When an emergency unfolds in eastern North Carolina, citizens can rest assured help is on the way thanks to the Eastern Healthcare Preparedness Coalition (EHPC) at ECU Health and the many community groups that support it.
The preparedness coalition serves as the region’s State Medical Assistance Team, or SMAT, comprised of multidisciplinary medical and nonmedical volunteers. SMAT has operated in eastern North Carolina for decades and serves the area from its Regional Operations Center at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville.
One of SMAT’s most vital capabilities is its 50-bed field medical station, which can be set up in the event of hurricanes, natural disasters or mass casualty events. The field medical station allows providers to deliver on-scene treatment during emergencies, allowing for earlier intervention and reducing the need to transport patients longer distances. In special circumstances, the group can turn large sites like gymnasiums or arenas into alternate care sites for patient treatment.
These capabilities are particularly important in the vast rural parts of the state, where ECU Health serves 1.4 million people in a 29-county region. Unlike urban and suburban parts of the state where multiple hospitals operate within the same county, many residents rely on SMAT’s ability to bring care to them rather than displace residents across multiple counties.
Should medical transport be necessary, the unit also boasts one of 11 medical ambulance buses in the state, capable of carrying 20 stretchers or 30 patients in seats and is equipped with basic life support capabilities. The bus’s capabilities were leveraged in March when SMAT was called to assist Pitt County Emergency Management with medical transport capabilities during a gas leak at a Greenville solar panel manufacturing plant. Staff were forced to evacuate the building while first responders from Pitt and Martin counties investigated. Some employees showed signs of general illness and required treatment on the scene. A handful of patients were transported to ECU Health Medical Center for further evaluation.
According to Chris Starbuck, director of emergency management for ECU Health, doctors were already triaging patients when the ambulance arrived and transport was seamless. Starbuck said SMAT’s ability is strengthened by longstanding relationships among SMAT members, ECU Health clinicians and local emergency responders.
“I’ve been in this role for years. I’ve seen people come and go, but for the most part we have a lot of retention and a lot of longstanding relationships,” Starbuck said. “You have everybody’s cell phone number, you’ve already met, you’ve already developed plans, you’ve conducted exercises, people know each other. If something happens, you’re a call away. That interconnectedness is a huge benefit to our region.”
Jim McArthur, deputy director of Pitt County Emergency Management, has been in Greenville since 2016. In all that time, from his roles as a firefighter and paramedic to now, he said SMAT has offered friendly faces and a deep well of institutional knowledge that bolsters emergency response. Many team members have roots in local responder organizations, too, which means longstanding relationships continue to flourish even in the most trying circumstances.
“SMAT’s communications capabilities and their knowledge of the team, their knowledge of emergency communications and the emergency response system are assets to our community,” McArthur said. “All of the folks there are local and have experience either in the hospital here or in the field – in fire and EMS or both. All those people that function within that disaster services area know the folks here that they’re going into the street with, so we can get things done quickly and well. They do an excellent job of maintaining their equipment and making sure it’s ready for service.”
Even though many SMAT assets are not needed every day, McArthur said their presence provides reassurance – not just for responders, but for the community.
“Our community should be comforted in knowing we have very specialized emergency response resources of all kinds that can respond to problems,” McArthur said.
“SMAT is so much more than a couple of people that respond to a car accident. These are folks who go out into the region to make sure that health care facilities, doctors, offices, nursing homes and whatever other critical pieces of daily life can continue to provide what they need,” McArthur continued. “The fastest road to recovery is to get people back to whatever their normal daily life is. The whole mission of the SMAT crew is to do that. Knowing SMAT has all that equipment in their warehouse and knowing that they can leverage those resources to help get the local response on track and get us where we need to be, is really comforting.”
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 by East Carolina University and ECU Health Foundation. 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.”
For more information about the Brody Center for Medical Education, click here.
At 80 years old, Berry Warren, a medical lab technician, has seen his fair share during his 45 years at ECU Health.
“I was working for a wholesale company but felt like I wasn’t really helping anyone in that role,” Warren said. “Then my sister-in-law and brother-in-law suggested I go to nursing school. Nursing wasn’t really for me, but I enrolled in a Medical Laboratory Technician program near Asheville and was hired to work in the lab of the local hospital before I graduated.”
After working in and near Asheville for several years, Warren joined ECU Health in 1981. Over the years, he’s worked at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital, ECU Health Chowan Hospital, ECU Health Bertie Hospital and ECU Health Medical Center.
“At smaller hospitals, you get to know the patients and talk to them,” he shared. “You also get to do a little bit of everything. But at the medical center, you learn a lot because you see more diagnoses and patients.”
