Ahoskie, N.C. – ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan Hospital has earned recertification as a primary stroke center by The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, recognizing the hospital’s preparedness and expertise to care for stroke patients.
“I am proud of ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan’s team members and their commitment to provide high-quality stroke care to our patients and community,” said Brian Harvill, interim president of ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan, president of ECU Health Chowan Hospital and ECU Health Bertie Hospital. “Our hospital’s stroke recertification as a primary stroke center from The Joint Commission – and stroke readiness at each ECU Health hospital – represents ECU Health’s dedication to bringing a comprehensive stroke network to care for all patients across eastern North Carolina.”
Stroke is a leading cause of death in North Carolina and the leading cause of long-term disabilities. As a primary stroke center, ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan can treat and stabilize patients experiencing an acute stroke and care for more complex cases. Located in Ahoskie, North Carolina, ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan serves a rural community and is the closest emergency department for surrounding communities. As a resource for emergency care, ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan’s recertification ensures local community members have access to timely stroke care and extends the comprehensive stroke network capable of meeting the needs of all patients across eastern North Carolina.
The likelihood of having a stroke in North Carolina is significantly higher than the rest of the country as a whole. North Carolina is about 8 percent worse for stroke mortality than the national average, and in eastern North Carolina, that risk is even greater.
“Time is the most important factor when treating a stroke, so it is critical to provide stroke care close to home,” said Dr. Barry Bunn, regional emergency department medical director, ECU Health. “With eastern North Carolina’s high rates of stroke, ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan’s stroke recertification, combined with a network of stroke readiness at all ECU Health hospitals, reduces the time of treatment, the risk of mortality, permanent brain damage and other side effects including memory loss, difficulty speaking and potential paralysis.”
During the certification process, ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan was evaluated on performance measures in stroke care, including education for patients and families on stroke risk factors and recognizing symptoms of stroke. Other performance measures included staff education on stroke protocols and the appropriate prescription of medications to address stroke risk factors such as elevated cholesterol and blood pressure.
Roanoke Rapids, N.C. – The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has recertified ECU Health North Hospital as a primary stroke center by recognizing the hospital’s preparedness and expertise to provide timely and high-quality care for stroke patients.
“I am grateful to our team members across all levels and services for their commitment and diligent work that allows ECU Health North to continue to be designated a primary stroke center,” said Jason Harrell, president of ECU Health North Hospital. “Providing high-quality stroke care close to home is central to our mission of improving the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina. We are proud to be part of the top-notch neurological services provided at ECU Health across the region, which includes a strong network of expert stroke care.”
Stroke is a leading cause of death in North Carolina and the leading cause of long-term disabilities. According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, both Halifax and Northampton counties have higher incidences of strokes compared to the North Carolina average. As a primary stroke center, ECU Health North can treat and stabilize patients experiencing an acute stroke and care for more complex cases. As part of stroke readiness by all hospitals in the ECU Health system, this certification is symbolic of a comprehensive stroke network capable of meeting the needs of all patients across eastern North Carolina.
The severity and likelihood of having a stroke in North Carolina is significantly higher than the rest of the country as a whole. North Carolina is about 8 percent worse for stroke mortality than the national average, and in eastern North Carolina, that risk is even greater.
“Immediate treatment of strokes can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death,” said Dr. Barry Bunn, regional emergency department medical director, ECU Health. “With our region’s high rates of stroke and mortality from stroke, ECU Health North’s stroke recertification demonstrates our proven results of reducing the time of treatment, risk of mortality, permanent brain damage and other disabilities.”
During the certification process, ECU Health North was evaluated on performance measures in stroke care, including education for patients and families on stroke risk factors and recognizing symptoms of stroke. Other performance measures included staff education on stroke protocols and the appropriate prescription of medications to address stroke risk factors such as elevated cholesterol and blood pressure.
Independence Day is celebrated across the country with cookouts, family gatherings, fireworks and more. While fireworks are a fun way to celebrate, they can be dangerous if not handled by professionals and can cause serious harm including devastating burns and other injuries.
