ECU Health Chief Operating Officer and ECU Health Medical Center President Brian Floyd joined other rural health care leaders from across the state for a virtual town hall hosted by the North Carolina Healthcare Association on Tuesday, April 11.

During “Reimagining Rural Health in North Carolina,” Floyd and the 4 other panelists – Jessie Tucker, president and CEO at UNC Health Wayne, Kathy Bailey, president and CEO at UNC Health Blue Ridge, Lynda Stanley, President and CEO at Dosher Memorial Hospital, and Michelle Fortune, CEO at St. Luke’s Hospital – discussed how they are evolving the future of rural health care in the state.

Like many rural regions, 1.4 million people who call eastern North Carolina home face a number of systemic socioeconomic challenges, which have negative impacts on health outcomes. The panelists discussed the unique challenges rural health care faces, how Medicaid expansion will impact rural health care and communities, workforce development, community partnerships and outreach and innovations. Partnerships and collaboration were a key topic and many rural health systems across the state, including ECU Health, continue to identify solutions to improve access to care in rural communities.

“I was honored to discuss rural health care challenges, successes and innovations alongside fellow rural health leaders across North Carolina at today’s town hall,” said Floyd. “ECU Health and the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University are uniquely positioned to help train the next generation of physicians and health care workers. Together, we can address the issues that rural communities face like a lack of access to health care resources and disproportionate chronic illness. From community education, to partnerships that make every social system more vital, to caring for people at their worst and sometimes best day, the work we get to do is so fulfilling.”