With an audience of more than 90 Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University first-year medical students, leaders from ECU Health and Brody discussed the power of storytelling and narrative medicine during the 14th Annual Jose G. Albernaz Golden Apple Distinguished Lecture.
Narrative medicine is an increasingly popular technique that utilizes storytelling for health care providers to understand their patients as people and help process their own emotions around their work. At ECU Health, where compassionate care for patients and for the care team are foundations of how the organization meets its mission, the benefits of narrative medicine can make a difference in the clinical setting.
For first-year Brody students, the lecture provided an opportunity to learn about the value of narrative medicine so that they can apply it to their own education and future careers.
Dr. Christina Bowen, chief well-being officer of ECU Health, was once a first-year Brody student herself. In her opening remarks, she challenged students to take up narrative medicine early in their journey to becoming providers.
“The profession of medicine brings cases that will touch your hearts with much joy and sorrow. Write those stories down,” Dr. Bowen said. “These stories will be with you the rest of your medical career. Embracing the power and importance of these stories will support your emotional well-being and your growth into an excellent physician.”
Dr. Sharona Johnson, the nursing Advanced Clinical Practice administrator at ECU Health, served as the keynote speaker for the event. She said storytelling is key to understanding our humanity and helps leave a legacy for all people.
Dr. Johnson, who is a published author, is an advocate for narrative medicine – both to understand patients and as a well-being tool to get her own feelings down on paper.
“We’re learning that stories are important because we’re telling our stories,” Dr. Johnson said. “Physicians and health care professionals are writing books. We’re finding that our life has to have meaning. You can’t go through your life without thinking about, ‘Why am I here, what is the purpose, why is this patient sitting in front of me?’ It has to have meaning.”
Dr. Jason Higginson, chief health officer of ECU Health, said he received a written note from the first patient he gave a full clinical exam to in medical school. He said he can still picture himself in the exam room and remembers the patient frequently because of the heartfelt note the patient shared. He reflected that he wished he’d known more about narrative medicine as a young doctor so he could have captured more experiences like this from early in his career.
The relationship between ECU Health and Brody is important for many reasons. The opportunity for experienced providers to share valuable lessons with medical students in a clinical setting is one of the special benefits. Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO of ECU Health and dean of the Brody School of Medicine, said the teaching offered at Brody and ECU Health stretches beyond the walls of the classroom.
“This was a really important lesson today for students and a great reminder for anyone already in health care,” Dr. Waldrum said. “Narrative medicine and storytelling help in many aspects. Brody School of Medicine concentrates on producing physicians that actually understand humanity. I’m really proud of that.”
Dr. Waldrum said that understanding humanity and human interaction is what led him to being a pre-med English major as an undergraduate.
Learning the humanities, he said, helped lay a foundation for him as a person and care provider. The lessons learned as an English major were reinforced in his first clinical rotation during his third year of medical school when a mentor told him to learn something from each patient, whether it is a personal or medical fact. He said that stuck with him and taking it into action paid off.
“That’s the story of humanity and history, understanding and respecting differences,” Dr. Waldrum said. “Stories are about history and looking backwards, but it’s also about creating an optimistic and positive future. That’s what we’re doing here: creating a new health system, evolving our school of medicine, always changing and making sure that we meet our communities needs and that we educate the best humans on the planet.”
The Albernaz Golden Apple Distinguished Lecture series is a great example of how ECU Health and the Brody School of Medicine collaborate to bring excellence in the clinical and academic setting for the betterment of eastern North Carolina.
It’s no secret prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men. In fact, nearly one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. What many may not know is if caught early, prostate cancer can be easily treated and even cured. That’s why experts at ECU Health are urging men who have delayed getting a prostate cancer screening to return to their regular screenings to prevent advanced prostate cancer diagnoses.
The prostate, which only exists in men, is a walnut-sized gland tucked under the bladder and is involved in the reproductive process. The prostate can develop cancer and is one of the leading cancers diagnosed in men.
“We love to catch prostate cancer before there are any signs or symptoms. In order to do that, you need a blood test called a prostate-specific antigen, commonly known as a PSA blood test,” said Dr. Caroline Ames, ECU Health urologist. “Because the prostate is tucked up under the bladder, you may not have symptoms until it’s advanced.”
