Small towns, big impact.
Dr. Jay Manning embraces his role serving smaller communities. As the ECU Health Hospitalist Medical Director, Manning wears many hats. His role him uniquely positions him to both care for patients directly and influence patient care across the system.
Great Care, System-Wide
Manning has always known he wanted to work in medicine. Working in a pharmacy when he was younger, he always assumed he would end up pursuing a career in that field. During his studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, however, he became fascinated by the way a physician’s role combined the scientific aspects of medicine with the ability to care for patients on an individual level. He enjoys waking up each morning knowing his calling is a noble one: to make people feel better. A large focus of his role also involves standardizing the quality of care that patients receive system-wide. One example of that focus is evidenced in the development of a protocol in ECU Health facilities for reducing blood clots that ultimately cut the number of cases in half.
Caring for a Community
“If we can treat a patient at a community hospital, that patient is better off,” Manning says. That’s part of the reason that he continues to work diligently to deliver a high standard of care to the small, close-knit communities that he serves in eastern North Carolina. Manning also appreciates the respect shown for work-life balance—an increasingly rare thing for physicians. This enables him to pursue his passions outside of work and remain dedicated to the patients he serves. “Making world-class care available in the region,” he says, “that’s what we’re all about.”