A program at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University that prepares high achieving medical students to make a tangible impact on health care in eastern North Carolina and beyond will expand thanks to the generosity of the family that has championed medical education across the region for nearly 50 years.
David and Laura Brody of Raleigh, and Hyman and Stacy Brody of Greenville’s transformational $10 million gift will allow the Brody Scholars Program at the Brody School of Medicine at ECU to expand from three to four students per class. It coincides with the looming completion of the newly named Brody Center for Medical Education, which is expected to open in the 2027-28 academic year.
The family’s gift was announced in March. The family’s name will now grace the upcoming Brody Center for Medical Education in honor of their generosity.
Over 10 percent of ECU Health’s 443 residents and fellows are graduates of the Brody School of Medicine. Recent data also shows about 40 Brody Scholars continue to practice medicine in eastern North Carolina. They are among the 90 scholars who practice across North Carolina.
“The Brody family’s gift is an investment in the future of health care in eastern North Carolina and the state as a whole,” said Dr. Michael Waldrum, ECU Health CEO and dean of the Brody School of Medicine. “The Brody School of Medicine produces more doctors that stay in the state than any other medical school in North Carolina, and the more students we can give the opportunity to pursue their passion for medicine the better.
“The Brody family understands the value that we bring to our state and local communities,” Waldrum continued. “They were so gracious to continue to support our students in their career development.”
The Brody Scholars Program completely covers academic costs for medical students, who are selected through an objective process coordinated by the Brody Scholars Steering Committee, who seek to award the scholarship to the ‘best of the best’ of the incoming class. The Brody family’s gift will expand each class to four Brody Scholars. The school’s commitment to the scholars totals approximately $133,000 annually, or about $500,000 a year per class to cover the financial cost of attendance.
Abby Ulffers is a third-year medical student and Brody Scholar who is eastern North Carolina to the core. Born at then-Pitt County Memorial Hospital, now ECU Health Medical Center, the Greenville native plans to pursue a career in obstetrics and gynecology. The Brody Scholars Program does more than alleviate the financial pressure of medical school, she said.
“I never thought the Brody Scholars Program was a possibility for me,” Ulffers said. “The financial relief in being able to attend medical school does a lot for me. However, it is more than a scholarship. We do professional development exercises and a book club where you are interacting with people who have such unique perspectives on life. I’ve made so many friends and gained mentors. It’s a great networking experience that shapes the way you behave in a clinical environment and how you engage with your peers, colleagues and professors.”
Dr. Mary Windham Lenfestey, a fellow Greenville native, was one of two students in the Brody Scholars Program’s 2012 class. She said the tight-knit community of scholars transcends academic years. That is something she wants to pass on, as she now splits her time between practicing general pediatrics in Greenville and teaching at the Brody School of Medicine, where she also serves as a house dean. The newly implemented house dean program is a learning community to provide students support in the course of their studies.
“As a community, the Brody School of Medicine is certainly growing but remains a close-knit place,” Lenfestey said. “As a student, I really felt like my mentors and professors cared about me as a person. I was incredibly fortunate to have that experience, and I think it impacted my desire to come back and be involved in the medical education side of things.
“Being from Greenville, I love eastern North Carolina so I’m excited that I can practice medicine here and help guide future generations of students. Everything from the endowment to the new Center for Medical Education is a fantastic opportunity to grow what we can offer our students and, in turn, our patients.”
The Brody Center for Medical Education will expand the Brody School of Medicine’s class size to 120 students. The facility consists of simulation spaces, outdoor gathering areas, and a new anatomy lab where students can develop their skills. The new $265 million facility is funded by the state of North Carolina.
Hyman Brody said that the $10 million donation continues his family’s decades-long legacy of supporting health care in eastern North Carolina. In the late 1960s and 1970s his father and uncles began to help then-ECU chancellor Leo Jenkins successfully advocate for a medical school at the university. The school opened in 1977 and was renamed for the Brody family in 1999.
Hyman Brody shared those thoughts in front of “Hands of Hope,” the sculpture that adorns the lobby of the Eastern North Carolina Heart Institute. Depicting a pair of hands holding a human heart, the statue was dedicated in 2010 to the memory of Hyman’s uncle, J.S. “Sammy” Brody.
“Uncle Sammy said we’re here to do good, but we’re also here to do good for others,” Hyman Brody said. “When we look at what these students achieve and what they can do, that’s what our gift reflects.”
Hyman Brody said he is excited to see the relationship between ECU Health, ECU and his family continue to grow in the future.
“I think ECU Health has done a great job integrating the hospital and the medical school,” Brody said. “At this point, I think the sky is the limit. There are challenges faced in all medical areas, but the leadership team understands and is working to address them. We are glad to be a small part of it.”