Established in 1979, the North Carolina Governor’s Volunteer Service Award honors the true spirit of volunteerism in individuals and groups who make a significant contribution to their community through volunteer service. Individuals or groups from the public, nonprofit and private sectors may be nominated for this award. This year’s winners include one ECU Health team member, Jennifer Congleton, and two ECU Health Medical Center volunteers, Mattox Piscorik and Deborah Coleman.
Jennifer Congleton
Jennifer Congleton grew up volunteering.
“My family owned small businesses and were connected to our community. We always volunteered and gave back,” she said. “It wasn’t new to me.”
The East Carolina University (ECU) graduate said during her time in college she continued to find many ways to serve others.
“I was the ECU Women’s Residence Council president, I joined the SGA and I was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, where I started a global volunteer experience,” she said. “I had a passion for making a difference in my little part of the world.”
Jennifer initially wanted to work in health care as a nurse, but with her interest in community, she thought it would be a better fit to work in public health.
“I earned my degree in public health, and my graduate degree is in adult education with a concentration in community college systems,” she said. “I felt this bridged the gap between volunteerism and my profession, because I want to do what I can to make our community better.”
While working as the director of admissions for Beaufort County Community College in Washington, North Carolina, Jennifer saw a job listing for a coordinator of allied health education. “I hadn’t thought about working at a hospital, but they wanted someone with an undergraduate degree in public health and a master’s in adult education,” she said. “That was me.”
Jennifer now serves as the director of chaplaincy and volunteer services at the ECU Health Medical Center.
“My current role allows me to help grow volunteers and put them in places where they can find future jobs. We direct them to places where their gifts can be used,” she said. “Volunteers serve as a pipeline. We have many who come here to volunteer and end up working here. We’ve had college students volunteer and then they go to medical school and come back as physicians. Volunteering is a great way to explore jobs while giving back.”
Giving back continues to be a big part of Jennifer’s life. Before her most recent recognition, she was the 2015 Volunteer of the Year at the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge, she was elected as the 19th Mid-Atlantic Regional Director of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority for 2018 – 2022 and in 2022, she was honored with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest award for state service granted by the Office of the Governor.
Despite her past recognitions, Jennifer was surprised to learn she had won a Governor’s Volunteer Service Award.
“I had no idea I had been nominated,” she said. “I was shocked. I have been in the working world for almost 40 years, and I thought this was a great way to recognize my career. But you can’t rest on your laurels.”
Mattox Piscorik
Mattox Piscorik began his service at ECU Health as a VolunTeen, first at ECU Health Medical Center and then at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital, where he transported patients, worked in the emergency department and greeted people in the hospital lobby.
Service in health care came naturally to him; Mattox comes from a long line of health care practitioners, including his mother, an ECU Health nurse, and his two brothers, both pursuing careers in health care fields. “We are heavily involved in service in our family,” he said. “We believe in taking care of others as we want to be treated.”
After his work as a VolunTeen, and his graduation from high school this past spring, Mattox joined the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) in June as an adult volunteer.
“I stock supplies in rooms and make sure all patients and their families are comfortable. The CVICU can be a high-stress environment,” he said. “I also assist with patient transport, and I sometimes help with scanning or faxing to help the nurse manager. I have loved every minute of it.”
Work in the CVICU is even more meaningful to Mattox because his father was once a patient there after having open heart surgery. “To work with some of the same people who cared for him is super special,” he said.
The experience has also inspired Mattox to make a change in his career plans.
“I started off wanting to be an emergency department doctor,” he said. “After being a VolunTeen, I changed my plans and decided to pursue health care administration. But after working on the CVICU, I have decided I’m going to nursing school.”
Mattox is currently attending ECU in the Honors College and plans to apply for nursing school next fall. “The end goal is to get a job in the CVICU,” he shared.
Mattox said he was shocked to learn he’d won a Governor’s Volunteer Service Award.
“I was stunned when I got the email from Chad Tucker,” he said. “I was also honored and humbled to know that my years of hard work and dedication had paid off. I am driven by the belief that small acts of care can lead to big changes, and I’m eager to learn and grow in a field that truly makes an impact.”
