Haley Behm was completing one of her first rotations in the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University at an outpatient clinic when Cleve Smith showed up for a routine check-up with his father, Emmett Smith. Cleve, a wheelchair user, has seen his fair share of medical students come through the clinic throughout his visits over the years but this was his first time working with Behm.
As a medical student with limited patient interactions, Behm was nervous about how she would connect with one of her first real patients, let alone her first patient with a disability. But when she met a lighthearted, humorous father-son duo in the patient room, she felt a little more at-ease.
“I was running through a depression and anxiety screening, and I got to a question where it asked ‘Have you ever been so restless you couldn’t sit still?’” Behm recalled. “I felt so bad even having to ask him that question.”
A question that Behm initially dreaded having to ask turned in to the start of a punchline for Cleve and Emmett, and it’s one they’ve practiced more than once.
“Haley has been really sweet, and I haven’t forgotten her since the first time we met,” said Cleve. “I could see that question really bothered her because I laughed and she didn’t immediately. So I wanted to assure her everything was fine.”
Added Emmett, “Through the years we have met many medical students at the clinic, and the one I remember is Haley. She had such a kind, caring demeanor. She really cared about Cleve’s feelings and what she could do to help him.”
Behm’s connection with the Smiths was just one of the powerful stories shared at ECU Health and Brody’s fifth annual Legacy Teachers Celebration on April 5. At the Legacy Teachers Celebration, third-year medical students share their experiences in the forms of short stories, poems or videos that honors patients who taught them valuable lessons – the type that can’t be learned in the classroom but can last a lifetime. The event also provides an opportunity for students to reunite with their Legacy Teachers and honor the special connection.
“The stories we hear at the Legacy Teachers Celebration are really emblematic of the types of experiences our students have here at the Brody School of Medicine and ECU Health,” said Dr. Jason Higginson, executive dean, Brody. “Medical students learn so much important information in the classroom and on clinical rotations, but sometimes the most impactful lessons they learn come from those they have the honor of caring for. It’s so gratifying to see our students reconnect with the patients who left a lasting impact on their journey toward becoming a physician.”
For Behm, her experience with the Cleve and Emmett gave her a different perspective on her role as a patient advocate, especially for patients with disabilities who may face difficulties accessing the care they need.
“Patients with disabilities have various accessibility needs, which may not be evident before a visit. It is important to be flexible and modify plans, exams and surroundings,” said Behm.
In total, 22 medical students shared their stories at the Legacy Teachers Celebration, which featured gift baskets, a photo station, lapel pins and remarks from ECU Health and Brody leaders – all designed to create a memorable experience for students and their legacy teachers.
Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO of ECU Health and dean of Brody, provided remarks at the celebration along with Dr. Higginson. Like the students, they shared their deeply personal stories of important lessons they learned as students.
The speakers shared common themes around the importance of positive, trusting relationships between patients and care teams.
“The relationship between a physician and a patient is a sacred one,” said Dr. Waldrum. “Each patient we interact with provides us an opportunity to reflect on who we are and why we do what we do. For these medical students, who are driven by their passion to make a lasting difference in the lives of others, this event provides them with an opportunity to reflect on the legacy teacher that made a difference in their educational experience.”
While Cleve, Behm and Emmett were able to reunite at Legacy Teachers and share their story and learn of other stories, Behm expressed how important the Legacy Teachers Celebration is to reflect on the lessons learned from patients.
“The biggest part of Legacy Teachers is I have something to learn from all of my patients,” Behm said. “And some make the lessons easier than others.”
The clinical simulation center at East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine is usually peopled with fresh-faced students in scrubs and running shoes with tousled college-kid hair.
During the first week of the fall 2023 semester, however, the trainees in the school’s simulation center wore T-shirts with state trooper logos and utility belts on their hips.
On Aug. 23, the Brody simulation center welcomed more than 40 members of North Carolina’s law enforcement and first responder community to refresh their medical skills ranging from how to treat burns and heart attacks to the basics of assisting in an unplanned birth on the side of the highway.
Sean Johnson is North Carolina’s State Highway Patrol (SHP) director of training and manages more than 1,700 state troopers who need medical refresher training annually to stay qualified for their positions. Johnson, who worked the road for years before assuming his new role, knows from first-hand experience that being proficient in basic emergency medical response as a law enforcement officer is crucial because a car accident or other catastrophe could literally be just around the corner.
