Health officials are encouraging Pamlico County veterans and their families to attend the Veteran Resource Fair to connect with community resources promoting health, wellness and workforce development.

The fair, presented by the Durham VA Health Care System, takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 21 at Pamlico County Community College’s Delamar Center, 5049 NC Highway 306 in Grantsboro.

Norma Jones, a public health nurse with the Pamlico County Health Department, wants to spread the word about the fair. “Veterans are a population we are trying to reach,” she said. “They represent 12% of the population in our area, three times the statewide average.”

Jones joined the Health Department in April 2024 and helped implement its primary care program. With a goal of improving access to health care for vulnerable populations, the Health Department is an important resource, Jones said, “for all individuals, regardless of their economic status and everyone for whatever need, reason, purpose they have.”  

“If we don’t have the resources, we help to find them and provide information to make decisions,” Jones said. 

Jones served in the Marine Corps and has been married 29 years to a Marine. After being stationed overseas, “My husband received orders to Cherry Point,” she said. “We loved the area so much that when he completed his 30-year career in the Marine Corps, we decided to retire here.”

As a veteran, Jones knows firsthand that it is not always easy for veterans and their families to get the care they need. “If they served and didn’t retire, a lot of vets think they are not eligible for benefits, but that’s not true,” she said. 

VA staff will be at the fair to review records and register veterans on site. “We want to get a lot of resources for veterans in one place … to get their questions answered on the spot,” Jones said.

Jones said her military service and her training as a public health nurse may give her an advantage in navigating what’s available for veterans, but even she didn’t know about some benefits. “I found this out last year myself … disabled veterans, if they register with the Registrar of Deeds in Pamlico County, they can qualify for a lot of tax reductions,” she said. “My husband is 100% disabled. We didn’t know a lot of these things.” 

Michelle Brooks, of Oriental, who served as an Army combat medic in the Gulf War and in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, has been navigating the complex mix of public and private health care for decades, including  at the VA medical centers in Durham and in Baltimore, Maryland, where she once lived. 

“The VA just opened up two clinics, in Cherry Point and Greenville,” she said. “And my understanding is the doctors there are nice and they try to help.” 

Brooks’ husband also served, as an MP, in the Gulf War, and together they are figuring things out. “We don’t think we deserve anything outside what we do for ourselves,” she said. “We are capable of caring for ourselves; why would we need any assistance?” 

But Brooks, who has been managing a number of undiagnosed health issues, some of which may be related to exposure in the theater of war, said, “We did earn it. Every vet deserves medical benefits.” 

She recognizes veterans can face challenges navigating the system. “Bottom line is don’t give up. Persevere,” she said. “I think people know their own bodies. When you know something is wrong, be an advocate for yourself.” 

She advises veterans to keep pushing to find medical professionals who will listen.

Lynn Hardison, public health nurse and director of clinical services at the Pamlico County Health Department, said the department works toward collaboration and partnership with clients, taking the time to assess their needs and getting buy-in for the treatment plan. 

Raised in Pamlico County, Hardison returned here, to her home community, in 1998. At the Health Department, she played a key role in piloting telehealth for its adult and primary care programs, “I am committed to improving access to integrated health care in rural communities.”

“We get lots of compliments that our providers listen, take their time, see them as a person,” Hardison said. “We see them.”

The Health Department also offers assistance to those who may qualify for Medicaid, with resources to get the ball rolling on paperwork. 

The department also seeks to serve the county’s Spanish-speaking population. Spanish is Jones’ first language. 

“I became a nurse because I wanted to help people,” Jones said. “And though I have enjoyed all the places I have worked, this is the first place where I feel I am making a difference.” 

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