Greenville, N.C. – ECU Health has earned 2024 College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) Digital Health Most Wired recognition as a certified acute and ambulatory Level 8. The Digital Health Most Wired program conducts an annual survey designed to identify and recognize health care organizations that exemplify best practices through their adoption, implementation and use of information technology and included more than 48,000 represented facilities in 2024.
“I am incredibly proud of our team’s dedication and innovation, which have been instrumental in achieving the 2024 Most Wired Award,” said Donette Herring, chief information officer, ECU Health. “Our efforts to improve the well-being and efficiency of our clinical team members and adoption of artificial intelligence were top priorities this past year. These achievements underscore the team’s commitment to innovation, education and the seamless integration of technologies across the organization. We look forward to building on these successes and exploring new opportunities to advance ECU Health’s strategies and improve operational performance.”
ECU Health ranked above peers in categories across eight key areas including: infrastructure, security, administrative/supply chain, analytics/data management, interoperability/population health, patient engagement, innovation and clinical quality/safety. Participants receive a comprehensive benchmarking report enabling them to evaluate their current information systems’ health. This report assists in devising strategies to elevate the quality of health care organizations to enhance industry-wide care standards. The assessment covers digital health performance. The survey assesses the adoption, integration and impact of technologies at all stages of development, from early development to industry leading.
ECU Health has piloted several initiatives to enhance patient care and streamline operations. The clinical communication program has enhanced the timeliness of communication and care coordination among team members, as well as increased workforce mobility, evidenced by high utilization in medication administration, documentation, and secure messaging. The MyChart Bedside program allows patients to access real-time education, lab results and pertinent care information directly from iPads, enhancing patient understanding and engagement. In the Emergency Department, the ‘Hello World’ initiative improves patient engagement through enhanced texting capabilities, keeping patients informed on next steps.
Additionally, regional facilities have expanded the tele-sitter program, optimizing resource allocation for patients who need monitoring but not constant one-on-one attention. The implementation of flowsheet macros has been a major efficiency booster, saving nurses millions of clicks and positioning ECU Health as a leader in this innovative adoption. ECU Health is also advancing artificial intelligence (AI) integration across its operations. The launch of the AI Center of Practice (AICoP) has gathered over 200 members across departments to foster collaboration and AI best practices.
“We are proud to recognize your ECU Health’s exceptional dedication to digital health excellence,” said CHIME President and CEO, Russ Branzell. “ECU Health’s pioneering performance in the industry not only inspires other organizations by example, but also provides patients around the world with better care.”
D’Nise Williams is the program coordinator for the Eastern Carolina Injury Prevention Program’s (ECIPP) Teen Safe Driving Program. This year marks the 12th year in a row her team has received grant funding from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP). The ECIPP is a community collaboration between ECU Health, Maynard Children’s Hospital, the ECU Health Trauma Center and the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. Its goal is to improve the health of eastern North Carolina residents by reducing the incidence and impact of injuries, and it accomplishes this goal through programs like the Teen Safe Driving Program.
The Governor’s Highway Safety Program is the State Highway Safety Office for North Carolina, and it is dedicated to reducing the number of traffic injuries and fatalities in the state. It promotes highway safety through a number of grants and safe driving initiatives like Click It or Ticket and Speed a Little, Lose a Lot. Many of the grants address behavioral approaches to traffic safety, and the grant the ECIPP received focuses on vulnerable road users—in this case, teenage drivers.
The program’s grant runs for a one-year cycle, and each year, educational efforts focus on two counties, which are selected through examination of county crash rate data. “We look at which counties would benefit from interventions to reduce crash rates, even by a small percentage,” Williams said. With the help of the GHSP grant funding, the Teen Safe Driving Program has been able to expand its services from Pitt County to Beaufort, Lenoir, Martin, Craven, Wayne, Nash, Greene, Duplin and Halifax counties, with hopes to further expand into Onslow County this year. “GHSP has been funding this project for more than a decade,” said Jennifer Delcourt, the vulnerable road users coordinator with the Governor’s Highway Safety Program. “This speaks to the impact of the project and the success of staff in reaching teens and parents with important traffic safety information in eastern North Carolina.”