Deborah Coleman
Deborah Coleman joined the ECU Health volunteer team with her husband’s and Jennifer Congleton’s encouragement.
“My husband was working as a volunteer before me, and he said I’d enjoy it. Jennifer also kept asking me to volunteer, and I kept telling her no,” Deborah said. “Then one day I changed my mind, and I’ve been doing it ever since. I enjoy it.”
“I met Deborah through my mother,” Jennifer shared. “When I realized Deborah was retired, I told her about the world of volunteering at the medical center and how she could make a difference. Deborah is full of compassion, and we need more like her.”
Deborah works as a patient escort, and she likes meeting different people.
“I take them to different areas of the hospital for screenings or tests, or I take them out after they’re discharged. It’s nice to meet people. Even if they’re grumpy, I tell them, ‘Today is a good day! Smile because God has blessed you to be here.’ I like to make them feel better.”
The 2024 North Carolina Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards winners include two ECU Health Medical Center volunteers, one ECU Health team member and the ECU Health Beaufort Hospital volunteer team.
Established in 1979, the award honors the true spirit of volunteerism by recognizing individuals and groups who make a significant contribution to their community through volunteer service. Individuals or groups from the public, nonprofit and private sectors may be nominated for the award.
Learn about the winners below!
ECU Health Beaufort Hospital Volunteers
The volunteers at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital were collectively recognized as NC Governor’s Volunteer Service Award winners this year. Jamie Tice, the supply chain manager at the hospital, recognized the volunteers in their summer volunteer newsletter.
“Each of you are such a blessing,” she wrote. “Your compassion, dedication and commitment to proudly serving the communities of eastern North Carolina is to be commended. Without your continued support, we could not live out our mission of improving the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina.”
Mary Hall
Mary Hall is the senior services prevention coordinator at ECU Health, and she has worked for the health system for almost 25 years. “My role at the hospital is in older adult health,” she said. “I do a lot of promotion around prevention, including with our falls prevention coalition, and I emphasize the importance of social and active engagement. This aligns with my volunteer work, too.”
Hall represents ECU Health and Pitt County on several statewide, regional and local councils and taskforces to serve the senior population, and it was her work with the Pitt-Greenville Senior Games that earned her a nomination for and recognition as a North Carolina Governor’s Volunteer Service Award winner.
“I started by volunteering at the spring Senior Games,” Hall said. “Then, I started helping out in the fall at the Senior Games state three-on-three basketball tournament held in Greenville.” Hall said she often serves as a scorekeeper or time clock keeper, but eventually she was named a volunteer coordinator for the event. “I oversee the other volunteers who come to the tournament. I make sure they know where to go and what they’re doing, because these games can be very chaotic.”
Hall said she was inspired to volunteer because it’s a way to promote what she preaches at work. “When you retire, you can’t just sit. You need to do something to keep the mind and body moving. Some of the seniors played sports in high school or college, and they have continued that through their lives, but there is also the silver arts piece, where people do ceramics, painting, poetry or carpentry. Everyone has an opportunity to participate in the Senior Games, even if they aren’t athletic.”
As importantly, participants get the chance to meet and make friends with other people their age. “It’s about the fellowship and the fun. That’s important as we age.” Hall also enjoys working with students and younger people. “Many volunteers are students, and it’s fun to see them realize that these older people have a lot of life to live.”
While she’s honored to have won the award, Hall said that’s not why she volunteers. “Volunteering is an obligation we as citizens have to give back to our communities,” she said. “Older adults are my community, and people can get a great sense of satisfaction when they give their time, expertise or even a shoulder to cry on. It builds a sense of purpose.”
Emmanuel Bryant
Emmanuel Bryant has volunteering in his blood. “My mom founded a nonprofit in Durham to prevent teenage drug and alcohol abuse, and she was a founding board member of the IDYL Charter School,” he said. “I grew up volunteering and I believe it’s important to give back to the community.” The Durham native also grew up knowing he wanted to work in health care, but his plans shifted from wanting to be a doctor to pursuing a career as a physician assistant (PA) after attending a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill medical school program for high school students.