The highway patrol’s medical director — a doctor who oversees nine state government agencies including the Office of the State Fire Marshal, State Bureau of Investigation and Wildlife Resources Commission — has statewide jurisdiction to render medical care, making the SHP unique among first responders in North Carolina.
Johnson said that one of his urgent concerns is making sure that troopers are able to provide medical care before EMS workers arrive because of the uptick in the number of assaults on law enforcement officers in recent years, which might result in troopers rendering aid to those who tried to assault them. About a month ago, Johnson said, a law enforcement officer stopped to help a motorist change a tire and was shot by a career criminal.
“His vest saved him; He shot him with a .44 Magnum. But as soon as the trooper shot the suspect, he transitioned into patient care and tried to treat the guy. That’s the way we train them,” Johnson said.
The more common occurrences of vehicle accidents can be no less stressful and could require a Swiss army knife of medical response skills on a daily basis.
“You could go around a curve and there is a car wrapped around a tree and 911 has not even been activated so you’re talking about 10 to 15 minutes of waiting or treating somebody by yourself until higher level care gets there,” Johnson said. “Keeping these folks trained with the ability to deliver patient care is very important and we’re trying to grow our system.”
Johnson said one of the skills that annual training, like his troopers received at Brody, has improved upon is helping law enforcement to distinguish between a person who is experiencing a medical emergency, like a stroke or medicine imbalance, rather than being impaired behind the wheel.
“Troopers may stop somebody they think is drunk when they’re having a diabetic emergency or won’t respond, they may be having a complex partial seizure,” Johnson said. “Training in a controlled environment, where feedback can be given, is a game changer for public safety.
“The community is very appreciative when they get to see a side of a trooper that they’re not expecting. This is definitely beneficial to everybody.”
Value of training
Joe Bright Jr. spent most of his career with the State Highway Patrol protecting the N.C. State football team and its coach, but he bleeds purple and gold. He was an outside linebacker for the ECU football team in the run up to the Peach Bowl win in 1992 and after graduation was hired to provide security at the Brody School of Medicine while he completed law enforcement training. After a year with the ECU Police Department he moved to Raleigh and started working as a state trooper.
Bright said the training he received prepared him for the few instances where he was called upon to provide medical aid in uniform, but as a public servant his responsibility to the public didn’t end when he took his uniform off.
“Ask my wife. When I’m at Walmart or on the side of the road, just knowing what to do when someone has a medical emergency is important,” Bright said. “I use these skills for my safety team at church. Anytime we learn as officers and first responders the best thing for us to do is share that knowledge.”
Rebecca Gilbird, administrative director of Brody’s clinical simulation program, said the school has been working for several years to partner with the highway patrol to get troopers into the school for refresher medical training. The training is a public service that meet’s Brody’s mission of caring for the people of eastern North Carolina.
Brody’s simulation program is usually booked a year in advance because it primarily exists to train ECU medical and allied health students, medical residents and hospital staff, so getting a free day to accommodate law enforcement and first responder training is a rare luxury, Gilbird said.
“We started working with the state highway patrol last November; that’s how long we’ve had this on our calendar. We reserved the date and they’re coming back in November to do another round,” Gilbird said.
Benefit for the state
Lee Kennedy works for the Office of the State Fire Marshal. For his day job he assesses response capabilities of fire departments across a broad swath of southeastern North Carolina. He is often deployed to support state agencies during hurricanes and other natural disasters. In his spare time, Kennedy volunteers as a fire chief in Faison.
“In my six years working for the state I’ve had it a couple of times where we’ve ended up having somebody get too hot or somebody having chest pains,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy said the dynamic mannequins used in medical training scenarios at Brody — the ones that respond to questions and present trainees with true vital signs — makes training more realistic and valuable to law enforcement and other state workers.
“Normally it’s just talking through situations or treating a mannequin that doesn’t respond so that was actually pretty cool,” Kennedy said.
Bright, the state trooper who finished his career as the first sergeant of the SHP Training Academy, said that while it’s not the primary responsibility of law enforcement to provide first aid in the field, the confidence that comes from keeping basic skills refreshed is invaluable, particularly in rural areas of the state.
“Some officers may be the first one on the scene and knowing what to do for someone who needs medical attention makes us feel that much more confident in our work,” Bright said.
