Greenville, NC — Yaolin Zhou, MD, associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, director of Quality and Test Utilization, and head of Molecular Pathology at ECU Health, was named to the 2023 Becker’s Hospital Review “Emerging Leaders: Provider Organization Leaders Under 40” list.
The Becker’s Hospital Review list recognizes up-and-coming leaders who are quickly rising through the ranks at their organizations, focusing on development, innovation, and improved outcomes.
The “Emerging Leaders: Provider Organization Leaders Under 40” list honors leaders who are 40 years old or younger for their commitment to optimizing health care. The Becker’s Hospital Review editorial team accepted nominations for this list and curated it to highlight the accomplishments of these rising stars.
Dr. Zhou trained at some of the most prestigious institutions in the world and chose to come to ECU Health to help address some of the most challenging problems in health care delivery. As the only molecular pathologist in ECU Health’s 29-county service area, she provides expertise that benefits more than 1.4 million individuals in the region.
“ECU Health is proud to have Dr. Zhou, a nationally recognized molecular test utilization expert, whose work exemplifies the vital connection between research, education and effective health care delivery,” said Dr. Michael Waldrum, ECU Health CEO and dean of the Brody School of Medicine. “Dr. Zhou’s expertise shapes innovative clinical solutions, addressing unique barriers in rural populations. I am grateful for leaders like Dr. Zhou who are helping to create a healthier present and future for eastern North Carolina.”
Since her arrival in 2020, Dr. Zhou established an innovative molecular consultation service, focused primarily on pre- and post-testing review, to ensure cancer patients receive appropriate molecular tests and treatment. In 2023, she secured a $250,000 industry-funded quality improvement grant to expand her molecular consultation services across practices in eastern North Carolina’s rural 29-county region. This grant aims to identify and address health care disparities in cancer care, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
In addition to her molecular expertise, Dr. Zhou is an internationally recognized quality improvement and test utilization expert. In 2020, she partnered with clinical colleagues to establish a health system-wide initiative to reduce daily repeat lab tests, achieving a 15 to 25 percent reduction in unnecessary repeat daily testing throughout the system. For this multi-specialty and multi-disciplinary collaboration, Dr. Zhou and her team were honored with the prestigious American Society for Clinical Pathology Choosing Wisely Champion Award.
Dr. Zhou is active as a teaching and clinical faculty member and a bioethics and quality improvement instructor at Brody and for ECU Health. She also represents eastern North Carolina on the board of directors for the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), the world’s largest association for molecular professionals. Dr. Zhou recently authored an invited guest editorial in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, the official AMP journal. This editorial, based on her grant work, presents a national solution to reduce barriers in precision oncology.
“As a cancer survivor myself, I strive to bring quality and equitable cancer care to those I am honored to serve,” said Dr. Zhou. “All patients deserve high-quality and guideline-recommended cancer treatment. Through this recognition, I hope we can bring greater visibility to how we are addressing disparities in cancer care in our patients. Through collaborative efforts, we can develop solutions for providing equitable cancer care on a broader scale – and it starts here in eastern North Carolina.”
NAGS HEAD — About a decade ago, the Outer Banks community suffered higher cancer mortality rates than the state and nation. Not only has that trend reversed, but now for the first time, local cancer patients can receive all their services under one roof.
Over 275 people attended the ribbon-cutting and open house on Jan. 24 for the Carol S. and Edward D. Cowell, Jr. Cancer Center. Located at 4927 S. Croatan Highway in Nags Head, it opens its doors to patients on Jan. 29.
“In 2012, Outer Banks Health didn’t have a cancer services program at all, and we were trailing the state and we were trailing the nation when it came to cancer mortality for all cancers…and we wanted to change that dynamic,” Ronnie Sloan, president of Outer Banks Health, said during brief event remarks.
The Outer Banks’ cancer mortality rate was about 6% and 7% higher than the nation and the state, respectively, Sloan said in an interview at the event.
Now, local cancer mortality rates are 6-7% lower than the state and country. The 5-year mortality for breast cancer rate dropped 50% in recent years. Even as cancer mortality rates have steadily declined across the country, “we’ve outpaced that,” Sloan said.
