Greenville, N.C. – April 14, 2022 – Vidant Health and East Carolina University are excited to announce a logo for the ECU Health system, which will launch in the region starting in May.
“Eastern North Carolina’s vibrancy depends on strong collaboration between the institutional pillars that have long represented this region’s unique needs,” said Dr. Michael Waldrum, Vidant CEO and dean of ECU’s Brody School of Medicine. “The ECU Health logo is a symbol of our shared commitment to transforming and elevating health care for millions, training the providers of tomorrow, collaborating with community partners to solve complex issues and bringing clinical innovations that improve the lives of those who proudly call this region home.”
The ECU Health logo captures the essence of an innovative regional health system comprised of more than 13,000 dedicated health care workers, a thriving university, current and future generations of doctors committed to caring for North Carolina and the unwavering commitment of two organizations working collaboratively to transform the East.
“It is exciting to be a part of ECU’s continued transformation as we work to build pathways for sustained excellence here in Greenville and the region,” said ECU Chancellor Philip Rogers. “This partnership strengthens our institutions’ shared mission and ultimately betters the communities we serve. Sharing the new ECU Health logo begins an exciting chapter as we work collaboratively to build the health care enterprise for the region and expand our reach further into eastern North Carolina.”
The rebranding process for most Vidant entities is expected to begin in May and will take several months to complete. The Brody School of Medicine’s name will not change.
Naming conventions are as follows:
Hospitals:
- ECU Health Medical Center
- ECU Health Beaufort Hospital – A Campus of ECU Health Medical Center
- ECU Health Bertie Hospital
- ECU Health Chowan Hospital
- ECU Health Duplin Hospital
- ECU Health Edgecombe Hospital
- ECU Health North Hospital
- ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan Hospital
- The Outer Banks Hospital
- ECU Health Maynard Children’s Hospital
Other entities:
- Vidant Medical Group and ECU Physicians: the naming of the practice groups will be shared at a future date.
Vidant and ECU have a rich history of collaboration in health care, education and research. Vidant’s role as a regional rural health care leader, and Brody’s status as North Carolina’s leader in graduating physicians who practice in state, in primary care and in underserved areas is a natural partnership that will advance the combined mission of ECU Health.
ECU Health will strive to more effectively and efficiently address current issues facing the region – such as health disparities and care delivery obstacles – while also better anticipating future health care and educational needs.
“The rebranding to ECU Health is symbolic of the importance and longstanding cooperation of ECU’s Brody School of Medicine and Vidant Health. Together, we have long stood side by side advancing the health delivery, research and education mission for eastern North Carolina,” said Dr. Jason Higginson, executive dean of the Brody School of Medicine. “Having one brand will make our close and important relationship apparent to everyone.”
Wilson, N.C. – April 1, 2022 – Vidant Health is excited to announce the official opening of Vidant Family Medicine – Glendale, a primary care extension of Vidant Healthplex – Wilson, which is dedicated to providing high-quality primary care services to the community.
“Vidant Family Medicine – Glendale will fill an important need in the community by providing expanded primary care services to reach more patients,” said Rashanda Elam, service line coordinator, Vidant Medical Group. “Access to primary care, particularly in rural environments, directly benefits the overall health and well-being of a community.”
Vidant Family Medicine – Glendale, located three miles from Vidant Healthplex – Wilson, will offer treatment for a variety of issues including cold and flu-like illnesses, ear infections, allergies and other illnesses as well as offer Department of Transportation (DOT) clinical physicals and Nexplanon birth control implants. Importantly, primary care doctors screen for health conditions before any signs or symptoms may appear, which can both prevent and detect conditions early. When health conditions such as cancers, high blood pressure or diabetes are caught early, the chance of successful treatment is greater.
“The new clinic is close to the Healthplex, ensuring patients have convenient access to expanded, specialty care if they need it,” said Elam. “Vidant Healthplex continues to offer the same spectrum of specialty care including immediate care, heart and vascular care, neurological care, cancer care, dermatology, sleep medicine, endocrinology and more. By opening this dedicated primary care and family medicine location, we can provide a wide spectrum of care that helps meet the community’s needs.”
