Expectant mothers now have more options at ECU Health when it is time to have their baby. That includes Certified Nurse Midwives, or CNMs, whose expertise lies in supporting those moms-to-be throughout their pregnancies, all the way to the delivery table. At ECU Health, qualified, experienced CNMs are now empowered to work within the full scope of their practice authority, a change that aims to improve health care outcomes for mothers and babies while better distributing provider workloads across maternal care teams.
As of April, independent CNMs at ECU Health with at least two years and 4,000 hours of clinical experience are now able to admit patients to the hospital, discharge patients from the hospital and write all notes and orders without the need for a physician’s co-signature or supervision.
CNMs deliver babies from “standard risk” pregnancies while consulting with physicians to identify cases that come with higher risks of complication or need procedures like C-sections. They continue to work in tandem with other members of the maternal care team like OB-GYN physicians.
“This was an incredibly important step forward to ensure that we are using our providers to their full scope of practice in order to improve access to care and broaden our services,” said Elaine Cudnik, executive director for Women’s and Children’s advanced clinical practice at James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center. “There is a nationwide shortage of OB-GYN providers and ECU Health is not immune to the challenges in recruiting that specialty. We continue to augment our services with advanced practice providers and independent certified nurse midwives who can support that critical maternal service here at ECU Health.
Added Cudnik, “I think allowing independent CNMs to work to the top of their license brings an incredible value to the community that we serve and will only expand the access that we’re able to provide.”
On the day the change went into effect two CNMs — Sarah Sears and Margi Reither — were granted independent CNM privileges at ECU Health. Reither called it a monumental step and the result of decades of advocacy. She is grateful that ECU Health now grants qualified CNMs more freedom in scope of practice.
“It is great, professionally, to be able to take care of our own patients,” Reither said. “That’s what we are truly grateful for. We have had wonderful support from our OB-GYN team who agree this is a good, professional decision. This was truly a team effort between midwives, physicians and administrators.”
Sears said the change is empowering, and that it shines a light on how midwives are crucial parts of an OB-GYN team.
“It makes us feel seen,” Sears said. “There is certainly a feeling of respect not just in being able to work with my patients in a new way, but from the health system recognizing what we do and making our roles more visible.”
More importantly, the change is good for patient outcomes. Sears said midwifery care is shown to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. When physicians and midwives collaborate, it allows providers to play to their own strengths. For midwives, that is recognizing and managing standard risk labor and delivery.
“Physicians really are needed for the high-risk things, the abnormal circumstances that can arise during a delivery,” Sears said. “As midwives, we are focused on the normal. It comes down to working together to make sure our approach fits each individual patient on a case-by-case basis.”
Dr. James Whiteside, department chair, Obstetrics and Gynecology, ECU Health and the Brody School of Medicine, played a critical role in helping expand the scope of midwifery practice at ECU Health when he arrived at the health system in 2022. He said further expanding midwives’ scope of practice to include independent care is an important step toward addressing clinician shortages that continue to strain maternal care nationwide.
“We saw an opportunity to expand the role of midwifery across our region and leverage independent scope of practice for these integral members of our care teams,” Dr. Whiteside said. “More midwives will help us address the real challenges facing rural delivery, specifically when it comes to resources and the number of clinicians we have available to provide high-quality care and reduce risk associated with delivery.”
Dr. Dan Dwyer, chief medical officer, ECU Health Community Hospitals and an obstetrician, said he is excited for the positive impact the change will have on maternal services in some of eastern North Carolina’s most rural communities. CNMs will have reliable teams they can work with and the ability to transfer care to another clinician, or to another facility, as needed, in the most efficient way possible.
“Looking ahead, we are excited to introduce independent Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) into care teams throughout ECU Health’s rural community hospitals,” Dr. Dwyer said. “Teamwork is a cornerstone of our culture, and we are committed to recruiting and nurturing skilled CNMs whose dedication and values align with our mission. These professionals are essential to delivering the highest quality care in rural settings.”
Serving 29 counties and operating eight rural birthing locations, Dr. Dwyer said ECU Health faces a range of challenges — not least of which are recruiting and retaining talented healthcare professionals.