More than 3,000 children under the age of 15 are sent to the emergency room each year in the United States because of fireworks, according to Safe Kids. During July 4 celebrations, it is important to remain mindful of safety and injury prevention while enjoying festivities, particularly those involving fireworks.
Ellen Walston, Injury Prevention Program coordinator at ECU Health Medical Center, said firework injuries are far too common, including those that can be sustained from sparklers.
“We have an extended holiday weekend, but we want to send the important message to let the professionals handle the firework displays,” Walston said. “Some children really enjoy using sparklers but we just ask that you use extra caution because the tips of those sparklers can exceed 1,200 degrees and cause a third degree burn.”
She said supervision of children is key when using sparklers and to make sure they are fully distinguished after use by pouring water over the sparkler, as they can still run around 450 degrees after they are finished burning. Walston said glowsticks are a safe alternative option.
From 2018-22, Walston said there were 11 admissions to ECU Health Medical Center for firework-related injuries. Typically, she said, the injuries are to hands and fingers and the most common age group is 20-29.
“Any time that you are in a situation where there are fireworks involved, we ask that you provide very close supervision to any children, don’t let them near the fireworks,” Walston said. “We want everyone to have fun with their families but it’s so important to do so safely and that starts with supervision.”
Greenville, N.C. – The 2023 ECU Health Board Quality Leadership Award winners were recognized by the ECU Health Board of Directors June 27. These winning teams are a representation of excellent work across the system that drives the quality goal of zero harm, creates exceptional experiences and improves patient outcomes. Numerous nominations were reviewed by the committee, and the winning team are as follows:
ECU Health Medical Center – Navigating Insurance Authorizations: Increasing Internal Authorization Requests to Decrease Turn-Around Times to Facilitate Skilled Nursing Home Placement – Case Management. The project leader was Nancy Keith, MS, MSW, LCSW, ACM-SW – Care Management.
ECU Health North Hospital – Impact of Hospital-Wide Prevention and Reduction of Clostridium difficile (Cdiff), an ECU Health North’s Multidisciplinary Collaborative: An Evaluation on Reduction in Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI). The project leaders were Krista Turner, MSN, RN – Infection Preventionist III and Aparesh Balla, MPH – Infection Preventionist II.
To receive this honor, team members submitted projects that demonstrated at least two of the following requirements:
- Quantifiable improvement in an organizational quality priority with sustained excellence over time
- Demonstration of empathy and compassion in patient care
- Implementation of innovative solution to patient care problem
- Community outreach that addresses the social determinants of health in a meaningful way
“We are proud to recognize the winning teams for their hard work and dedication to caring for patients and families,” said Robert Greczyn, chair, ECU Health Board of Directors. “The Board Quality Leadership Awards represent the great consideration our team members take to make safety a top priority for our patients. These honorees have continued to innovate and improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina, and we are grateful for all that our team members do to deliver high-quality care.”
Four students in the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University have been named to the 2023-24 class of the North Carolina Albert Schweitzer Fellowship (NCASF) program and will spend the next year working on projects that address social factors that impact health and health care. Their projects will be completed in part at ECU Health facilities.
They are part of a class of 29 North Carolina graduate students — including two other Brody students and two students in the ECU School of Dental Medicine — representing medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, occupational therapy, public health and law.
“Schweitzer Fellows are not given a project or told to address a specific health need,” said Barbara Heffner, executive director of the N.C. Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. “They follow their passion and the needs of the community to develop innovative approaches which fill gaps in our health care system.”
Schweitzer Fellows develop and implement service projects that address the root causes of health disparities in under-resourced communities, while also fulfilling their academic responsibilities. Each project is implemented in collaboration with a community-based organization. Schweitzer Fellowships include an intensive leadership component, with fellows working closely with community and academic mentors during their fellowship year.
