COVID-19 continues to evolve and expand its grip across the country and here in eastern North Carolina.
“This is one of the most diabolical viruses I’ve ever seen,” said Dr. Paul Bolin, chief of Adult Medical Services at ECU Health Medical Center, and the chair of the Department of Medicine at Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.
“We were in a good place. Transmission had slowed down, more and more people were getting vaccinated and protected, hospitalization days started to really come down, number of cases started to come down – and many of us thought we were in the last leg of this marathon,” said Dr. Niti Armistead, chief medical officer for Vidant Health. “What changed was the vaccination rates just hit a wall.”
“In North Carolina, in the past three to four weeks, we have seen a tripling in the number of cases, and in the number of hospitalizations,” said Dr. Bolin. “We’re seeing the same things as we did last fall and winter, but it’s in a much younger and much healthier population.”
Another difference now – we have a vaccine.
“It’s like wearing your seatbelt – your chances of being in an automobile accident are very low, but your chances of surviving that with a seatbelt are much greater,” said Dr. Bolin. “Your chance of surviving COVID are 25 fold better with the vaccine than without it.”
Even still – roughly half of the country remains unvaccinated, enabling the virus to mutate and variants to cause an increase in infections and complications.
“The virus didn’t slow down just because our vaccination rates dropped,” said Dr. Armistead.
Experts say most concerns about the vaccine don’t outweigh the risk of being unprotected.
“I think the most important thing to understand is this: there have been some very small number of complications from the vaccine. And that is a one-time event that occurs after the vaccination,” said Dr. Bolin. “Your risk of dying from COVID if you’re not vaccinated continues day after day after day after day, until this pandemic is over with.”
Vidant Health has appointments available for anyone eligible to receive the vaccine. Visit www.VidantHealth.com/vaccinate and schedule yours today.
The arrival of the COVID-19 vaccines brought great hope in the battle against the deadly pandemic that has affected our way of life for nearly a year and a half. Now, more than 7 months into the largest vaccination effort in history, the data and science is clear: the vaccines are effective, but only if people get their “dose of hope”.
The continued spread of the virus and the arrival of new variants is an urgent reminder that this pandemic is not over yet, and that we still have to assure vaccination for everyone to protect our communities. Right now, the Delta variant is quickly becoming the dominant virus variant. We know that this variant is easily spread and has many of the same devastating health impacts as previous variants. We also know that the vaccines are highly effective at both preventing the spread of the virus and drastically reducing the impact on those it infects.
It was not long ago that some hospitals around the country celebrated having zero COVID-19 patients in their Intensive Care Units. Doctors, nurses and other staff rejoiced at this welcomed respite. Here at Vidant, we never quite got to zero, but our numbers hit a new low in the spring. Now, hospitalizations are back on the rise and nearly all hospitalized COVID-19 patients – many of whom are battling for their lives – are unvaccinated.
As we have continued to learn more and more about this virus over the past year and a half, we can confidently say that ending up hospitalized with serious complications from COVID-19 is mostly avoidable now. The vaccines are safe, effective and widely available at local hospitals, clinics, health departments, pharmacies and more.
We can still see the light at the end of the tunnel but the Delta variant is dimming our view. Help us end this pandemic by receiving your COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible by visiting VidantHealth.com/Vaccinate or by calling 252-847-8000.
The ceremony signified each student’s entrance into the medical profession and the beginning of their commitment to serve others. While they will take classes at the Brody School of Medicine, each student will gain crucial experience at ECU Health Medical Center and throughout the Vidant Health system.
Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO of Vidant Health and dean of the Brody School of Medicine, served as keynote speaker for the event.
“A white coat is a symbol of being a physician, part of a unique and special profession,” Dr. Waldrum said. “It’s unique in its caring and helping when people and communities need it most. It’s about human relationship and understanding each other. It’s about constant learning and striving. We’ll never stop dealing with the issues – that’s what this profession is about.”
This incoming class is the first that Dr. Waldrum will oversee as dean of the Brody School of Medicine after taking on the position at the beginning of July. The Class of 2025 will experience ECU and Vidant’s clinical integration as both aim to better serve eastern North Carolina.
