On March 28, the class of 2028 at ECU’s Brody School of Medicine gathered in a university ballroom surrounded by family, friends and physician leaders at the school to be “coated” and proceed to clinical rotations at ECU Health Medical Center.
It had been just eight days since the class of 2026 opened their sealed invitations to residency on Match Day but nearly three years since the last white coat ceremony. This year marks the first time the medical school has held the ceremony before the start of students’ third year, a momentous curricular transition from the preclinical to the clinical years of school, and it recognizes the accomplishment of completing the foundational science curriculum.
“In one week, the class of 2028 begins their clinical journey in the hospital and in clinics, and we celebrate the start of that journey today,” said Dr. Jason Higginson, executive dean of the school.
During the ceremony, students processed to the stage to be coated by a faculty member. They recited the physicians pledge for the first time. They also received words of wisdom from seasoned physicians that included Higginson and Dr. Christina Bowen, a family medicine doctor and Chief Well-being Officer at ECU Health.
A 2003 graduate of the Brody School, Bowen urged the class to consider the white coat a tangible symbol of the responsibility each future physician will have to patients.
“It represents trust,” she said. “Patients will trust you with their stories, with their fears, with some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. They will not remember most of what you will say; however, they will remember how you made them feel.”
Bowen gave the class three points of wisdom to carry with them as they continue their medical school journeys. She told them to stay connected to their “why,” the moment they knew they wanted to care for others through medicine.
“That moment will anchor you when everything else feels uncertain,” she said.
The second point she emphasized was that how one shows up is just as important as what one knows.
On March 28, the class of 2028 at ECU’s Brody School of Medicine gathered in a university ballroom surrounded by family, friends and physician leaders at the school to be “coated” and proceed to clinical rotations at ECU Health Medical Center.
It had been just eight days since the class of 2026 opened their sealed invitations to residency on Match Day but nearly three years since the last white coat ceremony. This year marks the first time the medical school has held the ceremony before the start of students’ third year, a momentous curricular transition from the preclinical to the clinical years of school, and it recognizes the accomplishment of completing the foundational science curriculum.
“In one week, the class of 2028 begins their clinical journey in the hospital and in clinics, and we celebrate the start of that journey today,” said Dr. Jason Higginson, executive dean of the school.
During the ceremony, students processed to the stage to be coated by a faculty member. They recited the physicians pledge for the first time. They also received words of wisdom from seasoned physicians that included Higginson and Dr. Christina Bowen, a family medicine doctor and Chief Well-being Officer at ECU Health.
A 2003 graduate of the Brody School, Bowen urged the class to consider the white coat a tangible symbol of the responsibility each future physician will have to patients.
“It represents trust,” she said. “Patients will trust you with their stories, with their fears, with some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. They will not remember most of what you will say; however, they will remember how you made them feel.”
Bowen gave the class three points of wisdom to carry with them as they continue their medical school journeys. She told them to stay connected to their “why,” the moment they knew they wanted to care for others through medicine.
“That moment will anchor you when everything else feels uncertain,” she said.
The second point she emphasized was that how one shows up is just as important as what one knows.
“Medicine will teach you how to diagnose, to treat, to intervene,” Bowen pointed out. “But healing happens in a relationship. In eye contact. In presence. In listening without rushing.”
The final point she shared was for the students to take care of themselves as intentionally as they care for others.
“The culture of medicine will sometimes ask you to push yourself past your limits and to give more than you have,” she said. “But sustainable excellence comes from alignment. From tending to your own well-being physically, emotionally and spiritually. This is not a luxury. It is essential to the kind of position and human you are meant to be.”
In closing, Bowen told the Class of 2028 that they were stepping not into a profession — but a calling.
“A calling to bring both science and humanity together in the care of others,” she said. “The most powerful thing you can bring to medicine is your authentic self. Wear this coat with humility. Wear it with courage. And wear it with a deep understanding that the work you are stepping into matters, not just because of what you will do, but because of who will be.”
The white coat ceremony marks the first time a student puts on the garment historically associated with the profession, but at this phase, they wear a short white coat that extends just past the waist. The full-length white coat is later.
“Students beginning their studies in medical school see their education and role as future physicians as aspiring to be worthy of the long white coat,” wrote Dr. Mark Hochberg in a history published in the American Medical Association’s Journal of Ethics.
