan County Health Department, which had been a component of the Bertie County Health Department since 1937, joined. These four health departments were known as the PPCC District Health Department.

The original building, funded by the Federal Works Agency, is located on the corner of Harney and Cedar Streets in Elizabeth City. Services in the early years consisted of communicable disease programs including quarantine, immunization, and follow-up. Laboratory services began in 1949, including milk analysis for a total of eleven northeastern counties, as well as other clinical lab services. In the early days, physicians and midwives served the counties in child health and maternity programming.

Environmental Health Services, formerly known as the Sanitation program, continued to provide educational programming, food handlers’ schools, and public information to the communities.

In 1971, Howard B. Campbell, MPH, became the health director and remained for 30 years, rapidly developing personnel, technology, and services to meet community health needs. PPCC District Health Department became the administrative agency for the Developmental Evaluation Center (DEC) (later called Albemarle Rehabilitation Services) in 1974 and is currently known as the Children’s Developmental Services Agency. The DEC assisted children from birth through age 21 who had developmental delays in a ten-county area. 

Women’s, Infants, and Children (WIC) program began in 1974. Early goals were focused on the management of anemia and other nutrition related disorders or illnesses. Also in 1974, the first Public Health Educator was employed at PPCC, and provided patient and community outreach, in addition to staff education.

In 1967, the home health program was one of the earliest certified home health agencies in North Carolina. A multidisciplinary team of nurses, physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, and home health aides provided a wide variety of services. Hospice services began in 1984 and was later awarded Hospice Medicare Certification in 1992.

To meet the transportation needs of the rural communities, the InterCounty Public Transportation Authority was established in 1978 and began with two buses.

In 1985, the Albemarle High Risk Perinatal Clinic began providing highly skilled maternity services to pregnant women in the district. Family Planning and Women’s Health Services continued to be afforded the communities as well as Child Service Coordination. Anonymous and confidential HIV testing was offered in 1985.
A wellness program, Working on Wellness (WOW), was introduced for all employees in 1990. Health screenings, follow-up, and education were provided. In 1990, smoking was banned inside the health department buildings as a health prevention and promotion measure.

Environmental Health Services expanded to include the disposal of solid waste through the landfill development and recycling sites.

Jerry L. Parks became the Assistant Health Director in 1997 and later upon Howard Campbell’s retirement, was named the Health Director in 2000.

In 1999, Currituck County Public Health Department merged public health services with PPCC District Health Department, resulting in a name change for the regional public health agency - Albemarle Regional Health Services.

2002 brought the expansion of ARHS into Bertie County, while Gates County joined in 2004.

In 2016, Mr. Parks retired after over forty years in public health service. Mr. R. Battle Betts, Jr., MPA was chosen to follow Mr. Parks as your Health Director. Mr. Betts has served as an employee of ARHS since 1994.

On July 1, 2018, Hertford County joined the ARHS district, bringing our core service area to eight counties in northeastern North Carolina.