“To address these needs, it is imperative that every member of our health care team — including independent CNMs — practice at the top of their license. Creating an environment where everyone feels valued and welcomed is central to our approach,” he said. “The collaborative efforts of CNMs, family practitioners and obstetricians, supported by advanced digital technology and a robust network of sub-specialists, are critical to ensuring patients receive timely, appropriate care wherever they are. We take great pride in the strength of our teamwork and remain confident that, together, we can overcome future challenges and continue to provide exceptional care for our communities.”
ECU Health has maintained labor and delivery services at its rural hospitals. Midwives’ knowledge and skills play a prominent role in ensuring that quality care is available to even more patients in eastern North Carolina, Cudnik said.
“We strongly believe in midwives’ practice and their ability,” Cudnik added. “We strive to create a place where that expertise is valued and leveraged in a way that supports our unique rural academic mission. Not only will expanded access to care benefit community hospitals and rural communities, these midwives will also have a chance to teach students and residents at our ECU Health Medical Center. We’re excited to see the independent CNM program grow.”
An unprecedented illness that started with stomach pain and spiraled into multi-system organ failure proved to be a defining experience in Kayla Jordan’s young life. Looking back, 14 years later, the now 20-year-old Jordan said it also shows how team members at James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center gave a scared little girl in an extended stay hope, support and the chance to just be a kid.
In 2012, Kayla, then six years old, was taken to her pediatrician in Beaufort County for vomiting and stomach pain. She and her mother, Rebecca Williamson, were directed to the emergency department across the street where tests revealed that Kayla had an inflamed pancreas. As her condition rapidly deteriorated, an EastCare team transported her to ECU Health Medical Center for advanced treatment.
“I was going downhill pretty fast. They put tubes in my nose that night and then sent me to Greenville,” Kayla said. “From there on out, I was pretty sick for about a month.”
In Greenville, a care team told Rebecca that her daughter had necrotizing pancreatitis, where severe inflammation can kill tissue in a person’s pancreas. They said 50 percent of the tissue in Kayla’s pancreas was already dead. Soon after, Kayla’s organs began to shut down. She was placed in a medically induced coma because her pain was so unbearable. Her family had a chance to say goodbye, just in case, before she went under.
Rebecca, an assistant nurse manager at ECU Health, was shaken. Her instincts as a mother overrode her education as a nurse.
“It’s funny, you can be a health care professional and your kid or your loved one or someone you’re close to gets sick and suddenly, it feels like you know a lot about nothing,” Rebecca said.
Pediatric physicians worked tirelessly to determine how a 6-year-old could possibly contract a condition typically seen in older adults with a history of alcohol use. They consulted with infectious disease doctors at the hospital and on the other side of the country, performed genetic testing and ran an array of viral tests to determine the best course of treatment. It took time, but tests determined that Kayla had contracted mycoplasma pneumoniae, the bacteria that causes walking pneumonia. The bacteria had completely bypassed Kayla’s lungs and instead attacked her pancreas.
Andy Williamson, Kayla’s stepfather and an ECU Health nurse practitioner, said the diagnosis was unprecedented.
“That is unheard of, but once they identified the bug, they could treat it,” Andy said. “As soon as we got the right antibiotics on top of it, you could start seeing Kayla improve.”
The medicine worked and, astonishingly, Kayla did not require surgery. She soon began her month-long road to recovery at Maynard Children’s Hospital, where in addition to her medical care, she participated in pet therapy, received tutoring and schoolwork to prevent her from falling behind in her classes, and progressed through physical therapy to recover her strength. Friends from school wrote her cards, and her teachers even came to read to her.
“I remember we celebrated the day that she made it all the way down to the little playroom,” Rebecca said. “She borrowed my husband’s credit card so she could play shop. There were so many things to help her feel like a kid.”
For her mom, the patient- and family-centered model of care was apparent. She also felt valued as a team member.
“They provided everything that my kid needed, not just for her health but for her mental state,” Rebecca said. “There were coloring books and crayons, playrooms and a pool and pet therapy.”
Rebecca’s ECU Health team also supported her during Kayla’s hospital stay.
“My nurse manager would come to check on me and ask if I needed anything,” said Rebecca. “They helped submit paperwork to get me started on my leave of absence. It was nice. I didn’t have to worry about my job and could worry about my child. I was treated like I was a family member of the hospital.”
Kayla celebrated her 20th birthday in February. She is now a rising senior at East Carolina University, where she helps broadcast Pirates athletics on ESPN+ and plans to pursue a career in sports broadcasting. She said she was a “frequent flyer” for many years at the emergency department as she dealt with stomach issues. She also recently had her gallbladder removed, a result of the pancreatitis she fought more than a decade ago.