“It’s a symbol of how far we’ve come,” said a rising third-year student, Ji In Han. “After a year and a half of hard learning and, you know, failing a couple times, and learning how to get back up, I think this is really significant.”
Han and fellow student Naimi Pothiwala, a 2022 graduate of ECU, were outside the ballroom after the ceremony along with U.S. Army Capt. David McGriff, associate professor of military science at ECU.
Both Han and Pothiwala singled out the Brody School of Medicine’s strong mission-driven focus to produce doctors for the state of North Carolina, especially its rural and underserved communities that comprise much of the east.
“I was very familiar as an undergraduate major here in public health with the region and its health disparities,” Pothiwala said. “I knew Brody was directly impacting the region — I wanted to contribute, too.”
“Oh, yeah, it absolutely mattered to me to come here,” said Han, “because I grew up without health insurance, so my whole purpose of entering medicine was to serve other underserved patients.”
The Brody School of Medicine offers students more direct patient care over the course of clinical rotations than many other schools and has developed a reputation among graduate medical education programs for students who are ready to treat patients on Day 1, Higginson said.
Today, more than 90% of medical schools in the nation hold a white coat ceremony. The first such event, held in 1994, was sponsored by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, which also started the Gold Humanism Honor Society, a national honor society dedicated to honoring those students who exemplify humanism in medicine. This year’s ceremony was assisted by Gold Humanism Honor Society members from the classes of 2026 and 2027: Katy Flax, Morgan Maner, Madison Kendrick and Michael Kovasala.
U.S. News & World Report listed the Brody School of Medicine a Tier 1 institution in its 2025 Best Medical Schools rankings. This year, more than half of the school’s rising graduates matched into primary care specialties — and more than 40% are staying in North Carolina for that training.
This white coat ceremony also featured a public introduction of the medical school’s four new learning communities. The communities will offer a system of support for students throughout their careers. The procession of students to the stage Saturday, instead of strictly alphabetical, was arranged by community.
The learning communities include the Bertie Buccaneers, led by House Dean Dr. Mary Lenfestey; the Roanoke Raiders, led by House Dean Dr. Don Norris; the Pamlico Privateers, led by House Dean Dr. Jill Sutton and the Cape Fear Corsairs, led by House Dean Dr. Juliana Jaramillo.
The names of the communities were “thoughtfully chosen to reflect the culture of eastern North Carolina, East Carolina University and the Brody School of Medicine,” said Kema Gadson, an associate dean at the school.
“The houses will be more than communities. They are lifelong affiliations grounded in mentorship, service to eastern North Carolina and the foundation of physicians committed to improving the health care of others.”
Brody graduates enjoy on average 33% less student debt load at the time of graduation — a fact that frees them to choose front-line primary care, though other specialties and sub-specialties may be more remunerative.
The school’s top financial award was created to do just that. The Brody Scholars program provides full tuition, fees and enrichment opportunities for four years of medical education to students selected. This year, cousins Hyman Brody and David Brody pledged an additional $10 million to the program, a gift that prompted the university’s Board of Trustees to vote to name the university’s new seven-story, $265 million facility the Brody Center for Medical Education.
One such Brody Scholar participating in Saturday’s ceremony was Rebecca Cloninger.
“It is hard for people to understand what we go through as students if they’re not a student, but for family and friends to see us on this day, yes, this is a little bit ceremonial, but it really does mean we’re stepping into a new part of our lives,” Cloninger said.
A daughter’s love and her selfless decision to donate bone marrow, and life, highlighted the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation during ECU Health Medical Center’s annual Pause to Give Life observance on Wednesday, April 1.
On Oct. 3, 2022, Daneilya Whitney’s mother was diagnosed with acute leukemia. At the time, she and her mother were taking classes to become registered medical assistants (RMAs). Whitney considered abandoning that route in the wake of the diagnosis, but said her mother convinced her to keep pursuing the certification.
“We did the first part of the class together, she was my partner beside me working together,” Whitney, now an RMA, said. “Then she got sick. I had to finish that part myself.”
It was another scary situation for Whitney’s family. Her father died of colon cancer in 2011.
