For people diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the journey can be overwhelming. The progressive neurological disease, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, affects the nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movement, gradually impacting mobility, speech, swallowing and breathing. While there is currently no cure, patients in eastern North Carolina have had access to comprehensive, compassionate care close to home through the Jim “Catfish” Hunter ALS Clinic at ECU Health Medical Center for 18 years.
Established in 2008, the multidisciplinary clinic is the only ALS clinic in eastern North Carolina and serves patients from across the region. The clinic was founded with support from Helen Hunter, wife of eastern North Carolina baseball legend Jim “Catfish” Hunter, a Hertford native whose own experience with ALS inspired efforts to improve access to care for local patients and families.
“For patients living with ALS, traveling becomes very difficult as the disease progresses,” said Dr. Robert Frere, neurologist and medical director of the clinic. “Having a multidisciplinary clinic here in eastern North Carolina allows patients to receive specialized care closer to home and reduces the burden of traveling several hours for appointments.”
Bringing specialists together under one roof
The clinic brings together a team of specialists including physicians, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, respiratory therapists, nutritionists, social workers and ALS United North Carolina. By seeing multiple providers during a single visit, patients can receive coordinated care tailored to their changing needs.
“One of the most important concepts in ALS care is the multidisciplinary clinic model,” Dr. Frere said. “Rather than asking patients to travel to multiple appointments at different locations, we bring the team together in one place to provide comprehensive care.”
ALS affects everyone differently. While the average life expectancy following diagnosis is typically three to five years, some patients live significantly longer. Symptoms often begin with weakness in the arms or legs, though some people first experience changes in speech or swallowing.
Although researchers continue to study the disease, the exact cause of ALS remains unknown. According to Dr. Frere, approximately 10% of cases are linked to inherited genetic mutations, while the remaining 90% of sporadic cases occur without exact know cause.
Helping patients live with ALS
For Blanks Walker, ALS clinic manager and program manager for outpatient rehabilitation services at ECU Health, the work is deeply personal. Walker’s mother passed away from ALS in 1999, giving him firsthand understanding of the challenges families face. In addition to overseeing the clinic, Walker is an occupational therapist who regularly helps ALS patients continue to live joyful, fulfilling lives.
“Our goal is to help people learn how to live with ALS, not die with it,” Walker said. “We focus on quality of life and helping patients continue doing the things that matter most to them, whether that’s spending time with grandchildren, attending community events or remaining as independent as possible.”
Occupational therapists like Walker help patients adapt everyday activities and conserve energy by recommending home modifications and equipment such as shower benches, grab bars and mobility devices. Their work focuses on helping patients maintain independence and safely navigate daily life as the disease progresses.
Preserving communication and independence
For many patients, communication becomes one of the most significant challenges as ALS progresses. Through a partnership with the ECU Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic, patients have access to specialized evaluations and communication tools designed to help them stay connected with family, friends and caregivers.
Rhiannon Phillips, a speech-language pathologist and clinical assistant professor at East Carolina University, works with ALS patients whose speech has begun to deteriorate. She evaluates each patient’s communication needs and helps identify the most effective solution, whether that’s a speech-generating device, a smartphone application or an advanced eye-gaze system that allows patients to control a device using only their eye movements.
“Every patient is different,” Phillips said. “We look at how they communicate with family members, whether they still work, what activities are important to them and what they want to be able to do. Then we help match them with technology that best supports those goals.”
Voice banking, which allows patients to record their speech early in the disease process, has transformed ALS care. The recordings can later be used to give patients a personalized synthetic voice.
“If we can identify patients early enough, they can bank their voice,” Walker said. “When they’re using a communication device later, it’s their own voice speaking the words back rather than a computerized voice. It’s amazing to see how far technology has come.”
While the technology itself is impressive, Phillips said the true impact comes from helping patients regain a sense of independence. Shortly after helping set up a communication device for a patient with ALS, the patient’s wife sent a text message to Phillips saying she had heard music playing from another room. Her husband had figured out how to navigate the device on his own, find YouTube and begin playing music independently.
“For most people, being able to turn on music is a simple everyday task,” Phillips said. “But for someone who has lost the ability to speak or move independently, being able to do something like that on their own can be incredibly meaningful to them and to their support system. Seeing patients regain those moments of independence is one of the most rewarding parts of this work.”