“She’s so resilient,” Andy said. “Not many 18-year-olds get their gallbladders out. She continues to do so well, does well in school. She’s a very smart girl and she’ll do well. We’ll be there for her, like we always have been.”
For Kayla, it’s comforting to know that ECU Health team members are there to support her, whether that’s at home or elsewhere.
“Every time I’ve had to go to the emergency department or something like that, they were always very thorough with me, and they always took my past into consideration,” Kayla said. “There has been peace of mind for me and my mom, who always went with me. It always felt like a family environment.
“As a little girl, you don’t really understand what’s happening,” she continued. “Everyone still went above and beyond to make me feel like I was a normal kid. Looking back now, it shows that, for one, medicine is awesome, and secondly that having people who are right there with you the whole time makes a huge difference.”
In eastern North Carolina, summer can be a time of backyard cookouts or days spent at the beach. However, soaring temperatures and smothering humidity put residents at risk of heat-related illnesses that are even more dangerous for people with a heart condition.
Dr. Blase Carabello, ECU Health cardiologist and chief of the Division of Cardiology at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, explained that the heart has to work overtime in extreme heat as the body tries to regulate its temperature.
“Most people are familiar with a car’s radiator, and they know that if the radiator does not work, they will be stuck on the side of the road with steam coming out of the hood,” Dr. Carabello said. “The human body’s radiator is the skin, and when you need to get rid of heat, your heart needs to pump extra blood to the skin to let that radiator work. Almost anyone with a heart condition who already has a weakened heart or some other difficulty is going to be stressed by the heat or have trouble regulating their body’s fluids.”
High temperatures put people at risk of heat exhaustion, which can cause symptoms such as lightheadedness, rapid pulse, low blood pressure, headache or nausea. Anyone who begins to experience those symptoms needs to get out of the sun and drink fluids, Dr. Carabello said. If you stop sweating in hot weather, or start shivering, that’s an indication your health is at risk.
Heat stroke, where the body reaches a temperature over 104-degrees, is a life-threatening condition that requires treatment.
“The body’s temperature can reach the point where it will shut down all activity unless you receive treatment,” Dr. Carabello emphasized. “If someone around you says they feel lightheaded or like they are going to faint in the heat, it is important to act. Check their pulse and, if that does not look right, call for help. It’s much better to have a false alarm than the alternative.”
Dr. Carabello said that when a heat advisory is issued, people need to use their best judgment and make the right decision for their health. When heat indices climb into triple digits, it’s very difficult for the body to regulate. He pointed out that at the World Cup, even some of the best athletes on the planet take heat breaks during their soccer matches.
“If some of the best athletes in the world need that, think about if you’re not on that level,” Dr. Carabello said. “People tend to think they can do anything, that they are super people, but the truth is that the kind of heat we can experience in eastern North Carolina can put your heart to the test. You don’t need to test your heart, so don’t do that. Just use plain, old fashioned, common sense.”
The future of medical care in eastern North Carolina has arrived in the form of 152 new ECU Health Graduate Medical Education (GME) resident physicians and fellows, many of whom said they were excited to live, work and train in a region rich with opportunity and unique clinical experiences.
The new class of resident physicians were welcomed at GME orientation day, with fellows welcomed at an orientation of their own. The separate settings let GME team members tailor training to both groups’ specific experiences and levels of familiarity with medical practice.
“We are so excited to welcome these new physicians to ECU Health, and we’re equally excited to support their development as our future physician leaders,” said Dr. Mary Catherine Turner, associate dean for Graduate Medical Education at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University and ECU Health Medical Center.
“This also feels like a celebration of how far GME has come over the past 50 years,” she said. “We recruit resident physicians and fellows who are drawn to our mission, and through their time in training they help ECU Health deliver on the mission to improve the health and wellbeing of eastern North Carolina.”
ECU Health offers 38 residency and fellowship programs that provide comprehensive training in primary care and multiple specialty and sub-specialty disciplines.
Physicians will train at ECU Health Medical Center as well as communities across eastern North Carolina. The chance to engage with rural patients was a major draw for Dr. Amarveer Malhi, a family medicine resident physician from Vancouver, British Columbia.