Vidant Family Medicine – Glendale will open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for both children and adults. Deirdra Pearce, NP, Andrea Brooks, NP and Mallory Moore, NP will move from the Healthplex to serve at the new location. Current patients will be contacted directly with more information, or please reach out to the office with any questions and to schedule your next appointment.
The practice is located at 1704 Glendale Drive SW Suite C, Wilson, N.C. The clinic accepts walk-ins and appointments. To contact the family medicine practice, please call 252-246-8960 or visit the location page.
Edenton, NC – March 17, 2022 – Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO of Vidant Health and Dean of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, joined Vidant Chowan Hospital President Brian Harvill at the Edenton Rotary Club meeting Thursday to discuss the exciting future of Vidant Health and the impact high-quality health care has on the vibrancy of eastern North Carolina.
The presentation to the Edenton Rotary Club is one of several planned this spring and summer to meet with community groups throughout the region.
“Every time I visit Edenton, I’m reminded that Vidant Chowan is one of the most important parts of this community,” Dr. Waldrum said. “Edenton and the surrounding towns have a great hospital where they can deliver babies, receive high-quality care and build their sense of community. We value the role of rural hospitals and that is why it is so important for us to have conversations about how we can best deliver health care across the region.”
Vidant Health – the joint enterprise between Vidant and Brody launching in the spring – was at the top of the agenda. Vidant Health enables the two organizations, which have worked collaboratively for years, to come together under a shared brand to provide streamlined care across the hospital system. A logo will be revealed in April and re-branding, which is expected to take months to complete, will begin in May.
Dr. Waldrum said Vidant Health is the natural culmination of the two organization’s long partnership and shared mission of improving the health of eastern North Carolina. Vidant Health will build on successful innovations such as the MOTHeRS Project, which is a grant-funded program through Vidant that connects mothers in rural areas to resources for nutrition, behavioral health needs and maternal fetal medicine resources. This program is beginning in Edenton and highlights the importance of collaboration to solve complex health issues in the region, Dr. Waldrum said.
“Having babies and being able to give birth here is really important to Edenton,” Dr. Waldrum said. “Babies that are born here are more likely to stay here when they grow up. We want to support that in an innovative way by providing access to care that meets the community’s need. The MOTHeRS Project is a great example of how Brody, Vidant and the future Vidant Health will tackle complex challenges and bring a higher quality of care to the region.”
With Rotary Club members in attendance, Dr. Waldrum also spoke on the impact that access to care has on a community’s economic vibrancy. He shared that Vidant, which employs more than 13,500 team members, has a $4 billion economic impact on the region. Locally, Vidant Chowan has more than 500 team members and has a $61.3 million impact on the local economy. These numbers, Dr. Waldrum said, represent Vidant and the future Vidant Health’s commitment to caring for the community.
Greenville, NC – March 1, 2022 – As Vidant Health continues to respond to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic across North Carolina, we are taking steps to ensure the safety of all. Vidant remains vigilant with its screening process for all visitors, entry requirements and visitor restrictions by department.
In response to decreased community spread, Vidant is carefully expanding visitation in most clinical areas across the system, including for COVID-positive patients. Effective 8 a.m. Wednesday, March 2, Vidant will adopt the below screening process, entry requirements and visitor guidelines. Visitors must wear surgical masks provided at screening stations or personal N95/KN95 masks as long as they are clean, intact, without a valve and have no visible gaps.
Despite the encouraging trend of cases, it remains vitally important for community members to continue to practicing safety measures such as washing hands, wearing a mask and avoiding large gatherings.
For the latest information on Vidant’s visitor restrictions, please visit VidantHealth.com/VisitingVidant.
This is an evolving situation, and Vidant continues to monitor the spread and examine local data, including COVID-19 cases in our region and in hospitals, and will adjust visitation restrictions accordingly.
Vidant strongly encourages visitors to consider virtual visitation options such as FaceTime and phone calls. Assistance with virtual visits, including iPads for patients without the necessary technology, is available on request. Virtual visitation is the safest way to stay connected with a loved one.