Phillips said helping patients maintain their ability to communicate, express their needs and stay connected to loved ones remains at the heart of what she does.
“If you can provide someone with a positive moment during a very difficult time, that’s rewarding,” she said. “Even something as simple as giving someone a way to express how they’re feeling can make a tremendous difference.”
Meeting patients where they are
The clinic has continued to expand services to meet patients where they are. In late 2025, the team launched a multidisciplinary telemedicine clinic to support patients who have difficulty traveling due to disease progression. Patients can join the appointments virtually from home.
“Many patients eventually reach a point where travel becomes extremely challenging,” said Dr. Minji Kim, neurologist, ECU Health. “The telemedicine clinic allows patients to continue receiving care from multiple specialists, including speech therapy, nutrition and occupational therapy, from their homes. It helps ensure they can stay connected to the care and support they need.”
Support beyond medical care
Beyond medical care, many patients benefit from support provided by ALS United North Carolina, a nonprofit organization that partners closely with the clinic. The organization offers equipment loans, financial assistance, support groups and education for patients and caregivers.
“Our goal is to make sure no one goes through the ALS journey alone,” said Hillary Moore, care services coordinator with ALS United North Carolina. “We work closely with patients and families to connect them with resources that can make a meaningful difference in their daily lives.”
That support can include everything from providing power wheelchairs and communication devices to helping families navigate financial challenges and caregiving responsibilities.
Respiratory care is another critical component of ALS management. Respiratory therapists monitor patients’ lung function throughout the disease and help identify when supportive devices such as non-invasive ventilation or cough-assist equipment may be needed.
“The goal is to help patients maintain their breathing and clear secretions effectively so we can reduce complications and hospitalizations,” said respiratory therapist LaCaria Starkie.
A lasting impact
Today, the clinic follows approximately 60 patients and welcomes new referrals from across the region. Care teams meet monthly to provide coordinated evaluations and ongoing support.
For Walker, the clinic’s success comes down to the people behind it.
“I’m grateful for our team and their commitment to helping patients and families,” he said. “Everyone here is focused on providing support, improving quality of life and walking alongside people through one of the most difficult journeys they will ever face.”
To learn more about the Jim “Catfish” Hunter ALS Clinic at ECU Health Medical Center or to schedule an appointment, call 252-847-1779.
A group of 35 ECU Health team members celebrated new skills, new relationships and new pathways for quality improvement that will strengthen care across the health system during the Teachers of Quality Academy (TQA) 9.0 graduation on Oct. 21.
The graduation celebrated the hard work to identify areas of need, concoct solutions and take a data-driven approach toward new approaches to health care delivery. TQA at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University and ECU Health gives health care leaders the tools they need to fundamentally change care delivery through a curriculum focused on building knowledge and skills in Health Systems Science, which explores how health care is delivered.
Over the past year, teams across the cohort developed projects that aim to address areas where quality can be improved, launching initiatives that can continue to grow and make a difference even after a TQA class graduates.
“Opportunity for improvement is everywhere, and these graduates have made the commitment to hone their skills in quality improvement and apply them to drive excellence across ECU Health” said Dr. Niti Armistead, chief quality officer at ECU Health. “Health care operations, like medicine itself, are always evolving so our team members must be willing to serve as both experts and learners as we continue to navigate the shifting landscape.
“This graduation is a capstone moment that builds our learning community so, together, we can continue to work to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina.”
Emily Elks, MPH, an administrative fellow at ECU Health Medical Center, and Taylor Lewis, manager of patient care services at ECU Health Chowan Hospital’s operating room, collaborated to improve colonoscopy referral workflows at the community hospital in Edenton. Elks said the initiative laid a strong foundation with the potential to improve how referrals are handled in the future. Above all, TQA gave her an opportunity to build her leadership skills, confidence and connections across ECU Health.
“I love quality improvement and love professional development, so this has been, by far, my favorite part of my fellowship,” Elks said. “This experience was different from any other professional development I have done, getting to work with my peers and among clinicians of all levels.
“You would not normally get this diversity of skills and fields in a professional development setting — we get to bounce ideas off of physicians, advance practice providers, all of these team members from across the health system I might not have had a chance to work with, to improve these outcomes.”