Dr. Waldrum said this is a critical step to address the challenges we face here in the East.
“This is a special time for me as a young dean – young in my tenure – because of the profound responsibility that I have as we integrate the Vidant Health system and the Brody School of Medicine and build on the foundation that has been created,” Dr. Waldrum said. “I’m excited to strengthen our communities and deal with the disparities and the issues we are faced with as rural North Carolina and rural America.”
Photos Courtesy of ECU News Services
The class is set up for success with varied experiences, the hunger to learn and a health system a school of medicine ready to support each student.
The 89 students include 45 students that graduated with honors, five collegiate athletes, two veterans and five who had parents that graduated from Brody. Dr. Cedric Bright, associate dean for admissions at Brody School of Medicine, said 14 percent of the class are first-generation college graduates and 44 percent of the class are re-applicants to the program – a testament to the resiliency of the class.
“You all have incredible stories, about caring, about bringing what North Carolina has in diversity, experience, pursuit of knowledge – all of these to make North Carolina better,” Dr. Waldrum said. “Those are the stories I’ve heard and that’s the story of the Brody School of Medicine. Those diverse perspectives in life coming together to learn and grow is how we collaborate to solve systemic issues that plague our communities and it’s our responsibility to do so.”
There were more than 1,200 applicants for the Class of 2025 – a record number for the Brody School of Medicine. Dr. Waldrum said it was not surprising as he believes young people were energized during the COVID-19 pandemic to help people in need of health care.
Dr. Waldrum said the Brody School of Medicine is crucial in producing what North Carolina needs from physicians.
“Brody School of Medicine has been so important in moving eastern North Carolina forward and serving the state and rural populations,” Dr. Waldrum said. “I’ve said it a million times – Brody is the highest value medical school in the country because, if you look at the investment by the state to have a physician stay in the state and practice in rural and underserved communities, there’s nobody in the nation that does it better than Brody.”
As part of our commitment to protecting and caring for those we love, Vidant will require the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment for all team members, physicians, credential providers and contract workers.
This decision is grounded in science, backed by industry leaders such as the American Hospital Association, American Nurses Association and the North Carolina Healthcare Association, and is the right thing to do to ensure the safety of our patients, team members and communities.
Timeline:
- Leaders (managers and above), physicians and credentialed providers – Deadline to complete vaccine series: Oct. 1, 2021
- Team members, new hires, contract workers – Deadline to complete vaccine series: Dec. 1, 2021
Exemptions:
In addition to other important safety measures like the flu vaccine, the COVID vaccine will become a condition of employment; which means in order to be employed by or work at Vidant, team members must be vaccinated by the deadlines outlined above or have an approved medical or religious exemption. Ongoing requirements for those meeting medical/religious exemptions may include weekly testing and potential reassignment away from working on units with immuno-compromised patients.
Meeting the mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina means taking all necessary actions to combat and hopefully end the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed more than 600,000 American lives. Several hospitals and health systems in North Carolina, and many across the nation, have already announced vaccine requirements for their team members. It is the right thing to do for the safety of all, especially as the variants prove to be more transmissible and severe for those not vaccinated.
As members of the Alliance, Vidant and ECU can offer cancer patients access to a larger pool of state-of-the-art clinical trials at Vidant and ECU clinics. These trials include treatment for breast, gastrointestinal and genitourinary cancers, as well as leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, neuro-oncology and respiratory cancers.
Health care providers typically must demonstrate their ability to meet an annual average enrollment of at least 15 patients in specific clinical trials for rare cancers over a three-year period in order to become Alliance members. However, the ECU and Vidant organizations combined for 17 patient accruals last year and already have 17 this year, which prompted the Alliance to grant ECU and Vidant membership earlier than expected.
“This is a good thing, because it means that throughout the network here at ECU and Vidant, we are offering more and more trials to our patients, especially patients with more unusual diseases,” said Dr. Darla Liles, chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at ECU’s Brody School of Medicine. “Hopefully this encourages more people to consider a clinical trial, because I think there is some hesitancy. I think the more people learn that we have these trials — and they don’t have to go to UNC and Duke for these trials, they can get it done right here — the more they will realize that these are really good things that offer cutting-edge treatments for cancer patients.”