Kimberly Farmer is relatively new to the highway patrol, having worked more than three years in Harnett County where she grew up, but has been an EMT for more than seven years. While the county is fairly rural, Farmer said, first responders usually make it to incidents that require medical intervention before she does. However, being trained and having periodic refresher training like the kind she received in Brody’s simulation center, gives her confidence to know how to care for those in dire medical circumstances.
“We’ve gone through a ton of scenarios in the short time that we’ve been here this morning. We really hadn’t been able to do this in the past couple of years which COVID played a large part in,” Farmer said.
Gilbird, the simulation center director, takes pride in helping members of another state agency be ready to care for those in need.
“It makes me feel good that we have trained personnel out there. If I get in a wreck or my parents get in a wreck — we’ve trained them,” Gilbird said.
On the afternoon of Monday, April 8, the skies over eastern North Carolina will offer a spectacular sight: a solar eclipse. However, ECU Health ophthalmologist Dr. Ann Ostrovsky emphasizes a crucial caution: never gaze directly at the eclipse without proper eye protection. Doing so risks severe and potentially irreversible damage to your vision and eyesight, even leading to blindness.
A solar eclipse happens when the moon blocks the sun from view over a period of a couple of hours.
According to Dr. Ostrovsky, looking directly at the sun during the eclipse can cause a burn to the retina, even after a few seconds. This damage can cause a range of vision impairments including color distortion and reduced clarity. This risk extends to viewing the sun through any optical aid such as camera lenses, telescopes or binoculars.
“The consequences of retina damage from direct eclipse viewing are often permanent, with symptoms appearing within a 24 hours,” said Dr. Ostrovsky.
However, there are safe methods to watch the eclipse. Specialized eclipse glasses or pinhole cameras provide effective protection. It’s important to note that eclipse glasses differ significantly from standard sunglasses.
Dr. Ostrovsky stresses the importance of using proper eclipse viewing equipment.
“Ensure you have certified solar eclipse glasses with the appropriate grading, and always inspect them for any signs of damage or wear before use,” said Dr. Ostrovsky.
Should you suspect any optical damage following the eclipse, immediately contact your eye care provider.
While the solar eclipse promises a memorable sight, remember to protect your eyesight should remain the foremost priority during this awe-inspiring event.
Pediatric patients at the Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center had an opportunity to get outside in beautiful spring weather and have a little fun with their care teams during a Jell-O toss event on Tuesday, April 2.
With doctors, nurses, therapists and more Maynard team members lined up in chairs, patients dipped their hands into bowls of Jell-O and tossed the snack onto their care teams.
For patients, it was an opportunity to get out of their rooms, see their providers in a new way and relieve some stress.
One parent, Jillian Berntsen, said the opportunity was invaluable for her daughter Ella. While she was hesitant about participating at first, her care team encouraged her to join the event. Jillian said her daughter was glad she attended – even if she was covered in Jell-O by the end.
“This is incredibly important. For children like Ella who have long stays here in the hospital, it’s really important to get the outside and thinking about something other than their diagnosis so that they can have those moments being a child again,” Jillian said. “She’s just 13 years old so being stuck in a hospital room for most of her day can be tough. Things like this that get her smiling, laughing and around others are really important.”
Ella Berntsen was diagnosed with leukemia in November and recently had an infection which led to eight surgeries. Her mother, Jillian, said the care teams at Maynard Children’s Hospital have been a difference-maker for her daughter and the connection she has to the care team is special.
“We feel so supported by all of the staff here, I can’t compare them with anything,” Jillian said. “The relationships and bonds we have formed with these people throughout this short period of time have been unbelievable – they’re like family to us. Ella has been through an incredible struggle, for me there has been a lot of doubt. To have these moments of happiness, it’s just really important.”
The Eastern Healthcare Preparedness Coalition (EHPC) recently hosted a regional chemical and radiological tabletop exercise at the ECU Health Monroe Center with local and state partners, including those from hospitals, EMS, EastCare, public health, emergency management, hazmat teams from the Williamston Regional Response Team, and specialists from the 42nd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team.
The tabletop exercise – intended to help ensure joint response coordination in response to a large-scale chemical or radiological event – included a brief training session followed by a plausible scenario that led to discussion of possible outcomes and discovery of gaps in preparedness planning.
Following the exercise, an after-action plan will be developed, followed by measures to ensure areas of opportunity are addressed.
The goal, according to event organizers, is to ensure all agencies are best prepared to serve the community.