Two groups of Rural Family Medicine resident physicians devoted their time to improving cancer screening rates for patients. Drs. Tobi Okafor, Joy Onyeanuna and Tanweer Hoosen work saw a 10 percent uptick in colon cancer screenings for patients at Rural Health Group Halifax Medical Specialists and ECU Health North Hospital. The physicians credited that impressive increase to educational initiatives that helped clear up misconceptions and brought information directly to patients.
“I think the most important part was education,” Dr. Okafor said. “Patients tend to think of a colon cancer screening as only a colonoscopy, and I think that’s something that deters them from being seen. We had a chance to explain the different, less invasive methods and that really helped.”
The other team of Drs. Jaya Purathur, Shelley Matthews and Andre Mancheno identified a need for more lung cancer screenings in Duplin County, where Dr. Purathur said tobacco users and agriculture workers could benefit. Their project served to address the best methods to establish a reliable process to identify which patients who would be eligible for CT scans that can detect lung cancer.
“Data collection was very important for this project,” said Dr. Mancheno. “We are continuing to work to see how we can apply data to address the project, which was very challenging throughout this process.”
Dr. Jennifer Sutter, chief of division of pediatric endocrinology and physician director of TQA, said she and other organizers are proud of the 35 team members who finished the cohort, and excited to see how they make a difference in healthcare moving forward.
“Their work has touched all aspects of healthcare across eastern North Carolina,” said Dr. Sutter. “I want to thank these 35 scholars for their dedication and hard work, as well as the coaches who provided them with director mentorship throughout the year. The path forward is one we walk together, and TQA is an important program to provide that kind of interoperative understanding and appreciation for the work we accomplish.”
Margaret Ann Alligood has been a physical therapist assistant (PTA) with ECU Health since 1996, and she is very familiar with helping patients return home safely and supporting their families during that process. Still, when her father, Frayle Woolard, fell at home and broke his femur, she got to see first-hand the compassion and comprehensive care ECU Health provides, from surgery to rehabilitation.
Woolard was admitted to ECU Health Beaufort Hospital after his fall, and over the next two weeks he was in and out of the hospital and a short-term nursing home. He ended up at ECU Health Medical Center, where he stayed for an extended period.
“He was extremely weak and had decreased endurance,” Alligood said. “But he had a strong desire to return home, and the acute therapists assigned to him recognized his recovery potential.”
The therapists’ skilled interventions made it so Woolard could transition to inpatient rehabilitation and he continued to work on his recovery.
“Your perspective changes when you’re on the family side of things,” Alligood said. “My mother is on hospice with end-stage Alzheimer’s, and my brother and family and I manage the hospice team and caregivers to be sure she has supervision all day. With my father in the hospital, it was a very stressful time, but the rehab therapists who worked with my father were incredible. They motivated him to keep going, celebrated his successes and helped reduce so much of the stress I felt. Knowing he was receiving excellent care meant everything to us, and they helped our family achieve the goal of getting my father back home.”
Woolard is now able to get up and around with some support and he is doing many of the things he enjoys, including going to church and spending time with his wife.
“Every morning he was able to kneel and pray,” Alligood shared. “The therapists in rehab individualized his care so he could get back to doing that.”
Alligood celebrated the coordinated care provided by everyone at the hospital, noting the skill, compassion and individualized care they provided. The experience provided a powerful reminder of the impact rehabilitation professionals have on the lives of patients and their loved ones.
“From the housekeeping staff who cleaned my father’s room, to the care partners who met his basic needs, to the nurses who administered his medications, to the hospitalists and physicians who ordered tests and performed his surgery, to the admissions staff and the therapists who saw his potential to regain his quality of life, to the case managers who coordinated his needs for a safe discharge—they eased my stress because I knew he was getting the best care possible,” she said. “After 30 years of caring for others, it means so much to know that when my family needed support, ECU Health was there for us. I sincerely appreciate all of the efforts made to care not only for my father, but for our entire family.”
Share your story with us at go.ecuhealth.org/grateful. Stories like these show the lasting impact of ECU Health.
“I’ve had cancer more than five times, and I’m still standing,” Maleiyah Perez said. “My job now is to tell people about my journey and help them believe they can do it too.”