When that happened, an organ donation or transplant was not an option. Her mother remained on the transplant list after two potential bone marrow donors backed out at the last minute. Comprehensive screenings and tests found Whitney was a safe match to donate. The decision was an easy one, Whitney said, and she jumped at the opportunity to give life to the woman who had given it to her.
“I think more people should donate and know that recovery is fine,” Whitney said. “I was strong doing it with four small children, and I recovered in no time. I hope everyone feels the urge to register as a donor.”
Screening consisted of a home cheek swab, blood work and injections to help Whitney safely overproduce bone marrow to donate to her mother. The whole process took a week, she said, which she was able to undergo in tandem with the second part of her RMA test. She said her doctors helped her through the process from its inception to after the bone marrow was harvested.
“It was well worth it, and if I had the option to do it again I would,” Whitney said. “My mom is doing well. She is fully recovered and back to her spicy self.”
Jay Briley, president of ECU Health Medical Center, said that last year the hospital saw 31 organ donors, 76 tissue donors and 75 eye donors. The Medical Center also conducted 96 cornea transplants, eight full globe transplants and could use eight eyes for research.
Pause to Give Life is a national undertaking during Donate Life Month in April. During Wednesday’s observance, ECU Health Police officers raised a “Donate Life” flag to honor donors, their families, people waiting for transplants and recipients given the gift of life. Participants also held a moment of silence at 10:08 a.m., signifying that one donor can save eight lives, to recognize the over 3,000 patients across North Carolina waiting for life-saving transplants.
“It is a joy to have everyone gather for a few minutes to take a mindful pause and reflect on something that is such an important part of what we do,” Briley said.
Cynthia Stone, director of Transplant and Dialysis Services at ECU Health, said the event serves as a small recognition of an incredible gift, naming both deceased donors and living kidney donor patients who selflessly offer a part of themselves to heal another person. The outcomes, she said, are powerful.
“Patients come back to life,” Stone said. “They go from being tied to a dialysis machine three times a week for four hours at a time to being back at work, to being parents or grandparents.”
Over the past few years, Stone said more people have registered as organ, eye and tissue donors. Still, the need for more remains – in eastern North Carolina 564 patients are waiting for kidney donations. Patients can learn more about organ donation and transplantation, at ecuhealth.org/transplant, or they can register as an organ donor on MyChart.
Jordan Satchell discovered an interest in sign language early on, an interest that was reinforced in high school when she took sign language as a foreign language. By the time she made it to college, she was uncertain of what path to follow until she realized her school offered a sign language interpreter program.
“I switched majors the very next week,” Satchell said.
That was at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and after graduation, she attended the University of North Florida where she graduated with a master’s degree in American Sign Language (ASL) and English Interpreting.
Satchell didn’t learn specific medical sign language skills, but she eventually found herself working in the emergency department (ED) at ECU Health as an experience coordinator.
A door opens in Language Services
While working in the ED, Satchell’s manager introduced her to Reid Barnes, the ASL coordinator with Language Services at ECU Health.
“Reid told me about this new residency program and suggested I apply, which I did,” Satchell said. “I thought nothing would come of it, but they picked me.”
The two-year residency is a first, not only for ECU Health, but for the country.
“ASL interpreters are trained as generalists,” Barnes shared. “They are equipped to interpret in any setting, but if they want to pursue specialized training, that’s up to their discretion.”
ECU Health’s American Sign Language Residency program was developed to improve medical interpreting for individuals wanting to hone their skills and understand medical and health care systems. While interpreters in North Carolina must hold and maintain a state license to practice, and national certification is required for a full North Carolina Interpreter and Transliterator Licensing Board (NCITLB) license, there is no additional training required for specialization. That makes this program unique.
As the first resident, Satchell has helped build the program by providing Barnes with feedback, and it didn’t take her long to get started advancing her skills. During her first week, she was called down to outpatient rehabilitation to help with a patient in their speech language pathology appointment.
“The next time, I was called down to the ED,” Satchell added. “Reid was off campus so he asked me to go. The patient was hearing, but they had a Deaf family member. The meeting turned into a palliative care conversation and that really hit me because I’m such a softy, and the family was crying.”
Satchell explained that as an interpreter, she doesn’t speak in third person; she speaks as the person for whom she is interpreting – which can make conversations personal.
While the work can be challenging, Satchell said Barnes has been supportive.
