As an obstetrician-gynecologist, Dr. David Ryan has stood alongside families through some of their most vulnerable and life-changing moments. He has delivered hope, healing and new beginnings to countless mothers and families across eastern North Carolina. Over time, he began to see a heartbreaking pattern, one he could no longer ignore.
More and more, Dr. Ryan witnessed the struggle of pregnant patients battling addiction. He saw mothers often stigmatized, overlooked and lacking access to specialized care. He knew that if the system was not working for them, something needed to change. In pursuit of a solution, he completed an addiction medicine fellowship in 2021 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and returned home to Greenville, determined to transform care for these patients.
Now serving at ECU Health as both an OBGYN and addiction medicine provider, all while teaching future physicians as a clinical assistant professor at the Brody School of Medicine, Dr. Ryan is helping lead changes in perinatal care.
The need for change is staggering. For patients with substance use disorders who are pregnant or have recently given birth, pregnancy and the postpartum period can be critical. Without support, many are left navigating recovery alone, placing both mother and baby at risk.
“In North Carolina in 2018 and 2019, one out of every four pregnancy-related deaths was an overdose,” said Dr. Ryan. “Seventy-five percent of all the deaths occur in the postpartum period.”
Those sobering statistics spurred Dr. Ryan and ECU Health into action. Dr. Ryan recently helped establish the ECU Health IMPACT Clinic, transforming care for pregnant patients with substance use disorders in eastern North Carolina. IMPACT stands for Integrated Model of Perinatal Addiction Care and Treatment, and it represents a patient-centered approach that brings obstetric and addiction services together in one place.
This integrated model, Dr. Ryan says, is designed to eliminate the stigma and fragmentation that often prevent pregnant individuals from seeking help.
“Patients who are pregnant encounter stigma when they have substance use disorders,” said Dr. Ryan. “It can be extraordinarily challenging to get treatment anywhere, but particularly in certain addiction clinics. It can be really hard to walk in there when you’re pregnant.”
By embedding addiction services directly into ECU Health’s outpatient obstetrics clinic, the IMPACT Clinic offers a safe, welcoming environment where patients can receive evidence-based care without judgment.
“What we are seeking to do and what we are doing is offering both obstetric and addiction care in the same setting, in the same visit, at the same time,” said Dr. David Ryan.
The clinic’s holistic approach goes beyond medical treatment. Patients have access to lactation consultants who help navigate breastfeeding while on medication, social workers who assist with housing and transportation, and mental health providers who address co-occurring conditions like depression and anxiety.
“With addiction comes mental health, and with mental health needs oftentimes comes addiction,” says Dr. Ryan. “There’s a large amount of overlap, so not only are we able to address the addiction, but if there’s underlying mental health needs, we can address that too.”
One of the clinic’s most important innovations is its team-based care model. Rather than seeing multiple providers in disconnected settings, patients are supported by a coordinated team of addiction medicine specialists, OB-GYNs, and high-risk pregnancy experts.
“To the patient, it’s all happening at one place,” Dr. Ryan said. “They feel like everybody has been a part of their team.”
Patients with opioid use disorder are 24 times more likely to die from overdose in the year after delivery. Recognizing this vulnerability, the IMPACT Clinic continues care after childbirth, offering telehealth and in-person follow-ups to maintain addiction treatment and mental health support.
“Just because they’re no longer pregnant does not mean that their time with the IMPACT Clinic has to end,” said Dr. Ryan.
ECU Health’s support of the IMPACT Clinic fills a critical gap in the region. It is the first and only perinatal addiction program in eastern North Carolina, joining just five others across the state.
“There’s a huge need in our community,” Dr. Ryan said. “Our ultimate goal is just to improve the health and well-being of the patients of eastern North Carolina.”
At its heart, the IMPACT Clinic is about more than medicine, it is about trust, dignity and healing.