Carol Cowell cut the ribbon at Wednesday’s event. She made the namesake donation to the Carol S. and Edward D. Cowell, Jr. Cancer Center in Nags Head in honor of her late husband and in appreciation of the local community.
Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Cowell said in an interview that she is a cancer survivor who received treatment in Elizabeth City in 2005. The Outer Banks didn’t offer cancer services then, but she was greatly impressed by “the community sense that you got” from local health care professionals and from the community at large.
Fundraising for the center was similarly a community effort.
“This has been just an amazing journey,” Tess Judge said during her event remarks. Judge is chair of the board of directors for Outer Banks Health and co-chaired the fundraising team with Cindy Thornsvard.
Judge said she lost her mother and a son-in-law to cancer, and her daughter-in-law is struggling with it now, “so cancer services and the wonderful team we have here is just so special not only to me but to many.”
Fundraising for the center began during COVID, and their original goal of $4 million was bumped up to $6 million as the costs of building supplies soared.
According to Sloan, nearly $6.5 million has been raised for the center.
“We did that because of all of you, and the tremendous support this community has given to this cancer center,” Judge said.
Stephanie Anderson, a community member who had lost people to cancer, hiked the entire Appalachian Trail last year and raised about $10,000 for the center in the process, said Jennifer Schwartzenberg, director of community outreach and development for Outer Banks Health.
The journey to the center
Outer Banks Health hired its first director of cancer services in 2012, said Sloan, who came aboard in mid-2011.
“In 2013, the board of trustees made a fantastic decision,” Sloan said during his public remarks. They chose to purchase the radiation therapy center that was closing about two miles north of the hospital.
“We didn’t want our community to have to drive two hours each way” for treatment, he said.
Dr. Charles Shelton, a radiation oncologist, began working at Outer Banks Health — then called The Outer Banks Hospital — in 2014, and he leads the cancer services team, Wendy Kelly, marketing director for Outer Banks Health, said in an email.
Shelton set a goal of creating and maintaining an accredited cancer program to reduce the high cancer mortality rate among residents of Dare and Currituck counties, Kelly said.
“It’s been a dream of this organization since 2015 to build a facility that would allow patients to receive the highest-quality, compassionate cancer care all under one roof right here on the Outer Banks,” Kelly said.
Supported by its two partners, ECU Health and Chesapeake Regional Healthcare, along with the generosity of the local community, “that dream is now a reality,” she said.
In 2016, the Commission on Cancer of The American College of Surgeons granted a “Three-Year Accreditation with a Commendation” to The Outer Banks Hospital, which the facility has “proudly maintained” since that time, according to Kelly.
“Additionally, we are one of only eight critical access hospitals in the nation with this accreditation, and the only one nationally to have an accredited breast care program,” she added.
Outer Banks Health is one of 20 critical access hospitals in North Carolina, which have 25 beds or fewer and receive cost-based reimbursement, according to the North Carolina Division of Health and Human Services website.
“Outer Banks Health is an approved Medicare and Medicaid provider and participates with most commercial insurance companies,” Kelly said.
Sloan said that the new “comprehensive center” allows them to offer the “best care possible.”
The entire cancer team can quickly make decisions about patients in consult with one another as “concerns pop up,” and having the dedicated center eliminates the need for patients to go from the first to second floor of the hospital for care, then across the busy bypass for radiation treatment, he said.
Kelly expressed gratitude for all the community support of the center, which included the over 275 people who attended the event on Wednesday.
In addition to Shelton, the cancer services team also includes a director, three radiation therapists, a radiation nurse, a genetics extender, a physicist, a dosimetrist, a licensed practical nurse, 11 registered nurses, a nurse navigator, a financial navigator, a lay navigator, a social worker, a practice manager and three front desk monitors, according to Kelly.
“Our search continues for a permanent medical oncologist, and in the interim Dr. Michael Spiritos, formerly of Duke Health, has agreed to serve in that capacity,” Kelly said in her email. “Additionally, Dr. John Barton serves as a medical oncologist at the center.”
“Congratulations Outer Banks Health on this much-needed and impressive expansion,” Robert DeFazio, chairman of the board of directors for the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce, said during his event remarks.