According to data collected between 2016 and 2021, speeding, lane departure and distracted driving were the top factors in car crashes. To combat this, the program focuses on “5 to Drive rules for new drivers,” as developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which include no drinking and driving, buckling up, no use of phones while driving, no speeding and no more than one passenger at a time.
The Teen Safe Driving Program partners with high schools, as well as driver’s education programs, within the identified counties, to promote these safe driving practices for teenagers. “We do lunchtime education tables, partner with health science or P.E. classes, provide parent education curriculum and partner to bring the Cinema Drive interactive 3D movie experience to schools, which is an interactive driving experience that follows someone who has been drinking and driving. We have goggles and an interactive steering wheel, and you can pick out distractions as you drive with and without the goggles,” Williams explained. “The goal is to raise awareness that as a driver, you’re wielding tons of metal on the road, and you need to be your best self mentally.”
The program also provides targeted campaigns for teen drivers, including social media ads, billboards movie theater ads, mall campaigns and gas station TV ads. None of this would be possible without the funding from GHSP.
In 2023, the program achieved just over two million views in their mall campaign, 617 students in driver’s education classes, 7,168 students in lunchtime table education and 6,822 impressions via social media messages. These efforts have yielded positive results for the program. Teens are given pre- and post-intervention surveys to gauge their responses to the education, and there are also pre- and post-driver observations at the conclusion of driver’s education classes. “We usually see a change in behaviors, although it varies by county,” Williams said. “Last year we marked a 6% decrease in distracted driving in Pitt and Duplin counties, but the year before we recorded a 15-20% decrease in our counties of focus.”
Williams said that while it can be challenging to initially establish relationships with schools, once the partnership is established, the Teen Safe Driving Program is invited back year after year. Her goal is to continue to offer school interventions that result in safer driving behaviors, but she also has new ideas. “I want to work on targeted interventions for neurodivergent teens, like teenagers with ADHD or autism. We have so many teens who have trouble focusing already, and a teenager’s frontal lobe, which is responsible for making good decisions, isn’t fully developed,” Williams said. She also wants to establish a partnership with teenagers to create an advisory board for the program. “I’d like to think I’m ‘hip,’” Williams laughed. “But I would love to consult with other teenagers to get their input on what messaging reaches their age group.” Sue Anne Pilgreen, the executive director for the Safe Communities Coalition, the manager of the Pediatric Asthma Program and the manager of the ECIPP, echoed this sentiment. “Teens today aren’t the same as they were 12 years ago, and as they have changed, so has our program. We continue to focus on the historical distractions such as underage drinking and texting while driving, but we now know that mental well-being and substances such as marijuana can also impact teen driving.” Williams said consulting teens about what resonates most with them will help her find innovative and creative ways to reach and engage a teen audience.
Pilgreen championed Williams’s efforts to reach teen audiences across eastern North Carolina. “We are so fortunate to have D’Nise’s mental health background and expertise to better inform the education that we are offering, and to ensure that we are connecting with teens on a ‘real life’ level. My perception of a teens experience isn’t necessarily reality, and D’Nise knows that hers isn’t either. D’Nise is very intentional in bringing youth voices to her work, and structuring her programming and activities in a way that best impacts them.”
Williams emphasized that while the program’s focus on safe teen driving centers on a few counties each year, she is always available to speak to groups and do targeted programming and interventions. “I never turn down the opportunity to encourage kids to be safer,” she said.
Dr. Jacob Pierce
Fall is upon us, and along with the cooler weather and changing leaves, we are expecting to see an increase in respiratory viruses. While it might be too late for ECU football’s conference championship dreams, it’s not too late to increase your chances of staying healthy this respiratory viral season. Respiratory viruses may be an inconvenience for many of us, but they can be devastating for those with certain conditions. Fortunately, vaccines and treatments are available for the major respiratory viruses expected to be circulating this Fall and Winter.
Testing positive for influenza, COVID-19, RSV and other respiratory viruses can be unsettling, but it’s important to remember that we’re equipped with the knowledge and tools to handle it effectively. If you test positive, reach out to your health care provider immediately. For those who are a bit more vulnerable—like older adults, people with underlying health conditions or a weakened immune system—getting early treatment really makes a difference. It can help keep symptoms from getting worse and get you back on your feet faster.