Dr. Emmanuel Zervos, surgical oncologist and director of ECU Health Cancer Care, said the partnership between Vidant and ECU along with gaining membership to the Alliance is crucial to providing more high-quality care to patients in the East.
“Whether in Greenville or at any of Vidant’s Commission on Cancer-accredited community hospitals, the Alliance partnership between ECU and Vidant represents the shared vision of providing state-of-the-art cancer care in our region, regardless of where or by whom that care is delivered,” said Dr. Emmanuel Zervos, surgical oncologist and director of ECU Health Cancer Care. “Cancer services has been at the forefront of collaboration because of the profound impact that cancer has on our region — validation of this collaboration through accelerated full and unrestricted membership into the Alliance assures that these patients will continue to be served both now and into the future.
Visit ECU’s Office of Clinical Trials website or Vidant Health’s Cancer Clinical Trials website for more information on available clinical trials.
Read more about the partnership at ECU News Services.
Dr. Dalyai joined WITN during Stroke Awareness Month in May to discuss stroke issues in the area.
“People here in North Carolina are so much more likely to have a stroke and to die from a stroke than elsewhere in the country,” Dr. Dalyai said, “and even more so in eastern North Carolina than other parts of North Carolina.”
There are many different factors that can lead to stroke, including hypertension, or high blood pressure, smoking and diets that are high in fat. There is also a genetic component and there is a racial disparity in that strokes are more common in African Americans.
To spot the signs of a stroke, it is important to remember the acronym B-E F-A-S-T.
B – Balance, watch for a loss of balance
E – Eyes, vision changes
F – Face drooping
A – Arm weakness
S – Speech difficulty
T – Time to call 911
Dr. Dalyai said there are a number of ways to prevent stroke, depending on your risk factors. He said talk with your primary care provider to determine your risk and what you can do to stay healthy.
“The biggest thing that we tell patients is that they really should work with their primary care provider to focus on their specific needs,” Dr. Dalyai said. “Whether it’s medications or diet, physical activity, all these things that are specific to you that you can do to reduce your risk of having a stroke.”
ECU Health Medical Center passes 2,000 Gamma Knife treatments
ECU Health Medical Center (VMC) was proud to recognize its 2,000th Gamma Knife treatment in April.
“I am incredibly proud of this important milestone in Vidant’s collective work to realize a life without cancer,” said Dr. Stuart Lee, chief, division of neurosurgery, Vidant Health and medical director of The Gamma Knife Center, VMC. “Our teams work passionately to support those battling cancer. Those across our region can access advanced technology close to home, which reduces the need to travel elsewhere to receive treatment. By performing 2,000 Gamma Knife® procedures, we are delivering on our mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina.”
The Gamma Knife® at VMC is one of only two in North Carolina and the newest version, the Gamma Knife®ICON, was installed in 2018. The Gamma Knife® works by destroying cancer cells, which shrinks the size of brain tumors over time. This technology offers quick recovery time and can be done in an outpatient setting, preventing the need for hospitalization. Gamma Knife® also provides convenience by requiring minimal follow-up procedures, reducing barriers related to travel for the patient.
“On behalf of ECU Health Cancer Care, I want to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Lee and his team,” said Chris Wood, senior administrator, ECU Health Cancer Care. “Nearly all of us are impacted in some way by cancer, whether it’s through our own personal experiences, or the experiences of a loved one. Dr. Lee and his team are an important part of how ECU Health Cancer Care provides for those we love and serve who are battling cancer.”
To learn more about the full spectrum of Neurological Care, including neurology and neurosurgery, visit VidantHealth.com.
On the east coast, and in eastern North Carolina specifically, we frequently see many of the risk factors that can cause afib.
Dr. Adam Clark, cardiologist and director of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Lab at ECU Health Medical Center (VMC), discussed this prevalent issue in a recent radio interview.
