Skills that resident physicians learn through Graduate Medical Education (GME) at ECU Health Medical Center and the Brody School of Medicine extend beyond their clinical roles, including the leadership skills that helped shape Dr. Portia West’s career in the U.S. Air Force and at ECU Health. Now, years after her military service, she continues to help GME improve the future of health care in eastern North Carolina.
Dr. West completed her psychiatry residency program at ECU Health in 2020. Having grown up in Charlotte and then spent six years in Washington D.C., she was grateful for the change of pace that came with treating patients in rural settings.
“I met the program director at the time, Dr. Toni Johnson, who made me feel like the program would make the best version of myself and the best physician I could be,” Dr. West said. “It wasn’t long before I grew to love Greenville. The people here are what make it home.”
Dr. West said the support she received from her directors and co-residents motivated her to seek out leadership opportunities. She also received a Healthcare Professionals Scholarship from the Air Force, where she said the skills she learned through GME were just as relevant.
“My co-residents support is what pushed me into leadership roles,” Dr. West said. “I became a chief resident, which I never thought I would do. That experience did wonders for my military career, I already had the leadership skills I needed through GME.
“I’ll always be grateful my peers pushed me out of my comfort zone.”
This year marks 50 years of GME at ECU Health Medical Center. Now, in 2026, leadership remains just as important as it was back in 1976, when a single program in Family Medicine began to train physicians in eastern North Carolina. Across 35 resident physician and fellowship programs, chief residents serve as liaisons between their colleagues in training and their program directors.
Dr. Herb Garrison served as associate dean for GME at ECU Health Medical Center and ECU’s Brody School of Medicine for 11 years from (date) to (date). Like Dr. West, he completed his residency at ECU Health Medical Center. Dr. Garrison had a chance to witness GME evolve to train physicians who go forth and lead in their respective specialties and communities.
“As GME has grown over the years, our programs aim not only to train physicians who have a passion to care for their communities, but to go forth and lead in those communities as well,” said Dr. Garrison. “GME continues to serve as a reliable, consistent pipeline to reinforce our physician workforce, letting doctors see firsthand how their work impacts patients in these unique communities.
Dr. West is now a program director for the psychiatry residency track, which lets her use the skills she learned as a chief resident to educate resident physicians and fellows as GME at ECU Health Medical Center continues to evolve.
“I get to use everything I learned as a chief resident and those memories I have from my time in service,” Dr. West said. “One thing that I see is so many people who trained here, either at the Brody School of Medicine or through GME, come back. Some go on their fellowship and here they are again, almost immediately. I think it speaks so much to how the hospital system not only trains their residents and their faculty members well, but treats them well so they want to stay here.”
That impact gets passed on to patients, too. Dr. West said a chance encounter with a former patient at the grocery store was a nice reminder that a physician’s work echoes with their patient long after treatment or counselling has finished.
“Within my first week back in Greenville from New Mexico, I saw someone looking at me across the aisle. At first, I thought they had me mistaken for someone else,” Dr. West recalled. “They came up to ask if I worked at ECU Health and told me they thought I used to be their doctor. I had been gone for four years at this point, but they told me, I’ll never forget it, ‘You don’t know how much you really helped me.’
“As doctors, we know we make a difference. Still, to be gone for so long and come back to hear that someone remembered you for the good you did, randomly, is amazing, having that kind of impact in our patient’s lives.”
Bailey Hattem Edwards
Bailey Hattem Edwards is a respiratory care manager and program lead for ECU Health’s Pediatric Asthma Program, which operates through ECU Health’s Center for Child and Family Wellness. For 30 years, the program has served families of children until the age of 18 who have or may have asthma through education in schools, clinics and over telehealth. Recent data shows the program managed 1,469 cases and made 2,196 unique patient encounters in fiscal year 2026.
Q: What is ECU Health’s Pediatric Asthma Program?