The ECU Schweitzer Fellows working on projects through ECU Health sites are:
Miranda Freeman and Michael Burt, Brody School of Medicine
Miranda Freeman
Michael Burt
A.C. Reid Schweitzer Fellows
Academic Mentor: Dr. Rima Panchal
Site Mentor: Dr. Margaret Clifton
Site: Palliative care unit at ECU Health Medical Center and Service League of Greenville Inpatient Hospice
Freeman and Burt are developing an end-of-life companions volunteer program to provide compassionate end-of-life companionship to palliative care patients who do not have anyone able to visit them. Volunteers will receive basic inpatient and outpatient hospice training, participate in narrative medicine workshops and will become knowledgeable advocates for the role of palliative services in modern patient care.
Freeman, a fourth-year medical student and native of Eagle Springs, said her passion for the project comes from her father’s recent cancer diagnosis.
“I saw how incredibly important it is to have support and care during scary difficult moments in life,” she said. “End of life should not have to be something individuals go through on their own. This program aims at providing more support to those at the final stages of their lives.”
Burt, a fourth-year medical student from Williamston, said the project aims to bridge a gap for a vulnerable population that deserves support.
“One group of individuals who are often not appreciated in conversations about loneliness is those who are in hospice care,” he said. “There are unfortunately many people who find themselves alone as they approach the end of their lives, and we believe they deserve the option of compassionate companionship, outside of their health care team, during this time.”
Vaishnavi Siripurapu and Elisabeth “Ella” Whitfield, Brody School of Medicine
Vaishnavi Siripurapu
Elisabeth “Ella” Whitfield
Academic Mentor: Dr. Lisa Moreno
Site Mentors: Dr. Hannah Florida, Dr. Lauren Sastre
Site: ECU Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Inpatient Unit
Siripurapu and Whitfield are launching a cardiovascular health intervention for patients at the ECU Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit focused on individualized goal setting, nutrition education, behavioral health and community support.
Siripurapu, a second-year medical student from Mooresville, said her passion for the project comes from watching her father’s diabetes journey.
“After following his journey and realizing the impact that chronic cardiovascular disease has on many people in my rural community,” she said, “I decided to pursue a project in order to address this unmet need that has manifested in my own life.”
Whitfield, a second-year medical student from Durham, said the project will address continuity in support from the hospital to home.
“During their hospital stay, patients are provided with structure, nutritional counseling and convenient healthy meals, therapy such as physical and occupational therapy, and support from hospital staff. However, upon discharge, this support structure is removed, leaving patients feeling isolated and powerless in their circumstances,” Whitfield said. “With the status quo, patients have a difficult time creating lasting change. We hope to ease this transition for CVD patients, and prevent future re-hospitalizations, by providing an abundance of supportive measures during this gap in care. We want to support individuals in a holistic way and help to empower them to feel confident in their ability to take charge of their own health journey.”
The NCASF is funded through the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, Delta Dental of North Carolina, Duke University School of Medicine, ECU Brody School of Medicine, North Carolina Area Health Education Centers, North Carolina Central University School of Graduate Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, North Carolina Oral Health Collaborative, UNC Office of Interprofessional Education and Practice, ECU Health, Wake Forest University Health Sciences and individual donors.
NCASF began in 1994 as a local chapter of the national nonprofit, the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, and has trained more than 600 leaders in health care. Nationally, more than 4,000 U.S Schweitzer Fellows have served individuals and communities in need and are continuing to shape health care policy and provide direct service.
Hurricane season is underway in the Atlantic and according to the Eastern Healthcare Preparedness Coalition (EHPC), it’s expected to be an active season.
The EHPC team said that while hurricanes are difficult to predict, we can all do our part to prepare for the best possible outcomes. That includes preparing yourself, your family and your home for potential storms.
“If something goes off unexpectedly and you’re unable to leave your house potentially due to flooding, do you feel like you could provide for yourself and your family, including your pets, for about 72 hours?” Stephanie Seals, disaster services specialist with EHPC, asked. “Historically, we know the rescue services aren’t able to help for about the first 72 hours, so we always recommend having enough food, water and medications at your home to take care of yourself, your family and your pets for that time.”