“We work with patients who are pregnant with substance use disorders to give them a place where they can be honest, where they don’t feel like they’re judged, where they can seek out whatever care, help, treatment that they think they want,” Dr. Ryan said. “And ultimately, we look forward to just being a part of people’s journey and improving people’s lives.”
Ruth McCorkle spent years traveling around the world during retirement on solo trips and trips with friends. In September 2023, her traveling was put on pause when unexpectedly learned she had serious kidney issue. Within days, she was placed on peritoneal dialysis (PD), which meant being hooked to a machine every night.
“I was kind of trapped to my machine every night,” said McCorkle. “I have been a traveler during my corporate career and since I retired, and I really enjoyed traveling with friends and by myself. Given that I went through a box of fluid every night, which is about two and a half gallons of fluid, it was logistically a nightmare.”
At age 74, sitting at home for dialysis each night was not how she envisioned her golden years.
“I’m cognizant that I have fewer years left to me than I have already lived, but that I come from a sturdy and long-living matriarchal line. I may have 20 more years, and I want to make the best of them,” said McCorkle. “Sitting home, waiting for my time to hook up to the machine is not making the best use of my life. Even with PD, my energy lagged, and I felt like I was in a fog most of the time. I was just staying alive, not really living.”
McCorkle was placed on the kidney transplant list.
After a year and a half on dialysis and two false-alarm calls as a transplant backup, her life changed again, this time for the better. One morning, she got the call: a kidney was available.
“They called at 11 a.m. and asked if I could be there by 2 p.m.,” McCorkle said. “I called my son, and he was all excited. My grandkids got all excited. And when I woke up the next morning, I had a new kidney.”
It was only fitting that McCorkle, who loves travelling, was given a new lease on life thanks to commercial aviation. The kidney arrived on a commercial flight from New York, thanks to LiveOnNY, transported in a LifePort Kidney Transporter, a specialized device that pumps a cold liquid solution to improve the organ’s condition prior to transplant. Unlike traditional methods, where kidneys are typically transported on ice in coolers, the LifePort Kidney Transporter offers active preservation and monitoring, potentially doubling storage time and increasing the number of viable organs available for patients. The LifePort Kidney Transporter also supplies data to assess kidney function throughout the transport.
“Using commercial flights with advanced preservation technology opens doors to more donor organs that might otherwise go unused,” said Dr. David Leeser, professor and chief of Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation at ECU Health and the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. “It expands the donor pool and gives patients greater hope.”
McCorkle is now feeling much better, and while she’s still recovering and building her stamina back up, she is back to planning future adventures. McCorkle had to cancel a solo trip to Portugal when she began dialysis, but she’s already planning a new one for the fall and a trip to see her family in the Midwest.
McCorkle is grateful to her donor, the care teams and technology that helped her receive a new kidney at 74.
“We take pride in the impact we make on patients’ lives through kidney transplantation,” said Dr. Leeser. “Each organ represents a second chance, and it is our responsibility to ensure every opportunity is honored. We are deeply grateful to the donor and their family for their extraordinary generosity and to LiveOnNY for going above and beyond to help deliver this life-saving kidney to our patient.”
For more information the organ transplant program at ECU Health, please visit ECUHealth.org/Transplant.
Roanoke Rapids, NC — ECU Health North Hospital is proud to announce the installation of a cutting-edge hemodynamic monitoring system in its Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory (Cath Lab), marking a significant advancement in cardiovascular care for the Community.
This state-of-the-art technology provides real-time, high-fidelity data on cardiac function and blood flow, enabling clinicians to make faster, more accurate decisions during diagnostic and interventional procedures. The new system enhances patient safety, improves procedural outcomes, and supports the hospital’s ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality, evidence-based care.
“This investment reflects our dedication to providing the most advanced tools and technologies to our care teams and patients,” said Dr. Jasdeep Dalawari, Cardiac Interventional Medical Director, at ECU Health North Hospital. “With this new hemodynamic system, we are better equipped to diagnose and treat complex cardiovascular conditions with greater precision and confidence.”