A: ECU Health’s Pediatric Asthma Program serves children from birth to age 18 who have asthma or may have asthma. It began at an elementary school and primary care office in Pitt County 30 years ago with the goal to bring education and resources into the community so families could better understand asthma, manage triggers and avoid unnecessary emergency department visits or hospitalizations.
Today, the team provides in-depth education for children admitted with asthma, helps families understand what caused an exacerbation and works with them on prevention. The program partners and supports asthma-focused care in primary care settings and case manages students in schools, helping families avoid missed work and school whenever possible.
Q: What drew you to care for pediatric asthma patients?
A: I always wanted to work in pediatrics because I was drawn to the resilience of children. My experience as an asthmatic helped me connect with families, and my passion for service continued to grow as I worked bedside in the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) and NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). Seeing children with asthma become critically ill showed me the importance of education, prevention and access to resources. I’ve seen the program grow over the past eight years and open even more opportunities to expand its impact across eastern North Carolina.
Q: Why is fall such a challenging season for asthma patients?
A: September begins a perfect storm of triggers in North Carolina. Children are returning to school, where they may be exposed to older ventilation systems, older buildings, recent renovations or other new environmental factors that can trigger their asthma. Weather shifts, humidity, storms, mold spores and ragweed season all add to the challenge. It is also the start of heavier virus activity, including flu season, and children are back in close contact with classmates.
Q: How do viruses or other illnesses affect asthma patients?
A: Virus-related flares are especially common among school-aged children, but adults with asthma can experience them too. Common examples include the common cold, rhino/enterovirus, RSV or flu, but the dominant illnesses can vary year by year. We encourage families to work with their primary care providers on appropriate prevention strategies, including flu shots for children with asthma.
Q: Is asthma a constant condition, or can it be seasonal?
A: Asthma can be intermittent or persistent, and each child’s asthma action plan should be tailored to their needs. Some children may only struggle during the first few months of school, while others can experience an asthma flare throughout the entire year. Our team approaches care season by season, reassessing what a patient needs as conditions change. Even if a child only needs medication during certain times of the year, they should have a rescue inhaler, asthma action plan and medication authorization form available at school year-round.
Q: Does asthma look different from child to child?
A: Asthma can vary widely, even among siblings or twins. One child may have mild persistent asthma, another may have severe persistent asthma and another may not have asthma at all. Because of that, the program emphasizes individualized care rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Q: How does the Pediatric Asthma Program address unique challenges in eastern North Carolina?
A: Rural geography creates barriers, especially transportation and access to care. Some families struggle with the cost of inhalers, even when they have insurance. The Pediatric Asthma program helps by using an indigent medication fund supported by a Children’s Miracle Network grant to cover medications temporarily, while the program’s social worker helps connect families with sustainable resources such as North Carolina MedAssist, manufacturer coupons or patient assistance programs.
When transportation is a barrier, the team looks for ways to bring care closer to the child, including direct visits to their schools, pediatrician’s offices or county health departments. Our work is highly collaborative and varies from county to county, which means we need outreach, networking and knowledge of local resources.
Learn more about ECU Health’s Pediatric Asthma Program by visiting the program’s website.
Jenny Maness is using her experience as a Neonatal Intensitive Care Unit (NICU) mom, and the example set by the nurses and providers at Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center who cared for her twin sons, to guide and comfort the parents of children in neonatal care from the other side of the isolette.
In 2018, Maness’s water broke at 24 weeks, and she began an inpatient stay at the hospital. Complications led her care team to deliver her identical twin boys, Ryan and Scott, at 25 weeks and three days. The delivery was a success, and both boys began the first four and a half months of their life in the NICU.
For Maness, that frightening start became a life-changing experience.
“I remember feeling so scared and so stressed,” Maness said. “The attending on the night we delivered was Dr. Joseph Ginski, and I remember he made us feel so much more comfortable.
The nurses probably do not even realize how much of an impact they had on me. They were our cheerleaders and kept up with us every step of the way. I still have all of the hand and footprint crafts they made for us.