Patients should limit their belongings to a few key items and refer to the below tips:
- Bring your phone, tablet or other electronic device to connect with family members
- Limit clothing to clean undergarments and one outfit for discharge
- Wear or pack non-slip shoes
Greenville, N.C. – Feb. 24, 2022 – Vidant Health is pleased to announce that Christina Bowen, M.D., ABOIM, DipACLM, has been named Vidant’s first Chief Well-being Officer, and will champion well-being efforts through the lens of team member and provider engagement and equity.
“I am excited about this new role and our commitment to our team’s well-being,” said Dr. Julie Oehlert, Vidant Health Chief Experience Officer. “There is nothing more valuable and contributory to our health care outcomes than the wonderful humans that show up every day to deliver health care and caring to the communities we serve.”
As Chief Well-being Officer effective Jan. 1, 2022, Dr. Bowen is responsible for collaborating with the entire organization to develop, guide and implement team member and provider well-being and resilience initiatives founded on evidence-based best practices and organizational data. She also collaborates with Vidant’s wellness teams to introduce and support new programs that positively influence the population health of the communities in which we proudly serve.
“I am proud to be a part of a health care organization that recognizes the importance of the overall team member experience and is committed to optimizing well-being and resilience efforts,” said Dr. Bowen. “I am very grateful to have the opportunity to pursue my passion of integrated medicine while also positively influencing the communities that I love. This is a way for Vidant to come alongside everyone who has provided amazing care to our patients, especially during the pandemic, and make sure our team members are taken care of and their wellness is in the forefront.”
In addition to serving as Chief Well-Being Officer, Dr. Bowen is an integrative medicine physician with Vidant Medical Group and the Medical Director of The Center for Healthy Living at The Outer Banks Hospital. Her previous roles at Vidant include Medical Director of the Office of Experience and Medical Director of Integrative Oncology. Dr. Bowen is board certified in family medicine, hospice and palliative medicine, lifestyle medicine and integrative medicine, and has received numerous honors and awards, including The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health’s North Carolina’s Community Star in 2020.
“The creation of this role brings continued focus to our intention of belonging,” said Mark Dunn, Chief Diversity, Inclusion and Talent Management Officer, Vidant Health. “It is important to be our authentic selves at work and in the communities we live in and serve. Our collective well-being is important not only to our patients, but to our families. This role will help us provide support and development in an area that is needed now more than ever.”
A native of eastern North Carolina, Dr. Bowen graduated from East Carolina University in 2003 with a doctorate in medicine. In 2004, she completed her internship at Duke University Medical Center and completed her residency at Carolinas Medical Center in 2008. In 2016, she completed a fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona under Dr. Andrew Weil — world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of Integrative Medicine.
Roanoke Rapids, N.C. – February 10, 2022 – Vidant North Hospital is pleased to announce its Heart & Vascular Care will move into a newly renovated, expanded clinic location near the hospital on Feb. 14, 2022. The upgraded facility allows Vidant Heart & Vascular Care to provide multiple advanced clinical services, including thoracic surgery, vascular surgery, cardiac electrophysiology and pediatric cardiology, to Roanoke Rapids at one convenient location.
“The opening of our renovated clinic aligns with National Heart Month, and a very symbolic day we associate with matters of the heart, Valentine’s Day,” said Dr. Kenneth Robert, regional medical director of ambulatory services, Vidant North Hospital. ”Vidant Heart & Vascular Care will help support a focus on raising awareness for heart disease, screenings, education and promotion of access of care close to home through a connected system of care.”
The addition of new clinical providers expands the ability for more patients to be examined quickly in the event of cardiovascular needs. A local team including a cardiologist, interventional cardiologist and an adult nurse practitioner will be on-site, and a team of outreach providers will be available through specific scheduled times. This outreach team includes an electrophysiologist, scheduled once a week and typically scheduled by referral, a thoracic surgeon, scheduled once a week by referral and a pediatric cardiologist, scheduled once a month by appointment.
“This opportunity allows cardiac providers to better serve the community in a meaningful way and to build upon the relationships with patients and their loved ones,” said Dr. Brian Cabarrus, Vidant cardiologist. “This upgrade in clinical space and greater access to cardiac and peripheral diagnostics helps enhance the patient and team member experiences.”