Medications available today for some respiratory viruses like COVID-19 can significantly reduce the severity of symptoms and lower the risk of hospitalization. As an infectious disease physician at ECU Health, I have seen firsthand how devastating these respiratory viruses can be for at-risk individuals. This underscores the importance of acting quickly and taking advantage of these treatments when eligible.
Treatment is just one part of the equation; preventative measures remain as vital as ever. The 2024–25 COVID-19 and influenza vaccines are available this Fall, and staying up to date with vaccinations is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself and those around you. We also now have FDA-approved RSV vaccines for all adults ages 75 years and older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends the vaccine for adults ages 60-74 years who are at increased risk of severe RSV.
It is important to recognize that some of the most vulnerable in our community – such as newborns or individuals on chemotherapy don’t have a strong enough immune system for vaccines to work. They rely on the healthy among us to get vaccinated and keep them safe. I know that some of you reading this may have concerns about vaccinations. I encourage you to discuss which vaccines might be right for you with your health care provider. I get my vaccines every year, not to protect myself, but to protect anyone in our community who cannot get them for whatever reason.
Additionally, basic hygiene practices, like frequent handwashing, avoiding close contact with sick individuals and wearing masks in crowded or high-risk areas, continue to be simple yet powerful tools in preventing the spread of respiratory viruses.
By staying informed, acting quickly when needed and embracing preventive measures, we can navigate this season safely and protect the health of our community. It’s not just about avoiding illness; it’s about doing our part to ensure the well-being of those around us. Together, we can make a difference in managing this year’s respiratory viral season and look forward to baseball season.
Dr. Jacob Pierce is the medical director of infection prevention at ECU Health and a clinical assistant professor at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.
Across the ECU Health system, hospitals recognized Veterans Day with events honoring those who have served our nation and thanking those who have chosen to serve in a new way at ECU Health.
At ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, team members gathered around the flagpole just after 9 a.m. to come together, connect with other veterans, and appreciate one another’s service to the country and eastern North Carolina.
Dr. Virginia Hardy, vice president and chief inclusion and belonging officer at ECU Health, hosted the event and welcomed in team members.
“Today, we celebrate not only your past service, but also your legacy of courage and honor,” she said. “Our veterans remind us that our freedom is not just a right, it is a responsibility. Freedom today means different perspectives, engaging and constructive dialogue and ensuring that every voice has been heard.”
Cameron Graham, manager of electrical and mechanical systems in Plant Operations at ECU Health, gave a roll call for each branch of the United States military with veterans responding with their branch battle cry.
He shared that his service in the Navy helped shape his perspective as a leader and in his daily work at ECU Health.
“My brother was in the service, also in the Navy, and he was kind of my hero, so I followed his tracks,” Graham said. “When I attained the rank of Chief, we used to do what was called an initiation. You’re taught humility, to never forget from whence you came, and those who made you who you are. That has served me well, not only in the military but at ECU Health as well.”
Wayne Waters, a mechanic with Plant Operations at ECU Health, led the Pledge of Allegiance during the event. He served in the National Guard and said he took lessons from his time in the service that he sees in his work each day at ECU Health.
“A lot of my family in the past had been military, so growing up it was just the right thing to do. I’m just proud to be a part of the service,” Waters said. “Being young and going in, it helped me with structure in my life. It really taught me to be team player, being part of a team and working together.”
Trish Baise, chief nursing executive at ECU Health, said as the daughter of a veteran, she’s proud to participate in these events and recognize others for their service and sacrifice.
She said the sense of service in those who serve in the military does not fade and we see that each day in eastern North Carolina and at ECU Health.
“Our neighbors, friends and family members who have served often return home to continue their legacy of services,” Baise said. “They become teachers, first responders, health care professionals and community leaders. The sense of commitment is part of what makes eastern North Carolina unique – a place where selflessness and service are not just values, but a way of life.”
At ECU Health, we’re grateful today and every day for the service of our veterans. We’re proud of the more than 550 ECU Health team members and 60 medical students, faculty and staff at the Brody School of Medicine who have decided to continue their service to others after their time in the military.
Halloween is a night filled with fun, creativity, and spooky thrills, but it is also an important reminder of easy safety tips, especially for pedestrians. It is essential for parents, guardians and children to take proactive measures to ensure everyone is safe while enjoying the festivities.