“They made us feel so comfortable. We were terrified, of course, to touch the boys or do anything really. The nursing staff really encouraged us, they helped us change diapers, give baths and have our skin-to-skin contact. All of the things we wanted to do, but were too scared to try, they helped us find that courage.”
Eventually, Ryan and Scott came home from the hospital. Maness had worked as an X-ray technician for 12 years, but as she had time to breathe and process her experience, she felt called to a different side of healthcare.
“I always say, when you walk through those NICU doors it’s going to change you one way or the other,” Maness said. “For me, it changed me for the better. I knew this was what I wanted to do with my life, so I went back to school.”
Maness started classes at Beaufort County Community College in 2021. In 2023, she graduated with a nursing degree. At first, she was set on working exclusively with NICU families but found that between classes and seeing Ryan and Scott grow into their personalities, she wanted to work with children of all ages. In 2023, she started her nursing career in the Women’s and Children’s Operational Pool at ECU Health, and now divides her time between the NICU, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and General Pediatrics.
“I get to be there for my little tiny babies and I can also play games or blow bubbles with the older kids,” Maness said. “It’s really the best of both worlds for me. Kids are so fun at all ages.”
Today, Ryan and Scott are eight years old. Maness said they are happy, healthy and doing things any kid their age would do, free of any long-term complications.
“They are wild,” she laughed. “Honestly, you would never know they were premature. We are so very fortunate to have the outcome that we did, and I have to credit that to the doctors, the nurse practitioners, the nurses who made all the calls. They did everything just excellent for us, and still do to this day.
“When I started working, a lot of the providers and the nurses told me they remembered my boys,” Maness said. “Things can be a blur here, and that was eight years ago, but they still remember me just from my face. That means so much to me. You can tell they really care and it makes such an impact on every family they come across.”
Maness is proud to offer that kind of compassion to families, and to give parents currently in the shoes she filled eight years ago the perspective of experience — things get better.
“It’s very high anxiety when you have a baby in the NICU, whether they are a micro-preemie or a baby who went to term who might need breathing assistance,” Maness said. “I remember crying and breaking down at the bedside when my boys were here. Letting the parents who need it hear my story, I hope it puts them at ease, lets them know they are allowed to feel comfortable and maybe go home at night and get some sleep.
“It’s the most rewarding thing to tell them, you need a rest. It’s important that parents take care of themselves too, and that they realize, eventually, you will get where you need to be.”
Share your story with us at go.ecuhealth.org/gratitude. Stories like these show the lasting impact of Maynard Children’s Hospital.
Ellen Anthony’s reputation precedes her at ECU Health Edgecombe Hospital, and for good reason.
“Ellen approaches her work with exceptional dedication and pride. Her smile and positive attitude are contagious, and our patients, families and staff are always happy to see her. No matter how small the task, it always has the Ellen touch.”
ICU/CVPR nurse manager April Matthews’ words are echoed by many of Ellen’s colleagues, but according to Ellen, “I’m just an everyday person.”
The Scotland Neck native joined ECU Health 26 years ago, first in rehabilitation, then the medical floor, and now in the emergency department and intensive care unit as a CNA. When she’s able, she works at ECU Health North Hospital, too. Basically, she goes wherever she’s needed and helps however she can.
“I enjoy my co-workers and I enjoy taking care of my patients,” she said. “They’re in the hospital feeling nervous, and even if they can’t talk to me, I’m going to have a whole conversation with them.”
Fellow team member Rebecca Jenkins said Ellen is known for her “Ellen baths,” and some patients won’t let anyone else care for them.
“When they get a bath from me, I make sure everything is comfortable,” Ellen explained. “The patients say they feel like they’re in a spa. The water is nice and warm and even the lotion is warmed up. I wash their hair, too. The patients need to feel taken care of and safe.”
Even if she’s not assigned to a patient or floor, Ellen said she’ll chip in.