Greenville, N.C. – As part of its continued evolution to become the national model for rural academic health care, ECU Health today announced new leadership roles and responsibilities intended to further enhance the organization’s transformation as a rural health care leader.
Effective Feb. 5:
- Brian Floyd, RN, MBA, will dedicate his efforts to his role as ECU Health’s chief operating officer (COO), providing strategic oversight of the health system enterprise and its day-to-day operations. He will have heightened focus on creating seamless interoperability within the health system and ensuring we are operating, performing and providing care as one team.
- Jay Briley, MHA, FACHE, current president of ECU Health Community Hospitals, will transition to president at ECU Health Medical Center, reporting directly to Floyd as COO.
- Van Smith, MBA, MSHA, current executive vice president of ECU Health Medical Center, will transition to president of ECU Health Community Hospitals, reporting directly to Floyd as COO.
Additionally, Tara Stroud, DNP, APRN, NNP-BC, NEA-BC, current senior administrator of Children’s Services at Maynard Children’s Hospital, will become vice president for Maynard Children’s Hospital, Women’s Service Lines and Community Health Programs upon Kim Crickmore’s retirement departure date of Feb. 26.
“These leaders’ unique expertise in driving operational and clinical excellence, financial stewardship and leading complex health care environments are at the forefront of these proposed – and ultimately enthusiastically embraced – leadership appointments,” said Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO of ECU Health and dean of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. “I look forward to working closely with these leaders and remain focused on steering the enterprise toward our vision, including strengthening our academic mission, advancing our synergies as well continuing to build partnerships across the state.”
Brian Floyd
Jay Briley
Van Smith
Tara Stroud
Frostbite isn’t the only concern with the frigid temperatures expected in eastern North Carolina this weekend.
“You can’t smell it. You can’t see it. You can’t taste it,” said ECU Health Chief for the Division of Medical Toxicology Dr. Jason Hack
Dr. Hack said carbon monoxide poisoning can sicken people when their furnaces malfunction or they use other means to heat their homes.
He said that includes, “HVAC, our heaters in our home. Portable heaters, propane portable heaters that some people might bring in, or if they lose their electricity because of an ice storm or something along those lines, they might want to bring in a generator out of the storm or close to the home.”
Dr. Hack also said people should never sit in a running car to escape the cold if the heat is out at their home.
“Some people would tend to sit in their car and turn on turn on their vehicle while it’s still in their attached garage,” he said, “Even with the door open, these can be sources of enough carbon monoxide to injure or even, unfortunately, kill people within the home itself.”
It’s not a good idea, but a dangerous one, to use the gas stove in your kitchen to warm up the house. Dr. Hack said, “It could be producing low levels of carbon monoxide that might accumulate.”
And the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can be non-specific.
“It can look like a lot of other things,” he said, “Such as weakness or dizziness. Some people complain of some shortness of breath. Headache is one of the most common presenting symptoms of carbon monoxide. Confusion. Some people actually complain of chest pain or palpitations and fainting.”
Dr. Hack said the best defense is a working carbon monoxide detector in every bedroom and living space in the house; he recommends that people to make sure the batteries are fresh and they’re working properly before the cold air arrives this weekend.
According to the National Institutes of Health, about 1,200 people die in the U.S. from accidental CO poisoning annually and more than 100,000 people visit the emergency department each year.
Greenville, N.C. – Four ECU Health Physicians clinics have been recognized by the American Heart Association and American Medical Association for its commitment to improving blood pressure (BP) control rates, earning Gold-level recognition as part of Target: BP. The Gold award recognizes practices in which high blood pressure is controlled in 70% or more of the adult patients affected.
“Managing and controlling your blood pressure is essential for preventing the development of heart disease and stroke, which continue to be leading causes of death for adults in our country,” said Dr. Jason Foltz, chief medical officer, ECU Health Physicians. “High blood pressure is a leading risk factor of heart disease and stroke that can often be prevented or managed if diagnosed and treated properly. Our region experiences high rates of diabetes, stroke and heart disease, and the Target: BP program allows ECU Health to better help patients lower their blood pressure by putting proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis.”