The upgraded system integrates seamlessly with imaging and electronic health record platforms, streamlining workflow and enhancing communication among the interprofessional team. It also supports advanced features such as cardiac output measurement and pressure-volume analysis. These are critical tools in the assessment of heart failure and will assist in the streamline treatment by our Cardiology professionals at ECU Health North Hospital.
ECU Health North Hospital continues to expand its capabilities as a regional leader in cardiovascular care, ensuring that patients in eastern North Carolina have access to the latest innovations close to home.
ECU Health’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) program excitedly welcomed 154 new resident physicians and fellows, 26 of whom come from North Carolina medical schools, including 14 graduates from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.
The newest class of graduate medical professionals were officially welcomed June 25 at GME orientation day where they learned about ECU Health’s academic system of care and prepared for their first year.
“There’s a lot of positive energy today,” said Dr. Mary Catherine Turner, Associate Dean of GME, during the orientation session. “I can tell they’re all excited to be here in Greenville, to be here at ECU Health, and to start their training. These incoming interns and fellows are our frontline physicians at ECU Health and are critical to our health care delivery system.”
ECU Health has more than 40 residency and fellowship programs that provide comprehensive training in primary care and multiple specialty and sub-specialty disciplines.
In addition to training at ECU Health Medical Center – a 974-bed tertiary care center – physician residents and fellows are exposed to rural communities throughout eastern North Carolina.
For many resident physicians and fellows at ECU Health, there is a deep connection to the rural health care mission.
Incoming hematology-oncology fellow Dr. Rana Mohamed has a legacy connection to ECU Health and eastern North Carolina. Dr. Mohamed is a North Carolina native who completed her internal medicine residency and served as a Chief Resident at ECU Health, and her father did his own internal medicine residency training here more than 20 years ago. Now, she has the opportunity to continue her medical training journey with a patient population she has grown to love.
“The reason I decided to continue my journey here again is the patient population,” said Dr. Mohamed. “We truly have some of the sickest people that I’ve ever met. I’ve done rotations during med school, in my training, and I have never seen the variety of patients that I’ve seen here. And it just gave me such a good training experience that I think, even in fellowship, I’m going to continue to get amazing training here.
Another resident, Dr. Pavran “Pavi” Sahota, was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and began his medical training at Caribbean Medical University in Curaçao, where he completed both pre-med and medical education. Dr. Sahota completed his clinical rotations in Chicago, where he worked with underserved communities hit hard by the opioid crisis. That experience shaped his commitment to equity and deepened his interest in family medicine.
“A lot of what I saw came down to lack of resources,” Dr. Sahota said. “That’s something I want to help address.”
Drawn to ECU Health’s mission and rural reach, he is excited to begin his residency in Ahoskie as part of the ECU Health Rural Family Medicine Residency Program. The program is uniquely designed to train the next generation of rural family medicine providers by exposing them to the unique needs of rural communities.
“Family medicine lets me relate to people on all levels,” said Dr. Sahota. “No matter where they’re from, I want to meet them where they are.”
Another incoming Rural Family Medicine resident, Dr. Tatiana Davidson, will be located in Duplin County. Dr. Davidson grew up in the small town of Whiteville, North Carolina. It was there that she first witnessed the persistent gaps in health care access within rural communities, particularly around chronic illnesses and health literacy. Those early impressions shaped a lifelong mission.
After earning her medical degree from Loma Linda University in California, Davidson worked as a medical assistant before joining ECU Health’s Duplin Rural Family Medicine Residency Program.
“I was really impressed that rural health care was actually part of the organization’s mission statement,” Dr. Davidson said. “I’ve never seen that before. It made this feel like the right place to be.”
For one incoming family medicine resident, joining the program means coming home.
Dr. Kathryn Outlaw, born and raised in Ahoskie, said, “It’s home. I’ve lived a in a few different places but nowhere else has felt like home like eastern North Carolina does.”