“If they’re scared of needles and have lab work, I’ll come in and hold their hand,” she said. “If I have a free moment, I’ll clean a room. If a patient looks cold, I get them a blanket. I’m not going to let my team struggle; if there’s something I can do, I’ll help.”
Ellen said she always wanted to be a nurse, but “you take detours.” She didn’t sit around, though. She earned her EMT certification, as well as a certificate in phlebotomy, and recently, she decided to continue her education at Halifax Community College.
“I’m excited and scared,” she shared. “But there’s nothing in the way to prevent me from what I want now.”
In the meantime, she’ll continue to give patients and her colleagues support and comfort.
“I love my job. Just be kind to each other and take care of the patients,” she said. “That’s the main goal.”
If you’re interested in working with team members like Ellen Anthony, visit our Careers site.
When many people think about careers in health care, the roles of nurse or doctor often come to mind. Yet delivering exceptional care depends on a network of professionals whose work supports daily operations, enhances the patient experience, and helps advance ECU Health’s mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina.
To help students explore those opportunities, ECU Health‘s Talent Acquisition team launched the new non-clinical internship program this past summer.
The pilot program provided college students with hands-on experience across a variety of departments while introducing them to career opportunities in health care that extend beyond direct patient care.
“This was really about building awareness that there are many career paths within a hospital beyond what most people traditionally think about,” said Tavis Richardson, who led the development of the program. “There are opportunities in business, human resources, food and nutrition and many other areas that support our Mission every day.”
The program ran from May through August and welcomed East Carolina University students pursuing non-clinical fields of study. Interns were placed in departments including Food and Nutrition Services, Graduate Medical Education, Onboarding, Patient Experience and Engagement, Community Health, and other support areas across the organization.
Throughout the summer, participants gained practical experience, completed impactful projects and built relationships with team members.
One of those students was Bridgette Dingee, who interned with Food and Nutrition Services. During her internship, she worked alongside patient services, culinary and retail teams while contributing to projects aimed at improving operations and the patient experience. Her work included supporting the Cambridge Menu Study, enhancing competency checklists, completing safety and departmental audits, participating in patient and nursing rounds and other projects.
Among the projects she completed, Dingee said she was most proud of helping develop the patient picture menu.
“It was rewarding to be part of a project that could improve the hospital experience for patients with literacy, language or communication barriers,” Dingee said.
The experience also helped shape Dingee’s career path. Following the internship, she joined ECU Health Food and Nutrition Services as a team member while continuing her studies in dietetics at ECU.
Building on the success of the pilot program, ECU Health plans to expand the initiative in 2027. Internship opportunities will be available at all nine hospitals across the health system, and applications will be promoted to colleges and universities across North Carolina.
Sonya Williams came to ECU Health as a 19-year-old intern with no specific plans to stay at ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan Hospital. A job offer in the admissions and billing department, however, paved the way for a 40-year career that has seen Sonya through many changes.
“I love my journey,” Sonya said. “You can grow with this system. ECU Health has afforded me great opportunities in my professional and personal growth.”
From the business office, where she worked the phone switchboard, Sonya transitioned to insurance where she gained a leadership role. She’s since worked in corporate compliance, the HIMS department, process improvement, and community equity and improvement.
“That takes us up to the pandemic,” Sonya laughed. “From there I worked in community work and my role changed again. Now I’m the manager of community health improvement, chaplain and volunteer services.”
During that time, Sonya also continued her education.
“I started with an associate’s degree from Roanoke-Chowan Community College, but I graduated from Elizabeth State University for a bachelor’s in business administration with a concentration in management in 1996, and after my husband passed away in 2013, I had the conviction to get my master’s and doctorate from Grace Bible College and Theological Seminary. Now I’m an ordained minister.”
Sonya said having supportive leadership and colleagues made it possible for her to continue her education.
“It’s good for you and it’s good for the organization. Getting my master’s and doctorate wasn’t required for my current role, but my leaders saw what I had and what was needed for this job and it connected.”