“I’ve seen firsthand how families can be affected by rural hospital closures and the stress people feel when they are left scrambling for care,” Dr. Malhi said. “Seeing ECU Health’s mission to provide acute care in rural areas really told me that I wanted to be here. I’m excited to work with people who have that same goal to provide excellent patient care.”
Dr. Emmanuel Kotey, also a family medicine resident physician, was grateful to match in a small town like the one he grew up in. He attended medical school at Meharry Medical College in Nashville and wanted to get back to his roots and make a difference in patients’ lives.
“Throughout the match process I could see ECU Health had one of the best family medicine programs, and that it takes care of the entire region,” Dr. Kotey said. “I’m looking forward to seeing cases I have never seen before and the chance to help the many patients I’ll care for.”
Dr. Stanton Davis, an emergency medicine resident physician from Atlanta, and Dr. Shelby Goode, an OB-GYN resident physician from Richmond, are a couple who also graduated from Meharry Medical College. The two applied for residency everywhere east of the Mississippi River and discovered ECU Health was not only a great middle ground as far as seeing family, but also the right fit for the couple’s medical philosophy.
“We knew that we wanted to work at an academic hospital,” Dr. Goode said. “The scope and volume of patients we will treat means we are going to see everything we could possibly see. Our interview days went great, and we loved the vibe and the positive energy. Everyone has been so nice and we’re looking forward to getting to know everyone, to finding familiar faces at familiar places.”
Eastern North Carolina also appealed to the couple’s desires outside of work.
“The Level I Trauma Center designation for adult and pediatric care was important to me,” Dr. Davis added. “ECU Health had everything we were looking for academically. The area itself pleasantly surprised us. I think Greenville has everything we want and we are only a few hours from the beach or other places that have what we’re looking for.”
Nine of the new resident physicians graduated from the Brody School of Medicine in May including Dr. Emily Gerlach, one of Dr. Goode’s OB-GYN peers and a native of Nash County. She was excited to get to know her new colleagues and to see familiar faces of patients she treated or even grew up with.
“It’s exciting to stay here in eastern North Carolina and continue to serve this community,” Dr. Gerlach said. “I’ve already treated a woman who I’ve known my whole life. It’s special. They knew me as a child and now they know me as a physician.
“I can’t wait to get my feet wet and be part of these deliveries, be part of care teams who are there for patients in their most vulnerable or happiest moments,” Dr. Gerlach continued. “I’m ready to get started.”
Greenville, N.C. – The 2026 ECU Health Board Quality Leadership Award winners were recognized at the ECU Health Board of Directors meeting held on Tuesday, June 23. These winning teams exemplify ECU Health’s system-wide commitment to achieving zero harm, delivering exceptional experiences and advancing patient outcomes through high-quality, compassionate care.
“These projects exemplify the talent and passion that team members have for addressing complex health care challenges in our rural region,” said Dr. Andy Tewari, chair, ECU Health Board of Directors. “The wide range of teams recognized today shows the scope of their commitment to innovation and serving our patients in eastern North Carolina.”
Projects demonstrating excellence reflected two or more of the following traits:
- Sustained Quality and Safety Improvement: Quantifiable improvement in an organizational priority that advances the goal of zero harm and demonstrates reliability over time.
- Compassion in Action for Safety: Demonstrated teamwork and commitment to protecting patients and team members from harm through consistent application of safety behaviors, communication and a fair and just culture.
- Innovation and Continuous Learning: Implementation of innovative, evidence-based solutions that enhance clinical quality, safety and operational reliability.
- Reduce Variations in Quality Outcomes: Meaningful work that identifies and reduces barriers and promotes quality and safety for all populations served.
Four teams earned awards this year, chosen from a competitive pool of nominations and thoughtfully reviewed by the selection committee.
The winning teams are as follows:
A team from ECU Health Medical Center submitted “Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) Review of Restricted Antimicrobial Use and Compliance.” The project improved ECU Health Medical Center’s electronic health record and antimicrobial stewardship program workflows. It yielded $270,000 in cost savings and reduced unnecessary antimicrobial use, supported safer patient care and helped fight antimicrobial resistance.
The project leaders were Nicole Nicolsen, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP, ASP/Infectious Diseases (ID) pharmacist manager, and Melissa George, PharmD, BCIDP, ADP/ID pharmacist. Team members were David Laurent, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP, ASP/ID pharmacist, Emily Perez, PharmD, ASP/ID pharmacist, and Allison Field, PharmD, VCID, AAHIVP, ASP/ID pharmacist.