Other key items to keep in mind for your preparedness kits include important phone numbers, documents like birth certificates, marriage certificates and wills, and a first aid kit.
“You don’t necessarily have to go out and buy a brand new first aid kit, you can kind of buy your equipment and piecemeal it together yourself, but it’s important to make sure it’s stocked,” Seals said. “The big things that we see needed after these storms are things such as band aids, ace bandages and gauze to wrap up injuries and your basic antiseptic ointment to clean off those wounds.”
Ready.gov is a federal government website with helpful information about how to properly prepare for a hurricane. This includes guidance on Creating a plan that meets the specific needs of your household and building an emergency kit that contains supplies to help you stay adequately prepared for a natural disaster like a hurricane.
The EHPC team is ECU Health-based while proudly serving all of eastern North Carolina, which enables Seals to pursue her passions on both the personal and professional fronts.
“Getting to help people when they need it the most is incredibly important to me. I think helping people help themselves is one of the coolest things we get to do, too,” Seals said. “We have heard back from people that we get to train and educate and they’ll say, ‘When this happened unexpectedly, we had a house fire or another situation, I was ready because of the things that we put together.’ That just means the world to me.”
Resources
Hurricanes can form quickly. Take the time now, before a hurricane impacts our region, to educate yourself on how to prepare and respond. Below are helpful links for federal and state websites:
At ECU Health, the support team members provide to each other makes a difference – not only to those team members but also to the patients we serve across eastern North Carolina.
Recently, three ECU Health nurses were inducted into the East Carolina University (ECU) College of Nursing Hall of Fame while another earned a scholarship as she pursues her doctorate in nursing. These four ECU Health nurses each said the support of fellow nurses has uplifted them throughout their careers and the scholarship and inductions into the Hall of Fame is a reflection of that support.
Learn more about the honorees below.
Amy Campbell
Amy Campbell, quality nurse specialist at ECU Health, has been with the system for about 18 years over two separate stops.
Campbell started at ECU Health Medical Center as an associate degree nurse in pediatrics and said she was quickly encouraged and supported by fellow nurses and leaders to join the HomeGrown program, which helps team members go back to school and balance their work and school responsibilities, and she received her bachelor’s degree from ECU in 2001. Campbell left ECU Health to teach at Pitt Community College and ultimately returned to the health system with a master’s degree. During her second stop at ECU Health, she said she was once again supported to further her education and pursue a doctorate degree, which she completed in 2020.
“A lot of executives were so encouraging for me to get my Ph.D. and I was HomeGrown and I was able to do my research here so they really were supportive all along,” Campbell said. “I also went through the Ph.D. program with a lot of my colleagues here so that was really great, too. I couldn’t have done it if people hadn’t given me time to do my research and to go to school.”
Campbell is a Williamston native and she said the rural aspect of the care ECU Health provides for the region is close to her heart.
The close-knit communities of eastern North Carolina transfer over to the hospital setting where Campbell said it’s a family atmosphere for team members and the patients they serve.
“I believe that at ECU Health we really do rise by lifting others and people really try to make sure others get time in the spotlight, even though, if you ask any of the four of us, we really don’t like this spotlight,” Campbell said. “But for me, I’m able to embrace it because I want all those people who supported me to have their moment with me. I’m a single mom, I’ve been a single mom for 19 years, but I’ve had a wonderful family here. Everyone has always been so good and supportive of school or whatever I was going through to help me be successful.”
Angela Still
Angela Still, senior administrator of Women’s Services at ECU Health Medical Center, said she was humbled to join her colleagues who have been inducted into the ECU College of Nursing Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2023.
Still has been with the health system for 36 years and is a 1986 graduate of ECU. As a Greenville native, Still said the opportunity to care for and support women in eastern North Carolina is special to her.