Dr. Ames says if prostate cancer grows large enough that it is causing symptoms, there may be blood in the urine or semen or difficulty urinating. More advanced stages can present symptoms such as bone pain, weight loss and swollen lymph nodes.
“Many of the people we take care of in eastern North Carolina are high risk for prostate cancer, especially African American and Latino men between the ages of 45 and 65,” said Dr. Ames.
African American men are more likely to develop prostate cancer and twice as likely to die from prostate cancer, as compared to non-Hispanic white men, according to the Office of Minority Health.
“This is likely due to genetics, lack of access to health care, general mistrust in health care and socioeconomic factors,” said Dr. Ames. “Those men with a family history of prostate cancer and men over the age of 65 who take one or two medications and are overall healthy, need a PSA screening every year.”
The screening process may look a bit different from what many may have experienced before. Dr. Ames, along with many other urologists, now do the blood PSA screening as the first line of screening. These providers will do a physical exam after the PSA screening indicates cause for concern. According to Dr. Ames, this method has brought in many more men for prostate screenings that may have not gotten one before due to anxiety or hesitancy of the physical exam. Men are encouraged to talk to their provider about the screening process.
“If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, we will look at all of the treatment options available,” said Dr. Ames. “While some with low-risk disease may not need aggressive treatment, there are options available such as hormone therapy, radiation or prostate removal.”
The best treatment is prevention. Eating a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in processed foods and red meat can help reduce your risk of prostate cancer, along with quitting smoking.
“Obesity and smoking are two of the leading causes of prostate cancer,” said Dr. Ames. “Once you have been diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer, obesity increases the risk for the cancer coming back in the future.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, screenings across the board significantly lowered. This is a significant concern amongst medical experts.
“Many people postponed their cancer screenings, and we are very concerned about that,” said Dr. Ames. “This increases the chance for a larger number of patients to be diagnosed with advanced or later stage cancers, including prostate cancer.”
The bottom line?
“You need to return to your cancer screenings, whether it be prostate, breast, lung or colon cancer screenings, especially if you skipped them during COVID-19,” Dr. Ames said. “Early detection can save lives.”
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If you have experienced the pain, tingling or weakness that can occur with carpal tunnel syndrome, you are not alone. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a fairly common condition which occurs when one of the major nerves to the hand, the median nerve which runs from the forearm into the palm of the hand, is squeezed or compressed as it travels through the wrist. Thankfully, what was once a complex treatment for CTS can now be accomplished more quickly and more effectively through new surgical interventions that reduce recovery times.
Milder symptoms of CTS can be treated with physician-directed home care, which may include wearing a wrist splint, avoiding daytime activities that may provoke symptoms, performing specific exercises and taking breaks from tasks to rest the hand. Medications may also be prescribed to relieve pain and inflammation.
In many cases, non-surgical treatments only provide temporary results, with symptoms eventually returning. Surgery typically becomes the recommended treatment option when this occurs.
“Carpal tunnel release surgery is one of my more common surgeries,” said Dr. Jeff Barwick, an orthopedic surgeon at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital, a campus of ECU Health Medical Center. “Traditionally, we would make an incision in the palm to access the tunnel and free the median nerve. The recovery would take anywhere from two weeks on the fast end to several months on the slow end. Also, during this recovery period, many patients would not be able to resume their normal activities using their hands due to pain and weakness.”
A modified procedure performed at ECU Health Beaufort called carpal tunnel release with UltraGuideCTR ™ can perform the surgery less invasively and with much quicker recovery time for the patient.
“Now, because of ultrasound guidance, we can essentially perform the same surgery but using a much smaller incision,” said Dr. Barwick. “We also come under the muscles of the hands instead of having to cut through them. The healing of the incision and the muscles has traditionally slowed down the recovery process. The ultrasound essentially serves as my eyes and allows me to see into the carpal tunnel with a very minimal incision. Having carpal tunnel release with UltraGuideCTR™ available at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital offers community members convenient access to the procedure and allows them to stay close to home. Patients can also enjoy a better quality of life. When people can’t enjoy life due to pain, numbness and weakness in the hands and wrists, this can be taxing to them mentally, emotionally and physically.”