A team from ECU Health North submitted their project “Two-Year Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infection (CLABSI) Free Initiative: Driving Interdisciplinary Excellence Through Daily Nurse Quality Huddles and Rounding.” Efforts from the project led to zero hospital-acquired CLABSI cases.
The Project Leaders were Aparesh Balla, MPH, QS III, Maryland Hicks, BSN, RN, WCC, QNS II, and Chelsey Shearin, BSN, RN, IP II. The team members were Dr. Jude Ojie, hospitalist medical director, Dr. Rudo Gwanzura, chief of staff, Wanda Neathery, manager of patient care services, Jennifer Pilgreen, manager of patient care services, Karen Liles, RN, vascular access team, and Ann Strickland, RN, vascular access team.
A team from ECU Health Physicians submitted “Improving Hypertension Control in Ambulatory Care.” The project used a data-driven approach to improve blood pressure test accuracy, repeat measurement and home monitoring documentation by standardizing how blood pressure tests are conducted.
Project leaders were Crystal Ashley, RN, BSN, and Dr. Samuel Moskowitz. Team members were Marsha Becker, RN MSN, Dr. Dean Miner, Jessica Walker, MSHIIM, BSPH, Jason Monroe, MBA, Wendy VanLandingham, RN, BSN, Jennifer Jones, RN, and Drillious Gay, RN, MSN.
A team from ECU Health Ambulatory Quality Services submitted “Improving Outcomes: A Patient-Centered Approach to Hypertension Management.” The project used a community-funded initiative in July 2025, to improve home monitoring for blood pressure with blood pressure cuffs, patient education and integrated patient-entered readings through MyChart.
The project leader was Gail Scheller, RN, AMB-BC, AE-C, Ambulatory Quality Nurse Specialist. Team members were Barbara Adams, manager, Outer Banks Health Family Medicine – Avon, Stephanie Huband, manager, Outer Banks Health Family Medicine – Kitty Hawk, Cynthia O’Neal, manager, Outer Banks Health Family Medicine – Manteo, Sean Dunigan, manager, Outer Banks Health Family Medicine – Nags Head East and Kristen Daniels, manager, Outer Banks Health Internal Medicine – Nags Head.
“These teams worked with purpose to build the tools, dataflow and support that empower our care teams to do their best work for patients in service to ECU Health’s mission and enterprise goal of clinical excellence,” said Dr. Niti Armistead, Chief Clinical Officer and Chief Quality Officer, ECU Health. “Their efforts remind us that quality improvement is one of the most powerful ways to bring meaning and joy into the work of caring for patients.”
For Jason Hardison, becoming a police officer was a long-standing goal — one that recently became a reality, thanks in part to the support of ECU Health.
“After almost 10 years with the Department of Corrections and nearly 12 years as an ECU Health Public Safety Officer, I had the opportunity to work closely with law enforcement,” Hardison said. “It was a lifelong dream to become a police officer.”
At the time, there wasn’t a clear path for team members to enter Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET). After sharing his interest with Lt. Gregg Grillo, a new role was proposed that would allow Hardison to attend the program while remaining an ECU Health team member.
That idea quickly grew into a broader effort. Public Safety leadership partnered with Workforce Development to create a pathway — allowing Hardison to complete BLET while also serving as a paid team member.
“It can be difficult to recruit officers out of BLET because many participants are already sponsored and committed elsewhere,” said Lisa Lassiter, director of Workforce Development. “By sponsoring one of our own, we can grow our workforce from within.”
With full support, Hardison committed to the six-month program.
“ECU Health made it possible for me to focus on my studies and physical training,” he said.
The program included firearms training, scenario-based exercises and driving instruction — along with intense physical training.
“5:30 a.m. workouts with endless pushups and miles of running would test even a 21-year-old,” he said. “At 46, it was especially demanding. But it showed me that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible.”
In May, Hardison completed the program and stepped into his new role as an ECU Health police officer.
“I’m committed to serving with integrity, compassion and understanding,” he said. “I want to make a positive difference in my community and within the hospital.”
For others considering a similar path, his advice is simple: “Be open to learning and don’t doubt what you can achieve.”
And one practical tip: “Invest in a good pair of running shoes.”