“He’s been a great mentor. When I doubted my ability, he reassured me and that helped with my training and my confidence,” Satchell said.
Ready for the next step
Now that her residency is nearly complete, Satchell said she feels prepared for her future career plans.
“This program doesn’t just help with medical interpreting,” she said. “It also refined how I work with people. Working here has 100% prepared me for working in this field.”
“Jordan’s growth during her time with us has surpassed any expectations,” Barnes shared. “She’s improved her technical skills (ASL signs and technical jargon) as well as her soft skills (flow of interpretation and customer service). She’s demonstrated problem solving and system navigation, and she’s helped educate providers and assisted with conference presentations. Her time with ECU Health will benefit her regardless of where she goes next.”
ASL is the third most common language in the United States, after English and Spanish, yet Jordan said many people are unaware of the need for ASL interpreters and the service they provide, especially in a medical setting.
“There is an improved continuity of care with Deaf patients when they have interpreters,” Satchell explained. “A lot of people don’t realize that patients not having access to their native language impacts their understanding of medical advice and information. Having access to an interpreter makes patients more likely to seek and follow through with the medical care they need.”
Barnes said they are recruiting for the next ASL resident to continue growing the pipeline for interpreters with medical specialization. Those who are interested in learning more about the program can reach out to [email protected].
“There’s no program like this in the country. Bigger states, like California, don’t have anything like this,” Satchell said. “There’s no program designed in a hospital where you have training like this, and the hope is we can grow this program to host more interpreters at more locations.”
Greenville, N.C. – ECU Health is proud to announce Dr. Julie Kennedy Oehlert, DNP, RN, Chief Experience Officer, was again named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s “CXOs to Know” list for 2026, recognizing her leadership in transforming the organization’s culture to improve patient experience and outcomes.
Dr. Julie Kennedy Oehlert
“Making Becker’s CXOs to Know list is a testament to ECU Health’s commitment to prioritizing experiences that contribute to positive patient visits, improved team member engagement and overall community health,” said Dr. Oehlert. “Together, we are creating an environment where patients and team members feel supported, valued and truly cared for. I am thankful to every ECU Health team member who lives our mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina every single day.”
Chief experience officers play a vital role in shaping the full spectrum of patient and team experiences within their hospitals and health systems. According to Becker’s, the leaders featured on the list take a thoughtful, culture-driven approach, constantly seeking new ways to boost engagement, satisfaction and long-term loyalty.
Dr. Oehlert has partnered with her leadership colleagues to integrate highly reliable, people centered care into every level of the organization, championing initiatives that connect team member experience with patient experiences and outcomes. She pioneered the “Patient Choice Awards” to celebrate units and providers achieving exceptional and improved experience ratings from their patients, reinforcing a culture of compassion and excellence.
“Dr. Oehlert has championed experiences that focus on the human side of rural health care,” said Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO of ECU Health and dean of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. “This recognition by Becker’s reflects our commitment to that vision and to our patients. Dr. Oehlert and ECU Health make it their goal to ensure patients and team members are treated with dignity and respect. We are grateful for her tremendous impact on patients and team members.”
This list celebrates CXOs for their unwavering dedication to enhancing the healthcare experience at every level. Becker’s showcases these accomplished leaders whose vision and efforts are central to the success of their organizations. The Becker’s Hospital Review editorial team accepted nominations for this list and curated it to showcase the great work of CXOs from hospitals and health systems across the nation.
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Radio listeners will once again help make a big change for kids during the 29th annual Music for Miracles radiothon March 26-27. The radiothon raises funds to help sick and injured children in eastern North Carolina through Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) to benefit the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center and will air on 107.9 WNCT and all Inner Banks Media (IBX Media) radio stations including Talk 96.3 and 103.7; Oldies 94.1 and 102.7; and 94.3 The Game.
The two-day radiothon raises funds to benefit the programs and services of Maynard Children’s Hospital, which serves pediatric inpatient and outpatient patients from 29 counties across eastern North Carolina. One hundred percent of the funds raised by ECU Health’s CMN program directly supports programs and services of Maynard Children’s Hospital.
