It might come as a surprise to her high school self, but Anne Chadwick has spent 44 years treating, tending to, and connecting with patients in eastern North Carolina. Now, her passion and commitment have been honored with ECU Health’s first ever DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award.
Chadwick, an ECU Health staff nurse with 2 North at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, was recognized with the award in front of more than 500 of her peers on May 20, during the 2026 ECU Health Nursing Summit. The honor intends to spotlight a nurse with 25 or more years of experience who has demonstrated a lasting legacy of compassionate care, mentorship, advocacy, lifelong learning and transformational leadership.
For Chadwick, what began as a simple decision developed into something much, much deeper.
“When I was in high school, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do,” Chadwick said. “I had some good friends say they were going into nursing so I said, ‘OK. I’ll do nursing.’ When I started working, I fell in love with it. 44 years later, I still love it.
“I have not one regret going into this field.”
In addition to her clinical time, Chadwick is an adjunct instructor at Pitt Community College where she teaches the next generation of nurses. She values being able to make a difference in her career.
“I hope that what I bring to nursing I can give to my students and fellow nurses,” Chadwick said. “When patients and family members thank you for taking care of them or their families, that’s what touches you. It makes you want to be the best nurse you can be.”
The 13th annual ECU Health Nursing Summit is a two-day event that brought together more than 400 nurses from across the system. Each year, the summit offers an opportunity for nurses to connect, reflect on the future of the profession and celebrate their impact. Participants engaged in breakout sessions focused on research, innovation, leadership development, well-being and technology. The summit also featured educational sessions, keynote speakers, networking opportunities and vendors showcasing the latest in health care innovations, allowing nurses to explore cutting-edge technology designed to enhance patient care.
“When nurses come together to share experiences, challenge traditional thinking and learn from one another, incredible things happen,” said Trish Baise, chief nursing executive at ECU Health. “This summit reflects our commitment to creating a culture where nurses are engaged, empowered and equipped to lead transformation. The future of health care will be shaped by nurses, and I am excited to see the innovation and leadership emerging across our system.”
Tara Stroud, chief nursing officer, ECU Health Medical Center, said the annual summit is also a celebration.
“We are so proud of our ECU Health nurses and the care that they deliver,” Stroud said. “It’s so important to be able to give back to them and ensure they can grow professionally to be the best nurses they can be. Our nurses do remarkable things every day, so this is an opportunity for us to really celebrate that amazing work.”
A number of deserving candidates were nominated for the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award. That list was painstakingly narrowed down to five finalists: Barbara “Dee” Abrams, care manager at ECU Health Edgecombe Hospital; Andrea Jeppson, licensed practical nurse at ECU Health Duplin Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit; Lou Ann Proctor, staff nurse at ECU Health Medical Center’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit; Dr. Sharona Johnson, executive director of Advanced Clinical Practice at ECU Health; and Chadwick. All five represented more than 200 years of nursing expertise.
Over 42 years, Abrams has made an impact on the Edgecombe County community through her work with patients and colleagues. She said ECU Health Edgecombe Hospital has always felt like home.
“There’s nothing else that I’d rather do,” Abrams said. “I think what has kept me in the field is just doing my best and working as a family to help others.”
Jeppson will soon mark 40 years in nursing. In that time, she said nursing has changed, but caring for people has not. Jeppson initially felt called to the career after she saved a neighbor from choking on food.
“She came out waving a dish cloth, she was choking on a piece of steak,” Jeppson recalled. “I just ran across the yard and did the Heimlich maneuver, and we managed to get the steak out. I thought, maybe I want to be a nurse.”
Proctor has been a nurse for over 38 years. Her mother, two aunts and a great aunt were also nurses. They taught her the value of compassion, something she takes into her role working with patients and her fellow team members.
“You’re not in this alone,” Proctor said. “You go into a room by yourself to check vitals or administer medications, but if that alarm goes off there are three people at your door. People come running when there’s a need.”
Johnson said that as a youth, she could tell nurses cared about people. That resonated with her on the way to her 39-year career in the field.
“I think we owe it to our patients to know part of their story, because that is what defines their life,” Johnson said. “We’re a shared humanity and we need to realize that.”
Stroud said all of the nominees were worthy of the Lifetime Achievement Award, finalist or not. She said Chadwick personifies the qualities that exemplify what it means to be an exceptional nurse, and that her commitment to the profession and her patients deserved recognition.
“Anne shows heartfelt compassion, exceptional clinical skills and a commitment to growing the future of nursing,” Stroud said. “She spends so much time teaching other nurses and students how to succeed in the field.”
Chadwick also thanked her team who she said do a phenomenal job taking care of patients. She said anyone considering a career in nursing should just do it.
“This is a great career,” Chadwick said. “You have to show compassion and care for your patients. It is about people.”