“One of the most effective ways to increase visibility and reduce risks is for children and accompanying adults to wear reflective items,” advised Ellen Walston, injury prevention program coordinator at ECU Health.
Selecting costumes that fit properly can help prevent tripping hazards. Parents should ensure that their child’s costume is the appropriate length and consider opting for face paint instead of masks to avoid obstructed vision.
Simple additions, such as a reflective vest or armband for parents, can significantly enhance safety for both children and adults. Additionally, carrying flashlights or glow sticks can alert oncoming traffic to the presence of trick-or-treaters. In neighborhoods without sidewalks, staying as far from traffic as possible and utilizing crosswalks when crossing streets is crucial.
Walston emphasizes the importance of communication between drivers and pedestrians.
“Parents should also encourage children to make eye contact with the driver,” said Walston. “It is important that both the driver and the child are aware of one another.”
Safety in numbers is another critical aspect of Halloween safety. Walston recommends that children trick-or-treat in groups rather than alone. Parents should supervise younger children, while older kids should stay together with their peers.
“Children should travel in groups with smaller children, with their parents available for supervision,” Walston said.
This approach not only improves safety but also builds a sense of community among families, according to Walston. Furthermore, parents should remain vigilant about their surroundings and teach their children to be aware of potential dangers.
Once the trick-or-treating is done, parents should thoroughly inspect all candy before allowing children to indulge. Walston advises disposing of any candy that are missing wrappers or anything that appears to have been tampered with. Walston also suggests avoiding homemade treats unless they come from someone you know.
By taking these precautions and remaining vigilant, families can enjoy a safe and festive Halloween experience. With a little preparation and awareness, you can embrace the Halloween spirit without compromising safety.
Access East is a 501(c)(3) that strives to improve health access to, and coordination of, quality care in eastern North Carolina. Access East serves as an important part of the ECU Health system of care, offering support for under- and uninsured individuals and helping navigate the health care system through service lines such as Access East Care Management, HealthAssist, ACA Navigators and Health Opportunities Pilot.
Out in the field
One such facet of their service comes through the Farmworker Program, which works not only to help enroll members of the ENC H-2A (temporary visa) farmworker community in low-cost insurance, but also to direct them to available community health care options, and to provide emergency medical training like wound care or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). In just under two months, the program has reached more than 2,000 farm workers.
Juan Allen, a community coordinator and Affordable Care Act (ACA) navigator for the program, plays a key role in helping the farmworker community receive the services and care it needs. “I’ve been with Access East for seven or eight years,” Juan said. “I was born and raised in El Salvador on a farm, which is what got me interested in doing this work.” The goal of the program, he said, is to help members of the migrant farming community prevent injuries and illness. “Last year we lost four farm workers to heat stroke, and someone else passed away because no one in the field knew CPR,” he explained.
“So, we go out to the farms and do CPR training, heat exhaustion and heat stroke education, Stop the Bleed training, education about tobacco sickness and anything else they need.” Juan said there is also skin cancer education and screenings, dental cleanings, mental health support and vaccines. “During COVID, we were coordinating vaccines, so that with providers’ help, we got 80-100 people vaccinated per day.”
Juan has also trained as an instructor for the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) trainings, which is an evidence-based, early-intervention course that, virtually or in-person, uses community-specific scenarios, activities and videos to teach people the skills they need to recognize and respond to mental health and substance use challenges. The ECU Health Foundation awarded funding to Safe Communities Coalition, a non-profit that works alongside the Eastern Carolina Injury Prevention Program (ECIPP) to prevent injuries. “Juan has reached a population (farmworkers) that we have struggled to reach, yet we knew desperately needed the education,” said Sue Anne Pilgreen, the executive director for the Safe Communities Coalition, the manager of the ECIPP and the manager of the Pediatric Asthma Program. “This past fiscal year, we have trained a total of 196 people in MFHA, and 92% felt like they could recognize someone who was suicidal after completing the class.”
“Juan is one of the hardest workers I know,” said Shantell Cheek, the director of Access East. “He has a passion to really help those who are underserved, and he is a true link between Access East, ECU Health and the Farmworker Program.” Wherever there is a need, she said, Access East and the Farmworker Program is there.