Twenty years ago, an idea took root in eastern North Carolina to create a collaboration aimed at building a pipeline of future health care professionals in the region by exposing students to health care careers from middle school on. That idea became the Health Sciences Academy (HSA). On June 30, 2025, ECU Health marked its two-decade legacy with a celebration honoring the graduates, staff and partners who have shaped its journey.
The groundwork for HSA was laid between 1995 and 2000, amid growing concern over health care workforce shortages.
“We needed health care workers desperately,” said Lisa Lassiter, workforce development director, ECU Health. “Health care organizations around the nation still need staffing.”
In 2001, that concern became action.
University Health Systems (now ECU Health) CEO Dave McRae and Pitt County Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Priddy led the charge, gathering support from Pitt Community College, Pitt-Greenville Chamber of Commerce, Pitt County Schools Board of Education, ECU Health, East Carolina University and Eastern AHEC.
Together, they created a model that integrated health care exposure, leadership development and academic pathways – one that would go on to receive recognition from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the Governor’s Educational Commission.
With continued support from ECU Health, the Academy expanded to Duplin County in 2012. Between Pitt and Duplin counties, more than 2,900 students completed the program. New funding has since expanded the program’s reach to even more rural communities, including Beaufort, Hertford, Edenton-Chowan and Halifax counties.
“ECU Health’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina,” Lassiter noted. “Our investment in the Academy is a powerful testament to that commitment.”
The impact of HSA can be seen in students like Jenna Hamed. A 2018 graduate of D.H. Conley High School in Greenville, Hamed credits HSA for helping her turn curiosity into conviction.
“Nobody in my family is in health care,” Hamed said. “I kind of always knew I wanted to do something in health care, but I didn’t really have any way to connect with it, so that’s why I joined Health Sciences Academy.”
Throughout high school, Hamed immersed herself in every opportunity HSA had to offer. From interning in the hospital’s rehab department to traveling abroad to study the United Kingdom’s health care system, the experiences were transformative.
“When I was doing my internship in rehab, I thought I wanted to be a physical therapist,” said Hamed. “I had the opportunity to explore that and realized it wasn’t exactly what I wanted. But I knew I wanted to do something health care adjacent.”
Hamed went on to earn her bachelor’s degree as a pre-med kinesiology major at Campbell University, conducted research and earned admission to the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. Now in her fourth year, she’s preparing to graduate and pursue an internal medicine residency, with hopes of a fellowship to follow.
Similarly, for Sophie Villani, HSA guided her on a path to medical school. After relocating from London, Ontario, to Greenville as a sophomore at D.H. Conley High School, she was struck by the opportunity HSA presented.
“We didn’t really have anything like this where I used to live,” Villani said. “I had already known I wanted to go into medicine, but it wasn’t until Health Sciences Academy that I really had real experiences to confirm that.”
Villani dove headfirst into everything HSA offered: the Brody School of Medicine research program, a clinical internship and a study abroad experience in Europe. Today, Villani is a medical student at the Brody School of Medicine, slated to graduate in 2026. With her sights set on pediatrics, she hopes to remain in North Carolina to serve the community that helped shape her path.
“I wouldn’t be where I am without the networking and the experiences I had through HSA,” Villani said.
David Roberts, also from Greenville, began his path in HSA as a student at South Central High School. Today, he’s a nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at ECU Health Medical Center.
“HSA was really eye-opening,” Roberts said. “Getting that kind of exposure at a young age, it opened a lot of doors.”
After earning a bachelor’s degree from East Carolina University and interning with Maynard Children’s Hospital, Roberts reconnected with Lassiter and pursued nursing at Pitt Community College through the HomeGrown program. His journey came full circle when he joined the NICU team at ECU Health.
“Seeing the care nurses were providing, not just for the patients, but for the family members, that’s what stuck with me,” Roberts said. “That’s where my heart is.”