He said the most potent and unchangeable risk factor for afib is age. Other risk factors include high blood pressure, sleep apnea, underlying heart disease, and other chronic conditions including thyroid problems, diabetes and asthma. The most important modifiable risk factor for afib is obesity and sleep apnea.
“Afib increases the risk of hospitalization, death and heart failure,” Dr. Clark said. “If the heart rate is not controlled, it can lead to heart failure. It increases the risk of stroke and causes one in seven strokes and increases your stroke risk by four to five times.”
Dr. Clark said the entire east coast and the Midwest have the highest rates of afib in the country and the world. In eastern North Carolina, we are at particular risk for a number of reasons, including a population with higher rates of obesity, hypertension and diabetes.
Knowing the signs of afib is important to identifying the disease as early as possible.
“The most common signs of afib are an irregular heartbeat, palpitations of the heart, lightheadedness, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain,” Dr. Clark said.
Dr. Clark said the main test to identify afib is a simple AKG or Electrocardiogram which your primary care provider can take. There are wearable and implantable monitors that can monitor your heartbeat for years at a time as well. Screenings for afib often are what he calls “opportunistic screening.”
“This means when you go in for your regular check with your primary care physician, they feel your pulse and listen to your heart,” Dr. Clark said. “If it’s irregular, they’ll get an EKG. This should be done in every patient over 65.”
Dr. Clark said limiting your risk factors is the most important thing you can do to avoid afib, including blood pressure control, staying active, managing sleep apnea and limiting alcohol intake. He added that half of afib is asymptomatic and even without feeling it, your stroke risk can be significantly increased. Talk to your doctor about screening for afib.
VMC joins TAKEHeart program to expand access to cardiac rehabilitation services
VMC is participating in TAKEHeart, a national initiative funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to make a positive impact on the lives of patients by encouraging greater participation in cardiac rehabilitation. The initiative will help easily connect patients with cardiac rehabilitations services to improve their heart health and reduce the risk of future heart issues. As a TAKEHeart partner, VMC cardiac and pulmonary team members will receive advanced training, coaching and technical support as well as shared learning about cardiac rehabilitation best practices.
“Patients are more likely to survive an acute heart episode when they engage in cardiac rehabilitation,” said Stacey Greenway, director of cardiovascular disease management programs at VMC. “We know that only a small percentage of patients complete cardiac rehabilitation. Participating in TAKEHeart means bringing best practices and strategies in cardiac rehabilitation to Vidant and eastern North Carolina to improve outcomes for patients suffering from a cardiac episode.”
Read more about the TakeHEART program.
Visit the Heart & Vascular Care page to learn more about the programs and services Vidant offers.
Vidant Health’s Eastern Carolina Injury Prevention Program (ECIPP) partnered with Martin-Pitt Partnership for Children, the Pitt County Health Department and Greenville Fire-Rescue to educate community members about the dangers children, senior adults and pets can face in a hot car.
ECIPP Coordinator Ellen Walston said five children have already died in the United States this year from being left in a vehicle on warm days. Since 1998, when tracking began for these deaths, there have been 888 deaths across the country.
“Temperatures rise so quickly in a car and when a car is enclosed,” Walston said. “There is a myth that if you crack a window, the temperature will be reduced and that really does not happen. They heat up so quickly and we actually have a way to measure that today, just to show you how quickly cars can heat.”
This exercise took place on a 90-degree day. The temperature inside a parked car rose to 110 degrees within 10 minutes and over 120 degrees within 15 minutes.
Walston said while the risk is still high for seniors and pets, the majority of deaths that occur are in children under 2 years old. Children have less body surface area, so they are not able to cool themselves as quickly as adults and most of these children cannot verbalize if they are too hot.
In 53 percent of cases, a child is forgotten in the car by a parent or caregiver – often because that person is out of their daily routine. Walston said leaving a reminder for yourself can save a life.
“We always want to make sure that you have some type of reminder for yourself that the child is in the car because we do want the child to be in the rear seat,” Walston said. “If you can put your purse, a briefcase, your wallet, something in the backseat to remind you. We also have plenty of alarms on our phones and other devices that we use – just set an alarm. Particularly if it’s out of your normal routine.”