His wife and his daughter have also worked at ECU Health, making it a family affair.
“I’ve been in health care for 55 years,” he said. “And between me and my wife and daughter, we probably have close to 80 years of time with ECU Health.”
Working in the lab, Warren said he has served in many roles, but one he especially enjoyed was working in the cardiac surgery unit.
“In 1984, they sent us to Duke to work in the operating room while they were doing cardiac surgery,” he explained. “Dr. [W. Randolph] Chitwood was one of the surgeons and he always took time to talk to me, even though I was a lowly lab technician. And he taught me things – like he’d show me the heart during surgery and describe the parts and how they worked.”
Warren explained that during surgery, it was his responsibility to calculate blood gases and clotting time for patients.
“You have to thin the blood to work on the heart,” he said. “And we use heparin to do that. We had to determine a baseline clotting time using an actual graph on paper, and we’d calculate how much heparin the patient needed to thin the blood to go on the heart and lung machine. Then we had to calculate how much Protamine sulfate, which counteracts heparin, to give the patient after the surgery so their blood wouldn’t be too thin in recovery.”
Now, Warren said, much of that manual work is done by computers.
“I didn’t grow up with computers, but everything is computerized now,” he said. “I used to do blood cell counts manually using a microscope, but things have changed so much and so fast. The team I work with helps me out when I need it. We’re all buddies.”
Warren was recently recognized at the ECU Health Appreciation of Excellence Gala with a plaque commemorating his 45 years of service. And while he doesn’t have a specific date in mind, Warren said he will eventually retire. When that day comes, he doesn’t plan to sit around.
“My wife and I live on a farm so there is always wood to cut or a yard to mow,” he said. “I also mow my church’s grass. I don’t want to sit around the house; I like to get out and spend time with my wife.”
To new team members joining ECU Health, Warren said it’s worthwhile to keep up with changing technology.
“Don’t let it overpower you,” he said. “Jobs evolve and you have to change with it. Always be learning.”
ECU Health, Safe Kids Pitt County, Pitt County Council on Aging and the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office helped Pitt County residents do a little spring cleaning during the 16th annual Operation Medicine Drop on Friday, March 13, at the Pitt County Council on Aging. The annual event gives residents the opportunity to drop off unused, unwanted or expired medication for safe disposal.
Operation Medicine Drop marks ECU Health’s commitment to educating the public about the importance of safe disposal.
More than 67,000 children go to an emergency room for medicine poisoning each year, according to a study by Safe Kids Worldwide.
Ellen Walston, injury prevention program coordinator and Safe Kids Pitt County coordinator at ECU Health, said the hosts gathered 244 pounds of medication. She said the partnership is essential to keep those medications out of the hands of small children.
“Local law enforcement agencies maintain drop boxes for people to dispose of their medication year-round,” Walston said. “It’s convenient and we don’t want people to hold onto them. We want them to dispose of them either at our annual event in March or throughout the year at a permanent drop box.”
Operation Medicine Drop serves as a reminder that those resources are available to the public.
“It also protects our waterways,” Walston said. “People tend to flush medications, and we do not want them to do that. We want safe disposal.”
ECU Health also partnered with the Pitt County Council on Aging to help residents shred their unwanted documents. Volunteers from the North Carolina Department of Transportation helped guide a long line of vehicles to a paper shredding truck where waste bins full of documents were able to be safely disposed of.
Since 2010, Operation Medicine Drop campaigns have successfully incinerated more than 422 million pills collected through permanent drop boxes and more than 4,600 events across North Carolina. Operation Medicine Drop is a partnership between Safe Kids North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Justice, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the State Bureau of Investigation.
Greenville, N.C. – ECU Health today announced the appointment of Cathy Yablonski as the new president of Outer Banks Health following an extensive national search. Yablonski will officially join the organization on April 20.
Cathy Yablonski
“I am deeply honored to join the Outer Banks Health team,” Yablonski said. “From the very beginning, I was struck by the health system’s profound dedication to the community it serves. I’m eager to collaborate with ECU Health and Chesapeake Regional Healthcare to strengthen and expand the care we provide to both year round residents and the visitors who make the Outer Banks such a special place.”
Yablonski brings more than 30 years of progressive health care leadership experience, including hospital administration, ambulatory strategy, physician practice management and system‑level operations. She most recently served as senior vice president and chief ambulatory operations officer for Mary Washington Healthcare in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where she oversaw a division of more than 1,200 team members. Previously, she spent 14 years as chief executive of Stafford Hospital, a community hospital within the Mary Washington Healthcare system.