Regardless of her role, Sonya said she’s made strong connections with her colleagues and her community.
“Roanoke-Chowan has been like family, and I’ve felt supported in a life-work balance. It’s not always like that in other jobs,” she said. “And over the years I’ve worked with so many who have advanced in their journeys. I’ve tried to encourage them along the way, too.”
For now, Sonya has no plans to retire, although it is on the horizon.
“Staying the course isn’t possible because things always change,” she said. “Technology changes, people change. Retirement is my eventual destination, but even when I do, I don’t see myself doing nothing. I love people and my community, and I love to travel. My bucket list destinations are Africa and Dubai.”
In the meantime, Sonya plans to continue to flourish in her role.
“ECU Health is an absolutely wonderful place to grow and work if you’re open to change and experiences. If an opportunity presents itself, take it. I came in working the switchboard and here I am. Your attitude will make your path, your gratitude will grow it and your determination will allow your journey to be as long or as short as you desire it to be.”
When Natalie Phelps talks about her son, Chase Bateman, she wants people to remember far more than the tragedy that ended his life. She wants them to remember an outdoorsman, a beloved family member and his bright, blue eyes that spoke volumes even in the hardest times.
At age 19, Bateman was the youngest of four siblings.
“He loved dirt bike riding, duck hunting, loved hanging out with his friends, spending time with family and was just a wonderful human being,” said Phelps. “He was kind. He was loving. He was handsome and a great uncle and son and brother, and he was just a good guy all around.”
On Oct. 17, 2021, Bateman was involved in a side-by-side ATV accident in Washington County and was airlifted by EastCare to ECU Health Medical Center. What followed were 23 days that would forever connect Bateman’s family and the caregivers who stood alongside them through every setback, every small victory and ultimately, every difficult decision.
As Bateman underwent multiple surgeries and intensive treatment for his injuries, his family held tightly to hope.
“The first few days, he was alert. He was able to answer questions, nod yes or no,” Phelps recalled.
“He had several surgeries, but it was just a lot of hit and miss. We didn’t know if he was going to make it from one day to the next.”
Despite the uncertainty, Phelps never stopped believing her son would recover.
“I really, truly thought that he was going to go home,” she said. “He was going to have a lot ahead of him with maybe more surgeries. But I really thought that he was going home.”
During those 23 days, Tori Myers, BSN, RN, trauma coordinator at ECU Health Medical Center, and countless others became much more than clinicians caring for a patient — they became a support system for Bateman and his family.
Myers vividly remembers meeting Bateman and his family.
“I walked in to find Natalie bedside,” Myers said. “And I got to hear Miss Natalie say, ‘Look at those bright blue eyes.’ That was one of the few things that when we talked about Chase and we talked to Chase, everybody wanted to see him open his bright blue eyes.”
Because Bateman was unable to speak, his eyes became a way for family and caregivers alike to connect with him.
“Chase was always intubated, always on a breathing machine his whole time in the ICU,” said Myers.
“He couldn’t talk and say words, so the way that we wanted to see Chase was through his eyes. And occasionally we could get him to smile and wake up.”
During Bateman’s time at the Medical Center, Phelps remembers the compassion shown by everyone who crossed their path.
“It was the nurses, the doctors, the respiratory team, the patient care techs, the nice lady that came in and would clean his room. I mean, just everybody was absolutely amazing.”
The care they received extended far beyond medical treatment.
“The very last night, one of the doctors came in and he loved old music, and she sat there and sang a song, one of his favorite songs to him,” Phelps recalled. “She played it on her phone and played the whole song and sang every word of the song to him.”
Myers said caring for critically injured trauma patients means also caring for the people who love them.
“It’s hard as an ICU nurse – especially as a trauma nurse – you want to be honest, you want to be truthful, and you want to make sure that when you advocate for your patient, you advocate for the family, too,” said Myers.
And for 23 days, that’s exactly what Bateman’s care team did.
“Some days it was happy news, and we celebrated that together,” said Myers. “Some days the news was a little harder to take.”