The services and accessibility of quality care offered by Vidant Heart & Vascular Care – Roanoke Rapids ties directly into Vidant and the future Vidant Health’s commitment to improve health outcomes in communities across eastern North Carolina.
“This is an important day for Vidant North Hospital and the communities it serves,” said Jason Harrell, president, Vidant North. “Providing high-quality, comprehensive heart and vascular care close to home is an important part of how we meet our mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina.”
Vidant Heart & Vascular Care – Roanoke Rapids will be open weekdays, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The clinic will offer care for patients that do not have a primary care provider and will connect them with one after their initial visit.
The new location for Vidant Heart & Vascular Care – Roanoke Rapids is 220 Smith Church Road, Roanoke Rapids, NC, 27870. For medical referrals, appointments and consultations, call 252-537-9268.
Greenville, N.C. – Jan. 3, 2022 – The joint operating agreement between East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine and Vidant Health is now officially underway, enabling the organizations to create Vidant Health and work together to improve health care delivery to the 1.4 million residents of eastern North Carolina.
Under the joint operating agreement, the Brody School of Medicine and Vidant Health will remain separate legal entities, but will integrate under a new, shared brand known as Vidant Health. The Vidant Health logo will be revealed in the spring and the rebranding process for most Vidant entities and ECU Physicians practices will begin shortly after. Rebranding is expected to take months to complete.
“The new year marks an important and exciting chapter for health care in eastern North Carolina,” said Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO of Vidant Health and dean of the Brody School of Medicine. “2022 will be a year of transformation for Vidant and Brody as we create Vidant Health and position ourselves as the national academic model for providing rural health care. Together as one, Vidant Health will have profoundly positive impacts on the health and well-being of those we serve.”
The two organizations are working together to:
- Evaluate and modify existing practices to improve quality and coordination of care.
- Integrate certain management structures and strategic planning efforts.
- Develop a plan for shared services to support the integrated entity.
- Leverage the capabilities of each organization to advance the collective research and education infrastructure.
- Coordinate philanthropic initiatives.
The joint operating agreement received board approvals in November and became official on Jan. 1, 2022. The agreement provides a structure that allows the two organizations to more effectively and efficiently address current issues facing the region – such as health disparities and care delivery obstacles – while also better anticipating future health care and educational needs.
“The close partnership between Brody and Vidant created a strong foundation upon which to build Vidant Health,” said Dr. Jason Higginson, executive dean of Brody. “The ability to combine academic excellence with high-quality, state-of-the-art health care delivery will elevate care, research and education opportunities available to the people of eastern North Carolina. We look forward to continuing to work together and introduce Vidant Health to the community later this year.”
Greenville, NC – Dec. 30, 2021 – As Vidant Health continues to respond to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing spread of the Omicron variant, we are taking steps to ensure the safety of all. Vidant remains focused on efforts to offer COVID-19 testing to the community. The following are the special operating hours for the Greenville COVID testing site. Please note, wait times may be longer than usual due to high demand for COVID-19 tests.
Greenville COVID Testing Site Hours of Operation for New Year’s Weekend:
Friday, Dec. 31 — Open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022 — Closed
Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022 — Closed
The Greenville COVID Testing Site, located at the corner of Stantonsburg Road and Wellness Center Drive, offers preregistration as well. Those who have preregistered will have access to a separate lane at the testing site, with much of the required paperwork completed in advance.
To preregister, login or sign up for MyChart at mychart.vidanthealth.com, and follow the prompts to register. You must complete eCheck-In to finish scheduling your COVID-19 testing preregistration. Once you have completed eCheck-In, you will receive a barcode which you will need to have when you arrive at the testing site to be directed to the preregistration line. Appointments are available for up to one day in advance and you can only preregister yourself.
In addition to the Greenville COVID Testing Site, there are 13 Vidant locations across the East offering COVID-19 tests by preregistration. For a full list of these sites, visit vidanthealth.com and the link: https://www.ecuhealth.org/covid-19/covid-19-testing-sites/#regional-testing-sites
Media contact:
Stan Cleiland, Vidant Public Relations, 252-351-5602 or [email protected]
COVID-19 testing is covered through the CARES Act and currently there are no out-of-pocket costs to the public. Insurance is not needed for a COVID-19 test at the Greenville site, however, health care organizations must collect and submit insurance information for patients that have it, per the CARES Act.