When Perez was 17, her mother noticed a lump on her thigh. They went to the doctor immediately, and the nurse confirmed there was a mass.
“Things went fast from there,” she said. “They said they were admitting me that very day, and I had a biopsy the next week.”
The biopsy showed the mass was alveolar soft parts sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that originates in soft tissue such as muscle, fat or nerves. Only about 80 cases are diagnosed per year in the United States.
Holding on to hope
“Before they could remove the tumor, I needed 38 rounds of radiation to shrink it down from the size of a softball,” she said. The surgery left her missing parts of her muscle in that leg.
Almost one year later, Perez prepared to celebrate a year of being cancer-free. A friend’s aunt needed a kidney transplant, and Perez decided to get tested to see if she could be a donor, but the test came back with an unexpected result: her cancer had returned.
“The doctor took us in a room and showed me an x-ray. I had 10-12 nodules in both lungs.”
Perez underwent treatment again, this time a robotic, non-invasive radiation therapy called CyberKnife coupled with oral chemotherapy.
“It was pretty intense, but those treatments together had success, and I was cleared of that cancer.”
Two years later, however, the cancer returned in her lungs. Two years after that, she went back to the doctor with a persistent headache and her doctors discovered a small spot on her brain.
Perez underwent a Gamma Knife treatment, which is a non-invasive stereotactic radiosurgery instrument that doesn’t require an incision. Two months after that surgery, she needed it again for two more spots on her brain, and recently, cancer was discovered in her pelvis.
“Through all of this, I never felt any fear,” Perez shared. “I have faith I’m going to make it through, and I have people who support me, including the great team at the cancer center. Dr. Musharraf Navaid, my doctor through much of this journey, said I was very lucky and that people with this type of cancer have a 20-40% chance of surviving five years because it’s often discovered too late. I’m grateful I advocated for myself and have doctors checking on me every month.”
“Maleiyah’s ability to endure the shock of her diagnosis, major surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy shows her strength,” Dr. Navaid said. “Hers is a story of resilience, courage and hope, and she hasn’t let this disease define her.”
After two pelvic fractures, a hip replacement and pelvis reconstruction in November 2025, Perez is working on healing both physically and mentally.
Not going through it alone
“I’ve had a lot of challenges because I’m not as independent as I’d like to be,” she said. “I can’t walk or help my kids, and a lot of cancer patients feel like no one understands. I expressed my feelings to my oncology nurse navigator, Katie Elliott. She listened to me and sat with me, and she gave me information on how to find a therapist to talk to. Both she and Dr. Navaid’s nurse, Charman Baker, go above and beyond. I’m very grateful for that team and everyone at the cancer center because they helped me out of a dark place.”
“I’ve known Maleiyah for a while now,” Elliott said. “It’s been an honor to walk alongside her. We want people to know they’re not going through their journey alone. We have various resources, but sometimes the hardest part is asking for help. We serve many rural communities, and we’ll help patients get access to the care and resources they need.”
“Her smile is infectious, and even on a bad day, you’re going to see that smile,” said Baker, a nurse in the medical oncology clinic. “She hasn’t allowed this experience to deflate her goals, and she’s an inspiration to us.”
Perez said the care she received—from Dr. Navaid’s compassion to the nurses’ efforts to follow up regularly, and the support she received from her mother, who passed away from cancer, and her husband, Jason—helped her through the experience.
“My husband and I had been together only three months when I was first diagnosed with cancer,” she said. “The nurse said, ‘Wow, your boyfriend really cares about you because he asked me what he could do to help.’ Since then, he’s been there for me and our family, and he’s shown he’ll be there through sickness and health. And my mother was my number one cheerleader from the beginning; she was with me for every treatment.”
Perez is 29 now, and her focus is on recovery.
“I won’t say I’m in ‘remission,’ because to me that means the cancer is completely gone. Dr. Navaid wants me to heal more before we do anything else, but for now, I’m in a place where I don’t need treatment,” she said. “My end goal is to be completely healed and live a long life. I know that will happen someday soon. Having a positive mindset will get you further in life.”
Ellen Anthony’s reputation precedes her at ECU Health Edgecombe Hospital, and for good reason.