“It was a nine-week program with different people sharing information about the various specialties and aspects of medicine,” he said. “During the program, someone talked about PAs. That got me interested.”
Bryant attended ECU to get his bachelor’s degree in public health with a pre-health concentration. He graduated in 2023, and he needed a certain number of volunteer hours to apply to PA school. “I did research with the Brody School of Medicine and worked in home health with children with autism,” he said. Then a friend of his suggested he look into volunteering at the ECU Health Medical Center. “I worked in patient transport and some in outpatient rehabilitation,” he said. “I had great mentors, including Emmett (Floyd) – he’s an awesome guy and he showed me a lot of things. It was an experience I think of fondly.”
During his time helping with rehabilitation, Bryant said he got to work alongside Shane Whitley, a PTA, and learn about therapeutic interventions. “I learned about breaking up scar tissue and stress tests. It was one of my favorite areas to work.” He also worked in the Cancer Center, where he saw many patients ring the bell to signify their last cancer treatment. “It was such an emotional experience, and the nurses there are elite in their skills.”
His experience as a volunteer has set the stage for success in his pursuit of being a PA. “It has helped me get comfortable with patients, so as a provider I can work with them. Everyone is different and all come from different backgrounds,” he said. “Exposure to these differences is the best way to combat discrimination, and it helps us know we’re all human.” The work also helped Bryant better understand how hospitals work and how to collaborate with different professionals and personalities. Best of all, Bryant said he felt blessed give back to a community that has given him. “I felt like it was my duty to give back,” he said. “Without ECU and Greenville, I wouldn’t be at PA school. I’m truly honored to win this award.”
Dr. Emmett Floyd
A native of Virginia, Dr. Emmett Floyd moved to North Carolina to attend Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College) in Wilson, North Carolina. After graduation, he was a teacher and a coach until he was drafted into the army in 1967. Upon the completion of his service, he returned to work as an educator and coach until he decided to pursue his master’s degree in educational leadership at East Carolina University (ECU). “[After graduation], I was a principal for four years, then a school superintendent for 15 years, after which I joined the faculty at ECU in the College of Education,” he said. Although he “retired” in 1998, he still worked for the College until 2010, when he became the executive director of the ECU Pirate Club. “After four years doing that, I finally retired for good at age 69,” he said. “From then on, I did volunteer work.”
That volunteer work included serving as vice chairman of the local Chamber of Commerce, which he has done for 10 years. A chat with a fellow ECU colleague – and a previous NC Governor’s Volunteer Service Award winner – Frank Crawley, inspired him to look into volunteer work at the ECU Health Medical Center. “There’s a few of us who all know each other from ECU, and they were all working the Tuesday morning shift. So, I joined that group in 2020,” he said.
Dr. Floyd works as a patient escort, helping patients get to where they need to go. “I pick them up and take them to endoscopy or GI or up to their hospital rooms. And there’s not a day I don’t get a thank you from them. Those thank yous are the salary,” he said.
Dr. Floyd also likes the camaraderie of working with his fellow volunteers. “We have a lot of students who come in during the summers, and they sit and listen to old men talk about things, and then we get them to share about themselves. I look forward to it every week.”
While he was surprised to learn he won the volunteer award, Dr. Floyd is appreciative and humble. “It’s not about me,” he said. “I’m just one who represents the 300 or more members of our team.” He also said he is happy to be able to give back to the community. “We’ve lived in Greenville for 35 years, and we’ve benefitted from our time here,” he said. “I feel like you should give back, and volunteer work is one way to do that.” Those who volunteer for ECU Health, he said, find their own way to use their skill sets to help others. “I met a woman who rocks babies in the NICU,” he said. “What a great thing for her to do. That’s her gift and how she gives back. No matter what your skill set, there is something you can do to help.”
All winners were recognized at their local county commissioners’ meetings this past summer. Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all of the volunteers and team members who serve eastern North Carolina at ECU Health. To learn more about the NC Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service, to nominate a volunteer or to see the full list of the 2024 winners, visit this site.