The program, which initially was established to help H-2A workers get visas and enroll in the ACA, has grown significantly. “We still do the ACA enrollment,” Cheek said. “But Juan provides care coordination, and different entities like the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the North Carolina Growers Association partner with us. We now help these individuals get medications they need, assist them when they go to the hospital and are being discharged, set up with primary care providers and provide the education like CPR and skin cancer. And it’s not just the migrant workers; it’s their families too. Wherever there is a need, anywhere across the state, they call Juan.”
Partnering with the Brody School of Medicine
She emphasized that Juan tirelessly creates partnerships with regional and community organizations. Shantell also highlighted Access East’s, and Juan’s, ongoing collaboration with East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine. “During their first or second year of medical school, students can select a project to work on and Juan’s name often comes up when they mention an interest in the communities we serve.”
Deanna Torres, a second-year medical school student at the Brody School of Medicine, worked with Juan this past summer as a part of a project required of the school’s four Distinction tracks. Deanna opted to apply for the Service-learning track, which is what led her to Access East. The other tracks include Health System Transformation and Leadership, Medical Education and Teaching and Research.
Deanna said she has always had a passion for grassroots community service. “I’m undecided on my specialty right now, but I know I want to help underserved, minority populations.” Deanna grew up participating in a variety of community service activities, including a medical mission to Honduras and a Benedictine Volunteer Corps trip to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in Mission, South Dakota. Once she entered medical school, Deanna continued her journey in service by joining the Service-learning track. “It isn’t required to join a track,” Deanna explained. “But when I was applying to medical schools, the Service-learning track was a major factor in deciding to come here.”
Students in the Service-learning track work extensively with medically-underserved, marginalized and rural populations during their medical school career. They attend a lecture series specific to that track, but they are also required to participate in a service-learning internship during the summer after their first year of medical school. “We select an organization to partner with, and then we create a longitudinal service-learning project aligned with that organization,” Deanna said. While the internship only lasts a summer, the students’ work on their projects continues until they graduate.
Making a difference
With Juan as her mentor, Deanna said she gained an insider’s perspective on a migrant farmworker’s daily life. “I saw how migrant farmworkers are processed after entering the country. I saw how farms are laid out, and I got to see their living conditions, which aren’t always great. I’ve lived in North Carolina my whole life, and I didn’t know how many farmworkers we have in this region or what their needs were.” This exposure led Deanna to her project’s focus, which is “Increasing Mental Health Services to Hispanic Migrant Farmworkers in Pitt County.” The migrant workers, she discovered, often struggle with mental health issues, like depression. “They leave their home country and their families, work in the heat and have no car or independence, and that can be challenging. I want to advocate for the lack of awareness and communication about mental health in the Hispanic community,” Deanna said.
Juan has been instrumental in helping Deanna make the connections and partnerships necessary to work on her project. “He’s a popular man,” she laughed. “Any time I mention Access East, everyone knows him.” Deanna said she appreciated Juan being willing to mentor her, despite his busy schedule. “As a medical student, it can feel daunting to reach out because everyone is busy, but he was always available and offered me resources, took me to the farms and provided logistics. He knows all about these things.”
Dr. Jennifer Crotty, a pediatrician and an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Brody School of Medicine, as well as the director of the Service-learning distinction track, facilitates connections between students in the Service-learning track and community partners. “The track primarily focuses on local impact and grassroots efforts,” Dr. Crotty said. Of how she came to direct this specific track, she cited her background in pediatrics. “I realized that to have healthy children, we need healthy families and communities,” she said. “That’s why we want to do this advocacy work.” Access East has been a significant partner in this work. “Access East addresses the things we know need to be addressed. When students work with them, they see the time and energy and resources it takes to do medicine in these rural communities.” While she has never met Juan personally, she knows her students get a great experience when they work with him. “He always finds a place for our students, and the students always say their experience was amazing.”