“The tabletop was a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with partners and learn more about regional capabilities available to respond to a radiological incident,” said Christa Radford, Industrial Hygiene Consultant – Eastern Region at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Preparedness and Response. “EHPC did a great job planning this exercise and bringing the correct response partners together for an extremely successful event.”
EHPC is a multidisciplinary team of medical and nonmedical professionals, established to provide mobile medical support for short and long term disasters or catastrophic events in eastern North Carolina. Roles in which the EHPC can provide support include set up and provision of a mobile field treatment facility, regional and state logistics support, and community alternate care site support.
As the leading health care provider in eastern North Carolina, ECU Health supports EHPC’s mission, in close partnership with other regional and statewide emergency response partners. These partnerships are essential to helping ensure communities across the East have access to high-quality resources and health care, particularly in the event of a disaster situation.
“I feel this exercise was crucial for our disaster preparedness and response,” said Nat Gladding, manager of Hospital Operations at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital. “It helped us assess our readiness, opportunities, and improve coordination between emergency response agencies. The exercise simulated a real-life scenario, allowing agencies the opportunity to practice their regional response to a disaster of this nature. Participation in disaster drills and exercises promote enhancement of our response for the communities of eastern North Carolina.”
![Pictured Tess Judge, Outer Banks Health board chair, Lynne Miles, FACHE, administrator of regional operations, Walter Holton, MD [retired], Barbara Holton, and Ronnie Sloan, FACHE, president.](https://www.ecuhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Manteo_Primary_Care_Groundbreaking_Expansion-900x600-1.jpg)
Manteo, NC – March 21, 2024 – Outer Banks Health celebrated a significant milestone on March 19 as it broke ground for the expansion of its Family Medicine practice in Manteo. The groundbreaking ceremony was a momentous occasion coinciding with the 22nd anniversary of the opening of The Outer Banks Health Hospital on March 19, 2002.
The expansion project aims to double the size of the existing building, creating a 7,500-square-foot facility dedicated to providing primary care services to the community. With more than 16,000 primary care patients currently served by Outer Banks Health, the Manteo practice stands as the second largest in Dare County, with 3,600 patients, second only to the organization’s primary care practice in Kitty Hawk.
Ronnie Sloan, FACHE, president of Outer Banks Health, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to enhance health care services in Dare County, stating, “We have been fortunate enough over the last year and a half or so to recruit six additional providers to Dare County for primary care.”
Sloan also highlighted the visionary leadership of Walter Holton, MD, one of the first full-time physicians in Dare County.
“You know, at the end of the day, we couldn’t do any of this without this man here, this physician, Dr. Holton, who came here in 1974 and worked here for 40-plus years and then turned over the reins,” Sloan said. “He had this vision himself. I’ve seen it on paper, to expand this clinic one day.”
The new building’s entrance will face the highway, and is being built to enhance accessibility for individuals with physical disabilities, a crucial aspect of Outer Banks Health’s dedication to ensuring access to care for all members of the community.
Outer Banks Health remains steadfast in its commitment to the community. The expansion of the Family Medicine practice in Manteo along with the recent opening of the state-of-the-art Cowell Cancer Center, reflects Outer Banks Health’s ongoing commitment to advancing health care delivery and meeting the evolving needs of the residents and visitors of Dare County and the surrounding region.
For more information about Outer Banks Health and its services, please visit www.outerbankshealth.org. To find a primary care provider, call the Primary Care Access line at 252-449-4540.
The VAD (Ventricular Assist Device) program at ECU Health Medical Center has recently undergone its fourth successful Joint Commission survey, receiving exceptional praise.
As the largest health care accrediting body in the nation, the Joint Commission emphasizes patient safety and quality of care. The Joint Commission surveys the program’s compliance every two years with more than 40 standards organized into six different chapters in the disease-specific care manual.
ECU Health Medical Center’s VAD program is led by a team committed to providing cutting-edge care for patients relying on ventricular assist devices. A ventricular assist device is a surgically implanted device that helps in the functioning of the heart‘s pumping mechanism. At the Medical Center, VAD patients are often cared for in the following specialized units: CVICU, CIU, CICU, ED and Medical Rehab.
The surveyors highlighted the VAD program’s holistic approach to patient care, acknowledging the dedication of the multidisciplinary team.
“The survey holds our VAD program accountable and ensures that we are providing the highest quality and safest care possible to our patients,” said VAD Coordinator Andrea Matthews. Reflecting on her own participation in the program, Matthews shared her appreciation. “Having the opportunity to be involved in this program and care for this specialized patient population is truly an honor.”