“The needs of the patients and families in our region, the disparities, and the social determinants of health are so different from what the rest of the state deals with every day,” Still said. “Our 29 counties are comparable to the size of some states but it’s rural. Access to care, access to healthy food, these are unique needs. At this point in my career I am not impacting the individual patient and family, I’m working to impact the region. It’s a population of mothers and babies that we want to be healthier because they are our future in the region.”
Still said that during her time at ECU Health, she’s been the beneficiary of great leadership and mentors and she’s been happy to give that back to the next generation of nurses as they rise through the system and across the state.
She said it’s crucial to invest time and energy into mentorship as it will make a difference for the individual, those they mentor in the future and the patients they serve.
“The opportunity to mentor people through my career has been just really amazing. I have people across the state I mentored that are not with the system anymore and they still call me to ask questions or just look for guidance,” Still said. “So just being able to make an impact on the people that are going to care for others is very special to me. We’re all eventually going to retire, so being able to mentor and guide folks that are going to be here long after I’ve left and are going to continue to carry that torch and make a difference for our communities, it’s a big deal.”
Georgia Perry
Georgia Perry is the nurse manager on 2 North Medicine and 2 North Progressive Care at ECU Health Medical Center and was also inducted into the ECU College of Nursing Hall of Fame this year.
Perry said the night of the induction into the Hall of Fame was special for her as she had a chance to look into the crowd gathered and see mentors, some of whom nominated Perry for the recognition.
Perry earned her bachelor’s degree from ECU in 2010 and began working at ECU Health as part of the very first New Grad Nurse Residency Program class. She started working on 2 South, became an assistant nurse manager, and eventually became the nurse manager on her current unit. She received her master’s degree in 2015 and said the backing of fellow nurses and leaders alike made going back to school a manageable task.
“I tell people all the time, if you can dream it, you can do it here,” Perry said. “I truly feel like the support system is really what makes it easy to go back to school to be able to juggle it all. There’s a wealth of mentors here, you can pick up the phone and call anybody and it doesn’t matter if it’s across service lines.”
Perry is a Newton Grove native and said working in rural medicine is important to her because she grew up in a rural area.
“I think it’s wonderful that we have such great access to really all specialties right down the road,” Perry said. “My family actually will travel and get to ECU Health Duplin Hospital and then have access to the tertiary center, so we live it. I’m really grateful for what we have here at ECU Health and I’m glad to be a piece of the impact we have on this region.”
She added that the team around her keeps her going while the patients they serve inspire her to bring her best each day.
Lauren Nichols
Inductees into the Hall of Fame help fund a scholarship for ECU College of Nursing students. Lauren Nichols, a staff nurse on the Cardiac Intermediate Unit at ECU Health Medical Center, earned a scholarship from the fund for this year.
Nichols, who has been working at ECU Health for seven years, is pursuing a doctorate in nursing with a family nurse practitioner specialty at ECU.
Nichols is from Edgecombe County and said she chose to work at ECU Health and continue her education at ECU because of the health system’s commitment to rural health care and eastern North Carolina.
“ECU Health’s mission really resonates with me,” Nichols said. “Growing up in such a rural community makes me want to do my part to help improve the health of the people of eastern North Carolina.”
She said she never doubted her decision to go back to school because of the support she has received, especially from nursing leadership.
Join the Team
ECU Health nurses make an incredible impact every day across eastern North Carolina. Learn more about opportunities to work alongside these amazing nurses and so many others here.
When Lauren Moore, a fourth-year student at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, begins her residency training at ECU Health Medical Center in July it will mark the beginning of a new chapter in her deeply personal family medicine journey. With a love for health care passed down from her parents, including her late mother, Moore’s next step is another toward her ultimate goal: making a difference in the lives of countless eastern North Carolina community members.
Moore’s experience with health care goes far beyond her medical school training. Her father is a physician’s assistant and she was naturally drawn to the connections he made in the community. Growing up in Farmville and attending school in Greenville, she recalls countless instances where he was stopped in places like the grocery store, catching up with a long-time patient or offering helpful advice.