This work is valuable, Deanna said, because it puts a face and name to abstract medical concepts students learn in school. “It puts a story to what you’re learning,” she said. “It shows us that a patient isn’t just one disease, but they are dimensional, and it helps us be better physicians who treat in a holistic manner. This community needs us to advocate for them.” Dr. Crotty agreed, saying that having students participate in these service learning partnerships through ECU Health make them better physicians, no matter what specialty they choose. “They take the knowledge they gained through service learning to wherever they’re going. I love that someone in their surgery residency is thinking about whether their patient has enough food at home. We graduate good doctors because our students are exposed to these types of things, and they know how to handle it.” Juan said that ultimately, this work gives migrant farmworkers a voice. “They’re only here for eight months and they don’t know their rights,” he said. “Access East is vital to reach out to farm workers so we can be a go-between them and the health system.”
In September, the Healthier Lives at School and Beyond program, an initiative led by the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University and ECU Health, hosted an event at Rose Hill-Magnolia Elementary School in Duplin County to help keep 51 students in school by providing health assessments for students.
In North Carolina, students without a health assessment or immunization record on file 30 days after the start of the school year are suspended from school which can disrupt the learning experience.
In previous years, the Healthier Lives at School and Beyond team also visited schools in Jones County and Clinton City Schools in Sampson County to ensure students are up to date on their care and can remain in the classroom.
Dr. Kristina Simeonsson, professor of pediatrics and public health at Brody, said these events are crucial for rural areas like Duplin, Jones and Sampson counties who do not have the same access to primary care as larger counties.
“These are often children who are new to the area, new to the state and possibly new to the country, who haven’t had a chance to establish with a health care provider but desperately need these health assessments done,” Dr. Simeonsson said. “We do these events in September in partnership with the county or city schools along with the county health department to get as many kids seen as possible so that they won’t miss school.”
Healthier Lives at School and Beyond was originally designed as a school-based telehealth program that provides quality nutrition education and counseling, behavioral health, and acute minor medical care services. It officially launched in 2018 to deliver interdisciplinary services virtually to rural school children, staff and faculty during the school day. Whether in school or at home, all appointments take place over a safe and secure online network which allows patients to stay at school or home and parents to stay at work or home.
But in 2020, when many community members had not seen a primary care provider due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team received a request from Duplin County schools to catch students up on health assessments. The following year, the team realized the need was larger than they anticipated and the program eventually spread to other areas of eastern North Carolina.
“We thought that was a unique situation for COVID and wanted to do everything we could to support our school partners,” Dr. Simeonsson said. “We’ve seen this program grow because there are just so many kids that need the service. Every year we’ve tried to tweak and get a little more efficient, we’ve had medical students, residents and nurses come back if they’ve done this before to help out. Every year we’re getting a little more efficient.”
During the visit to Rose Hill-Magnolia Elementary School in September, Dr. Simeonsson said the team chartered a retrofitted motorcoach from ECU Transit to provide further screenings.
Six physician residents from ECU Health and three medical students from Brody were on hand to help for the Rose Hill-Magnolia Elementary School event. Among the residents were Dr. Maria Canas, a first-year resident, and Dr. Cady Hansen, a third-year resident.
Dr. Hansen said from a training perspective, the experience is invaluable.
“I think exposure and getting out in the community is so important,” Dr. Hansen said. “We’re connecting with the community and we’re treating patients, but it’s more than that.
This allows us to get a much different perspective into the levels of medicine needed in different areas and what people have access to and trying to ensure that we provide the best level of care across populations.”
Dr. Canas, who is from Colombia, was able to connect directly with Spanish-speaking students and families while providing care at the school. She said being a resource for Spanish-speakers made the day special for her.
“I love that. I really appreciate this opportunity,” Dr. Canas said. “It’s really nice because sometimes I get comments like, ‘I’ve never seen a provider speaking Spanish.’ It’s just nice because they can feel a little bit more comfortable speaking to me because it’s the same language and it’s not easy when you don’t have that.”
Sue Ellen Cottle, lead school nurse for Duplin County Schools, said the day was a success and each year she looks forward to the team coming together to do this important work. To date, 354 health assessments have been completed which have enabled 354 students to remain in school.
“We are very fortunate in Duplin County to have the partnership with Brody and ECU Health because otherwise these students would be out of school as of tomorrow morning,” she said. “We’ll do everything from pre-K through 12th grade today, physicals, immunizations, whatever they need to stay in school. We’ll see 51 students today and we’re just thrilled to partner with the team on this.”