“Cathy is a relationship‑driven, patient‑centered leader with a deep commitment to quality, operational excellence and community health,” said Van Smith, president, ECU Health Community Hospitals. “Her experience and leadership style align seamlessly with ECU Health’s mission and values. I have full confidence she will continue to advance Outer Banks Health’s reputation of providing outstanding care.”
Outer Banks Health’s strong partnership with Dare County is a key component of expanding access to high quality care for residents and visitors. With the support of county leaders, the health system continues to focus on expanding essential services and strengthening its ability to meet the community’s evolving needs locally.
“Cathy is joining an incredible team and a local community that takes great pride in having high-quality care available here in the Outer Banks,” said Myra L. Bone, chair of the Outer Banks Health Board. “Her collaborative spirit and strong commitment to local partnerships make her an exceptional fit for this role. We’re confident she will continue to strengthen our relationships across Dare County and with community leaders as we work together to support the health and well being of the Outer Banks.”
Yablonski’s appointment follows the retirement of Ronnie Sloan, who will conclude his career-distinguished service on April 1. Smith will serve as interim president of Outer Banks Health until Yablonski officially joins the organization on April 20.
Dr. Michael Waldrum
For generations, the people of eastern North Carolina have trusted local hospitals and clinics to be there when they need care the most. At ECU Health, we honor that trust by sustaining access to high-quality care across rural communities. Our health system was built with a clear purpose: to ensure rural hospitals continue operating despite intensifying financial realities unique to rural America. We are successful because of our dedicated team of doctors, nurses and health care professionals.
Today, that purpose is more urgent than ever. Nearly half of rural hospitals nationwide now operate in the red, and hundreds are vulnerable to closure. Rural communities like ours are disproportionately affected by changes in reimbursement, escalating supply costs, workforce shortages, and chronic underinvestment in infrastructure. At the same time, rural Americans face higher rates of chronic disease, lower incomes, and limited access to vital services like maternal care and cancer treatment.
Despite these pressures, ECU Health remains resolute in our mission to improve the health and well-being of the East. To meet these challenges, we are:
- Advocating for state and federal investment to build and sustain access to care.
- Supporting patients as they navigate increasingly complex insurance environments, including Affordable Care Act plans, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid.
- Strengthening relationships with payors, advocating for rural appropriate reimbursement models that reflect the true cost of delivering care.
- Preserving access to care for socially or financially vulnerable patients.
- Preparing for heightened regulatory oversight and more complex compliance expectations, while adapting to structural changes in state and federal programs.
- Educating, training and investing in physicians and other health care professionals who deliver the high-quality care rural communities deserve.
But no health system can safeguard rural health alone. Payors and policymakers have a critical role to play. Sustainable rural health care requires fair reimbursement, predictable funding, and policies that recognize the realities of serving geographically dispersed communities. When rural hospitals are forced to cut services or close, the consequences ripple far beyond health care. Jobs disappear. Businesses struggle. Families leave. Economic potential erodes. Investment today prevents a higher cost to everyone down the road.
At ECU Health, we’re committed to creating an optimistic future for our communities. We’re making progress in our journey to build the national model for academic rural health care, including earning system accreditation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, teaching the next generation of health care professionals, and earning the 2025 Press Ganey Human Experience Guardian of Excellence Award.
With our partners, we are focused on providing high-quality care to patients, communities, and the region for decades to come. Because we know access to high-quality, local care is not simply a health issue – it is the foundation of strong, resilient communities.
Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO of ECU Health and Dean of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
It was a quiet day in the cardiology clinic when the echocardiogram technician at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital asked Michael Joyner, a nurse practitioner, for a favor.
“My schedule wasn’t full because I had only been working at that location for about a month, and the echocardiogram tech had a student,” Joyner said. “Their patient didn’t show up, so she asked if her student could practice using the equipment on me.”
When the student viewed Joyner’s heart, however, something unexpected showed up.
“I knew I had a heart murmur, but the technician looked concerned and took over the scan. Turns out my aortic root was dilated to more than twice its normal size,” he said.
The aortic root is where the aorta, the largest blood vessel in the body, is closest to the heart. A dilation, otherwise known as an aneurysm, is potentially life threatening.
“When you research aortic aneurysms, one of the first things you read is that the first symptom is often sudden death,” Joyner said. “They’re often asymptomatic, but if it ruptures, usually the only thing people can do for you is hold a funeral service.”
Help was only a call away
After the scan, Joyner spoke with a cardiologist immediately. It helped that he knew trusted team members from across the system.