After 23 days in the hospital, Bateman succumbed to his injuries on Nov. 9, 2021.
For Phelps, the loss of her son remains immeasurable. Yet throughout the experience, she never doubted the care he received.
“There was never a question that he wasn’t given the care that he deserved, that he needed. Never questioned it,” she said.
Following Bateman’s death, the connection between the family and caregivers did not end. Phelps and her family continue to visit the team each year on the anniversary of Bateman’s passing, bringing treats and sharing memories. For Myers and the care team, those visits continue to have a profound impact.
“I can try to put it into words, but I don’t think that there’s enough words that really will ever quantify how much it means to know that those 23 days still meant so much to you guys and then instead of seeing us as a negative in his story, you see us as a positive,” Myers said. “It kind of refills your cup as a nurse.”
Today, Phelps hopes others facing difficult situations remember the importance of kindness.
“I know it’s hard when you’re in a situation like this to stay positive,” Phelps said. “There were days that it was just flat out hard. Remember to just be kind.”
Looking back, she remains grateful for the care team that helped her family navigate the most difficult 23 days of their lives.
“Thank goodness we have a good one to tell, even though our story didn’t end the way we wanted to,” Phelps said.
Ultimately, Phelps hopes people remember Bateman for who he was.
“He was just such a good, good human being,” said Phelps. “And I just don’t ever want him to be forgotten.”
If you would like to share a story of gratitude with the ECU Health team, please visit go.ecuhealth.org/grateful.
Since 1989, the Great 100 Nurses of North Carolina celebrates registered nurses who demonstrate exceptional practice, leadership and professionalism in a variety of settings.
This year, the program set a record with nearly 500 nominations. Among this year’s honorees were 18 ECU Health nurses, underscoring the system’s commitment to high-quality care and team member recognition.
In this series, we’ll introduce you to each of ECU Health’s honorees. In our first installment, meet: Kelly Garner, BSN, RN, Missy Johnson, RN, Allison Eure, MSN, RN, RNC-OB, and Ali Grimes, BSN, RN, CPN.
Kelly Garner
After working in New Hampshire and then Chicago, Garner found herself wanting a new challenge and a warmer climate, which brought her to ECU Health Medical Center. Now after 30 years as a nurse – 20 of which in the NICU – she can’t imagine working or living anywhere else.
“Having worked at different facilities, I can say the NICU is fantastic here,” she said. “We have good teamwork and always try to make things better.”
She knew she was being nominated for the Great 100 Nurses, but she didn’t expect to win. Even so, she credited the work she does with her team as reason for being nominated.
“I’m always stirring up trouble,” she laughed. “I’m looking for ways to improve things and teach families and our team.”
That includes providing education in neonatal resuscitation and serving as a clinical coach. As a member of the ostomy and G-tube committee, she and the team noticed that many babies were going home with ostomies but their families couldn’t get enough supplies once they were home.
“Our team in outpatient and inpatient worked with suppliers to recognize the issue and figure out a solution so the infants get more ostomy supplies. It takes a lot of work to troubleshoot this kind of problem; a bedside nurse is so much more.”
Missy Johnson
Johnson started her career at ECU Health Medical Center as a pharmacy technician when she was 20, and she recently celebrated more than 41 years with ECU Health.
“I always wanted to go to nursing school, but I started as a pharmacy tech and got my EMT certification while working,” she said. “My manager told me about the HomeGrown Program, so I took my pre-nursing classes at night and then got my ADN from Lenoir Community College.”
Her work in the NICU is a little personal; her twin sons – now 21 years old – were born prematurely at 31 weeks and spent time there.
“If not for our hospital, I don’t know what would have happened,” she said. “I was working in neonatal when they were born and that was the best and the worst time, because it put me at ease to know they were well cared for, but it is hard when you know all the bad things that can happen.”
Twenty-eight years later, she wouldn’t work anywhere else.