Through programs like Healthier Lives at School and Beyond, Brody and ECU Health are living their missions in important and unique ways. The program is exposing Brody medical students and resident physicians to unique care environments and is working to increase the supply of primary care physicians serving the state ultimately to improve the health and well-being of the region. For ECU Health physicians and team members connected to the work, it directly drives forward the mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina.
Working together with local partners makes the East a stronger, healthier community and helps ECU Health and Brody meet community members where they are to deliver high-quality, compassionate care.
Amy Campbell, PhD, RN, CPHQ, LSSBB, quality nurse specialist III, represented ECU Health on Sept. 25 at a side event held in parallel to the 79th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York City. The meeting, titled “2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis for Attaining Sustainable Development Goals,” was convened as a collaborative effort of the Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA), Medical Women’s International Association, Sepsis Stiftung and UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health.
The meeting was the first-ever global strategy spearheaded by the GSA, with collaboration from 70 partner and member organizations from Regional Sepsis Alliances across Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Caribbean, eastern Mediterranean, Europe, Latin America and North America. The meeting’s objectives were:
- To present the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis as the first multi-year global strategy to alleviate the significant human, societal, economic and health care burden of Sepsis.
- To reach consensus on the urgent need for reinvigorating the Sepsis responses at global, regional and national levels for the attainment of 2030 SDGs including the aspirations for Universal Health Care, Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health, AMR, Pandemic PPR, Gender Equality, Peace and Partnerships for Development.
- To discuss the critical role of health care workers, especially the medical women, representing over 70% of the health workforce globally, in the promotion and implementation of the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis.
- To call for establishment of a High-Level Political Platform for Sepsis to lead integration of this global health threat into the mainstream of health and development dialogue and architecture, including G7 and G20 Summits, World Health Assemblies, UN General Assemblies, and World Economic Forums.
Dr. Campbell was personally invited to attend and speak by Dr. Mariam Jashi, MD, MPH, MPA and the CEO of the Global Sepsis Alliance, and Michael Wong, founder and executive director of the physician-patient alliance for health and safety. This invitation came as a follow-up to the 2024 World Sepsis Congress held this past April, during which Campbell served on the Scientific Committee. “I saw the invite and initially blew it off,” Dr. Campbell laughed. “I wasn’t sure it was real.” But after reassurance the invitation was legitimate, and with the encouragement of her team and Michael Wong, Dr. Campbell decided to go to New York. “I had a training session scheduled at work, but my colleagues covered for me,” she said. “I’m so thankful to my team and leaders who made it so I could attend.”
Once she arrived at the New York University campus, where the parallel session was held, Dr. Campbell said she met many leaders from across the world. “I met Dr. Eleanor Nwadinobi, the president of the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA), Thomas Heymann, the president and CEO of the Sepsis Alliance and the Honorable Dr. Ricardo Baptista Leite, a member of the Portugese Parliament. People were speaking all these different languages and here I was from eastern North Carolina.”
The meeting focused on early detection of sepsis and how to treat patients with sepsis, no matter where they live. “As one of the speakers, I had the opportunity to emphasize the urgency of early detection, the critical need for continued research and the importance of securing funding so that everyone, regardless of their geographic location, can receive the same standard of care and chance for survival,” Dr. Campbell said. The speakers also discussed what they anticipated to be the next big problem with sepsis: antibiotic resistance.
Dr. Campbell said it was a great opportunity to represent the work she and ECU Health are doing to address the global problem of sepsis. “The attendees were impressed with the work we’re doing. ECU Health is a big deal; we have incredible people and talent, and we deserve a seat at the table,” she said. And next year, she has a seat waiting for her. “I’ve been invited back to speak next year, and I’ll work more with the GSA,” she shared. “We all have a lot to learn and do. Sepsis transcends borders, affecting individuals of all ages, races and socioeconomic backgrounds. However, the most vulnerable populations – children, the elderly and those in low-resource settings – are disproportionately impacted. Sepsis doesn’t wait, and neither can we.”
As recovery efforts continue following Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact in western North Carolina, team members from the east continue to do their part in support of those impacted.
The local efforts, led by the Eastern Healthcare Preparedness Coalition (EHPC) at ECU Health, include boots-on-the-ground contributions that started immediately after the storm hit the state and continue today in various capacities.