“I asked one of my former students and a nurse practitioner, Brooke Kostok, if her colleague, Dr. Ben Degner, could look at my echocardiogram,” Joyner said. “He called me personally that afternoon and spent 20 minutes on the phone outlining what he thought about it and his recommended next steps. He didn’t have to do that.”
After a computerized tomography (CT) scan and an official diagnosis, which showed the amount of dilation was borderline, Michael and his physicians opted for a watch and wait approach.
“I had a new grandson on the way, and I didn’t want to be recovering from surgery during that time,” he said.
A repeat echocardiogram in the fall of 2025 showed the dilation had grown by a small amount. Joyner decided it was time to have surgery, and on Oct. 21, he underwent an aortic root replacement with aortic valve replacement and reimplantation of the coronary arteries – also known as the Bentall procedure.
“It was a long surgery, and I was lucky to have a network of people I could rely on for support, including Chris Baxter, a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), who was with me during the surgery,” Joyner said. “I wanted him at the head of the bed during my surgery because I had full confidence in him.”
Other colleagues provided support during the surgery by placing a PICC line or being present and supportive for Joyner’s wife, Gwin, and their son.
Recovery went well until day three, when Joyner experienced some post-operative atrial fibrillation – a not uncommon event after this type of surgery. Another former student, D.J. Smith, ACNP on the CVICU, helped restore Michael’s normal heart rhythm.
After seven days in the hospital, Joyner went home, but six weeks later, a post-operative CT scan showed some leakage at the site where an intraoperative cannula had been placed. He needed another surgery in December 2025.
Looking forward to the future
Taking nearly four months off work and undergoing two surgeries has been tough, but now Joyner is feeling better every day.
“It’s difficult to reconcile that you need surgery when you feel healthy. And when you work in health care, you know what could go wrong,” he said. “To have two surgeries – to have your chest opened twice – that’s a difficult recovery.”
Despite the mental and physical challenges, Joyner is clear about his perspective of gratitude.
“I don’t believe in coincidence,” he said. “So many things had to happen to get me where I am. I had to find out about the job at Beaufort – because I wasn’t looking for a new role – and then get the job. I had to be in the clinic that day and not have a patient. The echocardiogram tech had to have a student and a patient cancellation. It was a series of events coordinated by God.”
Joyner is scheduled to return to work in March, and he’s thankful to all the people who played a role in his diagnosis and recovery – especially his wife.
“Gwin is also a nurse at the hospital, but during this time she was my personal nurse and physical therapist,” Joyner said. “I’m fortunate to work in a profession where I was in the right spot at the right time, and to have a whole network of people I can call. That’s made the difference for me.”
Greenville, NC – ECU Health is excited to announce the Academic Loan Scholarship Program, a new workforce investment designed to support students pursuing high need health sciences degrees across eastern North Carolina. The program provides $5,000 in financial assistance to eligible students and includes a one year, full time work commitment with ECU Health upon graduation, helping ensure a strong homegrown pipeline of skilled professionals for the region’s hospitals and clinics.
“Eastern North Carolina depends on a strong, well trained health care workforce, and this program is an important investment in that future,” said Brian Floyd, chief operating officer, ECU Health. “By reducing financial barriers for students and creating clear pathways into our system, we’re able to recruit and retain the talent our communities rely on. Supporting local learners early in their training strengthens both ECU Health and the long term stability of care across the region, and this commitment ensures we are preparing the next generation of caregivers who take care of the communities we serve.”
Created to address the need for allied health and nursing roles, the Academic Loan Scholarship represents a significant commitment to expanding access to education while meeting the health care needs of rural and underserved communities. A total of $165,000 has been allocated for the program, allowing for 33 scholarships of $5,000 each. Eligible students must be enrolled in or accepted into one of several high need programs at regional community colleges, including nursing (ADN), respiratory therapy, surgical technology, medical laboratory technology, radiography, sonography, cardiovascular sonography, CT, MRI, diagnostic technology, OTA and PTA. Students in the Nursing Ribbon Program are also eligible.
“At ECU Health, we believe that supporting the next generation of caregivers is essential to building a healthier eastern North Carolina,” said Josh Crocker, vice president, HR Centers of Excellence, ECU Health. “Our Academic Loan Scholarship Program is designed to ease the financial burden for students in high demand health disciplines while creating clear pathways into vital clinical roles across our region. This initiative reflects our commitment to growing local talent, expanding access to care and advancing our mission of improving the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina.”
Applications close May 22, 2026. To learn more about the Academic Loan Scholarship Program, including eligibility, FAQs and application requirements, please contact Brynn Schiller at [email protected].