Some of the benefits of this new technology include a faster recovery time as opposed to the weeks of recovery involved with traditional carpal tunnel surgery. Going underneath the muscles with a drastically smaller incision, rather than cutting, creates a more positive experience for patents and often times allows them to return to work and the activities they enjoy within three to six days.
According to Sonex Health, Dr. Barwick is the first physician in North Carolina to offer his patients both carpal tunnel release and trigger finger release with real-time ultrasound guidance. Providing this new and innovative technology for the local community is another example of ECU Health fulfilling its mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina. For more information about carpal tunnel treatment options including the ultrasound assisted surgery, please call ECU Health Orthopedics – Washington at 252-946-6513.
Jamysen Howard during her NICU stay in 2010.
From premature babies to complex conditions, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital sees the youngest patients at ECU Health Medical Center and provides high-quality, compassionate care while looking after families throughout their NICU journey.
Along the way, many families find a community and support system around them as they navigate the experience.
Thriving 12 years later
Tonya Howard found out at her 11-week ultrasound that her daughter would be born with her intestines outside of her body, a condition called gastroschisis.
While baby Jamysen grew, plans were lining up to have a pediatric surgeon join the team at Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center just in time for Jamysen’s arrival. However, when she came four weeks early, the pediatric surgeon received emergency privileges and successfully operated on her just after her birth.
Tonya said the supportive care team helped her and her family immensely during their time in the NICU. While they took care of Jamysen, they also kept the family up-to-date and informed.
“The NICU nurses who, probably about four or five of them I still talk to, kept me up with Jamysen’s progress,” Tonya said. “I had two other children at home, so I’d go home and spend the night and when I’d get up in the morning, the first thing I’d do is call the NICU to see how she did that night. The nurses were the ones that took care of her and they were with her all night.”
Jamysen is now in 7th grade, excels in school and plays volleyball for her school and travel teams.
She also said the NICU community is very strong and has been happy to serve as a support to other NICU families, including one that experienced gastroschisis, just like Jamysen.
Today, Jamysen is 12 years old and thriving. Tonya said while they were told there was possibility Jamysen could experience trouble with physical and mental development, she is now an honor roll student and plays volleyball with school and travel teams.
“We’ve always told her that she can do anything she wanted to do,” Tonya said. “I was like, ‘before you were one day old, you’d already been through a five-hour surgery so you know what, you can do anything you want to do.’ And she’s done just that. She knows she’s tough, she’s never had much fear and she’s headfirst into everything and always has been.”
Jamysen frequently participates in Children’s Miracle Network events as well.
Tonya has a unique perspective on the Maynard Children’s Hospital as a former team member in the pediatrics department, including time before the Children’s Hospital was built.
“At one point the NICU was just one big room. When Jamysen was born, the NICU was what it is now and each baby had their own individual room,” Tonya said. “Everything from the beds to the Child Life [team] and now they’ve progressed to where the parents can even log on and see their babies when they’re not able to be there. We didn’t have that while we were there but that’s just amazing.”
Rallying around Waylon
Waylon Denny is shown in a crib after having a tracheostomy.
On July 23, 2016, Waylon Denny was born at 23 weeks, weighing 1 pound, 4 ounces. He spent the first 298 days of his life at the Maynard Children’s Hospital, beginning with about four months in the NICU.
Following a surgery for young Waylon, he became sick and needed immediate intervention. His providers knew one treatment, called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), could be lifesaving.
“I mean, they all really rallied right around us,” Waylon’s mother, Sara, said. “They got the doctors and everybody in the PICU that had anything to do with ECMO to come down to look at him to see if he would be a candidate for ECMO. And I truly believe if it was not for his respiratory therapists and nurses fighting for him that day I really do not believe that he would even be here.”
ECMO is a treatment where blood is pumped out of your body and into a machine that removes carbon dioxide and then flows blood back to tissues in the body. One of the providers fighting for Waylon was Dr. Shannon Longshore.
“I remember Dr. Longshore telling us that in a baby his size, 23 weeks, he was already swollen,” Sara said. “Everything he had been through, she should not have been able to get the [tubes] in his neck. And I remember her telling us that she looked at the team in that room and told them that she was going to keep trying because we were two weeks away from going home. And she closed her eyes and told God if it was his will or for him to live, they would go in. Well, those [tubes] went in.”