This reminder came at an important time as more people are out and traveling and running errands away from the house this year as COVID-19 restrictions are loosened and routines have changed.
Walston said now is the time to be vigilant if you are traveling with children, a senior adult or pets — or if you see one in a hot car.
“We always want a bystander to act and that means you need to take action right away,” Walston said. “So many times people are concerned about breaking a window, if they would be responsible. We ask you to take action, we ask that you immediately call 911. Please don’t wait to see if someone else will take action. We never want them left alone in a car – even for one minute.”
Learn more about the varied support ECIPP offers by visiting VidantHealth.com.
Roanoke Rapids, N.C. – July 15, 2021 – Vidant North Hospital is proud to announce it has been designated as a primary stroke center by The Joint Commission and the American Heart/Stroke Association, recognizing the hospital’s preparedness and expertise to care for stroke patients. Stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the state, resulting in more serious long-term disabilities than any other disease.
According to the North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics, both Halifax and Northampton counties show increase incidences of stroke disease and mortality compared to the North Carolina average. “Here in eastern North Carolina we are at the center of a lot of strokes. North Carolina is about 8 percent worse for stroke mortality than the rest of the nation and in eastern North Carolina it is even a bigger risk,” said Dr. Richard Dalyai, neurosurgeon and surgical director of stroke services at Vidant Health. “Providing high-quality stroke care close to home is central to our mission of improving the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina.”
As a primary stroke center, Vidant North can treat and stabilize patients experiencing an acute stroke and care for more complex patients. Because time is one of the most important factors in treating stroke, it is vitally important to provide stroke care close to home. Vidant North’s stroke certification increases proximity to quality care in the Roanoke Rapids area, which reduces the risk of mortality, permanent brain damage and other side effects including memory loss, difficulty speaking and potential paralysis.
During the certification process, Vidant North was evaluated on performance measures in stroke care, including education for patients and families on stroke risk factors and recognizing symptoms of stroke. Other performance measures included staff education on stroke protocols and the appropriate prescription of medications to address stroke risk factors such as elevated cholesterol.
“Stroke certification from The Joint Commission represents Vidant North Hospital’s commitment to provide high-quality stroke care to not only patients experiencing stroke symptoms, but to all of our patients,” said Jason Harrell, president of Vidant North. “We are proud of being designated a primary stroke center and the commitment and diligent work of our team members across all levels and services to make this a reality.”
Greenville, N.C. – June 28, 2021 – The 2021 Vidant Health Board Quality Leadership Award winners were recently recognized by the Vidant Health Board of Directors for their improvement of patient care. These winning teams are a representation of excellent work across the system that drives the quality goal of zero harm, creates exceptional experiences and improves patient outcomes. Nine nominations were reviewed by the committee and the winning teams are as follows:
- Vidant Edgecombe Hospital: “Impact of a Palliative Care Program in a Community Hospital” was selected for its work in reducing the mortality rate and readmission rate by five percent.
- Vidant Family Medicine – Edenton: “Responding to COVID-19: Building an Airplane While Flying” for its work to establish a fully functioning respiratory clinic by April 9, 2020, that would see patients requiring screening, testing and treatment for COVID-19 infections.
- ECU Health Medical Center, Maynard Children’s Hospital team: “A Sustained Improvement in CLASBI Reduction” for its work to reduce central line associated blood infections in Maynard Children’s Hospital by 50 percent.
To receive this honor, team members submitted projects that demonstrated at least two of the following requirements:
- Quantifiable improvement in an organizational quality priority with sustained excellence over time
- Demonstration of empathy and compassion in patient care
- Implementation of innovative solution to patient care problem
- Community outreach that addresses the social determinants of health in a meaningful way
“We are proud to see team members from across Vidant Health recognized for their hard work and dedication to patient care,” said Dr. Shirley Carraway, Ed. D, chair of the Vidant Health Board of Directors. “The pandemic brought unique challenges to healthcare and these team members continued to innovate and improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina, and we are proud to honor them in this way.”