“Once again, we are thrilled to have the radiothon on all our IBX Media stations to raise funds for James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital. It’s the highlight of our year to support the Children’s Hospital,” said Henry Hinton, president, Inner Banks Media. “I’ve personally had a grandson who needed care there, and it is a true blessing for all of eastern North Carolina to have it here. We’re looking forward to two exciting days and hope everyone will participate as they are able.”
In 1998, the first radiothon raised $5,400. Last year, the radiothon raised more than $113,000. Thanks to the loyal listeners of 107.9 and the dedicated radio staff and personalities, the event has raised more than $4 million to date. At Maynard Children’s Hospital, these funds have been used to purchase life-saving medical equipment and diversionary items for kids, provide team member and patient education and to help build new facilities.
“The radiothon continues to be one of our most impactful annual traditions, and we are deeply grateful for the steadfast dedication of the 107.9 WNCT team and everyone at Inner Banks Media,” said Elise Ironmonger, director of programs for the ECU Health Foundation. “Their commitment to broadcasting live for 12 hours across two consecutive days, supported by countless hours of planning and behind-the-scenes coordination is truly remarkable. This event is made possible through the partnership of hospital leaders, team members and, above all, the courageous miracle children and families who generously share their stories. We invite everyone to tune in and be inspired by the hope and healing this event helps make possible.”
The entire 24 hours of the radiothon will be broadcast live on 107.9 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. both Thursday and Friday, with the other stations broadcasting intermittently throughout the two days. To give, please call 1-800-673-5437 (1-800-673-KIDS) or visit www.GiveToCMN.com.
Pirates vs. Cancer, a student‑driven initiative dedicated to supporting children and families facing cancer, is set to host its annual spring fundraising event on April 10 at the ECU Health Sciences Campus. Led by medical, dental and allied health students, Pirates vs. Cancer brings together the entire health sciences community for a day of giving, celebration and solidarity with pediatric patients.
The spring event will feature hair donations, professional haircuts provided by a local barber, raffles, and a variety of family‑friendly activities. Students have also secured support from local businesses, including the donation of a bounce house and supplies for bracelet‑making and face painting so pediatric patients can join in the fun. The American Red Cross, National Bone Marrow Registry and Rylee’s Army will be in attendance, too.
“We really want this to be a fun, uplifting day where students, families and the community can come together for a meaningful cause,” said Sebastian Williams, president of the Pirates vs. Cancer leadership team and a first-year medical student (M1). “Our goal is to raise funds, raise awareness and show our pediatric patients that they have an entire Pirate Nation behind them.”
For Williams, fundraising for pediatric cancer patients is a full circle moment. At age six, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and spent three years undergoing chemotherapy. Now, more than a decade later, he is studying to be an oncologist and helping kids whose circumstances are all too familiar.
“I understand what these kids are going through,” Williams said. “It’s a huge, life-changing event. You have to go through chemo treatment for months, for years, and you can’t do the same things that other kids do. I had to quit all my sports. I had to quit other activities because my body just couldn’t handle it, my immune system was basically not functional.
“Doing an event like Pirates vs. Cancer is a rewarding experience for me. I can give these kids what I wish I had. This is the whole reason I want to become a physician and continue this endeavor to help children with cancer.”
One hundred percent of the funds raised by Pirates vs. Cancer is donated to ECU Health Foundation to benefit programs at the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center. Some of those programs have included camps and other programs specifically designed to provide pediatric patients with childhood experiences.
Among the most tangible examples of the group’s efforts is on the Maynard Children’s Hospital’s second floor. In 2024, Pirates vs. Cancer funds were designated to renovate a playroom and fill it with toys, games, crafts and technology that help patients take their mind off procedures and just be kids.
“We were able to almost double the size of this playroom for these kids and add so many more interactive features,” said Elise Ironmonger, director of programs at the ECU Health Foundation. “It’s really a place of respite for them when they are facing treatment for months, weeks at a time.”
Pirates Vs. Cancer was founded by Brody School of Medicine students in 2017 and has raised over $176,000 in the past 10 years. Leadership and participants are composed of students, faculty and staff from the School of Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Allied Health Sciences and the Undergraduate campus. Together, they raise funds that directly impact their community.
“It’s wonderful to see where the money physically impacts the kids’ experience at the hospital,” Williams said.