To learn more about career opportunities at ECU Health, visit Careers.ECUHealth.org
Greenville, N.C. – ECU Health Beaufort Hospital – a campus of ECU Health Medical Center now offers the MISHA Knee System for patients suffering from medial knee osteoarthritis. The MISHA Knee System is designed to reduce the daily physical toll on the knee joint, offer rapid pain relief and preserve patients’ natural anatomy.
“The MISHA Knee System fundamentally changes how we can support patients living with medial knee osteoarthritis by giving them a joint preserving option that delivers real, measurable relief,” said Dr. Dimitri M. Thomas, orthopedic surgeon, ECU Health Beaufort Hospital. “For many people who want to stay active but aren’t ready for a knee replacement, this approach fills a longstanding gap in treatment options. It’s exciting to bring this level of innovation to our community and help patients regain comfort, confidence and mobility.”
Knee osteoarthritis affects more than 15 million Americans and can make everyday activities painful and difficult. Non-surgical treatments such as medications, injections or physical therapy sometimes do not provide relief, and they are often left with ongoing pain and limited mobility. The MISHA Knee System is a less-invasive approach designed to reduce knee pain and help patients return to the activities they enjoy by reducing the peak forces on painful knee joints while walking, running or simply standing. No removal of bone, cartilage or ligament is required.
“ECU Health Beaufort Hospital is committed to ensuring that patients in our region can access advanced, patient centered solutions close to home, and the MISHA Knee System is a powerful example of that commitment,” said Dennis Campbell II, DHA, RN, president, ECU Health Beaufort Hospital. “By offering this innovative treatment locally, patients do not have to travel long distances to receive cutting edge orthopedic care or to find relief earlier in their treatment journey. We are proud to expand access to high quality options that help people stay active, remain in their communities and maintain their quality of life.”
The procedure is covered by Medicare. For those interested in learning more, please contact ECU Health Orthopedics – Washington at 252-946-6513.
Greenville, N.C. – ECU Health’s Office of Community Health is expanding its summer meals program in partnership with Food Lion Feeds, Sodexo and the ECU Health Foundation, adding three new locations to bring nutritious meals to kids while school is out. The summer meal program will be offered in six eastern North Carolina communities — Ahoskie, Greenville, Tarboro, with new locations in Edenton, Roanoke Rapids and Windsor.
“We are excited to continue offering healthy meals during the summer months, and our expansion to Edenton, Roanoke Rapids and Windsor reflects ECU Health’s commitment to nutrition and overall health,” said KaSheta Jackson, vice president of Community Health at ECU Health. “For many children, school is where they receive their most consistent meals and many parents struggle to provide meals when school is out. ECU Health’s Summer Meal Program helps fill that gap, ensuring kids and teens are nourished and healthy during months when school is not in session.”
Meals will be available Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with the following dates and locations:
- Ahoskie: The Gathering Place, 701 Church St., June 8-Aug. 20
- Edenton: Shepard-Pruden Library, 106 W. Water St., June 8-Aug. 20
- Greenville: York Memorial AME Zion Church, 201 Tyson St., June 15-Aug. 20
- Roanoke Rapids: East 10th Street Christian Church, 1207 E. 10th St., June 8-Aug. 20
- Tarboro: Braswell Community Center, 1501 Western Boulevard, June 8-Aug. 20
- Windsor: Bertie Cooperative Extension, 104 Lancaster Avenue, June 8-Aug. 20
Since 2021, ECU Health and its partners have provided free meals over the summer. In 2025 alone, the program served more than 4,500 meals.
Valorie Nelson, HIMS operations specialist, joined what was then Pitt County Memorial Hospital in 1981 as a high school student. While her first job was as a volunteer, she has made a few career shifts along the way.
“You could say the hospital and I have grown up together,” she said. “After being a candy striper, I worked in dietary for a while, but I wanted to do more.”
A turning point
Nelson said the support of Dr. Murray Merner, who worked in behavioral health, started her on a new path.
“He gave me this test with abstract questions, and at the end it told you about your strengths and your weaknesses, and it listed some recommended occupations. Dr. Merner said I wasn’t challenged enough and that test helped guide me in a positive direction.”
At that time, Nelson said the hospital offered free classes on-site for team members to progress in their careers.
“You could complete your GED,” she explained. “And they had other classes like basic medical terminology or anatomy and physiology. They weren’t for college credit, but they helped team members excel in the hospital. I took as many as I could, and I did well.”
One of the instructors happened to be a medical records manager, who approached Nelson about a job.