Greenville, NC – The North Carolina Healthcare Association (NCHA) announced that Brian Floyd, MBA, RN, Chief Operating Officer of ECU Health, has been elected to serve as chair of the association’s 2026–2027 Board of Trustees. As chair, Floyd will help guide the association’s strategic direction and oversee its efforts to advance policies and partnerships that improve the health of communities across North Carolina.
“I am honored to serve as chair of the NCHA Board of Trustees to work alongside leaders from across the state to strengthen our health care system and support the incredible teams who care for our communities every day,” said Floyd. “Ensuring that rural health care remains at the forefront of statewide policy and investment will continue to be a driving priority for me as we move forward together. I look forward to championing the health care needs of North Carolinians and helping expand access to high‑quality care across our state, especially in rural communities.”
Floyd began his career as a nurse in the post‑operative cardiac surgery unit at ECU Health Medical Center and brings nearly three decades of experience in health care leadership and operations. His administrative roles have included physician practice management, service line development, hospital operations and serving as the president of ECU Health Medical Center where he led several expansions to today’s nearly 1,000 bed capacity. He now serves as chief operating officer for ECU Health with oversight of the health system clinical enterprise in eastern North Carolina.
A long‑time advocate for rural health care, Floyd is deeply committed to meeting the health needs of the region. He also contributes his expertise on several national and state boards, including the American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board, the North Carolina State Health Coordinating Council and the NCWorks Commission (by gubernatorial appointment), the Governor’s Council on Workforce and Apprenticeship, Pitt Community College Board and the NCHA Board. Floyd has served on the NCHA Board since 2023 and is currently serving as NCHA Chair.
“NCHA is incredibly fortunate to have Brian Floyd as our Board Chair,” said NCHA President and CEO Josh Dobson. “His exceptional leadership and extensive expertise in providing high quality healthcare, especially in a rural setting, makes him the ideal chair for our advocacy organization. His proven ability to build strong relationships and navigate complex health care challenges positions us well toward achieving our goals of improving the health of our state.”
Watching her grandfather, a tobacco farmer, struggle with COPD inspired Karen Ward to pursue a career in respiratory therapy, but she said she always knew she was meant to care for others.
“My purpose is to care for others,” she said. “I have been a caregiver for my immediate family. I like working with patients, and health care is my calling.”
The sleep disorders lab coordinator at ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Karen began her career as a respiratory therapist. One of the administrators, however, encouraged her and her team to expand their education.
“He would come around telling us we should know more than one field,” she said. “Around that time, our hospital planned to open a sleep lab and that interested me. The hospital paid for me and others to go to Atlanta, Georgia to learn about polysomnography and I did that along with respiratory therapy for a while. For the last 10-15 years I’ve done nothing but sleep.”
In the 40 years since Karen joined her team, she said she’s only had three managers – but a lot of other things have changed.
“The technology has changed,” she said. “The type of ventilators we use and the sleep lab equipment are different.”
She said communication has also evolved with the technology.
“There were no pagers, no cell phones when I started. For EKGs, we’d have to print them out and then cut out the parts we thought were important for the doctor,” she said. “We’d have to dictate what the doctor said and our charts were paper.”
And because there were no cell phones, Karen said when she was on call, she had to keep her landline close by in case of emergency calls.
“At home I’d have a long telephone wire into the bedroom so if they called me in the night, I’d hear the phone ring,” she said, adding, “I could have never done shift work when my children were young without the support of my husband and parents.”
What hasn’t changed, however, are the close relationships Karen has forged in her time with the system.
“This is a small community, and everyone knows everyone,” she said. “We have all been together through many life changes. When I started here, I was engaged. Now I will celebrate my 40th wedding anniversary in October. I’ve had children, I’ve had family members pass away. Three of my colleagues have been here as long as I have been, and I’ve made some long-lasting relationships and friendships. My manager now was once a student I helped train in respiratory therapy.”
Her advice for new team members focuses on the close bonds forged in community hospitals.
“Consider working in a smaller hospital – the relationships you make are different,” she said. “Everyone knows your name. You work hard and you still see critical patients, but the friendships you make are invaluable. My best friend and I met 40 years ago in respiratory therapy.”
In the future, Karen hopes to one day retire on her grandfather’s farm, care for her family and enjoy her hobbies of gardening and caring for stray animals.
“I am very tenderhearted, and I have a passion for animals,” she shared. “I worked with the local humane society and everyone in Ahoskie drops animals off at my house because they know I will get them to a good home.”
“When I die,” she added, “I hope I will be told, ‘well done, good and faithful servant.’”