ECU Health Physicians clinics achieving Gold Status in Target: BP for 2023 include:
- Firetower Medical Office – 1204 E. Fire Tower Road, Greenville
- Family Medicine Center Purple and Gold Modules – 101 Heart Drive, Greenville
- General Internal Medicine – 521 Moye Medical Center, Greenville
According to the American Heart Association, high blood pressure, or hypertension, is a leading risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and preventable death in the U.S. There are 121.5 million adults in the country living with hypertension – that is nearly half of all adults in the U.S. Unfortunately, less than half of them have their blood pressure under control, making both diagnosis and effective management critical. Heart disease is the leading cause of death both nationally and in the state. Meanwhile, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S., yet is the fourth leading cause of death in North Carolina.
Target: BP is a national initiative formed by the American Heart Association and American Medical Association in response to the high prevalence of uncontrolled blood pressure. The initiative aims to help health care organizations and care teams, at no cost, improve blood pressure control rates through an evidence-based quality improvement program and recognizes organizations that are committed to improving blood pressure control.
“By committing to helping more people in eastern North Carolina control their blood pressure and reduce their risks for future heart disease and stroke, ECU Health is taking a key step to helping more people live longer, healthier lives,” said Yvonne Commodore-Mensah, PhD, MHS, RN, FAHA, Target: BP advisory group volunteer and associate professor at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. “ECU Health’s participation in the Target: BP initiative shows its dedication to turning clinical guidelines into lifelines for patients and their families.”
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, community leaders, elected officials and eastern North Carolina residents came together for the 27th annual Community Unity Breakfast, hosted by the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce on Monday.
The event brings together the community to reflect upon the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while celebrating and expanding diversity initiatives in Greenville and Pitt County.
As a sponsor of the event, ECU Health had an opportunity to present a speaker during the event. Brian Floyd, chief operating officer of ECU Health and president of ECU Health Medical Center, represented the system and shared a few words.
Floyd said that events like this are closely aligned with ECU Health’s mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina because it focuses on bringing everyone together and supporting those around you.
“Your well-being is attached to much more than your clinical and scientific makeup,” Floyd said. “You can’t be well if you’re socially isolated. You can’t be well if you don’t have the means to support yourself and your family. You really can’t be well if you have no way to help those around you. So our mission, as complicated as it is, is to make people and communities better. This community comes alongside us and helps us do that as well. We all can participate in what others are doing to improve our society, to improve how people come together, and work together to love and support each other.”
Floyd also highlighted his appreciation for ECU Health’s close collaboration with the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, and the relationships with other colleges, universities and high schools. He said the opportunity to develop and grow talent within the system is something he is proud of as well.
All of this leads to a great financial impact on the region, Floyd said, and that can go a long way to effect positive change in the lives of residents in the East.
“We know that education is important to the fabric of society and the wellness of people and the socioeconomic conditions of eastern North Carolina require us to do something about that,” Floyd said. “We’re fortunate that we can stimulate the economy of eastern North Carolina by more than $4 billion per year. That’s not just money – it’s hope, it’s a way to get started, it’s a way to support your family. When you put all of that together, the pillars of what we’re doing for eastern North Carolina, that’s the difference we can make.”
Pastor Eve C. Rogers, senior pastor at New Dimensions Community Church, gave the keynote address for the event. Chad Tucker, director of Volunteer Services at ECU Health Medical Center, serves as co-chair of the Community Unity Planning Committee and introduced Pastor Rogers during the event.
Pastor Rogers spoke on the importance of standing up to injustices in our communities to help create a future everyone can be proud of. She said showing up for the marginalized members of our communities is a responsibility we all carry.
“As we run and purse this race of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, I provoke you to show up with soul-force,” Pastor Rogers said. “Exercise and put into plan the opportunity that God gives you, day after day, season after season, time after time again, to show up and do what is right, fair and equitable.”
Roanoke Rapids, NC — Tiffany J. Mose, MHA, FACMPE, CPC, administrator, regional operations, ECU Health Medical Group, has been named a Fellow in the American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE). ACMPE is the certification entity of the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). Fellowship in ACMPE’s industry-leading program demonstrates mastery and expertise in the profession of medical practice management.