“Ellen approaches her work with exceptional dedication and pride. Her smile and positive attitude are contagious, and our patients, families and staff are always happy to see her. No matter how small the task, it always has the Ellen touch.”
ICU/CVPR nurse manager April Matthews’ words are echoed by many of Ellen’s colleagues, but according to Ellen, “I’m just an everyday person.”
The Scotland Neck native joined ECU Health 26 years ago, first in rehabilitation, then the medical floor, and now in the emergency department and intensive care unit as a CNA. When she’s able, she works at ECU Health North Hospital, too. Basically, she goes wherever she’s needed and helps however she can.
“I enjoy my co-workers and I enjoy taking care of my patients,” she said. “They’re in the hospital feeling nervous, and even if they can’t talk to me, I’m going to have a whole conversation with them.”
Fellow team member Rebecca Jenkins said Ellen is known for her “Ellen baths,” and some patients won’t let anyone else care for them.
“When they get a bath from me, I make sure everything is comfortable,” Ellen explained. “The patients say they feel like they’re in a spa. The water is nice and warm and even the lotion is warmed up. I wash their hair, too. The patients need to feel taken care of and safe.”
Even if she’s not assigned to a patient or floor, Ellen said she’ll chip in.
“If they’re scared of needles and have lab work, I’ll come in and hold their hand,” she said. “If I have a free moment, I’ll clean a room. If a patient looks cold, I get them a blanket. I’m not going to let my team struggle; if there’s something I can do, I’ll help.”
Ellen said she always wanted to be a nurse, but “you take detours.” She didn’t sit around, though. She earned her EMT certification, as well as a certificate in phlebotomy, and recently, she decided to continue her education at Halifax Community College.
“I’m excited and scared,” she shared. “But there’s nothing in the way to prevent me from what I want now.”
In the meantime, she’ll continue to give patients and her colleagues support and comfort.
“I love my job. Just be kind to each other and take care of the patients,” she said. “That’s the main goal.”
If you’re interested in working with team members like Ellen Anthony, visit our Careers site.
As the father of a pediatric patient sat with his head in his hands in the adult emergency department trauma bay, staff chaplain Anthony Westbrook took a seat beside him.
Medical teams were treating the child for serious burns sustained in an accident at home. Westbrook remained with her father, offering a calm presence and listening ear during an overwhelming moment.
“He was devastated by what had happened and by what his child was going through,” Westbrook said. “He poured out his feelings, and I listened, gently placing my hand on his shoulder as he cried.”
Westbrook remained with the family throughout the child’s treatment. At the father’s request, he led a prayer with members of the care team gathered around the child’s bedside. Thirty minutes later, he accompanied the father and patient as they were transferred to a room in the children’s emergency department.
For Westbrook and his colleagues on ECU Health’s Clinical Chaplaincy & Spiritual Care team, these moments represent the heart of their work.
Formerly known as Pastoral Care, the department adopted a new name to better reflect its role as part of the clinical care team.
“Our chaplains provide professional spiritual and emotional care to patients, families and team members, regardless of their faith background or beliefs,” said Ashleigh Ware, manager of Pastoral Programs. “The new name helps communicate that we are an integral part of whole-person care.”
The department includes 12 team members, made up of full-time and part-time chaplains as well as chaplain residents. Together, they provide support throughout the ECU Health Medical Center, helping people navigate illness, grief, difficult decisions, celebrations, healing and hope.
“Our work is about meeting people where they are and walking alongside them,” Ware added.
“Ultimately, we want every patient, family member and team member to know they don’t have to carry it alone.”
While many people associate chaplaincy with a particular faith tradition, the department’s approach is inclusive.
“Clinical chaplains respect the spiritual diversity of the patients, families and team members we serve,” Westbrook said. “Whether they are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Humanist, Agnostic or Atheist, our role is to be present, to listen and to support.”
Sometimes support includes prayer or spiritual rituals.
During another family’s time of need, Westbrook helped fulfill a final wish for the parents of a gravely ill infant in the NICU. Surrounded by loved ones and members of the care team, the family gathered bedside for a baptism ceremony. Afterward, Westbrook presented the parents and the infant’s siblings with the seashell used to hold the baptism water.
“Our emotional, mental, physical and spiritual well-being are often deeply connected,” Westbrook said.