Resources
The 2024 North Carolina Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards winners include two ECU Health Medical Center volunteers, one ECU Health team member and the ECU Health Beaufort Hospital volunteer team. Established in 1979, the award honors the true spirit of volunteerism by recognizing individuals and groups who make a significant contribution to their community through volunteer service. Individuals or groups from the public, nonprofit and private sectors may be nominated for this award.
Emmanuel Bryant
Emmanuel Bryant has volunteering in his blood. “My mom founded a nonprofit in Durham to prevent teenage drug and alcohol abuse, and she was a founding board member of the IDYL Charter School,” he said. “I grew up volunteering and I believe it’s important to give back to the community.” The Durham native also grew up knowing he wanted to work in health care, but his plans shifted from wanting to be a doctor to pursuing a career as a physician assistant (PA) after attending a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill medical school program for high school students.
“It was a nine-week program with different people sharing information about the various specialties and aspects of medicine,” he said. “During the program, someone talked about PAs. That got me interested.”
Bryant attended ECU to get his bachelor’s degree in public health with a pre-health concentration. He graduated in 2023, and he needed a certain number of volunteer hours to apply to PA school. “I did research with the Brody School of Medicine and worked in home health with children with autism,” he said. Then a friend of his suggested he look into volunteering at the ECU Health Medical Center. “I worked in patient transport and some in outpatient rehabilitation,” he said. “I had great mentors, including Emmett (Floyd) – he’s an awesome guy and he showed me a lot of things. It was an experience I think of fondly.”
During his time helping with rehabilitation, Bryant said he got to work alongside Shane Whitley, a PTA, and learn about therapeutic interventions. “I learned about breaking up scar tissue and stress tests. It was one of my favorite areas to work.” He also worked in the Cancer Center, where he saw many patients ring the bell to signify their last cancer treatment. “It was such an emotional experience, and the nurses there are elite in their skills.”
His experience as a volunteer has set the stage for success in his pursuit of being a PA. “It has helped me get comfortable with patients, so as a provider I can work with them. Everyone is different and all come from different backgrounds,” he said. “Exposure to these differences is the best way to combat discrimination, and it helps us know we’re all human.” The work also helped Bryant better understand how hospitals work and how to collaborate with different professionals and personalities. Best of all, Bryant said he felt blessed give back to a community that has given him. “I felt like it was my duty to give back,” he said. “Without ECU and Greenville, I wouldn’t be at PA school. I’m truly honored to win this award.”
Dr. Emmett Floyd
A native of Virginia, Dr. Emmett Floyd moved to North Carolina to attend Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College) in Wilson, North Carolina. After graduation, he was a teacher and a coach until he was drafted into the army in 1967. Upon the completion of his service, he returned to work as an educator and coach until he decided to pursue his master’s degree in educational leadership at East Carolina University (ECU). “[After graduation], I was a principal for four years, then a school superintendent for 15 years, after which I joined the faculty at ECU in the College of Education,” he said. Although he “retired” in 1998, he still worked for the College until 2010, when he became the executive director of the ECU Pirate Club. “After four years doing that, I finally retired for good at age 69,” he said. “From then on, I did volunteer work.”
That volunteer work included serving as vice chairman of the local Chamber of Commerce, which he has done for 10 years. A chat with a fellow ECU colleague – and a previous NC Governor’s Volunteer Service Award winner – Frank Crawley, inspired him to look into volunteer work at the ECU Health Medical Center. “There’s a few of us who all know each other from ECU, and they were all working the Tuesday morning shift. So, I joined that group in 2020,” he said.
Dr. Floyd works as a patient escort, helping patients get to where they need to go. “I pick them up and take them to endoscopy or GI or up to their hospital rooms. And there’s not a day I don’t get a thank you from them. Those thank yous are the salary,” he said.
Dr. Floyd also likes the camaraderie of working with his fellow volunteers. “We have a lot of students who come in during the summers, and they sit and listen to old men talk about things, and then we get them to share about themselves. I look forward to it every week.”
While he was surprised to learn he won the volunteer award, Dr. Floyd is appreciative and humble. “It’s not about me,” he said. “I’m just one who represents the 300 or more members of our team.” He also said he is happy to be able to give back to the community. “We’ve lived in Greenville for 35 years, and we’ve benefitted from our time here,” he said. “I feel like you should give back, and volunteer work is one way to do that.” Those who volunteer for ECU Health, he said, find their own way to use their skill sets to help others. “I met a woman who rocks babies in the NICU,” he said. “What a great thing for her to do. That’s her gift and how she gives back. No matter what your skill set, there is something you can do to help.”