Tiffany J. Mose, MHA, FACMPE, CPC
To achieve Fellowship, Mose first earned the Certified Medical Practice Executive (CMPE) designation by passing examinations that assess knowledge of the broad scope of medical practice management, as outlined in the Body of Knowledge for Medical Practice Management. This includes business operations, financial management, human resources management, information management, organizational governance, transformative health care delivery, quality management and risk management. In addition, Mose completed a minimum of 50 continuing education credit hours to achieve CMPE status. To earn Fellowship, Mose demonstrated leadership, innovation, and professional engagement in the health care industry and the advancement of the medical group management profession.
Today, MGMA membership is comprised of more than 6,600 individuals who have attained CMPE or ACMPE Fellow status or who seek certification.
Mose has worked at ECU Health North for more than 15 years and worked in the field of health care for more than 25 years. Mose is directly responsible for oversight and management of the operations, development, expansion and financial viability of the ECU Health Medical Group ambulatory practices and hospital-based provider groups in the Roanoke Rapids market. She also serves on multiple interdisciplinary teams in the organization to include the Coastal Plains ACO’s Board of Directors, Finance and Quality committees.
Greenville, N.C. – ECU Health, the premier academic health system serving eastern North Carolina, experienced a transformational year highlighted by Medicaid expansion in North Carolina, breaking ground on a new behavioral health hospital slated to open in 2025, receiving various accreditations that affirm high-quality care and recognition of multiple team members on the state and national levels, all of which represent the shared commitment of the 14,000-plus team members who live the mission to improve the health and well-being of the region.
“As we reflect on the historic year that was and celebrate our achievements, I am deeply appreciative of the dedicated team members at ECU Health who play an instrumental role in solidifying our identity as a leading rural academic health system committed to serving the vibrant communities of eastern North Carolina,” said Dr. Michael Waldrum, ECU Health CEO and dean of the Brody School of Medicine. “Looking ahead, I know 2024 will be another important year for our health system and medical school as we work to transform rural health care. I am proud of our collective efforts in 2023 which position us to become the national academic model for rural health care delivery. I am confident that our ongoing efforts will continue making a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve.”
The following highlights are only a few of the many achievements across ECU Health in 2023. For a more comprehensive review of the year, please visit: ECUHealth.org/YearinReview2023.
Improving access to care through key behavioral health partnerships and Medicaid expansion
Improving access to behavioral health care has long been a priority for ECU Health. The organization made important strides in that work over the past year by hosting a mental health town hall with North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Sec. Kody Kinsley in February and breaking ground on a new behavioral health hospital with Acadia Healthcare that will open in 2025.
After more than six years of advocacy, Medicaid expansion is now a reality and could benefit more than 600,000 people in the state, including more than 100,000 people here in eastern North Carolina. ECU Health is passionate about Medicaid expansion because it witnesses first-hand the challenges uninsured and underinsured patients face. With expanded coverage, more patients can receive the care they need to keep them well.
Highlighting collective accomplishments
ECU Health accomplished much in 2023, including:
- Receiving significant funding for ECU and ECU Health in the state budget to help us realize the mission through:
- Brody class size expansion
- the NC Care initiative
- establishment of a new regional medical examiner’s office
- Rebranding the ECU Health Foundation
- Hosting U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means members for a roundtable discussion focused on supporting rural health care
- Celebrating 75 years of service at Roanoke-Chowan and 10 years of services at Maynard Children’s Hospital addition
- Honoring 13 nurses named to the North Carolina Great 100 Nurses list
- Graduating 77 medical students from the Brody School of Medicine
Greenville, N.C. – Gov. Roy Cooper recently appointed Dr. Mark A. Newell, associate trauma medical director and attending surgeon at ECU Health and professor of surgery at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, to serve on the North Carolina Medical Board. Dr. Newell’s term began Nov. 1, 2023, and ends Oct. 31, 2026.
Dr. Mark Newell
Dr. Newell is a trauma and critical care surgeon at ECU Health and has published numerous articles, textbook chapters, abstracts, research projects and presentations in his field of expertise. Dr. Newell currently serves as vice chair of diversity in the Department of Surgery at the Brody School of Medicine.