VAD Coordinator Emily Knight echoed this sentiment and emphasized that the resilience of patients and their families is what makes her job rewarding. Knight shared that she’s excited to see what the future holds for the program.
“I am thankful that ECU Health is able to provide this care and treatment close to home for the patients of eastern North Carolina,” Knight said. “I am excited to see the program grow and evolve to reach more patients in our community.”
Since its inception in 2017, ECU Health’s VAD program has grown significantly. The program has successfully implanted 71 left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) and currently cares for 43 patients. Courtney Saunders, advanced heart failure cardiologist, expressed her gratitude for the exceptional individuals within the VAD team who play a crucial role in the program’s success.
“It has evolved into the program it is through the individuals recognized by the surveyor developing a gold standard of LVAD care,” Saunders said. The surveyors specifically highlighted Dr. Tae Joon Lee, Dr. Kari Kirian and Terrani Moore.
Jay Briley, ECU Health Medical Center president, joined the surveyors in commending the team for their hard work in this achievement.
“The Joint Commission survey results demonstrate the program’s dedication to excellence, teamwork and patient-centered care,” Briley said. “Congratulations to all the teams involved in the successful survey.”
ECU Health, Safe Kids Pitt County, Pitt County Coalition on Substance Use (PCCSU) and Pitt County Sheriff’s Office teamed up to host Operation Medicine Drop, an event where the public can dispose of expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs or over-the-counter medications. The event at ECU Health Wellness Center on Tuesday, March 19, collected over 200 pounds of medication to be incinerated.
“Operation Medicine Drop began with Safe Kids and this event a resource for us to protect our waterways because we do not want families to flush medications because it will go into our water systems,” said Ellen Walston, Injury Prevention Program coordinator at ECU Health. “It also was a way to keep children safe. Children are curious. They want to learn the world. They are curious climbers, they will pull a drawer out and step in it to be able to reach whatever they are looking for, so we really want to emphasize safe storage. Up, away and out of sight.”
Operation Medicine Drop serves to protect our children, our community and our waters. More than 67,000 children go to an emergency room for medicine poisoning each year, according to a study by Safe Kids Worldwide.
Operation Medicine Drop offers the public a free and convenient option for disposing of their prescription and over-the-counter medications to protect their families and the environment. Since 2010, Operation Medicine Drop campaigns have successfully incinerated more than 266 million pills collected through permanent drop boxes and more than 4,000 events across North Carolina.
“Medication disposal events are a great way to keep the community safe,” said Lillie Malpass, executive director at PCCSU. “Safe storage and disposal keep these medications out of unintended hands of youth and children. We were really happy to partner with community organizations to provide resources for the community, including lockboxes for medications.”
According to Walston, most local sheriff’s offices and police departments and some fire departments maintain permanent medication drop boxes for those who missed the event.
Operation Medicine Drop is a partnership between Safe Kids North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Justice, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the State Bureau of Investigation.
ECU Health’s Eastern Carolina Injury Prevention Program (ECIPP), through funding by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), hosted a youth mental health conference for professionals across the state. The event, “Light the Flame: Igniting Hope for North Carolina’s Youth” drew over 250 attendees from a variety of professions including teachers, coaches, school counselors and mental health professionals.
Some of the topics covered included supporting the mental health and well-being of yourself and others, clinical assessment and intervention, safe firearm storage to prevent suicide by firearms, substance use, social media in connection to youth mental health.
“In our youth, suicide stands as the second leading cause of death, with a staggering 31% increase in suicide attempts in 2021,” said Dr. Shannon Longshore, medical director, ECIPP, pediatric trauma surgeon, ECU Health. “There’s an urgency in all of us who work with kids to find solutions and take care of them. We have to focus on prevention rather than recovery and treatment, and conferences like these can help us begin to move the needle.”
While the event drew attendees from across the state, most came from right here in eastern North Carolina.
“This is a great opportunity to provide further education and a chance for professionals from across the state to network and share experiences,” said Breanna Culler prevention coordinator, ECIPP. “Having this event in Greenville allows us the opportunity to bring resources home.”
Multiple vendors attended the event to connect attendees with resources, including Youth Mental Health First Aid, Rural Opportunities Institute, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, NC School Health Training Center, Resources for Resilience and more.