As a member of one of the first HSA classes in 2005, Garrett Wingate knew early on that his future would involve health care, he just didn’t yet know in what way. Through hands-on shadowing in everything from sports medicine and physical therapy to orthodontics and pre-dental, Wingate explored a wide range of possibilities. Though he began college as a pre-dental student, those experiences ultimately helped him discover his true calling in health education and kinesiology.
After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in health education from East Carolina University, he went on to complete a doctorate in kinesiology from UNC Greensboro. His research focused on football players and concussions. Now a high school history teacher and football coach, Wingate says everything he learned in HSA ties back to his career today.
“All the classes I took and the opportunities to shadow people really led me down the path of what I did,” said Wingate. “It helped me tremendously, and everything I do is still directly tied to health care.”
Wingate encourages students to apply to HSA, even if they’re unsure.
“The program is great for exposure,” said Wingate. “Once you go do it and realize it’s not for you, that’s the best thing in the world. And if you do it and love it, even better. It just helps you find your path.”
At this year’s celebration, Lassiter offered gratitude to the many who have guided the program over two decades.
“Tonight, we celebrate the organizations and individuals who oversaw and supported the Health Sciences Academy, as well as celebrate our cherished graduates,” Lassiter said. “Thank you for loving your communities and dedicating your careers to serve others.”
As part of our commitment to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina, the Office of Community Health at ECU Health is once again partnering with Food Lion Feeds, Sodexo and the ECU Health Foundation to provide free meals to children, teens and people with disabilities throughout the summer.
ECU Health has offered the Summer Meal Program since 2021, providing thousands of meals to those in need.
This year, the program is being offered in four eastern North Carolina communities – Greenville, Tarboro, Ahoskie and Bethel.
The program dates and locations include:
- Greenville – At York Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church from June 11-Aug. 21; meals provided Monday-Thursday from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. (while meals last)
- Tarboro – At Braswell Community Center from June 9-Aug. 21; meals provided Monday-Thursday from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. (while meals last)
- Ahoskie – At The Gathering Place from June 9-Aug. 21; meals provided Monday-Thursday from 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (while meals last)
- Bethel – At the Bethel Youth Activity Center from June 16-July 24 (closed June 30-July 4); meals provided Monday-Thursday from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. (while meals last)
In 2024, 71 ECU Health team members volunteered with the Summer Meal Program, serving more than 4,000 meals to people in need.
For more information about the ECU Health Summer Meal Program, please email [email protected].
Since October 2024, the Books from Birth program, a partnership between Maynard Children’s Hospital and Book Harvest, has provided boxes of books to infants and their families, ensuring that reading routines become an integral part of a baby’s earliest days.
On Monday, June 2, Book Harvest staff and N.C. House Rep. Tim Reeder, MD, District 9, who secured funding for the project in the North Carolina State Budget last year, joined the Maynard Children’s Hospital team members to speak with recipients of the book boxes and hear feedback from nurses and child life specialists.
The partnership with Book Harvest aims to enrich the lives of families across eastern North Carolina by supplying books that encourage bonding and learning. Each family with a newborn baby discharged is offered a Books from Birth box, containing 10 board books, educational materials and a onesie, reinforcing the importance of literacy right from the start.
“Books are a powerful tool for connection, learning and development, and the Books from Birth program is giving families the resources to start that journey from day one,” said Tara Stroud, vice president of Women’s and Children’s Services at Maynard Children’s Hospital. “Our nurses and child life specialists see firsthand how these books help families bond with their babies, where parents cherish having stories to read during their hospital stay. This program is about setting a foundation for lifelong literacy and ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive.”
Stroud said the nurses and child life specialists at the Children’s Hospital are the program’s biggest advocate.
“I love how inclusive the books are,” said Don Sauls, a nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). “I’ve seen multilingual books; I’ve seen books that include sign language. It is very conducive to creating a welcoming and nurturing learning environment and facilitating that bond between parents and their baby and even siblings.”