“Chaplaincy creates space for the spiritual, emotional and existential questions that can arise alongside a person’s medical experience.”
That support also extends to team members.
The department offers opportunities such as Tea for the Soul, Blessing of the Hands and Purposeful Pause Pop-Up events that allow team members to step away, reflect and reconnect with the purpose behind their work. Team members can also reach out directly to a chaplain following a difficult patient experience, a personal loss, a stressful event or anytime they need to talk.
“We want people to know they don’t have to wait until something becomes a crisis to reach out,” Ware said. “If you think a chaplain might be helpful, that’s enough reason to call.”
Within ECU Health’s community hospitals, Spiritual Care volunteers provide supportive rounding for patients. When a situation requires the attention of a clinical chaplain, the team is available to provide support through telehealth.
Patients, families and team members at ECU Health Medical Center can connect with a unit chaplain or contact Clinical Chaplaincy & Spiritual Care at 252-847-4790 or [email protected].
Dr. Lorrie Basnight grew up in Chapel Hill, and after seven years working as an exercise physiologist, she went back to school to become a doctor. She found a passion for pediatrics unexpectedly, and since 1995, she’s loved working with children and their families.
“Children can be delightful and challenging,” she said. “I thought I was a compassionate physician; I was happy to talk with families and let them feel their feelings. But after my diagnosis, I realized what the other side feels like.”
In 2025, Dr. Basnight was diagnosed with breast cancer, a total shock because she considered herself to be in good health.
“I was going to the gym and doing all the things you should do. I have no genetic background or family history of breast cancer. The year before my diagnosis, I did a 100-mile hike in Spain, and in the spring of 2025, I did a 200-mile bike ride in Belgium and the Netherlands,” she said. “Two weeks after I got back from that trip, I got my diagnosis.”
Immediately following her diagnosis, Dr. Basnight said she struggled with fear and anxiety.
“Not 15 minutes after I left the doctor’s office I started thinking I needed to make my funeral plans,” she said. “That’s where my head went. Getting that under control has been a process.”
A path forward
The first step was creating a plan, which Dr. Basnight said was accomplished with her doctor, Dr. Mahvish Muzaffar.
“I had an intense regimen of 16 doses of chemo, followed by surgery,” Dr. Basnight said. “Dr. Muzaffar and the team did a great job of controlling my side effects, and before surgery, my MRI showed no signs of cancer.”
That didn’t mean she was out of the woods quite yet; her post-surgical pathology report showed residual cancer cells. She required additional treatment, which she is still receiving, including 20 rounds of radiation and targeted drugs and hormone blockers. Through it all, however, Dr. Basnight said her doctor and the cancer center team took care of her and put her mind at ease.
During her treatments, she contracted COVID twice and suffered a heart arrythmia as a side effect from one of her medications, which required her to be admitted to the hospital, but Dr. Basnight said she felt supported the entire time.
“It’s weird to have this serious illness and say I’ve had such a great experience,” she said. “When I first met Dr. Muzaffar, she talked with me and my daughter and then asked to speak with me alone. Then she gave me a big hug and said, ‘I know this is scary, but you’re going to be okay.’”
Over the last year, Dr. Basnight said Dr. Muzaffar has reminded her that her medications are working very well and if she did have a recurrence, there are new cancer drugs and treatments coming out all the time.
“She told me that people like me with stage three cancer have lived many years, so she pulled me get out of that ditch of thinking this is the end of my life,” she said. “It’s just the start of a different part of my life.”
Dr. Basnight said it’s also been helpful to use all the resources available to her through the cancer center, including speaking with a therapist to get her anxiety under control.
“When I was first diagnosed, I’d wake up in the middle of the night panicking. My therapist, Dr. Rachelle Evans, has given me many exercises to help with my anxiety, like thought interrupting exercises,” she said. “When I start worrying about something, I say or think, ‘Not helpful,’ and that stops the spiral. I really feel like I’ve become a new person who’s moved into a state of acceptance.”
More than a patient
From her doctor and her therapist to pharmacists and front desk staff to her nurse navigator, Dr. Basnight said the Cancer Center provides an exceptional level of care.