Waylon started kindergarten this year.
Sara was a first time mom and said it was hard to know what questions to even ask. Luckily, she said, the doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists were there to help. They explained things to her and the family and checked on them frequently.
Six years later, the check-ins have not stopped, she said.
“We’ve had so many nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, physical therapists and occupational therapists friend us on Facebook just so they can keep following him and see how he’s doing,” Sara said. “And then when we were able to go to the hospital before COVID, and we would go and visit the NICU and the PICU and everywhere where he had been.”
Waylon is six and starting kindergarten and has met every challenge he’s faced in his young life head-on.
September is NICU Awareness Month and Sara said that she and Waylon have NICU Awareness Day (Sept. 30) t-shirts that they wear each year and she’s looking forward to celebrating and recognizing the day once again with her miracle son.
Twins fight through NICU together
Twins Molly and Lucy Davis are shown during their NICU stay.
Owen and her husband Garrett Davis were expecting twins and enjoying a family vacation before welcoming the new additions to their family. But their vacation was cut short when Owen could feel something was not right and she went into labor at 22 weeks.
Molly and Lucy Davis came into the world each weighing just 1 pound, 9 ounces and were immediately placed in the NICU at Maynard Children’s Hospital. The twins were both fighting infections early on in their lives and experienced many tests, treatments, procedures and exams over their 128 days in the NICU.
Owen said they experienced the full range of the NICU rollercoaster during their stay, but they were comforted along the way by the supportive and caring team at the hospital.
“One of the biggest things that I remember were the nurses and our neonatologists,” Owen said. “We still keep in touch with them really on a daily basis. Some of our nurses babysit for us, which is really special. Just the people that we encountered throughout our long stay made it bearable.”
Along with the great support of care teams, Owen said some of her family’s closest friends came from their time in the NICU. She said it is a special bond and shared experience for families of NICU children.
Recently, Owen had someone reach out to her on social media saying their friend was about to have a child at 23 weeks and the two got in touch with each other.
The Davis family takes a photo at the beach.
“It’s really cool to have that connection and to be able to provide insight and support to other families going through what we’ve been through,” Owen said. “So I’ve been in touch with basically a stranger from across the country who saw our story and reached out for some guidance and just a listening ear to be able to bounce questions off of and support and vent. It’s hard to understand unless you’ve been through it.”
Being open with her family’s story has brought comfort to others and she’s happy that her twin daughters are beginning to understand their own story as well.
She said it’s important to her that Molly and Lucy know how strong they are and that their parents advocated and fought for them from the time they were born.
“It was super hard and trying, but it’s also their testimony and they understand that at 3 years old. It’s really two miracles that we were able to witness,” Owen said. “They know, as much as a 3-year-old can. We have their blessing beads, these little beads that they got for every procedure and every test they had, we have them hanging up on their beds and we have their first diapers that are about the size of a credit card. We keep two of those on our entryway table in our living room as a constant reminder of what they’ve been through.”
Owen said she has a video that she put together of her daughters’ NICU stay that shows up in her memories each September and serves as a reminder of the importance of the month for her family — and so many others.
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Meet Clive, ECU Health Medical Center‘s resident canine.
“Currently, he’s working two days a week with us,” said recreational therapist and dog handler Kasey Shue. “Some mornings when we go through the hospital doors, he’s just like, on a mission. I have to be like, ‘Clive, wait, hold on, buddy. You’re like, ready to roll this morning’. So I think he knows what he’s here to do.”
It’s an assignment he’s well prepared to tackle.
“A service dog is specifically trained to do certain tasks for somebody with a disability,” said Clive’s owner and outpatient rehab supervisor Tanya Bowen. “So a therapy dog is basically to provide comfort and they have to be very friendly and outgoing because there’s a lot of people that want to pet them and touch them. They have to be calm. They have to like the interaction, the social interaction. So he’s kind of like a little combination of both.”
Clive’s skill set benefits patients in a number of ways, whether that’s assisting with physical needs or providing emotional support.