Pirates vs. Cancer continues to grow as a signature philanthropic effort on the Health Sciences Campus, uniting future health professionals around a shared commitment to compassion, service and advocacy for children battling cancer.
Local businesses have been invited to sponsor the event, with a March 20 deadline for inclusion on event T‑shirts and promotional materials. While sponsorships for the spring event are closing soon, community members are welcome to donate at any time, and businesses will have additional opportunities to support the larger Pirates vs. Cancer fall event later this year.
To donate, please visit: https://give.ecuhealthfoundation.org/campaign/2026-pirates-vs-cancer/c758778
On Feb. 6, ECU Health, the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center and EastCare celebrated the addition of a new pediatric helicopter that will provide rapid, safe critical care to the communities we serve. As the state’s first dedicated pediatric medical transport helicopter, the aircraft will provide expert care while performing hospital-to-hospital transfers, and it took the work of many team members to bring this aircraft to our system.
Growing the team
Elaine Cudnik, executive director of Children’s Advanced Clinical Practice, joined ECU Health in 2021 and worked in children’s medical transport. At the time, they primarily served very young children, but the team had their sights set on serving a larger pediatric population. That’s when she partnered with Jessica Yelverton, assistant director of Children’s Advanced Practice, who joined the team as a flight nurse in 2016 and returned to assist the team as a neonatal nurse practitioner.
“We inherited a tiny team of two full-time team members and one part-time team member, and they were working hard to support the neonatal population,” Cudnik said.
Yelverton established a robust onboarding program for team members. They both focused on acquiring specialty equipment and providing education on advanced care procedures, and they amped up their recruitment for new team members, which grew their team from five full-time employees to 17.
“Elaine and I had a vision for children’s transport,” Yelverton said. “We worked on getting the right team members, and then we looked to expand from smaller children and neonates to full pediatric care for pediatric patients.”
Once they had the team members in place, Yelverton said they partnered with EastCare to take the lead in transporting pediatric patients. As a result, they saw a significant increase in the number of patients they served, from 300 transports in 2021 to almost 1,200 in 2025.
Closing the distance for rural care
With that growth came new challenges, including how to best serve the large, rural population of eastern North Carolina.
“As we transported more and more patients, we tracked volumes, dispatch times and turnaround times,” Yelverton said. “We’re unique to our region because we serve such an expansive area. If we go to the communities farther out, that could take up to six hours roundtrip by ground. We were borrowing helicopters from EastCare and it quickly became clear we needed a helicopter of our own.”
Cudnik said they collected data to show the number of patients served and the need for a helicopter.
“Now we won’t need to borrow helicopters from EastCare as often, which takes them out of their rotation. It means we can help patients who need quick, critical care and fewer patients will have to wait for transport. That quick turnaround will be amazing,” said Angela Hollis, a flight nurse with the Children’s Transport Team. As the team’s longest-tenured nurse, Angela focuses on quality of care.
Erik Rispoli, the assistant manager of the Children’s Transport Team, has been instrumental in the development and orientation of incoming EMTs.
With a background in the PICU, Heather Hopkins, a flight nurse with the Children’s Transport Team, has helped grow the pediatric intensive care operations sharing protocol and experience she gained from other programs.
Cudnik frequently mentioned their “tight knit” team, and how their collaboration ensured they now have the best equipment to provide care to an underserved population.
“This is important, especially for rural health care,” she said. “Part of our Mission, Vision and Values is to be a model for rural health care in eastern North Carolina, to set the bar. By allowing people to receive care in their community hospitals but still provide specialty services they can get to quickly, it shows the commitment ECU Health and Maynard Children’s Hospital have to our communities.”
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant and global threat, in which antibiotics, antifungals and antivirals no longer work effectively to combat their respective infectious vectors. This is something that happens over time due in part to the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials, and it’s estimated that AMR could cause or contribute to 39 million deaths between 2025 and 2050.
ECU Health’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP), co-led by a group of infectious diseases (ID) physicians and pharmacists, addresses this threat by encouraging the appropriate use of antimicrobials, optimizing patient care, minimizing adverse patient effects, preserving the utility of antimicrobials and minimizing the development of AMR.
This is done through daily patient-specific antimicrobial use recommendations, including drug choice, drug dose, route of drug administration and duration of therapy.