“I love what I do; I enjoy taking care of babies,” she said. “I don’t know when I’ll retire but if I’m blessed to work until I’m older, I’m going to keep doing it.”
Johnson said she’d been nominated a few times for the Great 100 Nurses, but she didn’t think she’d win this year.
“My heart stopped when I opened the letter – I’m still in shock,” Johnson said.
Johnson said she is proud to work for ECU Health because of the people and communities we serve.
“People don’t understand the scope of the services we offer. And we have the best nurses – so many are local but we have many from all over the United States and the world who work with us,” she said. “I’m proud of what we do and the great care we provide.”
Allison Eure
Eure wanted to be a veterinarian and then considered accounting before deciding that nursing was the right career for her, and now she’s the manager of patient care services in labor and delivery at ECU Health Chowan Hospital.
She grew up near the hospital and so it made sense to come back to her community after graduating from East Carolina University in 2008.
“We’re a family here. When you go out in the community, people know what you do and where you work,” she said. “You feel like you’re giving back.”
Eure was honored to learn she was a Great 100 Nurse, but she said she’s here to get things done.
“It’s nice to be recognized, and I try to ensure my staff feel supported – not just in the hospital but at a system level,” she said. “We want our community hospitals to have a voice for change.”
Ali Grimes
Next year, Grimes will celebrate 10 years with ECU Health. The director of pediatric services and child life services at James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital started her education in public health at East Carolina University, but she immediately returned to school for her nursing degree at Pitt Community College.
“I thought about nursing but was interested in the health education part of it,” she explained. “My neighbor was a NICU nurse and I shadowed her, and that’s what sparked my passion.”
She joined ECU Health as a nurse at Maynard Children’s Hospital and enjoys serving her community. Since then, she’s achieved her BSN from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and is currently pursuing her MSN.
“I love this community because we see our patients and their families thrive,” she said. “There’s a wide array of diagnoses we see, and the impact is felt across the state.”
She also highlighted how ECU Health celebrates and supports nurses.
“We put a lot of effort into growing nurses and improving nursing care,” she said. “The health system empowers nurses to make huge impacts in the medical center, the system and beyond.”
Although she was shocked to learn she was a Great 100 Nurse, Grimes said her job is to lend a helping hand to her colleagues.
“Even though I’m not at the bedside anymore, I enjoy going to the units and helping when I can,” Grimes said. “That allows me to see what’s happening on the unit and where there are gaps and barriers so I can better advocate for our patients and our team.”
East Carolina University’s College of Nursing launched an Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) post-graduate certificate program in 2025. The program’s first cohort of five – Charlsie Woodard, Hunter Venters, Rachel Ferrell, Richa Dhungana and Angela Jones – graduated and say the experience strengthened their skills and expanded opportunities to care for critically ill patients.
Filling the gaps
Dr. Kristie Hertel was asked to serve as the program’s director, something that seemed a natural progression of her education and practice.
“As a bedside nurse, I worked in the trauma ICU and have a passion for that patient population,” she said.
During those years, she had mentors who encouraged her to think critically and to continue her education. That mentality shaped how Dr. Hertel led the AGACNP program.
“I had no plans to be a program director, and there was a steep learning curve,” she shared. “But I love hearing from the students thanking me for guiding them through the program and helping them find a new career path.”
“I had some amazing preceptors, and Dr. Hertel runs a first-class program,” Hunter Venters said. “She focused on the things we needed to know.”
As the clinical manager of critical care air and ground transport with ECU Health EastCare, Venters said his work as a flight nurse exposed him to some of the sickest patients, but this program helped fill the gaps.
Rachel Ferrell, a nurse practitioner at ECU Health Chowan Hospital, was in a similar situation: she has worked in the emergency and hospitalist departments for much of her career but wanted to take the next step and get her certification.
“I had been looking at other programs when I found out ECU was putting together this program,” she said. “I preferred ECU because my BSN, MSN and FNP are all with the university and it has a great reputation.”