“We’ll partner up with a physical therapist or an occupational therapist and we’ll work on walking him if they’re working on mobility improvement,” Shue said. “We’ll work on throwing a ball if they need some hand strengthener. We’ll work on them being able to pick up a very small treat and hand it to him if they have fine motor limitations. We really try to incorporate him into whatever functional skills they are trying to learn to make their life easier when they get home. On the other side, many times we have patients that are depressed or anxious. They don’t like being in the hospital and he just provides that comfort.”
And his services are in demand at the bedside and beyond.
“He actually wears a vest that says, I’m friendly, please ask to pet me,” Shue said. “We absolutely encourage that because he is therapy for our patients, but he’s also therapy for the staff, the families.”
Resources
ECU Health Therapy & Rehabilitation
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At ECU Health, team members go above and beyond to form trusting relationships with patients and their families to better serve eastern North Carolina.
Over the last 14 years, Occupational Therapy Assistant Winnie Miller worked one on one nearly every week with Taylor Anthony, who is now preparing for his freshman year at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Taylor is autistic and began receiving treatment from an occupational therapist when he was 3 years old.
First steps
Kim Anthony, Taylor’s mother, recalled the early days of her son working with an occupational therapist.
“He was my first child and had special needs,” Kim said. “I remember walking in and just being terrified – you don’t know what your future looks like, or his future, or will college even be an option.”
After about a year of working with a couple of other occupational therapists within the health system, Miller stepped in and began her treatment sessions with Taylor.
Miller said their work together started with the base steps – figuring out hand dominance, holding pencils, learning to write, forming letters and coloring within lines.
Kim said as Taylor reached school age, she’d be frustrated when hearing about things that people believed Taylor could not do. But she knew she could turn to Miller and her expertise to come up with a plan to help Taylor reach his goals.
“I would email her and be like, ‘I’m struggling with this’ and she would be like, ‘OK we’ll figure it out,’” Kim said. “She would have checklists for him and just everything. It was amazing. She was the biggest support system I had.”
Hitting their stride
As Taylor got a bit older they worked on how to tie shoes and other fine motor skills. Then it was on to processing your environment and communicating clearly, social aspects of life, how to drive, and other elements of college life and living independently.
Miller compared her role as an occupational therapist to being a coach, with the patient’s supportive family as the team.
“The coach can give suggestions and a play-by-play plan of what you need to work on, but we’re just a little snippet,” Miller said. “I’m only with him an hour a week. They, as a team, have to work on those skills 24/7. I knew they were doing their work at home and there was always going to be follow through.”
Taylor’s father Stephen Anthony, director of service line development for Women’s and Children at ECU Health, said Miller’s out-of-the-box thinking greatly benefited Taylor’s growth into the young man he is today.
Miller broke down the learning process, kept his steps very goal-oriented and stayed in frequent contact with the Anthony family along the way.
“She made it manageable; she made it like they were just going to visit with each other. It wasn’t like a clinical visit, it was just, ‘Hey let’s go in my office and look at some stuff,’” Stephen said. “Maybe they do some stuff on the computer, maybe they use the kitchen to make some eggs or something like that, safety skills with the oven. Stuff that nobody would ever even think of.”
Off and running
These visits also included working with Helen Houston, an occupational therapy driver rehabilitation specialist, who addressed Taylor’s fitness to drive, to ensure he could approach driving safely.
Stephen said Taylor took one test as he was approaching driving age that showed his reactions and reflexes were borderline to be a driver. Before he took a driving test, he was put through the same tests, which showed about 75 percent improvement thanks to his hard work. Now, Stephen said Taylor is just as good a driver as anyone and probably safer than most his age because of the work he’s done.
Taylor said he was thankful for his time with Miller and he’s excited to take all he’s learned to Wilmington.
“It has meant a lot,” Taylor said. “I’ve definitely learned many things. It also took a lot to learn from a different perspective. My family means a lot. They’ve done everything for me to be sure I’ll be the most prepared human being. They’ll know I’ve learned enough to make good decisions and they’ll be supportive of me no matter what.”
As Taylor prepares for his first year of college, one where he’ll also compete as a member of the UNC Wilmington Cross Country team, his family knows he is prepared for different aspects of college life, thanks in part to his work with Miller.
Miller said she loved working with Taylor and can’t wait to visit with him when he returns from school and hear about his college experience.