The ASP also conducts a rigorous review and development of antimicrobial restrictions, guidelines, policies and protocols, including ECU Health’s facility-specific treatment guidelines and an educational health system quarterly ASP newsletter. They track, analyze and report antimicrobial use and ASP outcome data quarterly (including data benchmarking ECU Health to other health systems), develop quality improvement/research projects to further investigate pertinent system/clinical questions and spend significant time educating future generations of pharmacists and providers. They also offer an American Society of Health-System Pharmacy (ASHP) accredited, postgraduate year two (PGY2) Infectious Diseases Specialty Pharmacy Residency training program annually.
“ASPs are great for patients, optimal for public health and beneficial in reducing hospital costs and lengths of stay,” said Nicole Nicolsen, the manager of infectious diseases pharmacy and the ASP.
While ASPs are now required for all hospitals, ECU Health’s program is unique in that it has been in place for 30 years, well before most hospitals nationwide incorporated antimicrobial stewardship. Its innovative service of the ECU Health community hospitals through remote/tele-stewardship sets the program apart and increases care in rural communities.
“Our program is empowered by the Medical Executive Committee (MEC) to make changes to antimicrobials” Nicolsen said. “Leadership support is not always as evident or official in other health systems, and this support shows ECU Health’s executive commitment to optimal antimicrobial use.”
Two recent ASP projects include a Board Quality Leadership Award (BQLA) submission, which evaluates interventions required for patients started on restricted antimicrobials and assesses ECU Health’s compliance with the current antimicrobial restriction criteria, and a QI Symposium project, which evaluated ECU Health’s response time to rapid technology used for blood cultures and confirmed appropriate drug recommendations for these results.
The program also has ongoing quality and research projects, including current enrollment in Teachers of Quality Academy (TQA) 9.0 collaborating with emergency medicine (EM) colleagues on optimal antimicrobial choice in the setting of a possible penicillin allergy.
Other project topics include development of an ECU Health clinical guideline for EM use of dalbavancin to spare hospital admission for skin and soft tissue infections and looking at drug choice/dosing strategies that may impact clinical outcomes in the grey areas of infectious diseases. The team continues to ensure compliance with the Joint Commission standard related to ASPs, reviews medication safety events related to antimicrobials, identifies and implements cost saving initiatives and maintains site visits to all ECU Health community hospitals to develop relationships and improve the understanding of the value of ASPs.
The ASP’s efforts to anticipate and address the ongoing concerns regarding antimicrobial resistance are something Nicole said would not be possible without great team members who publish papers in major medical journals and participate in ECU Health, regional and national conferences and committees.
“Excellence in antimicrobial stewardship isn’t accidental; it’s built by an exceptional team,” said Nicolsen. “What sets this team apart is not just how much they have accomplished, but how they do it with expertise, collaboration and unwavering commitment to always go above and beyond. Their work optimizes patient outcomes today, preserves antimicrobial utility for tomorrow and firmly positions our system at the forefront of infectious diseases pharmacy and ASPs.”
Dannica Ashnault, an orthopedic surgery physician assistant (PA), joined ECU Health in December 2025, and so far, she’s loving her new role.
“The team I work with is great,” she said. “Everyone has been so nice and welcoming, and it feels like a family.”
Dannica isn’t just an exceptional provider, however. She’s also a former Olympic-trained skier who started competing early.
Dannica grew up in New York state, began skiing at one and a half years old, and at age 14, she moved from home to attend high school at the Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont, the nation’s first elite ski academy.
“I had to decide at 14 if I wanted to go all-in on skiing, and looking back on that now, it seems crazy. I was living in a dorm, doing my own laundry and managing my time with school and skiing. It was a different way to grow up,” she said.
Her parents drove up every weekend to visit and watch her ski, and during the week, Dannica and her classmates adhered to a very strict regimen.
“I’d wake up, work out, eat breakfast, take classes, have lunch, have more classes, work out again, and if it wasn’t the winter, meet with the coach and watch videos,” she shared. “In the winter, I’d wake up, ski and train until lunch, have class after lunch, workout, tune skis, eat dinner and watch video. Then I’d go to bed and start over the next day.”
Such a structured life yielded great outcomes for Dannica and her classmates when it came to skiing, but by the time her senior year rolled around, she had a decision to make: continue skiing and training in the hopes to make the Olympics, or go straight to college. She chose the latter.