All winners were recognized at their local county commissioners’ meetings this past summer. Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all of the volunteers and team members who serve eastern North Carolina at ECU Health. To learn more about the NC Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service, to nominate a volunteer or to see the full list of the 2024 winners, visit this site.
Resources
The ECU Health Volunteen Summer Program is designed to teach students ages 15 to 17 the value of community service and to provide experiences that foster growth and maturity. The program also provides an opportunity for the students to learn about and explore health care careers. Mattox Piscorik, a senior this year at D. H. Conley High School in Greenville, and Abigail Williford, a junior at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, have both served as Volunteens at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital, a place where they enjoyed working in a small, family-like community.
Mattox Piscorik
For Mattox Piscorik, ECU Health is a family affair. His entire family works in health care in some way, making it natural for him to also choose a career path in the field.
“My mom’s a nurse at ECU Health, my sister-in-law is a cardiovascular sonographer, my brother is an ECU dental school student, and my other brother is in pharmaceuticals,” he laughed. “I even recruited my grandmother to be a NICU volunteer. I grew up in health care and I love it.”
His brothers also both served in the ECU Health Volunteens program, which sparked Mattox’s interest in volunteering at the hospital when he got old enough to do so. He began at the ECU Health Medical Center, but this past summer he spent time at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital. That’s where he got the idea to pursue a career as a hospital administrator. “I thought I wanted to be an emergency department (ED) doctor,” Mattox explained. “But after starting the Volunteens program and talking to Dr. [Dennis] Campbell (president of ECU Health Beaufort Hospital) this past summer, I fell in love right then and there with health care administration. I want to work at ECU Health and give back to the families in need in eastern North Carolina.”
While Mattox enjoyed his experience volunteering at the ECU Health Medical Center, which offered many opportunities to learn, he said he especially enjoyed the small community setting at Beaufort. “Everyone knows everyone, and you get to know the patients and their families. I wanted to make a strong connection and impact that community,” he said.
While at Beaufort, Mattox said he worked in the ambulatory surgery unit (ASU) taking patients to pre-op and then back to their cars after surgery. He also worked in the hospital lobby greeting patients and families and helping them find where they needed to go. “I also shadowed an ED doctor, and it was so awesome to see exactly what nurses, physician assistants, doctors and the others do in that setting,” he said.
This type of work is extremely gratifying, said Mattox, especially considering he’s seen the hospital from a patient’s family member perspective. “My dad had a couple of cardiac events and was in the hospital,” he said. “I got to see things from that side, and it showed me that these families need someone to show them compassion.”
That patient and family interaction is what Mattox enjoys the most. “You don’t know what they’re going through, and just being able to put a smile on their face and give them someone to lean on means a lot. Everyone comes together at the Medical Center and Beaufort, and it’s a team effort to provide care for eastern North Carolina. This includes the volunteers, and it means I can make an impact.”
Abigail Williford
Abigail Williford is a Chocowinity native who plans to attend medical school. She’s known for much of her life that she wanted to work in health care, in part because of her own experience as a patient at the ECU Health Medical Center. “I was born 10 weeks early and was in the NICU,” she shared. “Every year we go to Greenville and take the NICU a cake and a card to show our appreciation for them and what they do.” Her specific area of interest has evolved over time, from a neonatologist to a surgeon; but whatever she chooses, Abigail said it’s always medicine and she wants to give back.
That’s why being a Volunteen at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital made sense. “My mom heard about the program and she told me about it. I thought it sounded interesting and have been doing it for two years now.” Abigail opted to serve at Beaufort Hospital. “It’s smaller and that was better for me starting out,” she said. “Starting in a smaller community lets you get your bearings, and I plan to go back next year.”