“They talk to you and treat you like you’re more than an MRN number,” she said. “They talk to my family and include them in the conversation. They get you through check-in quickly, they know you and ask about your life and sort out appointments easily. I had a friend who received cancer care from another facility and she came to a few appointments with me at ECU Health. She told me later, ‘I’m sure I got excellent medical care where I went, but my oncologist never acknowledged how scary this is for me.’ My friend ended up switching to ECU Health to get her radiation and she had a great experience.”
For now, Dr. Basnight is continuing her cancer treatment and making plans for future biking and travel. She’s back in the gym and says anyone with cancer should figure out how to still do the things they love.
“One of the things Dr. Evans helped me do was define what’s important to me: relationships,” she said. “Last year, my four siblings and I rented a house in Manteo and had the best time. It was the first time in a long time we’d all been together for a whole week, and it’s special to be with the ones you love. Next spring, we plan a boat and biking trip, and I’m looking forward to that.”
When many people think about careers in health care, the roles of nurse or doctor often come to mind. Yet delivering exceptional care depends on a network of professionals whose work supports daily operations, enhances the patient experience, and helps advance ECU Health’s mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina.
To help students explore those opportunities, ECU Health‘s Talent Acquisition team launched the new non-clinical internship program this past summer.
The pilot program provided college students with hands-on experience across a variety of departments while introducing them to career opportunities in health care that extend beyond direct patient care.
“This was really about building awareness that there are many career paths within a hospital beyond what most people traditionally think about,” said Tavis Richardson, who led the development of the program. “There are opportunities in business, human resources, food and nutrition and many other areas that support our Mission every day.”
The program ran from May through August and welcomed East Carolina University students pursuing non-clinical fields of study. Interns were placed in departments including Food and Nutrition Services, Graduate Medical Education, Onboarding, Patient Experience and Engagement, Community Health, and other support areas across the organization.
Throughout the summer, participants gained practical experience, completed impactful projects and built relationships with team members.
One of those students was Bridgette Dingee, who interned with Food and Nutrition Services. During her internship, she worked alongside patient services, culinary and retail teams while contributing to projects aimed at improving operations and the patient experience. Her work included supporting the Cambridge Menu Study, enhancing competency checklists, completing safety and departmental audits, participating in patient and nursing rounds and other projects.
Among the projects she completed, Dingee said she was most proud of helping develop the patient picture menu.
“It was rewarding to be part of a project that could improve the hospital experience for patients with literacy, language or communication barriers,” Dingee said.
The experience also helped shape Dingee’s career path. Following the internship, she joined ECU Health Food and Nutrition Services as a team member while continuing her studies in dietetics at ECU.
Building on the success of the pilot program, ECU Health plans to expand the initiative in 2027. Internship opportunities will be available at all nine hospitals across the health system, and applications will be promoted to colleges and universities across North Carolina.
Sonya Williams came to ECU Health as a 19-year-old intern with no specific plans to stay at ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan Hospital. A job offer in the admissions and billing department, however, paved the way for a 40-year career that has seen Sonya through many changes.
“I love my journey,” Sonya said. “You can grow with this system. ECU Health has afforded me great opportunities in my professional and personal growth.”
From the business office, where she worked the phone switchboard, Sonya transitioned to insurance where she gained a leadership role. She’s since worked in corporate compliance, the HIMS department, process improvement, and community equity and improvement.
“That takes us up to the pandemic,” Sonya laughed. “From there I worked in community work and my role changed again. Now I’m the manager of community health improvement, chaplain and volunteer services.”
During that time, Sonya also continued her education.
“I started with an associate’s degree from Roanoke-Chowan Community College, but I graduated from Elizabeth State University for a bachelor’s in business administration with a concentration in management in 1996, and after my husband passed away in 2013, I had the conviction to get my master’s and doctorate from Grace Bible College and Theological Seminary. Now I’m an ordained minister.”
Sonya said having supportive leadership and colleagues made it possible for her to continue her education.
“It’s good for you and it’s good for the organization. Getting my master’s and doctorate wasn’t required for my current role, but my leaders saw what I had and what was needed for this job and it connected.”
Regardless of her role, Sonya said she’s made strong connections with her colleagues and her community.
“Roanoke-Chowan has been like family, and I’ve felt supported in a life-work balance. It’s not always like that in other jobs,” she said. “And over the years I’ve worked with so many who have advanced in their journeys. I’ve tried to encourage them along the way, too.”