“I never went to a football game in high school. I never attended prom,” she said. “I wanted to be normal, to start my life. I love skiing, but I wanted other things too.”
One of those things included pursuing a career in medicine – something she’d been thinking about since sustaining an injury during a race.
“At 15, I had a really bad crash and blew out my knee in multiple places,” she said. “I was also knocked unconscious for eight minutes, so I had a pretty bad concussion.”
The injury meant she couldn’t ski, but it also meant she spent a great deal of time with her sports medicine team.
“I couldn’t have surgery until I could squat a certain weight, because they wanted me to get back to skiing as quickly as possible,” she recalled. “My surgery was five or six weeks after the injury, and when I woke up in my room, the surgeon was in my room with my parents, telling me to get up. I had a whole team around me and supporting me so I could get back to what I loved to do. I wanted to be a part of that experience for someone else, and that got me interested in medicine.”
After high school, Dannica attended Boston College, where she continued to ski for its Division I team.
By her junior year, however, Dannica said she was burned out. She wanted to start her life and career, and although she’d been considering medical school, she pivoted to PA school because of the flexibility it offered her.
Now, Dannica skis for fun, and she enjoys watching her former classmates find success in the sport.
“I’ve been waking up to watch the Olympics,” she said. “The ski racing community is so small, and it’s cool to see what they’re doing. My former lifting buddy in high school, Nina O’Brien, competed in the Olympics, and my classmate, Mikaela Shiffrin, just won gold in slalom.”
Dannica said she enjoyed her time as a competitive skier, but being a part of a team that sees patients through their care journey is just as rewarding.
“I wouldn’t trade my experience as a skier for the world, but I love what I do,” she said.
The annual Jell-O toss at the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center brought patients, families and care teams together on a warm and sunny afternoon for one of the hospital’s sweet traditions. Held each year during Child Life Month, the event gives young patients a chance to step outside their rooms, enjoy the fresh air and – most importantly – cover their doctors, nurses and care teams in brightly colored Jell-O.
Child Life Specialist Lexie Whitehurst said the day is designed to give kids a break from the stress of treatment while helping them connect with their care teams in a different way.
“It’s just a really fun way for our patients to come out and blow off some steam and really enjoy this beautiful weather that we are lucky to have today,” said Whitehurst. “It’s very therapeutic for not only our patients, but for our staff members, to not always just be the doctors or the nurses or the medical staff, but to engage in the play.”
Whitehurst said events like this are central to the child life team’s mission.
“These kids go through a lot,” she said. “So our goal is just to bring smiles and joy to their faces as they are going through so much.”
One of those kids is Landon Cherry, a 16-year-old patient who visits the hospital frequently for pain associated with sickle cell disease. Despite the challenges of his condition, he arrived at the Jell-O toss full of energy and humor.
“I was very excited… because it’s, like, you know, it’s throwing Jell-O,” he said. “Who really gets the time to throw Jell-O?”
For Cherry, the event was more than just fun.
“It might be like a venting mechanism,” he explained. “Throwing the Jell-O’s like throwing your frustration out the window… using it to vent my frustration of being stuck in a hospital room.”
Landon’s mother, Franchesica Veale, said the event meant everything to him.
“He called me last night. He was like, ‘Mom, I’m going to throw Jell-O at the doctors,’” Veale said. “He was really, really excited.”
Veale said Landon has always had a unique personality, something she noticed from the moment he first spoke at 18 months old.
“His first words were, ‘Hey Mom, that is a red octagon with the word stop on it. S-T-O-P, stop Mommy,’” she recalled. “He’s just a special guy, and whoever he meets, he leaves an impact on them.”
Veale added that Cherry also has high-functioning autism, something she considers a strength.
“I really feel like that is his superpower,” Veale said. “It helps contribute to his personality and how he is today.”
Even though he has been managing significant pain during this hospital stay, Veale said he rarely lets it show.
“He’s such a champ,” she said. “Even if he’s hurting, he won’t let you know it.”
Cherry’s siblings joined in on the fun too. His brother and sister joined him in throwing Jell-O at the volunteers while his mom watched on with a smile on her face.
“When he told me about today, I made sure I was here for him today – we all were – to help support him,” said Veale.