Chris Cieszko, Disaster Services Specialist with EHPC, was among the first group of team members to travel to western North Carolina in the Medical Ambulance Bus the day after Helene hit the western part of the state. Along with other members of EHPC, Cieszko said they helped with the immediate response which included logistical support during the staging period such as changing batteries, loading trailers and “a little bit of everything” to help manage supplies.
Using the medical bus, the team partnered with Lumberton Rescue Squad and assisted with the local EMS response from Linville-Central Rescue Squad to help evacuate 23 patients from a damaged assisted living facility in Grandfather Mountain to a safer location away from the impacted area.
“It was obviously a difficult situation given the conditions and circumstances,” Cieszko said. “No one wants to leave the comfort of their own living space. We were able to talk to them, take care of them and ultimately get them to a safe location. The entire response was a true testament to the teamwork between EHPC, Linville-Central Rescue Squad and of course our sister agencies in the North Carolina Healthcare Preparedness.”
The EHPC team also helped with technology and communication needs in the immediate aftermath of the storm, which is a vital asset to disaster response. Matthew McMahon, disaster services specialist with EHPC, helped connect a Starlink to the medical bus ensuring it had internet, and programmed helicopters to provide connectivity with ground support.
Recovery efforts have not stopped since Helene’s arrival, and neither has EHPC. Chris Starbuck, Healthcare Preparedness Coordinator with EHPC has been stationed in Raleigh at the North Carolina Department of Public Safety Emergency Operations Center. His role includes supporting health care staffing needs at all several operational sites managed by the state.
These needs, along with EHPC support, represent the importance readiness to respond to disasters immediately, while also being prepared to provide long-term help as recovery efforts continue.
“A huge outpouring of medical personnel from all over NC have volunteered to assist with the response efforts in the west,” Starbuck said. “Many are wondering ‘when’ they are going to get a chance to help. We can be ready for when the call comes. Have plans for your family, kids, and pets along with working with your employer so they can plan schedules.”
In March of 2021, Jalen Hill, MLT (ASCP)CM, joined ECU Health Beaufort Hospital as a cook in the Food and Nutrition Services department. “I wanted to go to culinary school,” he said. “But once I was at the hospital, I found out about a whole other world of opportunities.”
Those opportunities began with one conversation with Human Resources (HR). “Someone in HR heard me talk about wanting to do something different,” Jalen shared. “I wanted to be more involved and out in the field, doing patient care. I was considering going into radiology, and I thought I could train in phlebotomy and then transfer into a radiology program; but then the person in HR talked to me about the medical laboratory technician (MLT) role, which I had never even heard about. She was the one who set me up with the lab to do some job shadowing, and that was the spark.”
From there, Jalen entered the medical laboratory technician program at Beaufort County Community College in August of 2021, and at the same time, he also trained as a phlebotomist. In July 2023 he completed his phlebotomy training, and in May of 2024 he graduated with an associate degree in medical laboratory technology. That following June he began working at the hospital as an MLT.
Now Jalen truly enjoys his work and the chance to meet different people every day. “You are talking to people and hearing their stories every day. I’m drawing blood to help doctors, and I’m in the lab running tests to help get a diagnosis. That means a lot,” he said. He also values his co-workers, without whom he might not have found his true calling. “In this job, I’ve gained friendships and I’ve learned a lot. Andrea Latham and Sherry Langely were the ones who encouraged me to train as a phlebotomist and let me shadow in the lab. When I was in school, I still worked in the cafeteria, and they’d come by and ask how classes were going. They offered to help if I had any questions. I appreciated them checking up on me.”
The Washington, North Carolina native is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory science at Winston-Salem State University, and he is already considering his future education and career options. “I’ve researched forensic science, but I’ve also looked into a master’s in business administration or a master’s in public health, where I could be an epidemiologist or toxicologist. It feels good to have these opportunities ahead of me,” he said.
To anyone considering making a career shift to health care, Jalen said go for it. “It’s a great decision. You have a direct influence on people’s lives every day. Every time you clock in, you are doing something that’s meaningful to someone, whether it’s a simple blood draw or talking to a nurse about lab test results. It’s a rewarding career.”