For now, Sonya has no plans to retire, although it is on the horizon.
“Staying the course isn’t possible because things always change,” she said. “Technology changes, people change. Retirement is my eventual destination, but even when I do, I don’t see myself doing nothing. I love people and my community, and I love to travel. My bucket list destinations are Africa and Dubai.”
In the meantime, Sonya plans to continue to flourish in her role.
“ECU Health is an absolutely wonderful place to grow and work if you’re open to change and experiences. If an opportunity presents itself, take it. I came in working the switchboard and here I am. Your attitude will make your path, your gratitude will grow it and your determination will allow your journey to be as long or as short as you desire it to be.”
Dr. Anthony Smith has had a front-row seat throughout ECU Health Medical Center’s evolution. When he began his medical career in 1998 through the Graduate Medical Education (GME) program at ECU Health Medical Center, he found a place he would call home for nearly 30 years.
“When I was finishing medical school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine and applying for internal medicine residency programs, I wanted to find an academic program that was on the smaller side, one that felt like family. ECU Health fit that bill,” Dr. Smith said. “You will not find a hospital of this size in a community of this size anywhere else in the country.”
GME at ECU Health Medical Center began in 1976 with one residency program in family medicine. Over the past 50 years, the program has continued to grow and expand to develop the next generation of physicians across eastern North Carolina.
Today, the program features 38 residency and fellowship programs and trains approximately 460 residents per year. In 2025, the program saw 39 graduating resident physicians decide to continue practicing medicine in eastern North Carolina.
“We continue to see GME expand with new programs in electrophysiology, hospice and palliative care, neurology, ophthalmology and addiction medicine, specialties that we identified as needs now and moving forward that will train physicians to meet our community’s needs,” said Dr. Mary Catherine Turner, associate dean for GME at ECU Health Medical Center and the Brody School of Medicine. “Multiple factors are at play to support that kind of growth, but the most important guiding light is alignment with our mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina.”
Dr. Smith has witnessed that growth over the years, in residency, as a GME educator and continuing in his career practicing medicine as a hospitalist at ECU Health.
“The growth of GME that I’ve witnessed over the last 28 years has been tremendous,” Dr. Smith said. “The program continues to add residencies and fellowships, which means as a health system we are better able to serve eastern North Carolina by growing the physicians in our footprint and bring more specialized care to the area.”
Dr. Smith grew up in rural Alabama and spent four years in Atlanta before medical school. He appreciated that Greenville was quiet, with less traffic and more opportunities to care for patients on a more personal level. In GME, he found the atmosphere of learning, and the relationships he made along the way instrumental to his decision to continue practicing medicine in eastern North Carolina. Over the years, he has served as the Chief of Staff at ECU Health Medical Center and local director for the hospitals program.
“I remember that our program director, Dr. Peter Lichstein, took care of us,” Dr. Smith said. “Leaders created a schedule and an environment that was conducive to learning, one that let us balance our life. Finding out how to balance working, learning and living is a challenge for GME programs that ECU Health Medical Center addresses by putting people first.”
Dr. Smith sees GME as more than a foundational program to teach physicians — the program also addresses essential health care needs across ECU Health’s 29-county service area by giving resident physicians and fellows hands-on experience treating patients in clinical environments across the ECU Health system.
“It’s rewarding and exciting to see the program continue to develop,” Dr. Smith said. “It really goes back to the sheer impact it has had on eastern North Carolina. We know there are rural areas in this country that don’t have these resources. Eastern North Carolina is fortunate to have an internal medicine program and all the other various programs right here, close to home. Residents and fellows actively training, as well as the physicians who decide to stay after they complete their residency, are extremely beneficial to this region.”
Moving forward, Dr. Smith sees GME’s growth alongside ECU Health Medical Center and the region as a necessary step toward progress. Alongside East Carolina University and the Brody School of Medicine, Dr. Smith said the health system’s growth is a clear indicator of GME’s role in fostering a positive working relationship and environment for physicians across the region.
“Right now, the opportunity is to live our mission and vision as a system and determine ‘How do we better serve the rural places in eastern North Carolina?’” Dr. Smith said. “As we continue to grow, we must continue to be committed to reaching those rural communities.”