Amanda and Blake – both elementary school teachers – are in the NICU with their baby and expressed how grateful they were to be able to add to their baby’s library.
“We started reading to her from the moment we found out we were expecting, and even Amanda’s mom would come and read books to her while she was still in the womb,” said Blake. “Just knowing those voices and hearing those stories helps build a foundation for learning, and we hope it will make her a strong reader, speller and learner one day. We’re incredibly thankful for the books and support we’ve received.”
With the Books from Birth program, ECU Health and Book Harvest are paving the way for a new generation of readers, ensuring that every baby’s first moments are accompanied by the power of stories.
“We are so uplifted by the partnership with Maynard Children’s Hospital to make sure every single newborn is starting their life with their own library,” said Ginger Young, chief executive officer, Book Harvest. “Literacy starts at birth, and early literacy is the key to building a foundation of literacy that will last a lifetime. To be able to send families home not only with their new bundle of joy, but also the start of their own home library, is the thing we dream about all the time.”
Since its launch at Maynard Children’s Hospital, the Books from Birth program has made significant progress in reaching families and fostering early literacy. From October 2024 to March 2025, more than 1,700 book boxes have been provided to newborn families. Families from 36 counties and three states have benefitted from the program. Additionally, 28 percent of the boxes have been provided to premature or medically complex infants, offering literacy support to some of the most vulnerable newborns.
“I recognized how important the program was to encourage reading, but to see how this hospital has embraced this vision and the impact on patients and families has been monumental,” said Rep. Reeder.
More than 500 ECU Health nurses gathered May 20-21 at the Greenville Convention Center for the 12th Annual Nursing Summit—a transformative two-day event dedicated to education, leadership and innovation in health care.
The summit featured a dynamic lineup of keynote speakers. North Carolina Senator Gale Adcock shared insights on leadership. Claire Zangerle, chief executive officer of American Organization for Nursing Leadership, and Trish Baise, chief nursing executive at ECU Health, sat down to discuss the power of influence at every level. Dustin Bass, vice president of System Emergency Services at ECU Health, emphasized the strength of unity in The Power of Us. Phil Gwoke, CEO of BridgeWorks, tackled the importance of cross-generational collaboration in health care.
For attendee Susan Hoover, director of Perioperative Services at Outer Banks Health Hospital, the event was a powerful reminder of the mindset behind leadership.
“Senator Adcock really reminded us that what we tell ourselves impacts who we are as a leader and as a person,” Hoover said. “That’s something that can get lost in day-to-day business, but having it put forward again was very beneficial.”
Attendees engaged in breakout sessions focused on research, innovation, leadership development, well-being and AI/tech. Nurses explored cutting-edge technology firsthand, with vendors displaying innovative solutions designed to enhance patient care.
“My favorite part was visiting the technology zone,” Hoover shared. “There were several vendors showcasing different modules that will be beneficial for our teams. I’ll definitely take that back to our senior leaders.”
As the event drew to a close, Baise reflected on the summit’s impact.
“What we witnessed wasn’t just professional development; it was a renewal of spirit,” she said. “In every breakout session, keynote address and hallway conversation, I saw the very heartbeat of health care—nurses exchanging ideas, supporting one another and embracing innovation with open arms and open minds.”
Kelly Barnette, nurse manager of Patient Care Services, OBGYN at ECU Health Duplin Hospital, emphasized how the event fostered meaningful connections.
“This is my third Nursing Summit since being in this role, and one of my favorite parts is seeing that I actually know so many people outside of my community hospital,” Barnette said. “The networking, the conversations and the shared energy make it truly special.”
“Our gathering served as a testament to the profound impact of collective energy,” Baise said. “When nurses unite, we don’t just talk about change—we create it. We empower one another to challenge the status quo, lead with empathy and uplift the communities we serve.”
Resources
More than 50 organizations focused on mental health participated in ECU Health’s 13th annual Mental Health Expo on Thursday, May 22.