On March 15, medical students across the country celebrated Match Day as they learned where they will spend their residency training as they continue in their physician journey. Locally, all 79 students in the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University Class of 2024 matched, including 14 who will stay in eastern North Carolina to continue their training at ECU Health Medical Center.
Dr. Jason Higginson, chief health officer of ECU Health and executive dean at Brody, said the match statistics of this class reflect Brody’s commitment to leading the way in training primary care providers for the state, as more than half of the medical students matched in North Carolina and 43 of the 78 matched into primary care residencies.
“We have a 100% match rate, well above the national rate, which is also a testament to our faculty and staff,” Higginson said. “About 50% of our graduates are staying in North Carolina, which is our primary mission, and about 20% are staying locally. They are great kids. It’s one of our best classes ever.”
William Taylor matched with ECU Health’s Family Medicine Residency. Taylor is also an ECU alumnus in both undergraduate and soon-to-be medical school. He said growing up in a smaller town made him connect with the needs of eastern North Carolina.
“It has grown a lot now, but when I was growing up, Garner didn’t have as many resources as a big city like Raleigh, and I wanted to impact people in small communities like where I grew up,” said Taylor. “Greenville is my second home, and I want to learn to treat people in North Carolina and eastern North Carolina and make an impact on this area.”
Taylor is excited to continue in Greenville and complete his residency in family medicine and continue to build relationships with patients across the region.
“I want to do family medicine because it gets you closest to the patient where you can build those relationships and interactions over long periods of time and make a real impact on patients and their lives and their families,” said Taylor.
Growing up in eastern North Carolina made the Match Day moment of opening their envelopes even more exciting for a couple of ECU Health matches from Brody.
Nolan Davis is from Duplin County and has fond memories growing up in a small town being close to his family. His mother, Bernice, said Davis made a poster in the second grade that showed he wanted to attend Brody and become a doctor in eastern North Carolina. Davis is one step closer to that goal after matching with his number one choice, internal medicine – pediatrics at ECU Health.
“Eastern North Carolina is a wonderful region, and it’s underserved,” said Davis. “My family lives here, good people live here that all deserve high-quality health care, and Brody is good at getting us to do that. I have seen how hard it is to get a doctor in a small town, and I want to be part of the solution. I was born and raised in eastern North Carolina, and I plan to practice here after residency.”
Marsha Hairr is from Sampson County and matched to ECU Health’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency program.
She said her personal experience with physical therapy growing up drove her interest in that area of medicine and her upbringing makes it a joy to serve the region.
“I grew up in a very small town and rural area,” Hairr said. “Even though Greenville and ECU Health is a bit bigger than where I grew up, it still has a rural vibe. It feels like home and I feel so honored that I can continue my training here and meet the mission of fellow eastern North Carolinians.”
For Julia Horiates, who matched into ECU Health’s Emergency Medicine Residency program, the opportunity to continue serving eastern North Carolina in the fast-paced world of the Emergency Department was a dream come true.
She spent most of her childhood in eastern North Carolina and has worked and volunteered as an EMS in Pitt and Greene counties for about 10 years. As a 2017 graduate from ECU and an upcoming Brody graduate, Horiates is proud to be a “triple Pirate.”
“I’ve hit the trifecta now, undergrad, medical school and residency,” Horiates said. “Giving back to a rural community and being involved here still is so special to me. That’s one of the main reasons I wanted to stay. I’ve been able to see how much this community has grown and how much of an impact ECU and ECU Health have had on this community. Being able to be a part of this, and a physician in this community is so important to me.”
Keeping bright minds in eastern North Carolina has long been a priority for ECU Health CEO and Brody Dean Dr. Michael Waldrum. He said a Brody education uniquely prepares future physicians to provide high-quality rural health care, and the training they receive can have an immense impact across the rural region ECU Health serves.
Dr. Waldrum said he’s not surprised that so many Brody graduates find their calling in eastern North Carolina.
“I like to think that all physicians share a common passion for wanting to make a positive difference in the lives of the people they serve,” said Dr. Waldrum. “Brody students get to spend four years here in eastern North Carolina learning about medicine, connecting with our community and experiencing first-hand the immense impact they can have on rural populations. We’re proud to know that many of our Brody students go on to make a difference in communities across the country, but we’re especially proud when we get to see it happen right here in eastern North Carolina at ECU Health.”
Learn more about Match Day for the Class of 2024 here.