“Growing up, people would come up to us and be like, ‘Mr. Eddie, how are you doing?’ I’d ask, ‘Dad, who is that?’ He’d say, ‘Oh, a patient that I’ve had for ten years now.’ I would think, ‘That is amazing,’” Moore said. “And even recently, ever since I’ve matched at ECU Health, just within the past few weeks, I’ve had several people from my Bible study at my church that have said, ‘You know, I’ve been needing to get a primary care doctor.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m your person!’ It just feels good that they trust me enough to one day be their doctor and to have those personal connections and be able to serve them to make sure their health is taken care of.”
She also experienced the health care profession from the patient perspective through her mother’s cancer journey. When Moore was seven years old, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time and was declared cancer free after about a year of treatment.
Then, six years later, she was re-diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, which spread to her liver and brain. Moore’s mother passed in June of 2010. She reflected on the care her mom received and how the care teams went above and beyond for patients and families alike. Moore learned what it meant to be a compassionate care giver and she said she’s prepared to bring that same compassion to her future patients.
“Seeing her go through that and seeing the way that her physicians were able to play such a vital role in not only her life, but also my family’s life and making sure that we were OK even after the fact,” Moore said. “If my dad was walking through the hospital, my mom’s physicians would check in on him and ask how he was doing and if he needed anything. So it wasn’t that they were just taking care of my mom as a patient, but they were also taking care of the rest of her life, too. That had such a tremendous impact on me. My goal is not only to care for my patients the same way my dad does, but also to make the families feel the same way that those physicians made me feel.”
Brody Matches
Moore is one of 77 Brody medical students poised to begin their residency at hospitals across the country, following an emotional Match Day ceremony in March and commencement in May. For Moore, who wants to practice family medicine in the region in which she grew up, matching to ECU Health Medical Center was always the goal.
“Being a medical student at Brody and seeing the patient population that we have here, I think that’s really what drew me to ECU Health,” said Moore. “The fact that it serves patients throughout the 29 counties in eastern North Carolina who otherwise wouldn’t have a primary care provider or a Level I trauma center if it wasn’t for us. I was drawn to the educational opportunities given the uniqueness of our patients and everybody in the residency program is just so welcoming and nice. I know it’s family medicine, but it is also like a family there.”
Photo Courtesy of ECU News Services
Match Day at Brody marked a milestone for the Class of 2023, whose medical school journey included the historic events of learning through the COVID-19 pandemic and the integration of Brody and then-Vidant Health, which became ECU Health in 2022.
Match Day is arguably the pinnacle of medical school, when students discover where they will train during their residency, surrounded by friends, family and Brody faculty and staff who have guided them over the years.
The Class of 2023 is a snapshot of Brody’s mission to serve the state. The 77 members of the graduating class represent more than 25 North Carolina counties, from Buncombe in the west to Pasquotank in the northeast.
ECU Health Medical Center had an excellent Match Day, according to Dr. Herb Garrison, associate dean for Graduate Medical Education, with 98 medical students matching into the 12 main residency programs. Twenty-six of the students, or 27%, will graduate from North Carolina medical schools, including 16 students from ECU’s Brody School of Medicine. Brody’s most recent class features the most medical students who will begin their residency at ECU Health Medical Center in July.
“We’re thrilled for this class to start their residencies across the country and we’re especially excited about how many will be staying with us at ECU Health Medical Center,” Dr. Garrison said. “This group had their first year of medical school disrupted by the start of COVID and I’m so proud of the way they supported each other through that experience. I’m just excited, as I am every year, to see these skilled and highly trained students start their careers and share everything they’ve learned here with the rest of the world.”
A Rural Legacy
Dr. Mott Blair’s journey to his post as a physician at ECU Health Family Medicine – Wallace is not totally unlike Moore’s. Dr. Blair’s father was a doctor in Duplin County beginning in 1949.