“He was always an hour a week that I looked forward to,” Miller said. “He always had a new question for me or something new that kept me on my toes and I didn’t know what was going to be the question of the day, what we were going to have to explore and figure out. I really enjoyed that challenge. I’ve loved every minute.”
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Learn more about Therapy & Rehabilitation services at ECU Health.
For the Eastern Carolina Healthcare Preparedness Coalition (EHCPC), being ready is part of the job.
“What we have here is our field communications support truck,” said Matt McMahon, disaster services specialist with EHCPC. “This is essentially the heartbeat of our mobile field hospital.”
From trucks that double as mobile hospitals to coordinating evacuations or the deployment of medical supplies, the coalition remains on standby for when emergencies strike or networks go down.
“So, if a hospital loses communication, whether it be phone, radio or internet, we can come and support them,” McMahon said.
The coalition provides a critical line of support, whenever and wherever it’s needed most. As they prepare for hurricane season, they want you to do the same.
“We want people to be prepared, and starting a hurricane kit is the first step in doing so,” said Chris Starbuck, health care preparedness coordinator for EHCPC.
A basic kit includes important items, like water, food and other supplies to last several days. Ready.gov is a federal government website with helpful information about how to properly prepare for a hurricane. Creating a plan that meets the specific needs of your household and building an emergency kit that contains at least 72 hours’ worth of supplies can help you stay adequately prepared for a natural disaster like a hurricane.
“Put all your important documents together – marriage certificates, birth certificates, wills,” Starbuck said.
Another item for your hurricane prep checklist – help others plan, too.
“Work with your neighbors, your communities, churches, because if we can prepare them, we can make a more resilient community overall,” Starbuck said.
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:
- Ready.gov – Hurricane Information
- Ready.gov – Make a Plan
- Ready.gov – Build a Kit
- ReadyNC.org
- ReadyNC.org – Emergency Alerts
- ReadyNC.org – Evacuation Routes
- ReadyNC.org – Know Your Zone
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While skin cancer is less common in African Americans, experts say death rates from melanoma are much higher in the African American community. Melanoma, which often presents as an irregular mole, can spread much quicker and easier than most other skin cancers and can produce worse outcomes. Melanoma is often found in later stages in African Americans when treatment can require more intensive surgery or even radiation or chemotherapy. Knowing the signs and symptoms can help catch melanoma early, when the cancer can be cured.
African Americans are up to four times more likely to be diagnosed with advanced melanoma and 1.5 times more likely to die from melanoma, according to the Melanoma Research Alliance. This is alarming, considering African Americans account for a small portion of melanoma diagnoses.
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. The three major types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma can present as pink or scaly lesions that are not healing or spots that are bleeding, itchy or painful. These forms of cancer are largely treatable and less severe than melanoma, which presents as an irregular mole.
UV rays from the sun and tanning beds are responsible for most cases of skin cancer. While sun exposure from UV rays may contribute to some degree of skin cancer in African Americans, the genetic makeup plays the largest part in melanoma diagnoses.
“Melanoma shows up in areas that typically are not exposed to the sun, like the toes, tips of the finger or under fingernails and toenails,” said Dr. Tiffany Alexander, dermatologist, ECU Health. “When identified and treated early, most melanoma cases are curable.”
However, melanoma can spread quickly into the blood and to other organs if not found early, and can even be deadly. Knowing that African Americans are more likely to be impacted by advanced melanoma, Dr. Alexander recommends learning the signs and symptoms and taking early action to detect and treat melanoma in its earliest stages.
“African Americans typically present in a more advanced stage because there is not a lot of awareness of melanoma occurring in African Americans, and the perceived risk of melanoma among African Americans is typically low,” said Dr. Alexander. “Many people also neglect to check areas that are not typically exposed to the sun frequently.”
Completing regular self-exams of areas both exposed to the sun and areas not exposed, like fingers and toes can help catch irregularities early. The ABCDEs of melanoma can help in identifying odd or suspicious moles that may need a second look by a dermatologist.
- A: Asymmetric, irregular shape
- B: Borders that are irregular and not round
- C: Color – a mole that is differently colored than other moles
- D: Diameter more than 6 mm in size
- E: Evolving, growing rapidly, a mole that becomes symptomatic
One of the most common misconceptions is that people with darker skin do not get sunburned, according to Dr. Alexander.