Abigail said it’s the people that keep her coming back. “Everyone is so nice. You’re welcomed there, and everyone is willing to give you opportunities to help and learn.” Some of the services Abigail has provided include taking phone calls, delivering meals and flowers, working the front desk and signing people in, running wheelchairs to various parts of the hospital, helping in the ASU and directing people to where they need to go. “It’s cool to hear the patients and families tell their stories. I try to bring joy to their lives and it’s great to see their happy faces.” She also had the chance to observe a few surgical procedures, and some of her time volunteering in cardiac rehabilitation gave her the chance to see patients work hard to recover.
This experience has taught her that you never know what people are going through. “You might look at someone and wonder why they are so upset, but then you realize they have something serious going on. You have a choice to be a light in their day.”
Angelina Brittle, the manager of volunteer services at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital, sees the Volunteen program as a great way for teens to connect with their community while gaining valuable skills. “The Volunteen program provides a meaningful opportunity for students to experience the health care environment firsthand,” she said. “At ECU Health Beaufort, we see incredible value in offering these experiences, not only to help teens explore potential career paths, but also to foster personal growth, teamwork and a spirit of giving back. Volunteering in a health care setting allows them to connect with their community in a unique way, leaving a lasting impact on both the teens and those they serve.”
The process to apply to be a Volunteen is easy, and both Mattox and Abigail encourage any students interested in working in a hospital setting to apply. Applications for the 2025 program, which runs from mid-June to the beginning of August, open in January 2025, and students can volunteer at ECU Health Medical Center, Beaufort, Duplin or Edgecombe. Due to an increased interest in the program, applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as the application opens. To learn more about the Volunteen program and to apply online in January 2025, visit ecuhealth.org/volunteers/#Beaufort or email Angelina Brittle at [email protected].
Eastern North Carolinians know all too well the devastation that accompanies major hurricanes. When Hurricane Helene hit our neighbors to the west, ECU Health and Eastern Healthcare Preparedness Coalition (EHPC) team members did not hesitate to answer the call. Since Friday, these specialized team members have been providing ongoing support to hospitals and health care facilities as they work to ensure patients can be safely cared for in the fallout of the catastrophic storm.
“Our folks are great. As soon as this happened, our disaster preparedness group started putting together what we have, how can we help and how we can get there,” said ECU Health Chief Operating Officer Brian Floyd. “One of the things I love about ECU Health is we are filled with people who just care. I could not be more proud of the collective response from our team members, including those who went as part of our organizational response, and those who are helping donate to recovery efforts.”
Across western North Carolina, more than 20 hospitals were impacted by the storm and thousands of people left devastated. Some are without water and power and others are in various phases of assessment and stabilizing operations. Beyond facility issues, hazards rendered the roads dangerous and, in some cases, unable to be used at all.
Through our EHPC, ECU Health is closely aligned with NC Emergency Management for daily coordination of hospital and patient care needs. In one example, the team directly supported the evacuation of 23 residents in a care facility and help relocated the individuals to a safer location using the Medical Ambulance Bus.
Stephanie Seals, disaster services specialist with EHPC, was among the first group of team members to deploy to western North Carolina. Within 24 hours, the team “pre-deployed” to the area carrying supplies, the ambulance bus and experts to help. The ECU Health team was among the first to arrive in the region in the early hours after the storm moved through.
Shortly after she arrived on-site in western North Carolina, Seals was tasked with an important job by the state: directing the Statewide Patient Coordination Team support cell. This support cell – which is vitally important given the outages impacting connectivity at hospitals and health care facilities – brings all transfer centers together to help expedite critical care transports out of the western part of the state and to safer locations.
Many transfers from impacted hospitals to new locations have required assistance from the Statewide Patient Coordination Team support cell. This process involves assessing patient needs, working to find capacity at a new facility and helping to arrange critical care transport.
“It’s hard to overstate the importance of this work, especially during a disaster that impacts critical communication services that care teams and patients rely on,” said Seals. “It takes tremendous coordination to ensure we can get patients safely transferred to a facility that has availability to care for them. In some cases, we’re receiving phone calls from people huddled in the corner of the hospitals because that’s the only place they can get service for a few moments. From there, we take that information to help arrange the necessary transport services.”