Dr. Blair shared that his father was a primary care physician who also took up obstetrics and did home deliveries for many families. Seeing his father’s connection with patients and families in his home town lead him directly to his own career in medicine.
He attended the Brody School of Medicine – then called ECU School of Medicine – and graduated in 1987, alongside his brother. He matched with ECU Health Medical Center – then called Pitt County Memorial Hospital – and began practicing in Wallace after his three-year residency. He said his decisions to attend Brody, make Greenville his first choice for residency, establish a practice in his rural hometown and eventually partner with the ECU Health system have all been rewarding for himself and beneficial for the patients he serves.
“I feel like the mission of the medical school was a mission that I wanted to take on and I think I’ve been successful in doing that,” Dr. Blair said. “I think the credit in being able to do that goes to the medical school and now the medical center as well. I really think that what we’re doing now, particularly as we support practices across the eastern region of the state, is a crucial thing to put in place, because health care in rural North Carolina is so difficult and we need to have true rural primary care.”
Dr. Blair said that he knows his time at Brody prepared him well for the challenges of residency and he has seen the same for other Brody graduates whom he’s connected with as residents.
For first year residents, he said it’s a new kind of challenge and learning curve, just like those experienced in the first year of medical school and the first year of rotations, but sticking to the same habits that got residents where they are will make all the difference.
“Work hard, study hard. Getting through residency the first year is a lot of hard work,” Dr. Blair said. “So enjoy it and it will go by fast and it will seem like a distant memory pretty quickly. Coming out of Brody, you’ll be well prepared. I found the preparation for me was excellent. You have to be patient with the pace in medicine. It changes rapidly and has really changed a lot since I’ve been in practice and continues to do so.”
In line with the Brody School of Medicine’s mission to increase the number of primary care physicians who serve North Carolina, 52% of the 2023 Brody class matched into primary care residencies — including obstetrics and gynecology — and 44% matched to residency programs in North Carolina.
Moore and Dr. Blair are just two examples of the importance of the Brody School of Medicine and ECU Health connection. Developing high-quality, compassionate physicians for a region in need helps meet the organizations’ combined mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina.
“Developing great primary care providers for rural areas is at the core of what we do at Brody and within ECU Health” said Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO of ECU Health and dean of Brody. “Working as rural health care professionals is hard but we’re working together to train doctors that will care for the whole patient, their physical and emotional health, and I think we’ve been successful in doing that. We have students, professors, residents and doctors that really understand that side of health care and their work in that space leaves a legacy that we can all be proud of.”
Greenville, N.C. – ECU Health is pleased to announce Dr. Richard Medford, MD, FAMIA, FRCP(C), as ECU Health’s first Chief Medical Informatics and Digital Health Officer (CMIDHO) following an extensive national search and interview process with stakeholders from across the organization. Dr. Medford officially joined the health system on May 1, 2023.
“Over the past several years, we have seen the importance and value of telehealth and other technology in patient care, and we recognize the need to be nimble to work within the digital evolutions and innovations we are seeing in and around the health care industry,” said Dr. Michael Waldrum, ECU Health CEO and dean of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. “I am pleased to welcome Dr. Medford to ECU Health and feel strongly that his background in health care technology innovation will serve our patients and the region well. As we continue to define the future of ECU Health, Dr. Medford’s collaborative and evidence-based approach will be assets in helping us to realize our vision for those we proudly serve.”
In this newly-expanded role, Dr. Medford will collaborate with executive and clinical leaders to develop and execute strategies to optimize and transform care delivery models and the clinician-patient experience through the strategic use of the electronic health record (EHR), digital tools, advanced technologies, services and processes.
As part of his work at ECU Health, Dr. Medford will continue to practice medicine, allowing him to more fully understand and relate to the challenges and opportunities in the digital environments and frameworks our clinicians provide care within. He has also received a faculty appointment within the Brody School of Medicine with a continued focus on research where he will help serve as a bridge between the academic, medical, information systems and research arenas.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to join ECU Health and to collaborate with the teams here to bring innovations that improve the health status of the patients we proudly serve,” said Dr. Medford. “The unique challenges we face in this vast rural environment require unique, cutting-edge solutions. I look forward to serving on behalf of the people of eastern North Carolina.”