“A common myth I hear from my patients is that people with darker skin do not get sunburned,” said Dr. Alexander. “While those with more melanin in their skin have more protection against the sun, I encourage everyone to wear sunscreen with a minimum 30 SPF, no matter skin color.”
Most importantly, Dr. Alexander says, pay attention to your body.
“Get out of the sun if you feel yourself burning,” said Dr. Alexander. “If there is a mole that fits in the ABCDEs of melanoma or a lesion that is not healing or spots that are bleeding, itchy or painful, see a dermatologist.”
Dermatologists provide professional and thorough skin checks and can identify potentially cancerous areas early, when treatment options are great and the cancer is curable. To find a dermatologist near you, please visit ECUHealth.org/dermatology.
ECU Health is proud to announce that the North Carolina Healthcare Association (NCHA) awarded Melanie Porter, administrator of hospital operations, and DeAnna Edwards, manager of hospital operations, the Healthier Communities award for their work in the Statewide Patient Movement Coordination Team. This award recognizes collaborative work by NCHA member organizations to promote health and well-being by addressing an identified community need.
COVID-19 has put a strain on health care systems across the globe and here in North Carolina. Throughout the pandemic, hospitals and health systems have worked tirelessly to advance new approaches to promoting more equitable health outcomes for patients, families and communities. Among these innovations, the Statewide Patient Movement Coordination Team emerged.
The Statewide Patient Movement Coordination Team is a group of individuals at transfer centers across North Carolina who have worked tirelessly during the pandemic to ensure critical patients needing higher levels of care were transferred or those facilities given additional clinical support.
As part of this team, Melanie and DeAnna are both dedicated to living the ECU Health mission of improving the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina. Through their work, they ensure patients have quality care and are connected to the level of care and resources needed.
The Statewide Patient Movement Coordination Team assisted 35 facilities not formally connected with the 13 transfer centers across the state who had critical patients needing higher levels of care.
In total, this team reviewed 765 patient movement requests during the Delta and Omicron surges of COVID-19.
Please join us in recognizing Melanie and DeAnna for representing ECU Health and making a difference in the lives of those we serve.
Leaving a child, senior or pet behind in a car can pose serious danger, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
That was the message of the hot car safety event hosted by Ellen Walston, Injury Prevention Program coordinator at ECU Health Medical Center, along with the Pitt County Health Department and the Martin-Pitt Partnership for Children.
Walston said it’s dangerous for anyone to be left alone in a vehicle because of how quickly they can heat up, but especially for children.
“Children’s bodies heat three to five times more quickly than adults,” Walston said. “They all have a smaller amount of body surface so they can’t cool themselves very quickly. A small child, like the families we’re serving today, they can’t verbalize when they’re thirsty if they’re under a certain age. You really have to be very careful. The message is never leave a child alone in a car, not even for a minute.”
The team had a demonstration with temperature gauges and s’mores roasting in a vehicle on an 80-degree day, one of the coolest days in recent weeks in eastern North Carolina. Despite the cooler than normal temperatures, the interior of the van rose to 90 degrees within 15 minutes, over 100 degrees after an hour, and approached 120 degrees in an hour and a half.
The s’mores demonstration showed how quickly things can literally cook inside of a car when left alone.
“As you see we have this temperature gauge here and just in the last 15 minutes, it’s already gone up 10 degrees,” Walston said. “This is a white car with light interior, and with a dark car and dark interior it can heat the car more quickly.”
Walston noted that there have already been 10 deaths across the country this year from children left alone in cars. In North Carolina, we have seen one this year and another in neighboring Virginia.
She said more than 50 percent of child deaths from hot cars are from children that have been forgotten in vehicles. She said children can be forgotten when routines are broken and leaving something like keys, your cellphone or a briefcase in the backseat next to the child is a safe way to ensure the child is not left alone.
According to Walston, about 17 percent of hot car fatalities are children that are intentionally left behind. She said no amount of time is safe for a child to be left alone, even with windows cracked.
“Many times folks think that, I’m just going into the store for a few minutes, but anything could happen inside, you could become distracted and forget the child,” Walston said. “There is a misnomer that if you crack a window and that will offer some less heat, but that really is a myth. It doesn’t affect the temperature of the car.”