The event, held at Eastern AHEC in Greenville, was free for everyone and helped connect community members with resources available in eastern North Carolina. Glenn Simpson, executive director for behavioral health at ECU Health, said that is the most important part of the Expo – ensuring everyone knows who to connect with if they or a loved one are in need.
“Mental health is health, mental illness is a disease, substance use disorder is a disease, it’s not a character flaw or something like that,” Simpson said. “We want people to know, because there is a stigma attached to mental health in many ways, that it is OK to ask for help. When you want to ask for help, we want to make sure people know who to ask. This is to help eastern North Carolina become aware of the resources available to them.”
Simpson said one in five adults in the United States suffer from a diagnosable mental illness and taking a moment to talk with a provider or a professional about your mental health is just as important as discussing blood pressure and other physical health needs.
The event also featured three presentations on mental health – two by psychiatrists and one by a therapist – covering nature’s benefit on mental health, the mind-body connection and more.
“Having experts here to bring their perspectives and understanding to this community is a great opportunity. I think it’s a great chance for folks to hear from professionals about small ways to improve mental health, like getting outside or healthy lifestyle choices,” Simpson said. “We’re just grateful to have everyone here working toward the same goal and helping get people to the resources they may need.”
He also said it was an exciting opportunity to share information about the upcoming state-of-the-art, 144-bed behavioral health hospital in Greenville, slated to open in 2025.
Resources
In the heart of eastern North Carolina, community partnerships are driving meaningful change in rural health care. ECU Health, alongside Conetoe Family Life Center and Access East, hosted a CommUNITY for Health and Wellness event at the Robersonville Public Library on Friday, May 16, to provide free health screenings, education on health care benefits, fresh produce and essential resources to residents.
ECU Health Community Engagement Coordinator Charmaine Reader provided everyone who walked by the pop-up with a friendly face and information about the event.
“We’re here to show love, love on the community of Martin County and provide resources that address social determinants of health like food security, health care access and more,” said Reeder.
Creating access to care in Martin County is a particularly important endeavor. The county’s only hospital closed in 2023 but the need for services remain.
This event is one of many ways ECU Health has rallied around the community in alignment with the organization’s mission to improve the health and well-being of the region.
For Debbie Burkhart, manager of the Robersonville Public Library, the event was a natural extension of her passion to support her community. Robersonville Public Library hosts one of ECU Health’s Health Hubs, helping community members connect with vital resources by offering technology-equipped spaces for virtual health care visits and support for social determinants of health like food, housing and employment.
“Today we’re also shedding light on our health hub location where they can gain access to these resources Monday through Friday,” said Reeder. “Debbie is great with helping individuals and connecting them back to us when they need assistance. She also helped spread the word about today and helped us get people here who needed to be here.”
Burkhart sees the library as not just a place for books but a resource for the community, whether that means helping people access health care information or simply providing a welcoming space.
“It’s all about community,” Burkhart said. “Without the community, we wouldn’t have a library; without the library, we wouldn’t have a community.”
After people got their free blood pressure screenings, Conetoe Family Life Center welcomed attendees on their bus to shop for free, fresh, locally grown produce. Jamie Harrison from Conetoe Family Life Center emphasized the importance of bringing fresh produce and nutrition education to residents.
“A lot of eastern North Carolinians live in a food desert,” Harrison said. “By partnering with ECU Health, we can help bridge that gap by making healthy food more accessible. Events like this introduce people to new fruits and vegetables and get them to try fresh recipes. We also can provide education on helping people grow their own produce.”
Sandra Grigg, a local resident, appreciated the impact of these initiatives on her community and said she comes to events like this because of how important the resources provided are to all of the residents.
“I want people to know that Martin County is full of really great people,” said Grigg. “They just need more information, and the fact that you’ve got the table here that’s talking about how to get health insurance if you don’t have it, that’s really, really important. I would encourage people to always come to these because of the information, because of what they teach you, what they show you.”