Should patients need to be transferred as far east as ECU Health, the system stands ready to serve patients and families from western North Carolina. In the meantime, as recovery efforts continue, ECU Health and EHPC are continuing to do their part to support those impacted by the devastation of the storm in whatever way they can.
“ECU Health is deeply involved and fully aware of what’s going on and is staying connected in the work, and we need to remember this is not a short-term turnaround,” said Floyd. “This issue is going to take a long time for them to get to some form of stability. But we’re here to help and committed to doing what we can to support those impacted.”
Each summer, teenagers from across eastern North Carolina dedicate a portion of their summer to serve their community at ECU Health hospitals across the region.
The VolunTeen Program is designed to teach students ages 15-17 the value of community service and to provide experiences that foster growth and maturity. The program runs from June to August and volunteers serve at least one shift per week at the hospital.
At ECU Health Medical Center, 122 teens completed 4,717 hours of service across 39 departments this summer. Sara Tingen, volunteer services coordinator at ECU Health Medical Center, said this year was very successful and they hosted their largest group of VolunTeens since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the volunteers serve in many roles across the hospital, Tingen said patient transporting from one area of the hospital to another is one of the most important tasks.
“The (ECU Health) Cancer Center alone can see 400 people in one day,” Tingen said. “That’s a lot of time it would take for a nurse or other team members to transport a patient, they rely heavily on our transport volunteers. They can just pick up the phone, say, ‘Hey, I need this person to go here to there.’ And it’s done, they can move on to caring for their next patient. We’re proud to be a smiling face and someone patients can connect with while we help them get around.”
Emily Anthony recently finished her third summer in the VolunTeen Program, where she spent her time escorting patients, assisting the Volunteer Services team on projects and serving as a leader for other VolunTeens.
She said her favorite part of the VolunTeen Program is talking to patients and team members while also making connections with her fellow VolunTeens. Emily is entering her senior year of high school and wants to pursue health care.
“It’s really great to get experience in health care, because I want to do something in health care, maybe a nurse,” she said. “The first summer, I just thought it would be a good experience to do the VolunTeen Program but I just loved working in the hospital. I worked in a unit the first summer with all the nurses and I just loved it.”
Christopher Latimer is entering his sophomore year of high school and said he had a great experience in his first year as a VolunTeen. He’s already decided he’ll join again next summer.
He said he’s had an interest in nursing and getting first-hand experience working alongside nurses has helped him understand the day-to-day work of a nurse in a hospital setting.
“I was on 2 South most of the time and I worked in the Cancer Center as well,” Christopher said. “They were both good experiences. I was going around, asking patients questions and seeing if I could help them in any way. I helped the care partners, seeing if I could help out the nurses with anything, really. I’m thinking about nursing and I’m going to also try and do different areas the next time I VolunTeen to see more and just kind of see my options in health care.”
Chad Tucker, director of Volunteer Services at ECU Health Medical Center, said Christopher’s experience is exactly what the program hopes to give back to the local students who are spending their time serving their community.
“This program is an investment in our future,” Tucker said. “A lot of these students are going into college and they get a chance to see the hospital first hand. It’s so rewarding when you see former VolunTeens who are in medical school, or they’re nurses here, they’re respiratory therapists, they are in various capacities and they attribute part of their foundation to the VolunTeen Program. These young people are able to help team members and the patients we serve, but it also gives them help in their careers.”
The program also offers Leadership Sessions for VolunTeens, which gives them a chance to see unique areas of the health system and opportunities for skill development. In one session, the group visited the EastCare helipad, learned about the team, got to look around the inside of a helicopter and even saw a landing.
In another session, the Human Resources and Workforce Development team worked on resume building and shared interview tips with the VolunTeens.
“We have quite a few seniors who are coming up on college applications so if they’re interviewing for jobs or interviewing for scholarships, it just gives them a good perspective on how to navigate possibly their first interview as a young adult,” Tingen said.
We’re proud to support the VolunTeen Program at ECU Health Medical Center and select ECU Health Community Hospitals and we’re grateful for the teen who step up each summer to help us serve eastern North Carolina.
To learn more about the VolunTeen Program and other volunteer opportunities at ECU Health, visit ECUHealth.org/Volunteers.