Originally from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dr. Medford received his MD from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. He completed an internal medicine residency at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, and fellowships in infectious diseases from the University of Ottawa and clinical informatics from Stanford University School of Medicine.
Dr. Medford is triple board certified and the recipient of numerous honors, awards and grants. He has proven to be a transformational and strategic leader who understands the importance of leveraging digital technologies and the EHR to drive health system success, enhance patient safety and quality, improve provider efficiency, decrease provider burnout and augment research endeavors.
For more than 25 years, the Pediatric Asthma Program at the Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center has worked to help patients and families living with asthma lead healthy lives.
Jeanine Sharpe, social work care manager for the Pediatric Asthma Program, said the goal of the program has always been to decrease emergency department visits, reduce school absences due to asthma, provide education and improve quality of life for patients and families.
“Currently, there are about 5.1 million children under the age of 18 that have asthma in the U.S. and it’s the leading chronic disease for children,” Sharpe said. “Just for our service area last year, we had 1,687 pediatric asthma patient referrals. It’s the number one reason for school absences and the number two reason for hospital admissions for children. But we know that asthma is a controllable disease. What we find is that a lot of times the missing piece is just education.”
Sharpe said the program has touched many families over the years, whether it’s just one interaction or years of working on a family’s case. One family that has seen the impact of the program recently is the Carr family.
Dalton Carr III was diagnosed with asthma three years ago and struggled with wheezing, coughing and attacks in the years since.
Dalton III’s mother, Shanika said she was scared when her son was first diagnosed and she wasn’t sure how to handle certain situations. This past December, Dalton had an incident and was seen in the emergency department for his asthma.
“That’s when I met Ms. Sharpe,” Shanika said. “I was confused at the time, but ever since I met Ms. Sharpe, it’s been easier to learn things. I was confused with the things different doctors were telling me and I really didn’t understand how serious it was.”
Dalton III’s father, Dalton Jr., said it has been a great experience working with Sharpe and the Pediatric Asthma Program team.
He said the education and support offered have helped their son be confident and join in the everyday activities of other children his age. While he used to struggle, today he does not wheeze, cough or have flare ups from his asthma. Dalton Jr. credited the work with the Pediatric Asthma Program for this turnaround.
“She got us in a good routine for him. Ever since we’ve gotten Dalton on a consistent routine, he hasn’t had any problems,” Dalton Jr. said. “It’s even to the point where he can tell us when he needs his pump. He might say, ‘Mom or dad, I need my pump’ or ‘I’m good.’ He plays football and he’s running and tackling and it’s a lot but with Ms. Sharpe being in our lives these last few months, it’s just helped a lot.”
Dalton Jr. encouraged families to reach out for help and to learn what might work best for their child’s asthma.
Malorie Whitaker, respiratory care manager at ECU Health Medical Center, said the program is designed to help patients from one to 18 years of age feel more comfortable while they manage their asthma and participate in normal childhood activities.
She also said the program is set up to meet children where they are and eliminate barriers to care.
“Sometimes they’ll come into our office to do different testing or do some education, but usually we meet them,” Whitaker said. “So we’ll get into the homes, we’ll go into the schools, into the clinic, wherever they are. Some of these kids that we see don’t have transportation or transportation is difficult for them, so that’s why we like to go into the school or into the homes to help them.”
To learn more, or to speak with someone close to you, visit the Pediatric Asthma page or call one of the ECU Health locations offering pediatric asthma services.
- ECU Health Bertie Hospital: 252-833-2861
- ECU Health Chowan Hospital: 252-833-2861
- ECU Health Edgecombe Hospital: 252-641-7382
- ECU Health Medical Center: 252-847-6835
- ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan Hospital: 252-209-3117