When Ophelia Hill applied for a job at ECU Health in the Medical Center cafeteria in 2009, she was looking for a stable job that could grow with her. “I was working in fast food, and my aunt and uncle both worked at ECU Health. I wanted to work where I could retire, and this job [in Food and Nutrition] was my foot in the door,” she said. “I needed to earn money and I needed stability.” Little did she know that job would lead her to a role as lead surgical tech coordinator with the East Carolina Heart Institute (ECHI) at ECU Health Medical Center.
Ophelia, a Greenville native, always knew she wanted to help people – something that matched well with her work at ECU Health. “I worked in the cafeteria for a while, but I wanted to do something different, so I applied for a job in Material Services and worked in Laundry & Linen,” she said. “I did that for 11 or 12 years, but I was also a nursing assistant and would pick up shifts from Central Staffing when they needed me.”
Ophelia found that she enjoyed the work as a nursing assistant, but there wasn’t an opportunity to work in that role full time. “I knew I wanted to do hands-on patient care,” she said.
A trip up to 4 North with a colleague solidified that goal. “One of my friends in Supply Chain often worked on 4 North and one day I went with her. I saw staff performing a bedside procedure in a patient’s room and I asked her about it,” she shared. “‘What are they doing, and how can I do that?’ I wondered. That very night I researched different careers and found the surgical technician certification program at Wilson Community College, so I applied and I got in!”
Shortly after being accepted, Ophelia discovered the certification program was transitioning to an associate’s degree. It was also about that same time when she learned about the HomeGrown program from her team leader.
The HomeGrown program supports ECU Health team members seeking a first-time degree while providing the flexibility for them to continue working at ECU Health. Seven different degree programs are eligible for the program, including surgical technology, and eligible team members can work part time while being paid full-time and maintaining their benefits. “Mr. Vandiford, my manager at the time, told me about the program and he and my team were so great about letting me adjust my hours so I could do what I needed.”
Ophelia graduated with her associate’s degree, and three years ago, she started her new job as a surgical technologist in the ECU Health SurgiCenter. She later transitioned to the ECHI, and in December, her leader suggested she apply for a lead coordinator position. She started her new role on March 9.
The new position requires Ophelia to use her skills as a surgical technician to support the team at the ECHI. “I work a late shift and cover for those who get off at 3 p.m., so I still have to scrub up,” she shared. “I also work closely with the sterile processing department (SPD) staff to create trays and instrumentation, call in orders for broken equipment and keep up with the surgical flow. Wherever they need me, that’s where I am.”
The path to this role might have been a long one, but Ophelia said she feels like it was meant to be. “It seemed like when I stepped into this role, I didn’t have obstacles and it wasn’t as hard to do the work because I love it.”
It also helps that she works with a great team. “I love the flexibility of this job, and the people I work with make it possible for me to do anything. Not everyone gets that kind of support.” She also values making a positive difference in patients’ lives. “I get to be a part of a team that increases the quality of life for each patient we see,” she said. “We all have a common goal, and that’s what gets me going.”
Ophelia isn’t quite done with her education yet, either. “In May, I will graduate from Pitt Community College with a degree in health information technology,” she shared.
None of this would have been possible without the support of her fellow team members, her leadership and ECU Health’s HomeGrown program.