“She asked me what I planned to do after taking the classes, and then offered me a position in medical records,” she said. “I tried to be calm but I was so excited. I knew I wanted a change and I dove in.”
Nelson said she’s had great colleagues and leadership, and she has found her work to remain challenging and interesting.
“Time has a way of going by so quickly, but I’ve been able to advance my career. You have to know that systems are always evolving, and you have to evolve with them,” she said. “Every time I’ve seen an opportunity, I’ve taken it – no one will give it to you. You have to seek it out.”
“When I joined medical records, I didn’t know how to operate the computer,” Nelson continued. “Someone had to show me. From there, I just leaned into it. As systems changed, IS sent a manual and I’d sit down and read it. Then I’d take out a pen and paper and simplify it, creating my own breadcrumbs. You have to be flexible and learn because otherwise you can’t get the work done.”
Looking ahead
Although she recognizes that 45 years is a milestone anniversary, retirement isn’t in Nelson’s immediate future.
“I enjoy what I do – that’s why I’ve been here so long,” she said. “There’s a lot of opportunity in Greenville, but I’ve never found anything that makes me want to leave. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished and I’m grateful. I don’t take my job for granted.”
She does, however, plan to travel.
“I went to Las Vegas recently, and my favorite place to go is the Dominican Republic,” she shared. “My goal is to get to Europe and see the Eiffel Tower and go to Rome.”
For those just starting their careers at ECU Health, Valorie had some advice.
“It’s our job to bring the light. Don’t come to work expecting others to make you have a good day,” she said.
“Have an open mind,” she added. “You never know what you might learn or who you might meet who will change your life. It’s a life changing place.”
Washington, D.C. – Dr. Michael Waldrum, a critical care physician and chief executive officer of ECU Health, testified today before the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, urging federal policymakers to pursue targeted solutions to address rising health care costs and protect access to care for America’s rural communities.
During his testimony, Dr. Waldrum emphasized that rural health systems operate under fundamentally different conditions than their urban counterparts and stressed that “one size fits all” policies risk disproportionately harming rural patients and providers.
“I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity to testify before the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means to highlight the important, mission-driven work we do here at ECU Health, as well as the challenges we face as a rural safety net health system,” said Dr. Waldrum. “Access to affordable, high quality care should not depend on where someone lives. The challenges facing rural health systems are real and structural, and they require solutions that recognize the unique realities of rural communities.”
As the leader of a nonprofit health system serving more than 1.4 million people across a 29 county region in eastern North Carolina, Dr. Waldrum shared firsthand insights into the pressures facing rural providers, including older and sicker patient populations, limited population growth, workforce shortages and care delivery across vast geographic areas. He noted that if eastern North Carolina were its own state, it would rank among the poorest and sickest in the nation — realities that, when combined with regulatory and financial pressures, have contributed to rural hospital closures and increasing consolidation across the health care landscape.
At ECU Health, those ongoing pressures have required a deliberate, community driven approach to sustaining access. The system operates a regional hub and spoke model in which its academic medical center supports eight hospitals and more than 1,200 providers throughout rural communities — not in pursuit of scale, Dr. Waldrum said, but out of necessity.
“When profit driven systems exit rural markets, nonprofit health systems like ECU Health are left to serve as the safety net,” Dr. Waldrum told committee members. “Thoughtful policy intervention is needed to support rural safety net providers like ECU Health in order to preserve access, improve outcomes and lower costs for rural patients.”
Drawing on experience training and practicing at nationally recognized health care institutions, Dr. Waldrum contrasted the abundant resources available in urban markets with the consequences he has witnessed when even basic access to care erodes in rural areas.
“These dynamics are not theoretical — they are playing out every day in rural communities across America,” he said.
ECU Health is actively transforming its rural academic regional system of care to lower costs, sustain essential services and support the economic vitality of eastern North Carolina. While progress has been made, Dr. Waldrum stressed that meaningful, lasting solutions will require partnerships with federal policymakers.
As Congress weighs health care affordability and payment policy, he encouraged committee members to design approaches that account for the needs of the nation’s 66 million rural residents and avoid inadvertently disadvantaging communities already facing limited access.
“We recognize the immense challenge before Congress,” Dr. Waldrum said. “ECU Health stands ready to work with policymakers on solutions that strengthen access and affordability and ensure rural communities are not left behind.”