In her 36 years as a nurse – 19 have been in acute care – Charlsie Woodard, a nurse practitioner in internal medicine, said much of her early training was on-the-job.
“I wanted to improve my skills, and this program was such a great learning experience. I’m honored to be in this first class,” Woodard said.
For Angela Jones, a nurse practitioner at Bertie Hospital, the program came at exactly the right time.
“I was transitioning to work in the emergency department (ED) and I quickly saw how medically complex our patients are,” she said. “It was clear I needed this program. Having advanced training and experience has been so advantageous.”
Learning beyond the classroom
The graduates said the program took strong time management and sacrifice to balance work and life with the clinical rotations and coursework, but the support they received from each other made it possible. The cohort had a group chat they still use today, and when it was time to prepare for an exam, they often studied together.
“The members of that first class brought so much knowledge and experience,” Jones said. “Some had more than 20 years working in acute care. We worked in different areas and specialties, and everyone was willing to share their knowledge. It took many late nights and early mornings, but I most definitely apply what I’ve learned.”
Although the program was primarily remote learning, the graduates were able to access the skills simulation lab at ECU, and the exposure to different settings and patient populations during clinical rotations gave them opportunities to practice skills they may not have encountered in their day-to-day roles.
“In the smaller hospitals you don’t always have the opportunities to perform procedures such as insertion of dialysis catheters or multi-lumen access catheters, but I was able to see and do that during my clinical rotations,” Ferrell said.
While some graduates are already considering their next academic or professional steps, they agreed the program has made them more confident clinicians and strengthened the care they provide.
“With this training, I feel more confident I can serve those who walk through the doors,” Woodard said.
“Patients don’t come from a textbook world,” Jones added. “We have to critically think and look at the literature. Being in environment conducive to learning makes all the difference.”
In high school, Morgan Quintanilla thought she wanted to be a nurse, but after a clinical rotation during her certified nursing assistant (CNA) program, she changed her mind. Instead, she went to the University of Mount Olive and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business management. An internship with Chick-Fil-A led to a six-year career in leadership with the chain.
“Then I got a spark,” Morgan said. “I thought, let me try to be an RN again, so I got into a program but didn’t do well.”
Still undeterred, Morgan opted for a licensed practical nurse (LPN) program, which she completed in August 2021. During that time, she also married her husband Juan and got pregnant with twins.
That November, however, Morgan went into pre-term labor at 28 weeks and delivered two girls: Leah and Mia. Mia passed away, and Leah spent 65 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Maynard Children’s Hospital before discharging home.
“When I was pregnant, I had no desire to go back to school,” Morgan said. “But sitting in the NICU, I realized I wanted to serve in that role. I wanted to work where I could help parents experiencing the same thing I did, and work beside the people who made me feel comfortable and cared for. A nurse told me only RNs can work in the NICU, so I applied for an LPN to RN program sitting next to my baby’s bed.”
Leah was discharged in January 2022, and Morgan began RN program that May. When she graduated from the year-long program in August 2023, she immediately found a job with the NICU.
“As soon as I stepped foot in that NICU, I knew this is where I needed to be,” she said. “My heart was fulfilled again. I was where both my babies had been alive, and I get a lot of comfort from that.”
Morgan said this experience was a classic example of taking something bad and turning it into something good.
“I can let other parents know that I’m both a NICU mom and a NICU nurse,” she said. “I know what it’s like to have a survivor and a loss. When they hear that, there’s this sense of relief that we’ll get through this together. I want to make sure the parents, especially those who experience a loss, are advocated for.”
She also said her pursuit of nursing feels meant to be.
“I would never wish for this to have happened,” she said, “But if it hadn’t, I wouldn’t be an RN now. In high school, I just had this intuition I wanted to be a nurse, but I wasn’t sure how I would get there. This was my calling and I’m lucky to have found it.”
Share your story with us at go.ecuhealth.org/gratitude. Stories like these show the lasting impact of Maynard Children’s Hospital.