“I am deeply honored to be appointed to serve on the North Carolina Medical Board by Gov. Cooper,” said Dr. Newell. “As part of the North Carolina Medical Board, I am committed to upholding the highest standards of health care. I look forward to bringing my unique health care perspective to this highly esteemed board of dedicated medical professionals.”
The North Carolina Medical Board is an independent public agency that is charged with licensing and regulating doctors, physician assistants and certain other medical professionals on behalf of the state. The Board’s primary mission is to protect the public. It screens candidates for licensure, issues licenses to qualified professionals, develops rules and positions that guide its licensees and, when necessary, disciplines its licensees.
Dr. Newell earned his medical degree at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and completed postgraduate training in general surgery at Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center at New York Medical College in the Bronx, where he was chief resident. He also completed a fellowship in surgical critical care at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, also at New York Medical College. Dr. Newell later earned a Master’s of medical management degree at Carnegie Mellon University. He is certified in surgery and surgical critical care by the American Board of Surgery.
Dr. Newell is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American Association for Surgery Trauma and the Society of Black Academic Surgeons, among other organizations.
Greenville, N.C. – East Carolina University and ECU Health are launching an initiative to increase the number of adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioners serving as advanced practice health care professionals in ECU Health’s critical care settings. This effort builds on the collective commitment of both organization to solve the rural health challenges in the region as well as the state.
The effort – conceived by nursing and education leaders from ECU’s College of Nursing and ECU Health – will benefit both the university and the health system, said Dr. Bim Akintade, the dean of ECU’s College of Nursing. An investment of nearly $1.5 million over five years from ECU Health will increase the College of Nursing’s capacity to graduate trained and qualified nurses who can meet the growing need for acute care practitioners to treat the hospital’s sickest patients.
“ECU Health is proud of its close relationship with ECU and the College of Nursing, particularly as it pertains to our efforts to adapt to the national health care workforce shortage,” said Dr. Daphne Brewington, ECU Health’s vice president of nursing. “Our success as an academic health system is predicated on our ability to leverage clinical and academic excellence in order to ensure we can provide high quality health care for the residents of eastern North Carolina.”
Nationally, the aging population is growing, accompanied by the shortage of health care workers. This collaboration not only strengthens the health care workforce in eastern North Carolina but also contributes to improved health outcomes and increased accessibility to specialized care for older adults in the communities of eastern North Carolina.
Through this effort, ECU Health is helping fund the development of a new Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Post Graduate Certificate, which will train current nurse practitioners to treat acute care adult patients. The investment also provides funding for a program director who teaches and an additional part-time faculty member as well as administrative support and operational costs.
The program will reserve six enrollments per enrollment cycle for current ECU Health employees, highlighting the importance of providing specialized training that benefits the region.
“Our plan is to take the next few months to work with our partners at ECU Health and find clinical placement sites in critical care environments for ECU Health employees who enroll in the program,” Akintade said. “They need nurses, and training nurses is our business and passion. This collaboration is a win-win and makes complete sense for the University, the Heath System, the region, and the state.
Clinical placements for students employed by ECU Health will take place at ECU Health facilities, which will help to alleviate a major sticking point for training advance practice nurses – finding clinical placements for students in training. It also has the potential to create pathways for those in the program to experience acute care at both ECU Health Medical Center and in ECU Health’s regional community hospitals.
The initiative isn’t limited to the current arrangement and both ECU and ECU Health continue to explore ways to leverage this effort to design innovative solutions that benefit the people of eastern North Carolina.
“Eastern North Carolina depends on institutions like ECU Health and ECU to collaborate on innovative solutions that drive us towards our mission of improving the health and well-being of the region,” said Dr. Trish Baise, ECU Health’s chief nursing executive. “As a health system serving 1.4 million people, we need more nurses at every level in order to meet the region’s immense needs. The College of Nursing is one of the premiere nursing education schools in the nation and our health system is great training ground for developing a health care workforce with a focus on rural health challenges. I am excited to see the benefit this program will have on our patients and team members.”