About Vidant Health
Vidant Health is a mission-driven, 1,708-bed academic health system that annually serves a region of more than 1.4 million people in 29 eastern North Carolina counties. The not-for-profit system is made up of more than 13,000 team members, eight hospitals, home health, hospice, wellness centers, and Vidant Medical Group, a multi-specialty physician and provider group with more than 500 providers in more than 100 practice sites in eastern North Carolina. Vidant is affiliated with The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. As a major resource for health services and education, Vidant’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina. For more information, visit VidantHealth.com.
Greenville, NC – Dec. 29, 2021 – As Vidant Health continues to respond to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing spread of the Omicron variant, we are taking steps to ensure the safety of all. In consultation with infectious disease experts and based on current trends, Vidant is proactively updating visitor guidelines for the health system and adjusting the reopening of the Wellness Center – Greenville.
Vidant continues to strongly encourage masking, vaccinations and boosters, as we all work together to combat COVID-19.
Visitor Guidelines
Effective 8 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 30, Vidant will update its visitor guidelines across the system, including restricted visitation and a new requirement that all visitors wear a hospital-issued mask. Cloth masks will no longer be permitted. Visitors should also be mindful of Vidant’s new screening process and are encouraged to visit VidantHealth.com/checkin to register prior to their visit.
This is an evolving situation and Vidant continues to monitor the spread and examine local data, including COVID-19 cases in our region and in hospitals, and will adjust visitation restrictions accordingly.
For the latest information on Vidant’s visitor restrictions, please visit VidantHealth.com/VisitingVidant.
Wellness Center – Greenville
Originally scheduled to fully reopen on Jan. 1, the Greenville Wellness Center will open with limited services only starting on Jan. 1, such as personal training, private lessons, fitness orientations and tours. The fitness center, indoor track and pool will remain closed for general membership for the time being. Community members signed up to become members of the Greenville Wellness Center will receive additional details directly from the Wellness Center.
Vidant leadership, with guidance from our infectious disease experts, will continue to review the COVID data and spread throughout the coming weeks to determine a date for a full reopening.
The Wellness Centers in Ahoskie and Washington will continue their current operations.
All Vidant Wellness facilities will follow stringent COVID protocols for the safety of all including required masking for all members, visitors and staff, effective Dec. 29.
For more information, please visit https://www.ecuhealth.org/services/wellness-prevention/vidant-wellness-centers/#covid-19-update
Greenville, N.C. – Dec. 3, 2021 – Vidant Health has implemented a new screening process for visitors at Vidant Health hospitals to ensure enhanced safety for all patients, visitors and team members. In partnership with care.ai, a health care Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovator, the new technology allows visitors to complete a convenient contact-free visitor safety screenings before visiting loved ones.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the safety of patients, visitors and team members has remained a top priority,” said Lou Montana-Rhodes, Vice President, Office of Experience, Vidant Health. “This unprecedented time requires thoughtful innovations that help protect those we love and serve. The new Smart Entry™ screening solution developed by care.ai will allow us to work more efficiently and effectively at creating the safest environment possible at all Vidant hospitals.”
Visitors will complete their symptom screenings at VidantHealth.com/checkin, which will provide a QR code on their smart phone device. care.ai’s Smart Entry™ sensors will scan the QR code upon arrival and capture temperature readings in real-time. care.ai’s command center alerts team members to abnormal events as they occur to prevent visitors that may be positive for potential infection from entering.
Once the visitor is cleared for entry, a single day visitor pass is generated. Visitors must complete this process each day they visit. This provides a safe and efficient way to support visitor and patient access, while ensuring everyone entering the facility has been properly screened.
Team members will be on-site to assist visitors with the new screening process. Any visitors that may not have a smartphone to complete the screening process before entering will be able to with the support of team members upon arrival.
“We’re committed to making sure the patients and clients we serve have the information they need to keep them as safe as possible,” said Chakri Toleti, founder and CEO of care.ai. “We’re grateful of our partnership with Vidant Health and have such admiration for the role they play in triaging and controlling this pandemic and are proud to team up with them in this shared fight against COVID-19.”
